00:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

01:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

02:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

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04:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

05:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

RICHARD L. "DICK" EVERETT, PRES.

ENTERS at 5:23 a.m.

Smiling & holding a steaming cup of coffee

Gob damnt it! !

RICHARD L. "DICK" EVERETT, PRES.

(Enthusiastically)

Dang it people I've been thinking ! I come in here and you haven't written a dagn thing! I expect to see hour-by-our project updates here!! So do the clients! How are we suposed to sell the Virtual Conference Room if we don't even use it ouarselves!! Don't ENTER & EXIT so much Just STAY IN HEREW! Let's go chop chop I mean it AND I want you to sa things "Enthusiastically!!"

RICHARD L. "DICK" EVERETT, PRES.

EXITS at 5:30 a.m.

Waving cheerfully

RICHARD L. "DICK" EVERETT, PRES.

ENTERS at 5:37 a.m.

Smiling & holding a steaming cup of coffee

If you don't think I mean it you are sorrowly mistaken i mean it!!!!

RICHARD L. "DICK" EVERETT, PRES.

EXITS at 5:39 a.m.

Waving cheerfully

6:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

PAUL

(Enthusiastically)

ENTERS at 6:06 a.m.

Wearing feetie-pyjamas
He holds a tourniquet in one hand and the foot of a threadbare stuffed Aardvark in the other . . . wisps of dream-language still orbit his noggin

PAUL

(Secret Note to ANNA)

Here's what I'm thinking today . . .

With eyes closed, Paul and Anna come to consciousness of a taut tiny steady drumming . . . opening their eyes reveals the clear, roll-plastic A-frame roof of the treehouse . . . and its roll-plastic walls . . . through the slightly hazy plastic they can see the high boughs of a virgin redwood forest around them . . . they've got to be, oh, 100 feet up in the air . . . but the trees go higher still . . . the Northern California rain bounces and slides off the transparent plastic. . . when hold their breaths they can feel the slow sway of their tree . . . Paul pulls closer to Anna in the double sleeping bag they're sharing . . .

PAUL

(Secret Note to ANNA)

. . . oh, and for the record . . . both Anna and Paul are NUDE in the treehouse sleeping bag . . . it says here . . . I wanted to . . . (cough) . . . um . . . get that taken care of . . . er . . . right away . . . (blush) . . .

PAUL

EXITS at 6:12 a.m.

Leaving his coffee mug behind

ANNA

ENTERS at 6:40 a.m.

Smiling & holding a steaming cup of coffee

ANNA

Get ready for a humungous day today. Given production times and leaving a little cushion for unforseens we MUST HAVE concept pages nailed down by END OF WORK TODAY. I will try to be a buffer against distractions in the Chicago office. PAUL, lock yourself in your office in St. Louis until it's time to leave for the airport. ALL THE CREATIVITY HAS TO HAPPEN TODAY.

ANNA

(Secret Note to PAUL)

Oooooh. Rain makes her cuddly. She gets up on her elbow and leans across Paul's torso to look west through the redwood branches to the ocean. She likes the Paul-warmth she feels on her abdominals.

7:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

SAINT-CYR

ENTERS at 7:11 a.m.

Exasperated gasp

How long have the servers been down?

SAINT-CYR

(Loudly)

Will everyone please save onto your own machines? Otherwise the Four Fucking Horsemen of the ServerCrash will wing their way out of the Celestial Darkness and begin merrily lopping the HEADS OFF of all your work

Cavernous echo

work, ork, ork, rk, rk, k, k, k, , ,

RICHARD L. "DICK" EVERETT, PRES.

(Enthusiastically)

Listen up! I hve an e-mail from Mr. Nakano!

ANNA

(Enthusiastically)

Good morning, Dick!

RICHARD L. "DICK" EVERETT, PRES.

(Enthusiastically)

Nakano's attorneys have put us officially on probation. We HAVE to convict them we're right about the Historical Fiction aproach.

PAUL

(Secret Note to ANNA)

As Anna leans across him he can see the small network of pink sleepwrinkles on her shoulder and side . . . he frees one hand from under her thigh and runs it across her bottom on its way to tracing some sleepwrinkles with a fingertip . . .

I can't believe I really get to see you tomorrow. Are you feeling OK about everything? about us?

SAINT-CYR

(Gloomily)

Cups hand over mouth

Neeeeee OOOOWWWWGGGGGGHhhhhhh!
That's the sound of our server tumbling toward the ground trailing a spiral of smoke. Stay tuned for updates.

JOAN

ENTERS at 7:18 a.m.

Smiling & holding a steaming cup of coffee

Good morrow, one and all! Who be those four spooky guys on horses?

ANNA

(Secret Note to PAUL)

She wriggles back down into the sleeping bag for warmth. Slowly she snakes her hand under his lumbar region and pulls his hip toward her. A seagull calls from the cliffs as the sea sighs.

Yes. I really want to see you. Very stressed out these days. Sorry.

ANNA

(Urgently)

Saint-Cyr we HAVE HAVE HAVE to get that server back up! Dick: for the record: The servers went down, not the team's fault.

08:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

09:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

10:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

11:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

PAUL

(Super Duper Enthusiastimatastically)

Seeing everything through a swarm of flashbulb dots burned into his retinas

Oyez, oyez! O Merry Companie, I am o'erjoyed to report the arrival and departure of yon mousy, befuddled Wedding Photographer varlet, accompanied by Medieval Knave's Costume several sizes too small!
All went well once I persuaded him to remove yon opaque lens cap.

12:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

RICHARD L. "DICK" EVERETT, PRES.

(Enthusiastically)

God dag it, where is everybody! It's meeting time!

JOAN

(Enthusiastically)

Rushes back to her machine

Yo!

ANNA

(Enthusiastically)

Right here, Dick!

SAINT-CYR

Working hard to keep the servers up

PAUL

Z z z z z z z z z z z z

ANNA

(Enthusiastically)

Things are looking pretty good. Oh thank god the servers are back up

RICHARD L. "DICK" EVERETT, PRES.

(Enthusiastically)

I'lmm make this short

PAUL

(Secret Note to ANNA)

Turns and slides his knee up between her thighs . . . slowly . . . until it can slide no more . . . looks deep into Anna's dark eyes . . . unconsciously matching his breathing to the sigh of the ocean . . .

SAINT-CYR

(Secret Note to ANNA; PAUL; JOAN)

Saints preserve us! He's making it short! Wake me at the 90 minute mark.

RICHARD L. "DICK" EVERETT, PRES.

(Enthusiastically)

I got a call from Mr. Nakano's financial man. He syas SPENDING'S GOTTA STOP!!!. tHEREfore ther'es no way we can afford to fly Paul up here to Chicago and get temporary workers to cover hiss St.Louyis work. He'll have to contribute in the Virtual Conference Room. That's beter anyway, right?

PAUL

(Secret Note to ANNA)

Oh shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit

JOAN

(Secret Note to ANNA; SAINT-CYR; PAUL)

Alas, brethern & cistern, we are well screwed;
For by Dick's hand Paul's voyage to Chicago is sunk.

ANNA

(Firmly)

People we really have to CRANK today! I'll call you on the phone with individual assignments.

JOAN

(Thornily)

All Ye STAY AWAY from ME this afternoone. I must needs concentrate.

SAINT-CYR

(Even More Thornily)

Dittoe!

ANNA

(Secret Note to PAUL)

I'm going to KILL Dick.

Suddenly alone in the beautiful treehouse he built for her, she sits up, gathers the sleeping bag around her, and stares sadly at the ocean. She thinks of Paul.

PAUL

(Secret Note to ANNA)

Wait! Yoo hoo!

Paul climbs frantically up the wet trunk of a giant redwood after unaccountably finding himself tossed out of the treehouse into the ferns beneath.

Yoo hoo! I'm down here! Hang on!

13:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

14:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

15:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

RICHARD L. "DICK" EVERETT, PRES.

(Enthusiastically)

Hey everyone!! Guess what? THe Photographer's here!

RICHARD L. "DICK" EVERETT, PRES.

(Enthusiastically)

The Prop Shop gal is here with the costumes! Same costumes as St. Louis! Everybody to the lunchroom!

ANNA

(Strongly)

Dick this is the worst POSSIBLE time for this team to be interrupted!

JOAN

(Secret Note to ANNA; SAINT-CYR; PAUL)

"gal?" "gal?" What, are we in a WWII musical?

PAUL

(Secret Note to JOAN; SAINT-CYR; ANNA)

Old medieval term, "gal."

16:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

JOAN

(Secret Note to PAUL)

Cranks up old WWII-era air raid siren

Heeeeelp!

Paul! You there?

PAUL

(Secret Note to JOAN)

Heart pounding

Don't sneak up on me like that! What's up?

JOAN

(Secret Note to PAUL)

Omigod, Anna just FLIPPED! They were but barely done a-squeezing her into her costume when she commenced to SCREAMING at our photographer varlet!

PAUL

(Secret Note to JOAN)

JOAN

(Secret Note to PAUL)

I mean SCREAMING, crying, ye whole shebang.

Anna goes

"Don't you realize that we've got work going on here?"

And the photographer goes

"I can leave right now."

PAUL

(Secret Note to JOAN)

Dispatch a lad posthaste to ye pharmacist to fetch a chille pille!

JOAN

(Secret Note to PAUL)

Righty-ho. (Nice empathy!)

PAUL

(Secret Note to JOAN)

How did it end?

JOAN

(Secret Note to PAUL)

I don't know. I couldn't take it any more. I had to scramme.

ANNA

(Secret Note to PAUL)

Paul, I'm going to quit, I SWEAR TO GOD.
You are so lucky you're not in the Chicago office.

PAUL

(Secret Note to ANNA)

Hey, Anna! What's up ?

PAUL

(Secret Note to JOAN)

Joan? Lady Anna sendeth word that she quitteth.

JOAN

(Secret Note to PAUL)

Verily! Precisely that did I you tell a few anons ago! Flippeth she royally. I can hear ye banging keyboard & ye slamminge drawers in her office from here!

