Dedicated to the memory of Elizabeth Sneddon, 1907-2005.
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Characters:-

LEIA. Woman. 18 years old.

ARTE. Leia's sister. 22 years old.

HUNTER. Man. 22 years old.
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Plot. Two wealthy bored sisters are members of a secret Political Underground Movement committed to ‘regime change’. The sisters are in it for the excitement of dangerous clandestine intrigue only.
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(The sisters enter a bedroom. They have been shopping. They carry parcels. They talk as they empty the parcels on the bed. They are not at ease with each other. ARTE is solicitous and concerned, and keeps her eyes on her sister, trying to make eye-contact. LEIA is somewhat poutishly serious, and avoids eye-contact.)

Arte: (Hesitantly. Softly.) Uh, so you'll do it? (Pause.)

Leia: You said I have a choice? Right?

Arte: Yes, Leia. Of course.

Leia: So, if I refuse, you are not going to be angry? Right?

Arte: Absolutely. Not angry. (Long pause.)

Leia: And just why would I be doing this?

Arte: A favour. For your favourite sister. Me.

Leia: That's hardly a fair trade, Arte. You get a favour while I risk my scholarship.

Arte: Leia, there is no risk at all if we follow my very simple plan. We are doing this kind of thing in other Cities as well, even as we are speaking here. (Pause. The sisters look at each other seriously.)

Leia: Sometimes, like now, Arte, I wish you had never told me your secret. The Secret Police are everywhere. It's only a matter of time you will be caught.

Arte: Perhaps.

Leia: There are Whites suffering home detention for doing what you're up to.

Arte: Merely home detention, Leia. Merely. Large numbers of all the other races are in jail, far away from their families, only because they march peacefully for Political equality with us.

Leia: Okay, okay. I know. Get off your soap box.

Arte: Your fault. You got me going. (Pause. They go about silently unpacking.)

Leia: I said this before. I say it again, for the last time, I promise. Arte, tell Dad you help the Underground against the Government. He won't be pleased, but he won't completely disapprove. In this home, we've heard him talk against the Government's racist laws.

Arte: I will, I will, Leia. But not just yet.

Leia: I hope it is before you get arrested.

Arte: Tell you what, you do this for me, and when you are out of the country, I will tell Dad everything. (They hug.)

Leia: What will Dad and Mom think, seeing me with a strange man?

Arte: A strange handsome young man? They will be pleased. They're beginning to think you are homosexual, you know.

Leia: You're making that up!

Arte: (Softly and seriously.) No, I am not making that up. Come on, Leia. You're the youngest. And, perhaps, the most beautiful of the eight of us. You're off to university overseas, and you've never had a boyfriend. Not even a casual friendly one.

Leia: I needed to concentrate on my schoolwork. That's why I won the scholarship!

Arte: Oh, Leia, fiddlesticks! You're Dad's favourite. At a drop of a hat he will give you five times as much as that silly scholarship. All you have to do is ask him. And it isn't as if we don't have enough good universities in this country. Dad throws more than enough money at most of them.

Leia: (Subdued. Depressed. Sits at the edge of the bed. Almost teary.) Do they really think I am---I am---? (ARTE moves to her sister's side quickly, and puts an arm around her.)

Arte: (Softly.) Baby! There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, if you are. You know Dad. Secretly wishes all his daughters were. If you tell him you are, he'll most likely bequeath all the family's fortune to you. And then the rest of us will have to kill you. (She squeezes LEIA closer. LEIA smiles, despite herself.)

Leia: (Playfully.) Good thing for all of us I'm not. Right? (They sit in the hug in silence for a few seconds, leaning into each other. LEIA gets up to continue with the parcels.) What's the plan, again? (ARTE gets up and helps with the parcels.)

Arte: You come to my place. Tuesday at two in the afternoon. He will be there. I drive the two of you to the airport. The two of you enter through the "Whites Only" gate. Show your tickets, not passports. They don't ask Whites to show passports. (Facetiously) Whites are never dishonest. Everybody knows this. (They giggle and laugh.)

Leia: I take it he isn't obviously Non-White.

Arte: He could pass for White. That's why he has been so valuable to us in the Underground. But the Government is getting too close. He has to leave the country. Very soon. We are going to miss him.

Leia: (Somewhat nervously.) So, he has a fake passport?

Arte: Oh, no. It's genuine. That's why he has to pass through the "Whites Only" gate. At the "Non-Whites" entrance, tickets and passports are checked. If they know who he is, he is likely to be arrested. Really, Leia. Members of this family travel dozens of times a year. Haven't you noticed what happens at the gates? (Pause.)

Leia: (Hesitantly, and ignoring the question.) We---there won't be any touching, will there?

