Free The Magic Tower and Other One-Act Plays by Tennessee Williams

high these days, huh? Well—watch your step! We don’t want no more trouble round here. [
He starts off down the block
.]
    THE GENTLEMAN : Say, Mac! What time is it?
    MAC : Twelve-thirty-five.
    THE GENTLEMAN : What the hell does he think I am. He said twelve sharp.
    MAC : Maybe he meant sharp in the guts.
    THE GENTLEMAN [
quickly
]: What you mean?
    MAC : Figure it out for yourself. [
He continues down and walks offstage
.]
    THE GENTLEMAN : Hey, Mac! What you mean . . . oh, hell! [
He lights another cigarette. Flossie comes to door
.]
    FLOSSIE : Say, honey. You better come on in. You’ll catch cold out there. If the Patch was gonna come he’d have shown up by now.
    THE GENTLEMAN : The Patch never breaks a date. I’m working for the Patch. If he says meet him here I gotta be here, that’s all. Flossie . . .
    FLOSSIE : Yeah?
    THE GENTLEMAN : Chum up a little with Mike. See if you can’t get something out of him. I think he knows something.
    FLOSSIE [
coming down a step and taking the Gent’s arm, huddling against him
]: Knows something ’bout what? George—nothing’s wrong, is it?
    THE GENTLEMAN : Course not. Course not. I just—oh , hell! There’s been trouble in the mob lately. Somebody snitched, see. And I got an idea there’s somebody trying to pin it on me. Somebody talked too much. Sold out for a couple of grand.
    FLOSSIE : You think the Patch . . .
    THE GENTLEMAN : I dunno. You can’t tell. Course the Patch knows I’m a gentleman. I don’t see how he could think . . .
    FLOSSIE : Georgie!
    THE GENTLEMAN : Whatsa matter?
    FLOSSIE : I’m scared! Let’s go home! Let’s go up to my place!
    THE GENTLEMAN : Naw, I can’t. Not now. If I walked out on the Patch tonight, he’d think I was scared. I ain’t got nothing to be scared about, see. I ain’t done nothing. Me a stool-pigeon? Me, Gentleman George? Like hell! I’ve always played square. The Patch knows that. He knows I wouldn’t squeal. What’s he got on me? Not a damn thing. Maybe some bastard tries to frame me. It won’t work. I’ll talk to the Patch. I’ll straighten things out, all right, all right!
    FLOSSIE : Georgie! You’re talking too loud!
    THE GENTLEMAN : Why shouldn’t I talk out loud? Did I say anything? [
He looks around
.] I didn’t say anything that wasn’t right, did I?
    FLOSSIE [
nervously
]: I don’t know. I don’t know. Georgie. . . .
    THE GENTLEMAN : What?
    FLOSSIE : Could we go away somewhere? I mean, just for a while, till things blow over . . .
    THE GENTLEMAN : Till what blows over? I ain’t done nothing. I ain’t got nothing to be scared about. Go on inside. You broads are all alike. No guts. Want me to run out? What should I take it on the lam for? I ain’t done nothing. . . .
    FLOSSIE : Honey, I wish you’d come on inside, now. It’s too cold for you to be standing out here like this. Your martini’s waiting, Honey. Come on in, now, and have your drink. Then we’ll go up to my place, Honey. It’ll be nice and warm up there. We’ll buy a bottle of gin and mix some drinks. We’ll have a swell time. We won’t worry ’bout nothing up at my place, Georgie. We’ll just forget all about the old Patch. C’mon, Honey! Aw, c’mon. . . .
    THE GENTLEMAN : Flossie . . . I was just thinkin’ . . . I been in this racket about long enough. . . I saved up some dough. . . . Yeah, some real dough . . .
    FLOSSIE [
exited
]: Yeah? Gee, that’s swell! How much you saved up, sweetheart? Enough to buy little Flossie a nice Christmas present?
    THE GENTLEMAN : More than that.
    FLOSSIE [
delighted
]: How much, how much?
    THE GENTLEMAN [
after a slight pause
]: A couple of grand.
    FLOSSIE : A couple of grand! Gee! How did you get hold of all that dough?
    THE GENTLEMAN [
sharply
]: Never mind about that! Are you game? There might be a little trouble, you know.
    FLOSSIE : Game for what?
    THE GENTLEMAN : Skipping out with me. Down to Florida. That’s where the real gentlemen go—yeah . For the