ROSALIE

You’ll call today?

GRISHA

First one, then the other. First: you. (He goes to her and they begin to make love.)

ROSALIE

You, man, you. You, man, you.

Lights fade to BLACK in GRISHA’S bedroom, Section B.

ABE shuffles from the hallway back to his bed, lies down on his stomach, and pushes the play button on his boom box which is on the floor and plays "Meadowlands."

ARON

You’re goin’ broker the deal and they’re going to pay him half now and half upon delivery in Petersburg, right?

ZEV

Yeah?

ARON

Yeah. Zev, he’s going to let you do the deal, shake hands all around, and then have you tell the Chinese boys that without you he couldn’t’ve done the deal.

ZEV

How come you’re sneering, Aron?

ARON

You still have keys to my BMW?

ZEV

Yeah. Who’s got the codes, Aron?

ARON

Your father. His cousin in St. Petersburg --

ZEV

My father? Why doesn’t he give them to Grisha?

ARON

I’m not saying he won’t.

ZEV

Huh? What are you doin’, Aron, what are you sayin’? How come you’re sweatin’?

Suddenly, ABE’S boom box stops playing. ABE bangs it a few times but it still doesn’t play. ABE pulls the tape out of the boom box, unfurls the audio tape from the cassette, takes out a large hunting knife, and proceeds to cut the tape into pieces.

ABE

I have two sons.

ARON

Look at me, Zev: meet with Mo Tzu and the Chinese boys. They like you -- they can trust you. And later -- after the meeting’s over in Atlantic City, you tell Grisha you want to stay there, that Mo Tzu expects you to make a side deal with him otherwise he won’t this deal unless there’s under the table for him. Grisha knows that’s the game. Because it really is. And then when Grisha leaves, you take a bus back straight back to the city and get Ester if you want to and then you go – you split -- Abe’ll come out later. I’ll get you money, don’t worry about money, go, you hear me, take my car and go right away. Tonight.

ZEV

Why? What about you?

ARON

Hey -- hey – because – hear me -- if you stick around, Zev, Grisha will tell you he’s got your money in a special place -- in the Meadowlands -- and he’ll tell you that the two of you have a great future together. He’ll tell you to come with him out there in the Meadowlands to see it and get your money. That he wants you to know about this almost secret-like place. You’ll wonder about that but he’ll spin you and dance you and pump you up and finally you believe him. And you go. And when you’re there -- just the two of you in this truly extraordinary grassy place not really very far from the Jersey Turnpike – believe it or not -- trains are goin’ by and there are birds and water and you can smell that old, wet earth – heavy, stinky raw -- just when you think it’s all going fine -- he’ll grab you and tell you to look west into the horizon and see the curve. That the curve is perspective. And he’s got perspective and if you stick with him he’ll teach it to you. And then you say -- well, I don’t know what you’ll say, but you’ll look out there across the Meadowlands for the curve and -- Zev -- maybe you’ll find it, maybe you won’t, but, Zevi, one way or another -- sooner or later -- he’s gonna wear you down, he’s gonna drag you down, he’s gonna kill you.

ABE takes out a small box from under his bed, finds another cassette, and puts it in his boom box. It’s the same Chinese song that ZEV played in his apartment ("Wild Geese on the Sandbank" from Ten Chinese Qin Classics).

ZEV

Like I always knew you but I never knew you.

ARON

Because – wherever – Abie and you are the only family I ever had. Go. After the Chinese pay their half, go tonight, go.

ZEV

Just go?

ARON

You’ve known me all your life. Have I ever lied to you?

ZEV

No.

ARON

Go. Go.

ABE

Three sons.

BLACKOUT in both Sections.

Men speaking Cantonese is heard. Scrim drops center stage behind which we see shadowy figures of men sitting across a long table talking. ZEV is standing at the head of the table and GRISHA is sitting to his right. The Chinese voices rise to a pitch, then stop.

ZEV

(in Cantonese.) Please, please, gentlemen, it is not too expensive. Mr. Maysif and his colleagues want to do the business, but your offer will not be considered serious at the price you demand.

GRISHA stands.

GRISHA

This isn’t going to work.

Low Chinese grumbling is heard.

ZEV

Of course it will work, this is protocol, Grisha, hey -- wait -- hey --

GRISHA walks around the table and downstage to a "door" which he pushes open. Lights change and the conference room goes dark and silent. Bright lights up on a men’s bathroom with urinals downstage center with their backs to the audience. ZEV follows. GRISHA goes to urinal, unzips, pisses.

