"SKULLDUGGERY: THE MUSICAL PREQUEL TO HAMLET" 1. YORICK fades away. SCENE 5 INT. ELSINORE CASTLE / HALLWAY CLAUDIUS leaves his chambers to find GERTRUDE in the hallway. CLAUDIUS (re: the mangosteen) Gertrude. You left something behind. GERTRUDE That Polonous.. Many thanks. And...I know what you’d say, Claudius. ‘Twas foolish of me to share that silly old song with Ophelia, dangerous even... Do accept my pardon. CLAUDIUS No. GERTRUDE “No?” ’Tis a brief answer. CLAUDIUS Brief enough to be understood. GERTRUDE So you reject my pardon then? CLAUDIUS Only as one might reject a snow storm in July or a sun gone black - anything that betrays its own nature. GERTRUDE Suns go black behind shifting spheres - that tis a law of nature. CLAUDIUS Yet an eclipse portends doom, topples empires - tis a black law then. GERTRUDE Enough metaphors! I don’t even know what we’re talking about, but I do know eclipses spawn gossip. Nothing more. To spare us both that, I take my leave of you. She tries to leave again, this time CLAUDIUS leans against the wall, GROANING dramatically. "SKULLDUGGERY: THE MUSICAL PREQUEL TO HAMLET" 2. GERTRUDE (CONT’D) Art thou ill? CLAUDIUS Tis most strange. Twenty-three years I never swooned. Never once fell. But hearing thy song again, I am sick for the decades wasted. GERTRUDE We made our choices. CLAUDIUS Aye, and another choice must be made now for soon I am leaving Denmark. GERTRUDE Leaving? But...We couldn’t bear that... CLAUDIUS Join me then. I have allies in England. Friends to keep us safe... GERTRUDE What? I... (Beat) No. CLAUDIUS Just “no?” GERTRUDE (Cold) ‘Tis brief enough to be understood. KING HAMLET enters. By his poker-face it is impossible to know how much he overheard. KING HAMLET Claudius. Has that old condition of thine returned? GERTRUDE He was merely giving me this gift from Polonious. KING HAMLET Gifts. And then? GERTRUDE And then...I was preparing to go... "SKULLDUGGERY: THE MUSICAL PREQUEL TO HAMLET" 3. KING HAMLET Then go. (They exchange a look and she goes.) So Claudius. Do you have a gift for me? CLAUDIUS This life. It isn’t who I am anymore. Therefore, I ask my King to grant me leave from Elsinore and I pray he will forgive me. KING HAMLET stares. CLAUDIUS turns to go KING HAMLET STOP. So where are you retiring? The gardens of France? England perhaps? You really have no idea, do you? (KING HAMLET bursts out laughing.) Good for you. It appears you’ve finally learned to seize the day. Allow no one to get in your way. CLAUDIUS I won’t. CLAUDIUS makes to leave again. KING HAMLET Damn shame! Tonight we feast the 30th Anniversary of our defeat of Fortinbras. Attend, brother, and then after, depart with Our blessings? CLAUDIUS I shall. KING HAMLET waits... CLAUDIUS (CONT’D) ...I shall, Your Majesty. Thank you. KING HAMLET smiles and sweeps out. CLAUDIUS watches him before he walks in the other direction..