Free The Cryptogram by David Mamet Page B

then.
    JOHN : I will.
    DEL : “My blessings on your House.”
    JOHN : That’s what the Wizard said.
    DEL : That’s right.
    JOHN : “And mine on yours.”
    DEL : “Until the whale shall speak.”
    JOHN : “Until the Moon shall Weep.” Mother?
    DONNY : I don’t remember it … (
Pause
.)
    JOHN : You don’t remember it? (
Pause
.)
    DEL : Well then, John. Alright then. Off you go to work.
    JOHN (
exiting
): I will.
    DEL : Off you go. (
Pause
.)
    DONNY : No. I don’t understand it.
    DEL : Well …
    DONNY : No.
    DEL : He has trouble sleeping.
    DONNY : Mm. No.
    DEL : That’s his nature.
    DONNY : Is it?
    DEL : Children …
    DONNY : No. You see. It’s grown into this minuet. Every night …
    DEL : Well, yes. But this is
special
, he …
    DONNY : No, No. He always has a reason. Some … every night …
    DEL : Yes. Granted. But a Trip to the Woods …
    DONNY : … he …
    DEL : … with his Dad …? It’s an
event
. I think. What do I know? But, as his
friend
 …
    DONNY : … yes …
    DEL : … as his
friend
 …
    DONNY : Yes. Yes. He Always has a Reason.
    DEL : Yes, but I’m saying, in
spite
of … 
I
don’t know. I don’t mean to intrude … but good. But
Good
. One sends him up to the Attic …
    DONNY : Oh.
    DEL : And that’s “it.” That’s the solution.
    DONNY : Oh. Oh …
    DEL : To, um … to, um, what is the word …?
    DONNY : Look what I found.
    DEL : To um … not “portray” … to um …
    DONNY : Look what I found.
    DEL : “Participate.” That’s the word. Is that the word? No. To, um …
    DONNY : Del. Shut up.
    DEL : To um …
    DONNY (
simultaneous with
“To”): Shut up. Look what I found up in the attic.
    (
She goes to a side table and brings back a small framed photograph and hands it to
DEL .)
    DEL : (
Pause
.) When was this taken …
    DONNY (
simultaneous with
“taken”): When I was packing for the trip.
    DEL (
simultaneous with
“trip”): Mmm … No. When was this taken?
    DONNY : Isn’t it funny? Though? The things you find? (
Pause
.)
    DEL : Huh …
    DONNY : What?
    DEL : I don’t understand this photograph. (
Pause
.)
    DONNY : What do you mean?
    ( JOHN
comes down onto the landing
.)
    JOHN : Which coat? That’s what I forgot. To pack my coat.
    DONNY (
to
DEL ): Which coat?
    JOHN : That’s what was on my mind.
    DONNY : Which coat should he take?
    DEL (
looking up from the photograph
): Mm? When were you up there?
    DONNY : Where?
    DEL : Up in the attic?
    DONNY (
simultaneous with
“attic”): In the attic today, cleaning up.
    DEL (
of photo
) (
simultaneous with
“up”): … this is the damnedest thing …
    DONNY :
Isn’t
it …?
    DEL : When, when could this have been taken?
    DONNY : And I found that old
Lap
robe.
    DEL : The lap robe …
    DONNY : The
stadium
blanket we …
    JOHN : Which coat?
    DONNY : Which?
    JOHN : How cold is it up there yet?
    DEL : … a lap robe …
    DONNY : The
stadium
blanket.
    JOHN : How cold was it last week? Del?
    DONNY : Just bring your regular coat.
    JOHN : My blue coat?
    DONNY : The melton coat?
    JOHN : What’s melton?
    DONNY : The blue coat. Your fabric coat.
    JOHN : The
wool
one?
    DONNY (
to
DEL ): Is it too cold for that?
    DEL : No.
    DONNY : Then take it.
    JOHN : My
blue
coat.
    DONNY : Yes.
    JOHN : Do I have any sweaters left?
    DONNY : Up there?
    JOHN : Yes.
    DEL : I think so.
    DONNY : I’m sure that you do.
    JOHN : You think so?
    DEL : They’d be in your bureau.
    JOHN : And, the fishing stuff. Is it there?
    DONNY : The fishing stuff. They brought back. Last week, John. It’s all …
    JOHN : … they brought it back.
    DONNY : Yes. It’s up in the attic …
    JOHN (simultaneous with “attic”): You should have left it at the Cabin.
    DONNY : It’s in the attic. You’ll see it up there.
    DEL : … we were afraid …
    DONNY : … they didn’t want it to Get Stolen.
    JOHN : And the fishing line. Do we have that good line?
    DEL (
simultaneous with
“line”): … we were afraid it would