CHAPTER 1
ACT I
Lights up: On the `Golden Fleece' Tavern in Philadelphia. The year is 1846. Over the entrance door is a painting of the `all seeing eye' in a triangle. There are a few chairs on some of the tables. The Barmaid is black and very pretty. She seems to be in her late twenties, maybe early thirties, but with black women who can really tell. Above the bar on the wall is the yellow fur of a Ram, the head is attached to the fur. A sign above the Ram fur says `The Golden Fleece'. Sarah is sitting at a table counting the days' receipts. Sarah, a white lady, is an attractive raven haired beauty. She has a sensual quality and a strong sense of self. She is not a push over. As Sarah counts her money there is an open wooden box in front of her. She also has ink and pen and makes notations in her ledger. A Patron finishes his drink, plops some coins on the bar and exits the Tavern. He tips his hat to Sarah. Mary brings the coins to Sarah.
SARAH
Good night. (To Patron leaving.) Mary, where is my sewing?
BARMAID
Behind the bar ... next to your journals. You want them?
SARAH
Yes.
Mary goes behind the bar as Sarah puts her ledger away. Mary finds Sarah's sewing kit. She crosses to Sarah, as Sarah puts the coins and paper money into the wooden box.
SARAH
Today was a good day.
Sarah opens the sewing kit and places some quilting squares on the top of her table. The Barmaid wipes down another table. She is swiping a table with a damp cloth and taking the pewter mugs and plates and stacking them on the bar.
SARAH
Mary come here for a second. What do you think?
The Barmaid stops what she is doing at looks at the sewing.
BARMAID
Miss Sarah, I would place them like this?
The Barmaid rearranges the quilting squares on the table top.
SARAH
Ahhh, yes. Think I might finish it by the week end.
BARMAID
Miss Sarah, I got more quilting squares for you.
Barmaid get some extra quilting squares from behind the bar, As Sarah puts on her coat, Sarah, replaces her quilting squares back into her sewing kit.
SARAH
Thank you Mary. You lock up everything, Okay?
BARMAID
Yes, Miss Sarah.
Sarah places her money box into her sewing basket and covers it, and crosses to the door.
SARAH
You're doing fine work Mary.
BARMAID
Thank you Miss Sarah.
Sarah exits. The Barmaid locks the door. She crosses to a table and stacks all the plates together then crosses to the bar with the plates. There is a coded knock at the door. The Barmaid stops and listens. The code is repeated: one knock, then a pause, then three quick knocks. She goes to the door and opens it slightly, then all the way. A black man enters. He is dressed in elegant clothes. It is obvious that he has money. He carries leather saddle bags draped across his shoulder. He is in his 40's and educated. This is Prince.
PRINCE
Guess I'm early.
BARMAID
First one.
PRINCE
Your mistress?
BARMAID
On her way home. She gonna be busy sewing.
PRINCE
That's good
BARMAID
Drink?
PRINCE
Later.
BARMAID
How many coming?
PRINCE
Three others.
BARMAID
Hungry? I have apples and cheese.
PRINCE
Maybe you could fix something for the others.
Prince sits at a table and pulls out a small book from his leather bag.
BARMAID
You can read?
PRINCE
Yes.
BARMAID
What chu reading?
PRINCE
A book of poems by a man named Edgar Allan Poe.
BARMAID
What's it called?
PRINCE
The Raven and Other Poems.
BARMAID
You buy that book here?
PRINCE
No, Boston ... just before I left.
BARMAID
I know my alphabet.
PRINCE
Really?
BARMAID
Want to hear it?
PRINCE
Of course.
BARMAID
A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I, (pause) and J, and K, and L ...
PRINCE
Keep going you're almost there.
BARMAID
O, M, P, R-rah, S, and T,U,V,W ... XYZ.
PRINCE
Very good.
BARMAID
Thanks.
PRINCE
You left out some letters.
BARMAID
Which ones?
PRINCE
The letter N and the letter Q.
