Welcome to Episode Three of Greyhounds. If you’re wishing to catch up on the series, you can find all of the episodes together on one location right here

GREYHOUNDS
 

WRITTEN BY LAURA CROW
 

EPISODE THREE – BLOOD AND SWORD AND FIRE

Copyright © Laura Crow 2020
 

INT. SHUTTLEFIELD VILLAGE HALL – DAY

Ruby leads the cast in a series of warm-ups. She covers just about every cliche in the book: humming, baa-ing, breathing, stretching. Skips from one to another. The cast respond with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Mr Jones over-exerts himself and has to sit down. Katherine makes notes in her notebook at the back, not paying attention to Ruby. 

Cuts to:

Tea break. Tin mugs slamming onto a tray. Sound of water pouring. Chairs scraping. 

Cuts to:

Ruby teaches them how to lunge like a soldier with a wooden sword. Nancy gets the giggles. Edward laughs too, in spite of himself.

Cuts to:

Ruby and Katherine are tidying up after the rehearsal. Katherine folds chairs whilst Ruby packs away various props. 

RUBY

I thought that went rather well.

Katherine makes a non-committal noise. Ruby brandishes some canvas fabric.

RUBY (CONT’D)
Look at this! Left over canvas. We’ll be able to do all sorts with it. A nice backdrop – just one colour, I think – paint’s so expensive these days. 

KATHERINE

Won’t the grant cover it?

RUBY

Not if I’m going to get anything half way decent. There’s the costumes to consider. Do you think red would work?

They finish folding up the chairs and cross into:

INT. SHUTTLEFIELD VILLAGE HALL KITCHEN – DAY

A small box-like room. Ruby washes the cups out in the sink.

RUBY

Red’s so patriotic. The St George’s Cross. The colour of England, the colour of passion –

KATHERINE

The colour of blood. I imagine there was rather a lot of that at Agincourt.

Ruby ignores this.

RUBY

I’ve got a nice Fish Pie for our supper.

KATHERINE

What sort of fish is it?

RUBY
(Unconvincingly)

I’m sure it’ll be lovely. 

And when Katherine doesn’t respond:

RUBY (CONT’D)

It was the best I could manage. 

She pauses. There’s something she wants to say but she knows it won’t go down well. Drip, drip of the tap. Rattle as the drawer closes. Clang! She’s dropped a mug.

RUBY  (CONT’D)

You know, you really must think about getting a job.

KATHERINE

I did think about it.

RUBY

Yes, and now you must do something about it.

KATHERINE

I did.

RUBY

No, you wrote to the War Office asking to be a pilot.

KATHERINE

It was the Air Ministry. And what’s wrong with that? I’d be a good pilot. Or an engineer. I asked about that too.

RUBY

You can’t just write and ask to be something like that! You have to get qualifications, experience. And you don’t – well – you’re not… you don’t fulfil their requirements.

KATHERINE
They’re so determined to wage this war and yet they insist on ignoring every other able-bodied person in the country because they simply happen to be female! How is that good strategy? What can they possibly be thinking?

RUBY
(Passionately)

They know that if they let us out to win their war, they’ll never be able to chain us back into our boxes once it’s over.

She gathers herself and puts away the last of the mugs.

RUBY

(CONT’D)

They need an extra pair of hands up at Matlock’s.

KATHERINE

To help manage the estate?

RUBY

To help dig the fields.

KATHERINE
Why would I do that?

RUBY

For the money.

KATHERINE

I don’t need money.

RUBY

Yes, because everything just miraculously appears for you! The clothes on your back, the food on the table –

KATHERINE

I’ll stop eating then. 

RUBY

Don’t be ridiculous! You know perfectly well I don’t mean that.

They cross out of the kitchen and into:

INT. SHUTTLEFIELD VILLAGE HALL – DAY

RUBY

(CONT’D)

Speaking of Matlock’s, Will Croft has agreed to play cards with Billy Sherringham and Arthur Nelson on Friday.

KATHERINE

Billy Sherringham cheats.

Ruby locks the kitchen door.

RUBY

Yes, I told him as much, but he’s going anyway.

KATHERINE

Foolish.

RUBY

Will you make up a four? He can’t earn much on that farm. It’d be a shame to see them drink away his wage.

They gather up their gas mask boxes and put their coats on.

KATHERINE

Why would I do that? I hate playing cards in the pub.

RUBY

How do you know it’s in the pub?

KATHERINE

It’s always in the pub. (Pause) They don’t like it when I play.

RUBY

Of course they don’t. But if you won’t ask about the job at Matlock’s – we have to get some extra money from somewhere.

EXT. SHUTTLEFIELD ALLOTMENT – DAY

Spades hit the earth, birds sing out to one another, a breeze stirs up loose grass and leaves. Dig for Victory!

MRS HENDERSON
It’s very good of you to come and help. It’s all this rain. It’s made the ground terribly difficult to turn over.

TOM
It’s no trouble. You’d do better moving your carrots to the opposite bed. They’re more likely to thrive in rock free soil. 

