THE NEXT LEVEL DOWN: ACT III, SCENE ONE.

Act Three.

Scene One: Outside the O’Donnell’s.

DRAKE: Some things just should not ever happen. They are absolutes; they are not relative to the agent of action. A victim should find the courage to admit to his own victimhood should such dastardly circumstances ever befall, speaking from on high as a blameless, innocent authority. The other players can do nothing to dissuade him, for they are all, for having perpetrated the tragedy, guilty, and of no caliber as such to judge of him. They would only project their own moral inadequacies. And all other agents would be of secondary importance, for they will have had nothing to do with the tragedy. For which they ought to be happy.

[Rises.]

But who shall speak on his behalf? I mean: who shall defend the innocent? Will the LAW do so? When has the LAW ever guaranteed justice to the deprived?

[Virgil pulls up in car.]

VIRGIL: Hey. You. Get in.

DRAKE: [Addresses audience:] WHY not?

[Gets in.]

Dm.A.A.