Queen of Swords – the Tarot play by Alysse Aallyn

(Evening. Lights up on the Hampton house. )

WHITNEY
(Banging)

Charmayne!! Charmayne!!

CHARMAYNE
(Appearing at the door – seemingly annoyed)

Whitney, you really do have to make an appointment. I don’t have time to play with you today.

WHITNEY
Oh, I think you’ll see me – Pearleen.

CHARMAYNE
(Steps outside, closes door carefully)

Oh? Are your efforts to master the black arts finally paying off?

WHITNEY
There’s no “black ops” about it. I’ve been investigating you.

CHARMAYNE
Moi? Little me? How flattering. I love being the center of attention. I revel in your…involvement.

(Making it sound sexual. Crosses her arms defensively, but says boldly)

It’s not illegal to change your name, you know. Some names are very common. You can call yourself anything you want. And some of us were saddled by our thoughtless parents with disabling monikers we couldn’t wait to get rid of.

WHITNEY
But you are pretending to be someone else!

CHARMAYNE
Prove it.

WHITNEY
You’re wearing her necklace!

CHARMAYNE
She gave it to me. Among many other gifts. I thought I explained all that to you.

WHITNEY
And now no one can find her!

CHARMAYNE
Poor little know-nothing. You’re not even a Querent, you’re lower than that. Sludge. Pity you didn’t pursue my entire course of instruction. Then you’d see that when there’s a new Queen of Swords it’s traditional for the previous Queen to make herself scarce.

WHITNEY
You did something to her!

CHARMAYNE
Prove it.

WHITNEY
Plus, you misrepresented yourself when we hired you!

CHARMAYNE
Oh, I told Arthur all about it! It only made him admire me more. He proposed, didn’t he? I don’t think you knew your father as well as you thought you did, Whitney. He appreciated people who made something of themselves, who figured out the physics of existence. He didn’t care for helpless wannabes who hang around trading on their birth names and trying to cash in on the past. We complemented each other. He told me, I “embraced multitudes.” And that’s what he loved about me.

WHITNEY
He was quoting Whitman. I doubt your marriage is even legal!

CHARMAYNE
Now hold on, sister. Have you bothered to research common law marriage in this state? Don’t come annoying me when you haven’t done your homework! I’ll give you a head start by telling you Dr. Quantreau’s trust defines his wife as “ux” – not by name but anyone he called his wife at the time of his death.

WHITNEY
Prove it.

CHARMAYNE
I don’t have to. And a further piece of advice? When you’re coming after someone, it’s very dangerous to put them on notice. Because then they’ll be ready for you…fully armed.

(Disappears into house, slamming the door)