ANNA

(Secret Note to ANNA; SAINT-CYR; JOAN)

i KNOW YOU ALL THINK

i'M LAZY

AND i PROBABLY AM BUT i'M STRETCHED TO THE ABSOLUTE END OF MY LIMITS AND IF i COULD GO ONE MORE NIGHT WITHOUT

ENOUGH SLEEP

i WOULD AND IF i COULD CUT OFF ONE MORE FINGER FOR YOU i WOULD AND AND HAVE NO FINGERS AND JUST BANG MY STUMP BLOOD STUMP HANDS ON YOUR KEYBOARDS THAT MIGHT MAKE YOU HAPPY AND i DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE i COULD KISS EVERYBODY'S ASS BE

LITTLE MISS PERFECT

FOR DICK AND FOR CUSTOMERS AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME EITHER THAT THE COMPANY NEEDS THIS PRESENTATION YOU'VE MANAGED TO SCARE ME OUT OF MY MIND AND I'M A BIG GIRL AND i DON'T APPRECIATE IT AND iDON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE HARDER i CAN PUSH i WISH YOU WOULD JUST ALL JUST

GET A LIFE

AND GIVE ME A BREAK I KNOW MY OWN FAULTS I CAN HEAR YOU SAYING

I'M LUCKY TO HAVE THIS JOB

AT ALL BUT MY SKILL IS WORTH SOMETHI IT MAY

NOT

WORTH MUCH

BUT IT'S ALL I'VE GOT AND I JUST

CAN'T GIVE

ANY MORE IF IT ISN'T

ENOUGH

FOR YOU JUST PUT A BULLET IN MY BRAIN

ANNA

EXITS at 4:33 p.m.

Waving cheerfully

SAINT-CYR

(Secret Note to PAUL)

Uh oh. Back in a second, Paul.

Uncomfortable pause while everyone here in the Chicago office runs down the hall to check on Anna.

SAINT-CYR

(Secret Note to PAUL)

You rake, you scoundrel, you!

PAUL

(Secret Note to SAINT-CYR)

Rake ? Scoundrel ? Abaft ye landlubber and yer insults.

SAINT-CYR

(Secret Note to PAUL)

I just encounted Anna by the elevators and, through her sobs, she was blaming YOU for being the last straw!

PAUL

(Secret Note to SAINT-CYR; JOAN)

Waves a hand toward JOAN, who is in on this whole deal

Blaming ME?

SAINT-CYR

(Secret Note to PAUL; JOAN)

Tiring of all this; thinking about his poor servers

Blaming you for cancelling your trip.

That, and the fact that she had to wear the same costume as Joan.

SAINT-CYR

(Really Enthusiastically)

Dick's attention is urgently requested on a matter of vital project concern.

RICHARD L. "DICK" EVERETT, PRES.

(Enthusiastically)

Responding

Yes, Saint-Cyr? Good for you for using the Virtual Conferebnce Room!!! It's been too quiet in here!!!

SAINT-CYR

(Enthusiastically)

You know that Paul is the only one who can fix the server problems.

PAUL

(Secret Note to SAINT-CYR; JOAN)

Fix the server? Fix the server? I couldn't FIND the server in yon FISHMARKET, let alone fix it!

JOAN

(Secret Note to SAINT-CYR; PAUL)

How sweet! I see what thou'rt up to, St-Cyr! A heart beateth under that tough exterior after all.

SAINT-CYR

(Secret Note to JOAN; PAUL)

No more compliments from you, missy!

SAINT-CYR

EXITS at 4:52 p.m.

Waving cheerfully

Dick, I'm coming to your office. I'll tell you all about it.

RICHARD L. "DICK" EVERETT, PRES.

(Enthusiastically)

No, stay here, Saint-Cyr! Talkabout it in the Virtual Conference Room of Tomorrow! Everyone stay here!

JOAN

EXITS at 4:53 p.m.

Waving cheerfully

PAUL

EXITS at 4:54 p.m.

Grasping head like guilt-riddled silent film actor.

17:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

18:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

19:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

20:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

21:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

ANNA

ENTERS at 9:48 p.m.

Smiling & holding a steaming cup of coffee

Paulie? I'm here.

22:00 hours CST (Daylight savings time in effect)

PAUL

(Enthusiastically)

ENTERS at 10:10 p.m.

Listening for signs of life . . .

Anna! . . . still here?

ANNA

(Secret Note to PAUL)

Hi.

Anna is still in our treehouse sleeping bag, if Paul is.

PAUL

(Secret Note to ANNA)

Hi there. Feeling better?

Damned right he's still in the sleeping bag! With bells on!

ANNA

(Secret Note to PAUL)

Oh this afternoon. Forget about that. I was just soooo stressed out. I wanted to see you so bad.

Wraps arms and legs around Paul.

PAUL

(Secret Note to ANNA)

There's still a chance. Saint-Cyr's got some kind of trick up his sleeve.

The intense dark of the North Coast night . . . the intense chill outside our little sleeping bag . . . the intense warmth of hands on backs and tummies on tummies . . . and the odd feeling of lying on bells (sorry, couldn't resist). . .