RUTTING
IN THE TROPICSScene 3 – On the deck of the Sally Forth moments later. Marlow applies wet compresses to Moby’s hump. The whale introduces himself to Marlow.
MOBY
Moby's my name. I'm an albino sperm whale
of the phylum chordata, sub-phylum vertebrate,
class mammalia, order cetacea, sub-order Odontoceti,
from the family Physeteridae.
Moby assures Marlow he needn’t remember all that since “most of the bastards are extinct anyway.” He tells him that he’s the greatest grandson of Moby Dick. When Moby asks Marlow’s name, and learns it’s Marlow, Moby is amazed.
MOBY
Don't tell me you're related to that same Marlow who was
a friend of Lord Jim and visited the Heart of Darkness!
MARLOW
He was my great, great...I'm his greatest grandson.
MOBY
Incredible. Your greatest granddaddy is an oceanic
legend, man. (MOBY shuffles a few steps) Mistah
Kurtz, he dead.
MARLOW
(Theatrically) The horror! The horror!
(Delighted, MARLOW and MOBY slap palms
against fins)
Oh, Moby, meeting you is like meeting family. I can't
believe I just pulled you from the sea.
MOBY
Like your greatest uncle pulled that fellow Leggatt.
MARLOW
My God! You know the story of Leggatt?
MOBY
My Aunt Edith, blubbermouth of the deep, not only saw
the naked murderer pulled from the water, she heard the
rest of the story through the ship's hull.
MARLOW
Not the part about the pajamas!
MOBY
Yes, and how when the escaped killer put on your
uncle's pajamas, the two men looked identical.
MARLOW
I love that bit.
MOBY
Actually, that's the one part I never understood.
Marlow, how can wearing another man's pajamas cause
them to become doubles?
MARLOW
Ah, Moby, such a phenomenon might easily puzzle a
whale. My own guess is that the two men shared a
symbolic likeness, a secret, subconscious identity.
MOBY
Subconscious?
MARLOW
The subconscious is a hidden part of the mind...like
the sea is hidden from the world of air.
MOBY
So, in other words, I live down in the subconscious,
while you live up in the conscious?
MARLOW
I suppose one could say that. But enough reminiscing.
Tell me, what the devil is a sperm whale doing in the
Thames estuary?
MOBY
I'm swimming to London to see Virginia, your virgin
monarch.
MARLOW
Whales know of her?
MOBY
Of course. Her fame has reached the farthest outposts
of the ocean. I was dallying around Baja California
with little to so, when the idea hit me to swim the
Atlantic and make my way up the Thames to Buckingham
Palace to feast my eyes on that which one can't see in
America.
MARLOW
A queen?
MOBY
(drily) No, a virgin. But Marlow. You look distressed.
Have I said something wrong?
MARLOW
That word "virgin” reminded me of my wife. She stormed off
the ship in anger a few minutes before you came aboard.
MOBY
(Looking guilty, alarmed)
She did? A few...minutes ago?
MARLOW
Perhaps you saw her. She took a dinghy.
MOBY
(Too quickly) I? See her? In a dinghy? Not I. (Burps aside)
Why did she storm off?
MARLOW
Well, you see, Moby, I have a problem with...the fair sex.
MOBY
A problem with cows?
MARLOW
The truth is, I can't get it up for virgins. Nor can I make love
to any woman who's had a man before me.
MOBY
But, Marlow, the kind of woman you want must be rarer
than white whales. for whales there's nothing more wonderful
than eating, fighting and making love. I can picture it now,
blue light, undulating algae, the rustle of squid and shrimp...
(A line of female whales joins him as a chorus.)
RUTTING IN THE TROPICS
COUPLING OFF THE SHORE
FINS AND FLUKES ROTATE
IN PASSIONATE AMOUR
CHORUS OF WHALES
LOVE ME FAIR CETACEA
LET MY FINS EMBRACE YA
RUTTING IN THE TROPICS
MOBY
Ah, I remember little Margarita. Only forty feet
long, but what a hump! Before she said "yes" I
followed her through seven degrees longitude and twelve
degrees latitude, until finally, in the Indian Ocean,
she surrendered.
WHALES IN PLEASURE TWINING
SINGING AS THEY BREACH
TIDAL WAVES UNROLLING
TOWARD THE DISTANT BEACH
CHORUS
BARNACLES BECOME YA
COME AND LET ME PLUMB YA
RUTTING IN THE TROPICS
MOBY
And then there was Rosamunda. Sixty years older than
I, but at thirty fathoms, who could tell? I must
admit, she did me the favor, but I rose to the occasion.
STEAMY SPOUTS CONDENSING
RAINBOWS FILL THE AIR
WATERFALLS CASCADING
ON THE LOVING PAIR
CHORUS
WHALES INSEMINATING
LEVIATHAN IS MATING
RUTTING IN THE TROPICS
MOBY
WOULD THAT I WERE THERE.