GRISHA

Talk, talk, talk -- what the fuck are they talking about? I’m drinking tea with no milk or sugar and you guys are talking and talking -- don’t you ever have to piss?

ZEV

They are afraid they will lose money -- they don’t want to lose money. They ask, in the name of friendship, to permit them to have their representative go to the Harbor in Petersburg and inspect once more before we discuss this business further. Because, they say, the sub is in such poor condition and they are concerned -- rust, missing parts, leakage -- nuclear leakage.

GRISHA

Didn’t they get the report -- their own people were there. Ah, what do they care about leakage? It is what it is, that’s what we’re selling. It’s St. Petersburg, it’s the Admirality-Sudomekh yard with dozens of subs tied to the piers, it’s Russia, what do they expect? Everyone’s in on it and everyone will get their slice of the apple pie. "As is," that’s it, "as is." Ah! What do you think, Zev-boy?

ZEV

You’re a white barbarian but it’s good you’re Russian.

GRISHA

Who says that, you or them?

ZEV

I do, of course, I say that to them. I have to win their confidence, I’m only half Chinese no matter what I look like.

GRISHA

So which way do you go, Zev?

ZEV

I go with the money.

GRISHA

Good. (Zips up and turns to ZEV) And? Now? What?

ZEV unzips his fly, takes out his penis, goes to the urinal GRISHA used, bumps him out of the way, and pisses.

GRISHA

You making a side deal?

ZEV

After this one, yeah, with them. I’ll take the bus back to the city.

GRISHA

Good. Got your momma’s guts. How much?

ZEV

Otherwise with them I’d lose my honor and be just a white barbarian --

GRISHA

Like me. (Pause.) So, Zev, boychick, how much?

ZEV

They don’t want to deal with you, don’t like the way you smell. You take a shower this morning?

GRISHA

Got your mama’s juices, too, huh? (He opens his mouth and sticks out his tongue.)

ZEV rushes him and punches GRISHA in the stomach. GRISHA barely reacts and quickly grabs ZEV by the hair.

GRISHA

For me, this is just another deal. But fuck with my deal, Zev Biryuk, I’ll kill you, and your father, and you fucking precious baby brother, Jake, the genius. I’ll turn Rosalie, whoever the fuck she is to you, onto the streets. But play it with me Russian, Zevi, and you’ll pocket real money. Real money so big you’ll have to bank the bundles in Switzerland and the Bahamas. So big you could be standing with one foot here and one foot it China and you’ll need new pants because your balls’ll be so huge they’ll be swinging from the Golden Gate Bridge. You’ll shine, bubbie, do it my way, and you’ll be a star.

GRISHA pushes ZEV away from him. ZEV rushes him again. GRISHA jabs one arm across and under ZEV’S throat and pulls back his head. With his other hand, he grabs ZEV’S crotch. He pushes ZEV against the wall.

GRISHA

One more, and you’re over. Think. I could wipe you out -- but use your brains. More sly than you think. You got this head -- you got your balls. (Pushes ZEV away.) Keep ‘em safe. Do the deal. Get something on the side, okay. Show me how much, I’ll let you keep it. But show me. Be more than your father, Zev, just show me. That’s the deal.

ZEV (goes to the door)

When I say nod, you nod. Okay?

GRISHA nods.

ZEV

Let’s do it. (He goes through the door, stops, waves for GRISHA to pass in front of him. Lights up on table of Chinese men. In Cantonese: ) Gentlemen.

ZEV goes to head of the table and pulls back chair. GRISHA comes and sits down.

ZEV

(In English: ) Gentlemen, we are pleased to present to you our terms for the nuclear missile submarine now docked at St. Petersburg. (Then ZEV repeats what he just said in Cantonese. To GRISHA: ) Nod.

GRISHA nods.

New Jersey Meadowlands, approaching noon. No one is there. The sky is overcast and the wind blows through the tall grasses. We hear cars from the Turnpike in the distance. We hear geese honking and small birds chattering. In the distance, an Amtrak train rushes South.

