Man-In-Sea

CLAY

Progress is a word the Greeks don’t know much about. Dad was arrested on Wednesday, tried on Thursday, convicted of stealing artifacts, and spent the weekend in jail. Mom spent most of that time running from office to office, delivering and redelivering letters granting us permission to be there, and explaining our case to anyone that would listen. There were new laws, contradicting policies between islands, and nobody was willing to stand up and say, “Yes, these people have done what they need to, and are not stealing our treasures.” On the ship, I got to play captain. Mom was busy running around trying to find scissors big enough to cut through the red tape, the scandal was keeping Bill from entering the country, and even after they let Dad out, he still had to spend all his time in the Government offices telling his stories over and over again as the officials struggled to find holes. The Sea Diver crew saw me as the de facto captain, and they came to me for everything. I should have felt like a king, but I was getting eaten up inside.

MARION

Oh, what an evil day! Are you okay? Do you need anything? Has anyone told you anything?

ED

It’s all Greek to me.

MARION

Well, I’ve got half the country on the phone with people back home. If they don’t believe you’re for real in a few hours, they never will.

ED

Thanks, Marion. Thank you, I’m glad you’re here with me. How are things on the ship? How’s Clayton?

MARION

He’s keeping them in line.

ED

Good boy.

MARION

He’ll make a good captain some day.

ED

Some day. He’s got a lot to learn though. He’s too rash, too quick to jump into things.

MARION

Like the young man I knew who flew to New Jersey at night in the fog just to sell his trainer to the army?

ED

They bought it, didn’t they?

MARION

I wish you had put a little more thought into what you were doing to the people you left behind.

ED

I was making sure they could while away their days playing in the ocean and writing books. I never would have taken that flight if I didn’t know damn well I’d be landing it. Clayton is going to be great at whatever he puts his hands on some day. In the mean time, he needs to learn how to focus.

MARION

I know, but some times you could go a little easier on him too. Like this girl...

ED

I’m not letting him stay in Greece to marry some girl he doesn’t even know.

MARION

And in another week or two, he would have realized that too. By the time it came for him to get on the plane without him, it wouldn’t matter what you said to him either way. He’s full of piss and vinegar, and he’s not about to let anyone talk him out of anything.

ED

I know what he’s full of.

MARION

I’m going to see if there’s been any kind of progress. Just sit tight.

ED

Sure. Okay. Good luck.

MAN-IN-SEA

Cast of Characters:

LINK

An inventor. Also, Ed’s father.

ED

As Link remembers himself.

MARION

Ed’s wife.

CLAY

Ed and Marion’s second son.