BARMAID
You'd think I wouldn't forget the letter N.
PRINCE
Still that was very good. Do you recognize words?
There is a knock at the door. The same coded knock as before. Both Prince and the Barmaid stop talking and listen. The knock is done a second time: one knock, then a pause then three quick knocks. She goes to the door and opens it, a black man enters; he is elderly. His clothes are worn but you can tell they were once very fine and expensive, he wears a hat. This is Grandpa. He carries a loaf of French bread.
GRANDPA
Cold out tonight.
BARMAID
Not fit for man nor beast.
GRANDPA
Am I the first?
PRINCE
No, I'm here.
GRANDPA
Damn, I like being first. Young lady, a hot buttered rum would ease the chill on these weary bones.
BARMAID
Coming right now.
Grandpa crosses to Prince. They shake hands. He tears off a piece of bread.
GRANDPA
Taste this. Nice leather bag, beautiful work. Where did you get it?
PRINCE
I made it. I have a leather shop in Boston. (He tastes the bread.) Still warm. It's good.
GRANDPA
I baked it myself. That is how the French cook their bread. I was up last night. All night ... thinking about our meeting. Only thing I could do was cook ... to take my mind off tonight. You like duck stew?
PRINCE
Yes.
GRANDPA
After the meeting ... come to where I'm staying I will feed ya duck stew. Cooked the French way. How many of us are there?
PRINCE
Four.
GRANDPA
Is that enough?
PRINCE
That depends on what we decide to do.
GRANPA
Four. Not bad. Not bad. It's a start.
PRINCE
Let us see the character of each man and that will help us decide a course of action.
GRANDPA
That's why you're the leader Prince. That's why you're the boss.
BARMAID
Want some free cheese with that rum?
GRANDPA
Sounds good, Sweet lady ... sounds very good.
Grandpa crosses to the bar.
GRANDPA
Will your mistress miss it?
BARMAID
I know how to cover my tracks.
GRANDPA
Got an apple to go with that cheese?
BARMAID
Green or red?
GRANDPA
Red. Want me to peel it for ya?
BARMAID
No, I know what I'm doing.
PRINCE
Young girl, let Grandpa prepare that apple. He's a cook.
BARMAID
Really?
GRANDPA
I can peel this apple and never break the skin. One continuous spiral from the stem to the bumpy bottom. Takes a delicate touch with a firm grip.
BARMAID
Where you learn that?
Grandpa picks up the red apple and begins to peel it with a paring knife. He carefully and slowly peels the apple as he talks.
GRANDPA
I used to cook for the President.
BARMAID
Polk?
GRANDPA
No. The one that really counted. The first one. That bastard that set all this mess in motion.
BARMAID
That was 70 years ago. How old are you?
GRANDPA
Good black don't crack.
BARMAID
I can see that. How old are you?
GRANDPA
Old enough to know better and smart enough not to get caught.
PRINCE
You remember the story of the slaves that ran away from Washington?
BARMAID
You're not `Hercules'?
GRANDPA
And was never heard from again ... till now.
BARMAID
You're a legend. You, Deborah Squash and Oney Judge. You outwitted George Washington. My sweet Jesus, I am standing here talking to `Hercules'.
GRANDPA
Call me Grandpa, sweet lady. It's safer for all concerned.
BARMAID
My pleasure, Grandpa ... my pleasure. Can I shake your hand?
She extends her hand. They shake. Grandpa slides the loaf of bread towards the Barmaid.
GRANDPA
Sweet Lady, cut this bread on the bias and we'll have it with the cheese and apples.
BARMAID
Mr. Africanus, you got any other legends showing up here tonight?
PRINCE
Let's just say it's a secret. And if you listen quietly you just might discover some new things.
BARMAID
I can already feel it in the air. Gonna be a glorious night.
GRANDPA
So Prince ... are we going to be able to see some theatre while I'm here?
PRINCE
There is nothing to see.
GRANDPA
I hear Edwin Forrest is here doing some Shakespeare.