LOVE ME, LOVE ME, LOVE ME, MARGARITA
BE THE LOVER OF ME, MARGARITA
BARNACLES BECOME YOU DARLING
COME AND LET ME PLUMB YOU DARLING
CHORUS
RUTTING IN THE TROPICS
MOBY
KISS ME, KISS ME, KISS ME ROSAMUNDA
WHEN AWAY OH MISS ME ROSAMUNDA
LET MY LOVING FINS EMBRACE YA
BE MY VERY OWN CETACEA
CHORUS
RUTTING IN THE TROPICS
MOBY
ROLLING IN THE WAVES WITH MARGARITA
DIVING IN THE SEA WITH MY PEPITA
FIFTY TONS OF LOVING BLUBBER
ROLL HER OVER, STROKE HER, RUB HER
CHORUS
RUTTING IN THE TROPICS
MOBY
WHALES WHALES WHALES WHALES
RUTTING IN THE SEA, OH
WHALES WHALES WHALES WHALES
SAVE A BIT FOR ME
KISS ME. KISS ME, LOVE ME, LOVE ME
CHORUS
HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY!
MOBY
ROLL AROUND ME AND ABOVE ME
CHORUS
HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY!
WHALES WHALES WHALES WHALES
MOBY
LOVE ME, LOVE ME, KISS ME, KISS ME
EATING, MATING, FORNICATING
LOTS OF LITTLE WHALES CREATING
RUTTING IN THE TROPICS
CHORUS
RUTTING IN THE TROPICS
MOBY
RUTTING IN THE TROPICS
CHORUS AND MOBY
WOULD THAT I WERE THERE.
Moby is sure that he can solve Marlow’s sexual hangup and suggests that he accompany him to London where he’s going to see the Queen. But Marlow says he can’t go because the Queen might see him. He explains to Moby that year ago he and the queen saw each other and it was love at first sight. Since then he’s been avoiding her because with his hang-up about getting getting it on with virgins he could never give her heirs. It would be the end of the royal line. Marlow explains that two months ago he even married a woman, who just walked out on him. Who could blame her? Still, Marlow has to go to London on ship’s business and for another matter.
MARLOW
You see, in spite of my long career at sea, one
thing has been lacking -- I've never known fear.
MOBY
Nothing wrong with that. You're a brave man.
MARLOW
No. I've just never found myself in a dangerous
situation. As a result, I've never had my courage
tested.
MOBY
But how could that be? Surely life at sea is full of
danger -- storms, rocky coastlines in the fog...whales.
MARLOW
Oh, I've managed to avoid such perils through my
perfect navigation, sixth sense about weather, etc.
But Moby, if faced by the Terrible, I don't know
whether I'd react as a coward or a brave man.
Recently a machine has been invented that will test a
man's courage for a shilling. It's in London. I'd
like to go there and try my luck.
MOBY
Then it's settled. We'll leave in the morning.
MARLOW
But Moby, you're a whale. London isn't a body of
water. How will you survive?
MOBY
No problem. Being a mammal I breathe air, the same as
you. All I need is a twice-daily soaking.
MARLOW
And food? You must have...forgive me...a whale of an
appetite.
MOBY
Not to worry. Whales are used to looking after themselves.
MARLOW
Then there's the problem of your...ahem...nakedness.
If we're to travel together, you'll have to appear less
conspicuous.
MOBY
How so?
MARLOW
You'll have to wear clothes. Now, our conversation
earlier has given me an idea. The roomiest thing to
wear are pajamas. I have a nightshirt to offer you.
(Taking the red nightshirt off
the line, he helps MOBY into it.)
Here. Try this on. How does it feel?
MOBY
Not bad. I suppose we now look identical!
(To the audience, they still look like man and whale.)
MARLOW
You know, seeing you dressed in my nightshirt...I feel
there does exist a certain...resemblance.
MOBY
(Chuckling) You mean we really have become doubles,
like Leggatt and your uncle?
MARLOW
I'm not joking. The similarity is amazing. Here.
Look in this mirror.
(They peer into it together)
MOBY
There is a certain likeness.
MARLOW
Admit it. We're bloody identical.
MOBY
You're right. We are.
MARLOW
Isn't it extraordinary? Who would have supposed? A
sea captain and a whale -- identical!
MOBY
Maybe we're just imagining it. Do you think anyone
else would notice?
MARLOW
I have no idea. Oh, oh. Here comes my
supper. Wait. I'll hide behind the loom and we'll see
what happens. (Marlow hides)
A crewman appears with a supper tray, exchanges some words with Moby, obviously taking him for Captain Marlow, and exits. Marlow reappears. He and Moby stare at each other wordlessly, in complete astonishment.