Paradise Diner
The Play | The Music | Reviews | The Authors
Scene VIII
(In front of curtain. Chris Camello and Todd Hering enter from the right. Hering is agitated, both are looking around to see if anyone is watching them.)
Todd: What is going on, Chris? I’ve got people calling my office and sending faxes–someone left flyers on all the cars on Main Street that say, “If it smells like rotten fish, it’s the Hering Brothers!” With this picture of a stinking fish and “Log on to ‘HeringBrothersmustbestopped.com’!” This is an organized campaign against us!
Chris: I don’t know. Maybe they don’t want to be run out.
Todd: We’re not running them out, we made them an offer and they should be smart enough to take it!
Chris: Yeah, well maybe they don’t see it like you do. Maybe they see it like you’re trying to run them out.
Todd: (aggressive) Look! This is no time to get all weak-kneed little man–we’ve put far too much sweat into this project to pull out. There’s no way they’re gonna win–we’re not going away.
Chris: Just calm down Todd, I don’t see why you’re so mad! You should have known there would be opposition!
Todd: Yeah, well that’s why we count on our Township Supervisor friends to pave the way–this is coming from your “friend” Susan Richards and that bunch of high school delinquents! I expected you to help out here–to reason with her.
Chris: I can’t control what everyone does!
Todd: You obviously underestimate your power as a supervisor, Chris. We—Hering Brothers–have sued township supervisors for obstructing commerce and it’s always brought them around. Now here–this is for you (hands him an envelope) I expect some results this time. I haven’t invested all this time and money into you and your family and Johnson City to have this all blown apart by a bunch of punks! Now talk some sense into your “friend” before this gets any uglier!!
(Todd storms off and Chris follows behind.)