PRINCE
Not my favorite actor.
GRANDPA
Don't tell me you prefer William Charles Macready?
PRINCE
He's English. He has an affinity for Shakespeare. I saw his Lear. He had imagination, original thought of character delineation ... and a gift for iambic pentameter.
GRANDPA
Give me an American doing Shakespeare. Forrest has passion. Not that British, "nose up in the air, I love the sound of my own voice acting".
There is a banging on the door. The men stop talking. They listen. It is not the coded knock at the door. Five loud bangs on the door. The Barmaid stops and listens.
FREDDY
I know you are in there. Open up.
No one moves. Grandpa and the Barmaid turn and look at Prince. He nods no.
FREDDY
Come on open up. It's me.
He bangs on the door again.
FREDDY
Oh, the code ... the code.
He knocks twice then waits and knocks three times slowly. There is silence. Prince motions to the Bar maid for her to pour him a drink. Prince crosses to the bar.
FREDDY
Isn't that it? Oh, come on, open up. It's me. I know you're in there. (To himself) Shit what is the code?
He knocks three times pauses then knocks twice. No one moves.
FREDDY
That ain't it either? (He whines.) Oh, come on you guys, open up ... I forgot the damn code.
He bangs really hard three times.
FREDDY
Prince Africanus, Jr.! Come on, open the damn door.
He kicks the door with his foot. Prince nods to the Barmaid to open the door. She goes to the door and Freddy enters. He wears a scarf and gloves, as well as a heavy coat. He loosens his coat and takes off his scarf and gloves.
FREDDY
Damn, you're beautiful. I was freezing out there.
GRANDPA
Colder than a well diggers ass.
BARMAID
Or an overseer's heart.
FREDDY
I couldn't have said it better myself. What do you have to warm a poor country boy's soul?
BARMAID
Hot buttered rum.
She puts a cup in front of Grandpa. Grandpa has finished peeling the apple.
FREDDY
That'll do ... with `bitters'.
GRANDPA
Here you go sweet lady. One well peeled apple
BARMAID
Thanks. Give me a minute and I'll have your rum.
FREDDY
Take all the time you need as long as it is under a minute.
Freddy shakes Prince's hand.
FREDDY
Good evening Prince.
PRINCE
Freddy do you know the importance of secrecy?
FREDDY
I couldn't for the life of me remember that code.
PRINCE
Then you should have gone away. Not go caterwauling my name.
FREDDY
Nobody heard me. It's deserted out there. Too cold for somebody to be walking around ... including us.
PRINCE
You should have gone away ... calmed down ... and tried to remember.
FREDDY
Sorry. Hey old man, you think I should have froze my ass off trying to remember the code?
PRINCE
This is Grandpa.
FREDDY
Prince, I thought your grandfather was dead.
GRANDPA
No Sonny. I'm everyone's Grandpa ... including you.
Freddy laughs.
FREDDY
Never knew my Daddy, so you could well be my Grandpa. Call me Freddy.
GRANDPA
Okay Sonny. If I were you, I would have walked away and let the cold weather be a reminder that I should pay attention ... so that something as important as a coded door knock would not be forgotten. You could have put us all in a bad situation.
FREDDY
Said I was sorry. Prince, I brought you a couple of editions of `The Liberator'.
PRINCE
Thank you, Freddy.
FREDDY
There's a letter from John Quincy Adams writing about giving up tobacco.
PRINCE
Not interested. What has Garrison written about abolition?
FREDDY
What hasn't he written? Just a rehash of the last edition. The only interesting thing is that he went to England and met with Thomas Clarkson.
PRINCE
Ah, ... the gentleman who spearheaded Great Britain's action to abolish slavery.
FREDDY
The very same.
The Barmaid brings him his drink. Prince sits in his chair and reads the newspaper.
BARMAID
Hot buttered rum with bitters.
FREDDY
Thank you, beautiful. Slave or free?
BARMAID
Guess.
FREDDY
Sounds like free to me.
