Murder Mysteries a Play for Voices (9781466109827) (6 page)

PHANUEL

Okay, let's see them. Hmm.

(paging through them...)

Well, I like the magenta. So that's Green,
is it? It's not exactly how I'd imagined it, but. Mm. Leave it with
me. I'll get back to you.

ANGEL 2

Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.

RAGUEL THEN

Phanuel?

PHANUEL

(brusque, dismissive)

Oh. It’s you again. Yes?

RAGUEL THEN

I need to talk to you.

PHANUEL

Well, make it quick. I have much to do. If
this is about Carasel's death, I have told you all I know.

RAGUEL THEN

It is about Carasel's death. But I will not
speak to you now. Not here. Go to Zephkiel's cell: he is expecting
you. I will meet you there.

PHANUEL

I am far too busy for such nonsense...

RAGUEL THEN

(voice treatment)

Go.

/SFX/ THE BEATING OF WINGS. UNIVERSE
NOISE.

ANGEL 2

Excuse me, sir. Just out of interest, does
this look like Green to you? Is it how you imagined green as a
phenomenon?

RAGUEL THEN

Could be. Not my department. Tell me
something.

ANGEL 2

If I can, sir.

RAGUEL THEN

That thing. What's it going to be for?

ANGEL 2

For? Why, it is the Universe.

RAGUEL THEN

I know what it's called. But what purpose
will it serve?

ANGEL 2

(rebuking)

It is part of the plan. The Name wishes it;
He requires such and such, to these dimensions, and having such and
such properties and ingredients. It is our function to bring it
into existence, according to His wishes. I am sure He knows its
function, but He has not revealed it to me.

RAGUEL THEN

Yeah. Well, I can see his point on that.

/SFX/ALL SOUNDS CROSS-FADE WITH

/SFX AND MUS/ ABOVE THE CITY: SOUNDS AND
MUSIC OF ANGELS WHEELING AND CIRCLING AND DIVING. RAGUEL GLIDES,
UNDER....

LUCIFER

(in background, under...) Wheel right! Now,
gold squadron dive... and break! Second Phalanx up and left. Silver
squadron spiral rise... wait for it... now! Bronze squadron, fill
in, and hover, and rise... white squadron spiral, and break, and
gold squadron rise to fill... and return to formation... and hold
it... now bronze squadron, mark your man, and replace, and fall....
(etc -- ad lib if necessary)

RAGUEL NARRATION

High above the City a phalanx of angels
wheeled and circled and dove. Each held a flaming sword which
trailed a streak of burning brightness behind it, dazzling the eye.
They moved in unison through the salmon-pink sky. They were very
beautiful. It was -- you know on summer evenings, when you get
whole flocks of birds performing their dances in the sky? Weaving
and circling and clustering and breaking apart again, so just as
you think you understand the pattern, you realise you don't, and
you never will? It was like that, only better.

(beat)

Above me was the sky. Below me, the shining
City. My home. And outside the City, the Dark. Lucifer hovered a
little below the Host, watching their maneuvers, calling
directions.

RAGUEL THEN

Lucifer?

LUCIFER

Yes, Raguel? Have you discovered your
malefactor?

RAGUEL THEN

I think so. I hope so. Will you accompany me
to Zephkiel's cell? There are others waiting for us there, and I
will explain everything.

LUCIFER

(a beat, then)

Certainly.

(he calls)

Azazel!

/SFX/ FLAPPING OF WINGS

RAGUEL NARRATION

An angel broke from the circle; the others
adjusted almost imperceptibly to his disappearance, filling the
space, so you could no longer see where he had been.

AZAZEL

Yes, sir. You called?

LUCIFER

I have to leave. You are in command, Azazel.
Keep them drilling. They still have much to perfect.

AZAZEL

Yes, sir...

(he begins calling formations, under...)

Wheel left! Now, gold squadron rise... and
break! Silver squadron spiral fall... don’t anticipate... Bronze
squadron, fill in, and ascend, and fall...

LUCIFER

Fare well. I shall not be long.

/SFX/LUCIFER AND RAGUEL FLYING THROUGH THE
AIR. AZAZEL FADES INTO THE BACKGROUND AS THEY FLY.

LUCIFER (CONT’D)

He's my second-in-command. Bright.
Enthusiastic. Azazel would follow you anywhere.

RAGUEL THEN

What are you training them for?

LUCIFER

War.

RAGUEL THEN

With whom?

LUCIFER

How do you mean?

RAGUEL THEN

Who are they going to fight? Who else is
there?

LUCIFER

I do not know. But He has Named us to be His
army. So we will be perfect. For Him. The Name is infallible and
all-just, and all-wise, Raguel. It cannot be otherwise, no matter
what --

(he breaks off)

RAGUEL THEN

You were going to say?

LUCIFER

It is of no importance.

RAGUEL NARRATION

We did not talk for the rest of the descent
to Zephkiel's cell.

/SFX/ALL SOUNDS QUICKLY CROSS-FADE WITH

/SFX/ LOS ANGELES AT NIGHT. DISTANT TRAFFIC,
CRICKETS, UNDER...

