OVERVIEWofRABAT Calltoprayerplaysinthebackground. Sunisrising.

NARRATOR

Theyearis1912.InEurope,tensionsarerisingbetweennations.InAfrica,Europeisrunning rampantandrelentlessly.Morocco,colonizedbySpainandhavingrelativelyrecentlyregainedits independencefromthatnation,hasanewproblem:France.ButinRabat,thoseproblemshaveyetto reallysinkin.Thesunisrising.Yet,practicallyovernight,thesunwillbesettingonthisrenewed Morocco.

ABELsCAMP ABEListalkingtohimself,whileOTHERPERSONNELmillaboutbehindhim. ABEL Anofficerisawondrousthing,fulloflifeandlove. Fromthefancycoattothepistol,rightdownto(onhishands)theglove! Iwanttobeanofficer,agentlemanandaknight! ItseemsthatifIdoso,theworldwouldbesobriHello. OP Whatdidwejustsee?DidsomeonegivetheCaporalsomesortofwine? ABEL Sorry.

*clearsthroat* *speakingindramatictone* Thewarthisfarinthedeserthasntbeentoohard.Mostlyhot,dusty,anduncomfortable.Wemove throughthecitiesandtownsasjuggernauts,unstoppabletides.Nonecanstandbeforeusforlong. Ivegainedareputationasamarksman.Imnotsurewhy.Ijustdoastherestofusdo. Ihearthatwereplanninganotherbigpushsoon.

OFFICERmovesintoarea. OFFICER Allright,men!LISTENUP!OURNEXTSTOPISRABAT!YOUKNOWWHATTODO,AND HOWTODOIT!MOVEOUT!

ABELandOP SIR!YES,SIR! ABEL Youheardtheman!Packupandgetready.Wegoinrightafterthebigguns.

HASSANsHOUSE,INTNIGHT HASSANsFATHER,FATHERSFRIEND1,FATHERSFRIEND2aretalking.HASSANis listening,quietly. FATHER

Perhapsweshouldfleetothecountryside.Greenvalleys,opendesert.Wewouldbesafethere. F1 Weshouldstayandfight.Ifonepartfalls,allofusshouldfall,butatleastwecansaywefoughtforour futures. F2 IsthatwhatshouldbedonebyGod? F1 WouldGodhaveusturnawayandleaveexposedourfellows? FATHER ENOUGH!Nowisnotthetimeforabstracts.Weneedabsolutes.Weneedaplan.

 HASSANsHOUSE,INTDAY
FATHERandHASSANaretalking.Restoffamilyispackingandbustlingabout. HASSAN Father,PLEASE! FATHER No,myson.Youarefartooyoung.StayhereanddefendthefamilyuntilIreturn. HASSAN Father,I FATHER Imustgo.Icannotdothis.Iamtrustingyoutodothis.Please,Hassan. HASSAN Yes,Father. FATHER Goodlad.Illberightback.

ALLEYw/DOORWAYtoHASSANsHOUSEDAY HASSANinDOORWAY,OFFICERandABELwalkingdownALLEY,SMOKEinALLEY SCREAMINGandGUNFIREasbackgroundnoise.

OFFICER Letsgothisway.Perhapstherewillbesomeinterestingartifacts,orsignsofgreatarchitecture. ABEL Aye,sir. HASSAN 10,9,8,7,6.. OFFICER Ooh,look,arealminaret!Withrealstorks! ABEL Yes,sir.Lovely,sir.

HASSAN 3,2,1 *Rushesoutwithknife*

ABEL SIR! *firesshot* HASSAN *Criesout,thencollapses* OFFICER

Abel,wasit?Youmayhavejustsavedmethere,boy. ABEL

Yes,sir. OFFICER Imayhavetoputyouinforacommission.Youveshowninitiativeandheroisminthelineoffire,and thatisalwayswelcomeinthisarmy. ABEL Thankyou,sir. OFFICER Letskeepmoving,shallwe? ABEL Yes,sir.

RABATExt. Sunissetting. Calltoprayerisplaying. CUTtoOLDABELrelaxingandsmokingpipe. Calltoprayerisstillplaying. HASSANcriesoutagain. OLDABELdropsthepipe,andcradleshishead,sobbing.