MRS HENDERSON
I’ll have to speak to Mr Jones. He’s in charge of the allotment. How’s your brother, Bert, any more news?

BERT
Nothing this week. They were marching to the coast last I heard. He reckons they’ll be boarding a ship soon, but he can’t give us any idea of where they’re heading.

MRS HENDERSON
Somewhere hot, perhaps. Palm trees and bananas!

BERT
Can’t you get some bananas growing in here?

TOM

Don’t be daft Bert. It’s far too cold.

BERT
Ernest Singleton said he managed to grow bananas in the back of the boiler room.

TOM
Ernest Singleton’s a terrible liar. He used to say his father was Churchill’s personal bodyguard until Mr Matlock saw him drinking in The Feathers up Biggleswade.

BERT

I’ve heard that his old man was really a conchie, back in the last lot. Refused to join up with the rest of the village.

MRS HENDERSON

No! Was he? It would explain the – (she lowers her voice dramatically) – drinking. All hours of the day.

BERT
There’s nothing worse than a conchie. Mr Martin said that the constable had one in the cells last month. Apparently they took all his clothes when he arrived, stuck them in the bin out back, and made him sit there all night freezing his –

TOM

Sorry, Mrs Henderson. High spirits, you know. All that fresh we get out in the fields. 

MRS HENDERSON
You boys do a splendid job. A credit to the community. Unlike some I could mention.

BERT

What do you mean?

TOM
Perhaps we should be getting back.

BERT
You know something…

Mrs Henderson leans in and speaks conspiratorially. 

MRS HENDERSON
Well, I’m not one to gossip, and I would never normally pass on anything so indiscreet, but have you heard about the new girl at Palmers?

INT. SHUTTLEFIELD VILLAGE HALL – DAY

Katherine is seated alone, writing. Her pencil scratches against the newspaper. Nancy enters, high heels ringing against the wooden floor.

NANCY
You’ve got to rehearsals early! Blimey, isn’t this hall cold? What’s that? Love letters?

KATHERINE
A crossword in The Telegraph. (Pause) Is it yours? It was here when I arrived.

NANCY
No fear. Puzzles aren’t for me. Knew a girl though, always scribbling away backstage, who could knock off even the really tricky ones in about ten minutes. 

KATHERINE 
In London?

NANCY
Yeah, where else? A city of opportunities. Or it was before they flattened it. 

KATHERINE
The raids must be bad.  

NANCY
Worse than you can imagine.

KATHERINE
I don’t imagine. I read about Plymouth in the papers. It didn’t mention a figure – they never do – but based on the population and the areas hit, around three hundred people must have died on Saturday and yet they say a woman nailed a sign up, over the church, saying resurgam.

NANCY
Resurgam?

KATHERINE
It’s Latin for “I shall rise again”, but the statistics don’t support it. 

NANCY
Ah well, you can’t knock a bit of wartime spirit. Two fingers up at the enemy and all that.

KATHERINE
But does it help? 

Ruby, Edward and Will enter. A murmur of conversation sweeps in with them.

WILL
Is that the competition in The Telegraph? I couldn’t get past the first clue – they were all cryptic.

KATHERINE
Oh no, I finished that in nine and a half minutes. This is just the usual one in the back. But it’s not mine.

EDWARD
Finders, keepers. You’re doing well.

KATHERINE
Yes, I am, but I don’t know eleven across. The prejudice to Laurence Olivier’s pride. Five, six.

NANCY
Well, that’s obvious: Greer Garson! I think she’s wonderful, so lovely looking. 

KATHERINE
Who’s that?

NANCY
You mean to say you didn’t watch Pride and Prejudice?

KATHERINE
No, I’m sorry. I’ve never heard of it.

WILL
What? Are you serious? You’ve never read Austen? Jane Austen?

KATHERINE
I don’t have much interest in fiction.

Ruby claps her hands together and pushes back her chair.

RUBY
Alright everyone, gather please, gather. I thought we’d look at Act I Scene II again, Canterbury persuading the King to war. If we don’t get that right, we haven’t much hope my darlings!

KATHERINE
I don’t want to be the Archbishop of Canterbury. I’m an atheist. I’ve already told you. 

RUBY
Oh really Kate, there’s no need to get political. Right, Edward, if you could start us off. Remember that lovely pacing we talked about last time. Top of page twenty. 

EDWARD 
Your brother kings and monarchs of the earth
Do all expect that you should rouse yourself,
As did the former lions of your blood.
Never King of England
Had nobles richer and more loyal subjects,
Whose hearts have left their bodies here in England
And lie pavilioned in the fields of France.

KATHERINE

O, let their bodies follow, my dear liege,
With blood and sword and fire to win your right!

RUBY
No, no, no, that won’t do! You’re persuading your king to take the whole country to war. Try to imagine how you’d feel if you were Canterbury.

KATHERINE
I don’t think I’d be so quick to advise war.

WILL
Here, here.

