WELCH
: Keep it up! Keep it up! The step, the step!
(HAYNES resumes his little march in place.)
HAYNES
: We’re supposed to head back with the heifers. At night. By train. Across the Great Plains. The two of us.
FRANK
: Me? Not me.
HAYNES
: Me and you both. Across the Great Plains. Clack-ety clack.
FRANK
: No! That couldn’t be right. I’m supposed to be at the meeting!
WELCH
: Where, though, Haynes? Where exactly is “back there”? Be specific. Frank needs to know. You can do it. You’re a big boy. Tell Frank.
(WELCH zaps him with electric shock. Blue light.)
HAYNES
: ROCKY BUTTES!!!!!
WELCH
: There we go. That wasn’t so hard, now, was it?
FRANK
: Rocky Buttes? I thought you told me they were going to be air-dropped into exotic foreign lands. That’s what you said. Palm trees! Desert oasis! Parachutes floating!
WELCH
: You just keep dreaming, Frank.
EMMA
: How are you going to explain Holsteins in the middle of the desert?
WELCH
: They snuck in from Canada. It doesn’t matter.
FRANK
: You told me my heifers were going to be glorified. Heroic!
WELCH
: You’ve got to drop all that for now, Frank. Leave the simple past behind. We’ve got to get a move on here. We’re dealing with a ruthless, diabolical, treacherous, despicable force. What’s the matter with you people? Don’t you get it?
FRANK
: No, this isn’t what I had in mind. You painted me a different picture. (
coming down off sofa, tries to hand case back to
WELCH
) Here, you take this money back. I don’t want it.
WELCH
: Too late for that, Frank. Way too late.
FRANK
: Take it back!
(FRANK opens case and empties the money out.)
WELCH
: Things have already been set in motion. There’s no more thinking to do. It’s time for action. Look at your friend, Haynes. How committed he is. You don’t want to be left behind, do you, Frank? Out here in the hinterlands. Get in step! Get in step!
(HAYNES keeps up his marching, getting more and more frantic, as FRANK looks on.)
Things are going to start moving very, very fast now. Everything’s been building to this. You’ll see. The wonderful part is that the machinery is in place! All we have to do is climb on board now, Frank. Take a ride!
We are going to deliver you to your Manifest Destiny! Just take a little test-drive. Get in step, Frank. Try it out.
(FRANK starts tentatively marching with HAYNES, trying to fall into step with him, but HAYNES has now cranked up the tempo. FRANK tries to catch up.)
Emma, maybe you could clean the place up a bit. Get these plants out of here before the meeting.
EMMA
: Frank! Frank, don’t do that. Stop doing that!