Arte: Nothing intensely. Occasional brief light hand holding will help for the benefit of strangers. He is handsome, Leia. People are going to be looking.

Leia: (Hastily changing the drift.) And the tickets? We are not seated together, are we?

Arte: Oh, no. I wouldn't do that to you, Leia. Once the two of you are on board, no more need to pretend. Not even when the two of you disembark overseas.

Leia: He knows this?

Arte: Uh-huh. His idea.

Leia: (Mechanically. Softly. Mostly to herself.) That's good. I hope he's at least taller than I am.

Arte: Yes. Taller. Slender. The two of you will look perfect for each other.

Leia: I'll be the judge of that, thank you.

Arte: You want to meet him before Tuesday?

Leia: (Impulsively. Firmly.) Why? There's no need for us to know each other before Tuesday.

Arte: (Backing off. Softly.) All right. All right. Just a thought. (A brief pause.)

Leia: I'm guessing---I'm hoping he has an English name. At least English-sounding.

Arte: Ryan.

Leia: (With a tentative smile.) Oh? Ryan? Irish. Even better. Will throw the racist police completely off track.

Arte: It's not his real name.

Leia: Well, hello? I guessed as much.

Arte: Any other questions?

Leia: No. Not for the moment.

Arte: Good. (Moves to exit.)

Leia: (Impulsively.) I'd better meet him. (ARTE stops abruptly, and turns to her sister. LEIA busies herself with a parcel in order to avoid eye-contact.) Just in case I have to mention his name to some nosy old busybody we run into at the airport.

Arte: Good precaution. Enough of those in our family. You don't have to meet him beforehand, Leia.

Leia: (Irritably.) Ooh, Arte! Just let's do it! A brief meeting. Your place. In the kitchen.

Arte: Uh. All right. When?

Leia: You pick the day and time. He being a fugitive, and all that.

Arte: Tomorrow. Two-ish?

Leia: Good. Pick me up here.

Arte: Better if you came in your own car, Leia. Just in case.

Leia: (Alarmed.) Just in case? Just in case what?

Arte: Leia, you are so critical of men. I just want you to know that you can cancel out if you don't like anything about him. The slightest thing.

Leia: (Fixing ARTE with a hard wide-eyed stare.) I knew it! I knew it! Frog-eyes! Monkey-mouth! Bat-ears!

Arte: (Softly. Wearily. With an indulgent smile.) And knock-kneed and pigeon-toed and flat feet. Leia, honey, if you don't like even the way he parts his hair, you can bow out. No hard feelings. The Underground will find another way. Operating at short notice is our specialty.

Leia: (Resuming some diversionary activity in poutish resignation.) Just let's do it, Arte, and get it over with. (Lights begin to fade.)

Arte: All right. Tomorrow. Two-ish. Come into the backyard. We'll pretend to discuss my rose bushes. Then you go straight into the house. To the kitchen. He'll be waiting.

Leia: Sounds good.

Arte: And, Leia, step loudly as you approach. We don't trust people who move silently towards us. (LEIA throws her arms-hands up. ARTE exits. Blackout. Lights up gradually on HUNTER in the kitchen. He is nervous, sitting at the table. Loud footsteps approach. He gets up quickly and goes to the far end of the table, and stands facing the doorway. LEIA enters. They stare at each other in shock.)

Leia: Hunter? You're---you're the cloak-and-dagger person?

Hunter: You're Arte's sister? (They fly into each other's arms and kiss passionately. The kissing stops, more-or-less, but they remain in their hug as they talk playfully.)

Leia: And just when were you going to tell me you are our very own homegrown Scarlet Pimpernell?

Hunter: From the first time we met months ago, Leia. I have been trying to honorably extricate myself from the Underground in order to be honest with you. And then last week when you told me about your scholarship, I decided to surprise you overseas. But, thanks to the Government's Special Police, I thought I was going to have to leave before you. (They kiss, long and lingeringly.)

Leia: (Barely audible, between light kisses.) I have to go. Arte is expecting this to be a very brief encounter.

Hunter: (Equally distracted. Mumbling and muffled.) We could tell her. Gives us more time together.

Leia: No. I'm going to enjoy keeping her in the dark. She takes pleasure in impressing me with how much she is in charge. (Kissing.) Not this time. (He pauses, abruptly breaking off a kiss.) What? Come on, Hunter. Let's keep our secret until we are overseas.

Hunter: It's not that. I just remembered. We're not sitting together on the plane. It's going to be unbearable. (She moves her head to give him a puzzled look in the eyes, and takes a second or two to understand. Then she smiles mischievously while showering him with kisses as she speaks. Lights begin to fade.)

Leia: Not to worry. Leave that to me. My family practically owns every travel agency in this City. (They lock into a long kiss. Blackout.)

The end.