Setting: 1

Above him a large black and white photo of a battleship-not his- churns forward through white foam. The photo is stationed in a curved silver embellished frame. One of the few curved things there; most- the desk, leather chair,pressed uniform and clock have an elegant yet Spartan quality- straight, angular, hollow but sharp. Like the sounds of sailors' footsteps against metal ladders.

The smells, the sounds- all is gray.

In relief your attention is drawn to features that contrast; a large gold ring on his right middle finger emblazoned with a star, piercing blue eyes, silver hair at the temples set astride an aquiline nose. An open pack of Lucky Strikes lies on the desk near a picture of him shaking hands with Hoover. He is squared off the to president, his face is open, jaw chiseled- Hollywood.

The admiral is sitting at the desk studying strategic plans, or he is at the bookshelf reading a week-old New York Post, or he is sitting just off to the side journaling private thoughts while sipping bourbon.

The phone rings twice before he picks it up. The voice on the other end is nervous, twitchy, "Sir, one of the officer's wives was raped last night. A submariner, Massie".

Imagine: 2

(Spotlight on the admiral, everything else fades to black)

He stands, a bent mountain, knuckles to the desk. His face is troubled.

He looks to the right where light filters through an opaque window; a vision:

yellow lace and white floorboards
the sparrow-like titter of young women playing bridge and drinking tea on the porch
slender fingers balancing fragile porcelain cups to pale lips and rows of pearly teeth

He looks over his shoulder to the left; another vision:

her legs flay open
the green silk slides over the garter drawn up by brown hands as cold and hard as the moon
her breath comes in short staccato pink petals- bruised and wet
knees lock to the inside of hers as a breath is pushed an inch away from her mound of wiry black hair
their breaths in unison now, deafening
her neck stiffens

He closes his eyes, face down.

A dog is heard howling outside the window.

Gunslinger: 3

(lights up)

The admiral kicks the door to his office open slamming it to the wall, knocking the picture of Hoover to the floor as the battleship tilts to a downward dive.

"Get me to the governor." He has the language of ordering, the tone of gutting a pig.

A 1930 2-door navy blue Ford with an American flag streaming from the back cab pulls up. We see his face as he lowers to get in: his eyes are bright, lips sealed together.

The admiral steps out in front of the governor's office; Iolani Palace (the theme song from Fistful of Dollars, "Titoli" begins to play). The air is warm and humid. He turns to face the palace. He is wearing a blue work shirt, dusty and streaked, with guns holstered on the crests of his hips. The guns and holster are worn, smooth brown handles and fitted leather.

Evenly, flatly, we hear his last words "Not in my America"

He takes long strides toward the palace as dust kicks up and obscures the view.

(This scene is at Kapi‘olani Maternity Hospital in October 1931. Doctors and nurses are busy helping patients.)

NURSE 1
Thalia Massie is in that room. (points to her room)

NURSE 2
What is she in for?

NURSE 1
She had a curettage.

NURSE 2
Curettage?

NURSE 1
Yes, but the results were negative. She’s not pregnant.

(Nurse 2 looks at Nurse 1)

NURSE 1
I know. Other nurses also wonder about the rape.

(Grace Fortescue enters to visit Thalia. She stares at the two nurses and is upset. She immediately finds the administrator.)

GRACE (stares at the administrator with disapproval)
I want only white nurses to be with my daughter. No “niggers.“

(The administrator is puzzled and looks at the Asian and Hawaiian nurses. Then looks back at Grace.)

GRACE (repeats her request impatiently)
Am I not clear? Only white nurses.

(Grace enters Thalia’s room and continues to complain.)

GRACE
Thalia, I can’t believe this place! Even where we live, there are “niggers“ who have been living in Manoa for generations! Holding their lu‘aus…I can’t believe they’re allowed to live in our neighborhood. (She sighs.) Thank God, the military now has many who have strong values like we do.

(The two nurses and administrator stare at Thalia’s room puzzled. Then another patient enters the hospital. Nurses, doctors, and staff continue with their work.)

of strong values
the Buddha says
there are three poisons in life
greed, anger, ignorance.

of greed
where they once came
and sucked everything dry
the awapua'a
one's breath
one's body
one's heart
the kai'a'ulu winds

takes many forms
a greed formed of their religion
the need to convert
with great speed
the Noble Savage
lest they be condemned
to hell

of anger
at the violation
of one of their women
pure and white
in the fairy tale
of their one-mind's eye

oh it's okay
if they beat and kill their own women
but don't let anyone else
touch her especially the outsider
the locals oh no

later they will take it upon
themselves to beat up the jap
scheme to kill
the darkest of them all

of ignorance
when hebden porteus
says whites are superior to other races
the implication: other races are expendible
and later has a building named after him
at the university of hawaii
that's ignorance

when a people believe
that theirs is the one
and only and true god
that's ignorance

when people think that they
have all the answers
that their shit don't stink
that's ignorance

That’s ignorance for you!
We’ve been at it since December 2nd. Gone over
all the testimony, hashed out all the details,
and you still can’t come to a verdict.
How many times are we going to vote? 100?
Seven to five for acquittal.
Seven to five for conviction.
Hey, we can’t have it both ways.

Come on, for me it’s clear. Guilty!
I don’t want to be here until Christmas.

OK. OK. Go over one more time. The problems.
For one thing, her testimony different from the first report.
Then, the timing. No can happen.
And one more thing, the police. Who to believe?

Hey, she saw her attackers clearly.
She remembered some nicknames.
She saw the license plate number. What more do we need?

Yeah, yeah. First she said she couldn’t see.
And she said, all Hawaiian. She remembered the name, “Bull“
Nobody named “Bull.“ She said was after midnight when she wen leave the dance.

She correct herself, that’s all. When she calm down, she
say 11:35. That work!

Works? Are you kidding? Kidnapping,
driving, 4-6 rapes, in 20 minutes?

No can . . .

Sure can, the prosecutor show how.

What about the tire tracks? Officer Benton
said they matched the Ida car perfectly.

Yeah but, he said he saw them 4 hours after the attack
but it was really 30 hours afterwards. And Officer Lau,
he refused to take a picture. Maybe those marks were put there
later.

What! are you saying the police are corrupt? Bastard!

Hey! no fight . . .

If only walls could talk

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