ABE enters dressed in an U.S. Army coat and wearing a black Russian fur cap. He comes as close to the audience as possible. A jet plane starts to take off from Newark International Airport and ABE looks out front to it. The airport is close and the jet is close and the sound grows louder and louder and louder. The sound comes from speakers placed in the audience and, as the sound swells, it reverberates throughout the audience and ABE looks up at the jet as it soars through the sky. At the peak of the plane’s sound, as the plane is directly over the top of the audience, ABE cups his hands near his mouth and howls like a wolf.

Upstage and almost out of sight, GRISHA appears carrying an attaché case. He watches ABE howl.

ABE finishes howling and goes down stage and starts to dig. He unburies a box and opens it.

ABE (without turning around)

You got my money?

GRISHA

You got the codes?

GRISHA crosses to ABE. In the background, ARON rises into sight.

ABE

All of it?

GRISHA

Here.

ABE

First I count. Open it up.

GRISHA kneels next to ABE and opens the attaché case. ABE takes an envelop out from the unearthed box and hands it to GRISHA who opens it and takes out a sheet of paper. He takes out another sheet of paper from his coat pocket, holds the two sheets in front of him and compares the codes. ABE counts the money. ARON watches.

GRISHA

Seven-thousand five-hundred one-hundred dollar bills.

ABE

Packed in?

GRISHA

Thousands.

ABE

Startup: top to bottom, match B to X. Launch: bottom to top, match Q with M. All rows must equal 511.

GRISHA

I know.

ARON raises his arm. Holding a gun, he walks closer to the kneeling men.

GRISHA

Zoyen is in the car, Aron, he’s waiting for me.

ARON

Not any more. (Walking closer.) One move, Grisha, I blow your head off.

GRISHA

What did you do to him?

ARON

Get up.

ABE takes the attaché case and stands next to ARON. GRISHA stands.

GRISHA

We made a deal.

ARON

Slowly, very slowly, take out your guns and drop them to the ground.

GRISHA

I have no guns. I came to meet Abe, why would I need guns?

ARON (wacks GRISHA across the head)

Take out your guns, drop them.

GRISHA

See?, I taught you very good, boychick. (GRISHA takes a gun from his jacket, drops it.)

ARON

And the other one

GRISHA

But I --

ARON

Or I’ll blow your head off.

GRISHA

(Takes out another gun and drops it.) Okay? What else?

ARON

Take off your clothes.

GRISHA

Aron, now this --

ARON

Take off your fucking clothes.

GRISHA

(Starts taking off his jacket.) Aron, it’s just money, you want more? You shouldn’t --

ARON

We’re going to take turns, Abe and me. We’re going to tie you up and pour gasoline all over your skin -- very slowly -- and then burn you till you crackle.

GRISHA

How much? 50-50?

ARON

Then, while you’re still alive, we’re going to wrap you in tar paper and put you in the middle of the Turnpike -- in the truck lanes.

GRISHA

Mikhail!!

Suddenly, a shot is heard and GRISHA throws himself backward into ABE.

ARON falls forward from MIKHAIL’S shot and shoots GRISHA who is hit and who has flattened himself on the ground. GRISHA frantically grabs for one of his guns.

ABE kicks GRISHA away and fires off-stage at MIKHAIL once, then twice.

GRISHA half-rises and picks up his gun and shoots ABE who falls near ARON.

From the ground, ARON shoots GRISHA who falls again and drops his gun. ARON, too, falls back to the ground. Silence. Birds cry.

GRISHA

Mikhail!!

ABE

I got him, pig-man, didn’t you hear him scream? And you, too! (ABE rises and fires but he is badly wounded and his gun falls from his hand. The shot misses GRISHA.)

ZEV enters.

ARON

What are you doing here? Get out of here, Zev! Get out!

GRISHA

Stupid shits, all of you! (He grabs along the ground for another gun.)

ARON desperately fires again at GRISHA but misses. GRISHA is not able to get a gun but he does take his attaché case and, wounded, crawls off-stage.

ZEV runs to his father.

ZEV

Oh, no, oh, no, oh, no! Poppa! Poppa!

ARON

Zev -- Zevi --

ZEV goes to ARON.

ZEV

Aron! No --

ARON

Take the box and -- Zev, Zev -- remember -- remember -- me -- (ARON dies.)

ABE

Li Ying? Li Ying? Oh, Zev -- Zev -- going -- Jakie -- going -- deep -- black -- (ABE dies.)

ZEV takes his father’s gun. He looks off-stage in the direction GRISHA went. He puts the gun in his jacket pocket. He puts his arms around ABE and ARON.