RUBY
That’s beside the point. It needs, it needs… Nancy, read the line for her.

NANCY 
O, let their bodies follow, my dear liege,
With blood and sword and fire to win your right!

RUBY
Precisely, with authority, with purpose. Try again.

KATHERINE
With blood and sword and fire to win your right. 

RUBY
You just said it exactly the same.

KATHERINE
Well, that’s how I speak. 

RUBY
Heaven save us! We’ll be here all night. 

WILL
I don’t mind going over it again.

RUBY
Thank goodness we have a merciful king, eh Kate? Edward, Nancy, if you could look at Act II Scene IV – Exeter’s address to the French king, I’ll try to rescue the Archbishop of Canterbury. Nancy, you better read in for the King; Mr Jones has a touch of Angina. Best not to overexcite him.

Exit Ruby, Katherine and Will.

EDWARD
I’ve got a wager with Will – two bob.

NANCY
A wager on what?

EDWARD
Which sister does away with the other first. I said Ruby, throttling poor Kate with one of those scarves of hers, but Will disagrees. 

NANCY
Well, they say you have to watch the quiet ones. Page thirty-four wasn’t it?

EDWARD
I must say, Mrs Holt makes a most refreshing Dauphin. You never know what she’s going to do next. 

NANCY
And surprisingly quick for an old girl – the way she charged after those tennis balls. I’d watch that up West and not ask for my money back. 

EDWARD
Mrs Henderson says she’s always been the same. She had to be banned from Morris Dancing after she whacked Mrs White around the head with her whiffling stick.

 NANCY
I don’t think she likes me very much, you know. 

EDWARD
Mrs Henderson? Why do you say that?

NANCY
None of the old dears do. I see them exchange looks outside the shop. They say it’s all coupons and bring-and-buy but I know what they’re really talking about. Do all outsiders get the same treatment or am I a special case?

EDWARD
I really wouldn’t know.

NANCY
You do know! I can tell. There’s no need to be coy with me; what’s the story? 

EDWARD
Mrs Holt mentioned – I’m sure it’s completely harmless – a man in uniform – you know how tongues wag – was seen leaving your aunt’s house early Monday morning.

NANCY
Oh, I see. That explains it. 

EDWARD
Like I said, people talk. There’s no escaping it in a backwater sort of place like this. I’m sure it’s entirely… Shall we make a start? If you’re a king you’d better have a throne. Here.

He pulls up a chair and guides Nancy to it.

EDWARD (CONT’D)
Your line.

NANCY
I thought it’d be too early for anyone to be up, though I suppose there’s always some old girl with a knee or a back or a grumbling liver – liver’s the one, isn’t it? It’s not what you think.

EDWARD
I don’t think –

NANCY
Yes you do. My husband was on leave this weekend. First time in a long time. He had to be out early, up at dawn to get back to – well, I don’t know – can’t ever tell us, can they? 

EDWARD
I had no idea that you were… a wife. What is he, army?

NANCY
Navy, actually. Since before the war. I don’t see a lot of him, and that suits me just fine. Sorry, that was impolite of me. My mother always said I talked too much. 

EDWARD
Oh, you can say what you like to a battered chap like me. (Awkward pause.) Page thirty-four, wasn’t it?

He bids you then resign
Your crown and kingdom, indirectly held,
From him, the native and true challenger.

NANCY
Or else what follows?

EDWARD
Bloody constraint – 

Noises from off, raised voices shouting.

NANCY
Bloody hell, more like. What now?

Ruby stalks in.

RUBY
I’m afraid I’m going to have to finish early tonight – it’s quite impossible, impossible – but I’m sure you’ll manage perfectly without me. I’m only the director after all. Act I Scene II, Act II Scene IV. (To Katherine, who has followed in quietly with Will) I’ll see you at home, I suppose. 

Ruby gathers up her script and slams the door loudly.

EDWARD
What happened? 

KATHERINE
(Not un-cheerfully) 

It was me. I’m useless. I unbalance her creative principals by being utterly dead behind the eyes. I don’t suppose you saw where I left my pencil?

WILL
What do you say? Hang Act I Scene II and go for a drink?

EDWARD
Damn good idea. Oh – pardon me. Ladies?

NANCY
If you’re paying, I’m game. 

WILL
Katherine?

KATHERINE
Oh, no thank you. I want to finish my crossword.

WILL
Do it at the pub.

Nancy and Edward exit.

KATHERINE
Why would I do that? It’s noisy. And uneconomical; I’d have to buy something to sit in there when I could sit here for free. 

WILL
I worked out three down, by the way. It’s ‘literal’: taking words in their usual or most basic sense without metaphor or exaggeration.

KATHERINE
Yes, I know. I already have that one.

He laughs.

WILL
Well then, goodnight Kate.

KATHERINE
It’s Katherine. 

He is almost at the door when she runs over.

KATHERINE (CONT’D)
Do you want me to come? Am I supposed to say yes? 

He offers her his arm, which she tentatively takes, and they follow Nancy and Edward out.