BARMAID
I like a man who pretends he has an education.
FREDDY
You make my mouth water.
Freddy takes a sip. He likes it.
FREDDY
Better than my first master's Mammy used to make.
BARMAID
I guess you know a good thing when you taste it.
FREDDY
... And when I see it too. My old master used to use me to increase his investments. Lots of brown babies run around on the Willowbrooke plantation in Maryland. (Laughs) So, Grandpa, where you from?
GRANDPA
Not far.
FREDDY
How'd you get here?
GRANDPA
The usual way.
FREDDY
Well, I guess you fall into the category of runaway.
GRANDPA
Maybe, Sonny ... maybe.
There is a knock at the door. Again it is the coded knock: one knock then a pause then three quick knocks. The Barmaid goes to the door opens it slightly and lets in a black man. This is West. He is dressed in coveralls. He's a farmer. He's wrapped in a warm coat, a country hat and big clodhopper boots. He unwraps his scarf. He has workman's hands, and moves with measured steps. He is stoic and low key.
WEST
Guess I got de right room.
Prince puts down his paper and crosses to West.
PRINCE
Yes, you have. Come in, this is West. This is Grandpa and this is Freddy.
They all shake hands.
GRANDPA
How about a hot drink to warm the cockles of your heart?
West nods.
GRANDPA
Sweet Lady, would you mind using your magic to give my new friend a drink?
BARMAID
On its way.
WEST
She yo gran daughter?
GRANDPA
No, I never made babies that beautiful.
WEST
Truly is a beauty.
FREDDY
Make a good man go bad.
Prince moves to a larger table.
PRINCE
So we're all here. Gentlemen let's talk.
They all grab chairs and sit at Prince's table.
PRINCE
I asked you all here because I feel you are the best and I need the best to carry out my plans. West, you are a farmer. No one knows better than you how to build things, work with his hands, and turn nothing into something. Freddy, you are literate and educated. You can read and write and you are very religious. I think we may need all those skills to help me achieve my goals. Grandpa, you have been on the run for 50 years. No one knows better than you what to look for and how to evade detection. You didn't get to be this old and not get captured by accident. You are my team. The question is, for what purpose? I think it is time for us to send a message. A symbolic move to let our government and those that oppose abolition, know that the time has come for the Emancipation of the Negro people. We must put an end to this most peculiar institution.
FREDDY
What kind of message are we talking about?
PRINCE
Something that sends a message to all 26 States. It is time to abolish this injustice. It will also serve as a light of hope to those captives that change is coming.
GRANDPA
You mean something like the Boston Tea Party?
PRINCE
Precisely. That sent a clear and direct message to their oppressor.
FREDDY
I know what we should do. I think we should steal the Declaration of Independence. Scratch out the words, "We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are created equal". Then put it back.
GRANDPA
Wait, Wait, Wait ... Sonny, you want to steal the Declaration of Independence?
FREDDY
Yep. I got a friend in Baltimore, who has a brother that knows the cousin of one of the guards at the patent office where they are exhibiting the Declaration in the District of Columbia. We talk to him and he lets us in, we then take the Declaration ... we do what we need to do ... then ... find a way to put it back.
There is a pause. Everyone looks at each other.
GRANDPA
Nigger, please.
FREDDY
What?
GRANDPA
Sonny, you better stop drinking that rum 'cause I think that alcohol has eroded your common sense.
FREDDY
It's foolproof.
GRANDPA
You're the fool ... and here's the proof ... You're suggesting we break into the patent building that is exhibiting the Declaration of Independence, the most famous document in America. Enlist the help of some guard you know through third and fourth parties, ask for their assistance so we can deface this document, waltz back in to the scene of the crime, and replace this document so the world can see we ain't happy about the way they've been carrying out there promise to the American people.
FREDDY
You got a better idea?
GRANDPA
Yeah.
FREDDY
What is it?
Granpa slaps Freddy on the back of his head.
GRANDPA
And that feels good too.