ZEV

Oh, no, oh, no, oh, no -- no -- no --

Another Amtrak train rushes by making a deafening roar. BLACKOUT.

An overhead subway train crosses with the Amtrak train, roars in the distance, then fades. In Section B, center stage, GRISHA sits with his head on his desk in his office. He has just come from the Meadowlands, still wears his coat, and he has passed out from the pain from his wounds. Silence.

ROSALIE enters dressed in her winter coat and business hat.

ROSALIE

Sorry, I tried being here sooner but when I ran for the train but -- Grisha? (She crosses to him.) Grisha? You sounded terrible. (He groans and she sees his wounds.) Oh, my God! Oh -- oh -- Grisha, you didn’t tell me this bad, what happened to you? You’re all -- oh, my, all this blood -- Grisha? Grisha? (She manages to take off his coat and hang it on his chair.) Here. Here.

GRISHA

Don’t get a doctor, you do it, clean me up, I’ll be fine, don’t tell anyone --

ROSALIE

Here, come, I’ll take you inside to your bed and wash these -- oh -- oh, Grisha, what did those Chinese men do to you?

She helps picks him up and they begin to go off toward his bedroom. The telephone on the desk rings.

Lights up in Section C, stage left, ZEV sits on ESTER’S white canopy bed fully dressed as in the previous scene. ESTER stands next to him. ZEV is on the telephone calling GRISHA.

ROSALIE looks at the ringing telephone but carries GRISHA off-stage.

ZEV

He’s there -- I know he is -- this has to end, I have to do it. I’ll call again. (Hangs up.)

ESTER

Do what? Here, here, let me help you, you can take this off now. (She helps him take off his coat.) But you can’t stay.

ZEV

They were so -- It isn’t that I’m afraid.

ESTER

No.

ZEV

Like Aunt Ella knew. Like I opened the door and looked at her and she knew.

ESTER

Yes. Like she knew.

ZEV

In Aron’s car coming back, it was so quiet in the car coming back. They were both there -- my father next to me and Aron in the back -- but they weren’t there. They weren’t people. They were just flesh. There was nothing to talk to.

ESTER

(She takes off his shoes.) Just flesh.

ZEV

Where did they go?

ESTER

They’re in your heart. In your blood.

ZEV

Yeah, maybe, I feel that, maybe. Poppa wasn’t even a real American. Didn’t even have a bank account even. We’ll have to go back there for the rented car. You’ll help me?

ESTER

No, I can’t. I’m – I –

ZEV

Ester? Ester? I love you. This thing with my father and Aron – it was – it’s just once. That’s my deal. Once. We’ll go to Las Vegas. We’ll take your mother if you want. I love you.

ESTER

I love you, I do, I can’t help it. (They kiss.) And – we’ll go to college together?

ZEV

Well – yeah – okay, okay, Ester. (He kisses her again.) He’s there, I know Grisha’s there. (He picks up phone and dials and GRISHA’S phone rings again.)

The telephone keeps ringing in GRISHA’S office and no one answers.

ZEV

(ZEV hangs up.) I know he’s there. One more time. (He dials again.)

In Section B, ROSALIE enters from the bedroom carrying a bowl of water and bloody rags. She goes to desk, and stares at the telephone. Finally, she puts down the bowl and picks up the telephone.

ROSALIE

Hello?

ZEV

Rosalie? Ma?

ROSALIE

Zevi?

ZEV

He’s still alive then, huh?

ROSALIE

Grisha? Yes, he’s very bad -- the blood is stopped now -- but the Chinese men were double crosses -- were horrible –

ZEV

The Chinese? Is that what he told you?

ROSALIE

An ambush, he called it an ambush.

ZEV

Oh – no. Ma, I saw it.

ROSALIE

Saw what? You saw what?

ZEV

Sit down, Rosalie, sit down, Ma. I –I was with Grisha. Doesn’t matter where. Afterward, later, when he left, I followed him in Jersey. So. Yeah, Ma, I saw it all – I promise you -- and it wasn’t a Chinese ambush, Ma, Grisha – he killed them – shot them. Poppa’s dead. Aron’s dead. And I’m leavin’, we’re leavin’ – Ester and me.

ROSALIE

Oh.

ZEV

Nevada. Las Vegas, Nevada. He killed them both – you know he can.