NARRATOR

I looked at my watch: it was almost three. A
chill breeze had begun to blow down the LA street, and I
shivered.

RAGUEL NOW

You okay? You’re not bored or nothing?

NARRATOR -- LIVE

I'm fine. Please carry on. I'm fascinated.
it’s a whodunnit, isn’t it?

/SFX/ CROSSFADE TO

/SFX/ZEPHKIEL’S CELL. WE HEAR THE BEAT OF
WINGS AS RAGUEL AND LUCIFER ARRIVE.

ZEPHKIEL

Ah. There you are, Raguel. I believe you
must be responsible for my visitors.

RAGUEL NARRATION

They were waiting for Lucifer and me in
Zephkiel's cell: Phanuel, Saraquael, and Zephkiel. Zephkiel was
sitting in his chair. Lucifer took up a position beside the window.
I walked to centre of the room, and I began.

RAGUEL THEN

I thank you all for coming here. You know
who I am; you know my function. I am the Vengeance of the Name: the
arm of the Lord. I am Raguel.

(beat)

The angel Carasel is dead. It was given to
me to find out why he died, who killed him. This I have done. Now,
the angel Carasel was a designer in the Hall of Being. He was very
good, or so I am told...

(pause)

Lucifer. Tell me what you were doing, before
you came upon Phanuel, and the body.

LUCIFER

I have told you already. I was walking.

RAGUEL THEN

Where were you walking?

LUCIFER

I do not see what business that is of
yours.

RAGUEL THEN

(light voice treatment)

Tell me.

LUCIFER

Very well. I was walking in the Dark. I have
been walking in the Darkness for some time now. It helps me to gain
a perspective on the City -- being outside it. I see how fair it
is, how perfect. There is nothing more enchanting than our home.
Nothing more complete. Nowhere else that anyone would want to
be

RAGUEL THEN

And what do you do in the Dark, Lucifer?

LUCIFER

I walk. And.... There are voices, in the
Dark. I listen to the voices. They promise me things, ask me
questions, whisper and plead. And I ignore them. I steel myself and
I gaze at the City. It is the only way I have of testing myself --
putting myself to any kind of trial. I am the Captain of the Host;
I am the first among the Angels, and I must prove myself.

RAGUEL THEN

Why did you not tell me this before.

LUCIFER

Because I am the only angel who walks in the
Dark. Because I do not want others to walk in the Dark: I am strong
enough to challenge the voices, to test myself. Others are not so
strong. Others might stumble, or fall.

RAGUEL THEN

Thank you, Lucifer. That is all, for
now.

/SFX/ LUCIFER WALKS BACK.

RAGUEL THEN (CONT’D)

Phanuel. How long have you been taking
credit for Carasel's work?

PHANUEL

I... I uh... whu-whu-whu...

RAGUEL THEN

Well?

PHANUEL

I... I would not take credit for another's
work.

RAGUEL NOW

But you did take credit for Love?

PHANUEL

Yes. I did.

RAGUEL NOW

Phanuel. Would you care to explain to us all
what Love is?

PHANUEL

(didactic, with no understanding)

Er. Yes of course. It's a feeling of deep
affection and attraction for another being, often combined with
passion or desire -- a need to be with another. The feeling that we
have for the Name, for our Creator -- that is Love... amongst other
things. Love will be an impulse which will inspire and ruin in
equal measure... We are... we are very proud of it.

RAGUEL THEN

Who did the majority of the work on Love?
No, don't answer. Let me ask the others first. Zephkiel? When
Phanuel passed the details on Love to you for approval, who did he
tell you was responsible for it?

ZEPHKIEL

He told me it was entirely his project.

RAGUEL THEN

Thank you, sir. Now, Saraquael: whose was
Love?

SARAQUAEL

Mine. Mine and Carasel's. Perhaps more his
than mine, but we worked on it together.

RAGUEL THEN

You knew that Phanuel was claiming the
credit for it?

SARAQUAEL

...yes.

RAGUEL THEN

And you permitted this?

SARAQUAEL

He -- he promised us that he would give us a
good project of our own to follow. He promised that if we said
nothing we would be given more big projects -- and he was true to
his word. He gave us Death.

RAGUEL THEN

Well, Phanuel?

PHANUEL

It is true that I claimed that Love was
mine.

RAGUEL THEN

But it was Carasel's. And Saraquael's.

PHANUEL

Yes.

RAGUEL THEN

Their last project -- before Death?

PHANUEL

Yes.

RAGUEL THEN

That is all.

RAGUEL THEN (CONT’D)

Carasel was a remarkable designer. If he had
one failing, it was that he threw himself too deeply into his work.
Saraquael? You’re shivering, Saraquael...

SARAQUAEL

Am I?

RAGUEL THEN

Saraquael. Who did Carasel love? Who was his
lover? Well?

SARAQUAEL

How did you know?

RAGUEL THEN

Just answer my question.

SARAQUAEL

I...

(scared, then proud)

I was.

RAGUEL THEN

Do you want to tell me about it?