ROSALIE

Oh. (ROSALIE hangs up. She sits on the chair behind GRISHA’S desk.)

ZEV

Ma? Ma?

Lights out in on ROSALIE in Section B.

ESTER

She can’t believe it, huh?

ZEV

(Hangs up, shakes his head, No.) I’ll be back, Ester. Wait for me, Ester, I gotta go, then I’ll be back, and we’ll go. We’ll go.

ESTER

I’ll pack. Won’t take long. I’ll wait. I’ll write a letter to Misha. I’ll wait for you. I’ll call my mother and explain. I’ll explain whatever I know. I’ll comfort her.

ZEV hugs ESTER and EXITS. ESTER exits and BLACKOUT in her bedroom, Section C, stage left.

Light fade up in Section B to reveal GRISHA who has been standing in the doorway from the bedroom watching ROSALIE who is still sitting at his desk.

GRISHA

I’m bleeding.

ROSALIE

You --

GRISHA

I’m bleeding.

ROSALIE

Get back in bed.

GRISHA

Who called?

ROSALIE

Nobody.

GRISHA

I’ll sit. Clean me.

GRISHA crosses to the desk and sits on it with his back to ROSALIE. ROSALIE stands. She pulls open a desk drawer and takes out a gun.

ROSALIE

Not very bad holes, you will live, Grisha, from their shots, you will live. (GRISHA does not look at her and he nods. ROSALIE aims the gun at GRISHA.) Say to me what happened, okay, what happened that made you be shot and bleeding like this.

GRISHA

It was just business.

ROSALIE

Is that American language for: ‘It doesn’t matter because I have no heart’?

GRISHA

It’s international. It’s him or me.

ROSALIE

Or me.

GRISHA

Right.

ROSALIE puts down the gun and starts to cry. GRISHA gets up, takes the gun from her, and puts it back in the desk drawer.

ROSALIE

You big piece of shit -- you are shit -- you are shit –

GRISHA sits on the desk again.

GRISHA

I told you I’m bleeding. Clean me.

ROSALIE picks up the bowl of water and stands in front of GRISHA. She begins to wash his wounds.

ROSALIE

These are dirty, does it hurt?

GRISHA (spreading out his arms)

No.

ROSALIE (washing harder and painting his body with his own blood) Now does it hurt?

GRISHA

No.

ROSALIE

Now?

GRISHA

No.

ROSALIE

Now? Say when, now? Now?

GRISHA

Yes. All right, all right, yes.

ROSALIE

Did you ever call him?

GRISHA

No.

ROSALIE (gets up and puts on her coat)

I know who he is, I’ll call him. Now: you maybe can call me when you have finished washing yourself by yourself -- when you are ready for me to maybe put the alcohol iodine in your open skin so it will bite your blood like fire so you maybe will then think you can be very clean – etcetera, etcetera. But, no, no, no, no, now I’m thinking do not call me, Grisha, because I won’t be at home -- I’ll be at my work. Maybe – if and when – maybe I’ll call you. From my office. Maybe I’ll call you or maybe no. Because, Grisha, you smell. You are shit of shit. And because this is America, because you – because you – (She does not cry.) No. No. (She stands up very straight and very still.) Grisha? Goodbye.

ROSALIE exits through the front door.

A moment later, dressed in his coat and hat, ZEV enters.

GRISHA

Zev – Zevi – so angry. (He struggles to get up and then sits painfully in his chair behind his desk.) Come here, I want to talk to you.

ZEV crosses to GRISHA.

GRISHA

You gonna be smart or you gonna be right?

ZEV

I’m gonna be right.

Holding a gun, GRISHA raises his hand and is ready to shoot ZEV. But ZEV pulls his father’s gun out from his own pocket and shoots GRISHA first. GRISHA is knocked backward off his chair and falls behind the desk to the floor and out of sight of the audience. ZEV goes behind the desk and shoots GRISHA one more time.

ZEV

That’s the deal.

He crosses to the door and then stops. ZEV turns and goes back to GRISHA. From behind the desk, ZEV picks up the attaché case full of money, goes to the door, and flips off the light switch which plunges the room into semi-darkness.

ZEV exits.

Sound of a train approaching. As the roaring train grows louder and fills the space, it changes into ABE’S wolf cry and fully replaces the sound of the train. The cry grows louder and louder. Then, ABE’S wolf abruptly stops howling.

end of play