Lough Mor

11.

VAL But you’ve seen the beast, Mister Fredericks?

STUMPY Aye missy. Took me arm clean off. A Nessie twice the size of Nessie herself, one dark night out on me fishing boat.

VAL Could you give us a tour of the lough? Show us...where it happened.

If it’s not too traumatic.

STUMPY Perhaps...if I were incentivicated.

Stumpy stumbles BACKWARDS into Fred, who catches him.

FRED No expense, Stumpy my boy. No reasonable expense.

AOIFE Down-to-earth people, your friends.

BEN Yeah, well. It’s complicated.

AOIFE Doesn’t seem that complicated.

BEN Hmph.

Mr. Scribb, briefly liberated from Val and Fred, notices Ben being standoffish and approaches the bar. Fred and Stumpy horse around in the background, as Val tries to tap some notes into her phone.

MR SCRIBB Boyo, I don’t believe we’ve met.

BEN (echoing him, but not quite with an Irish accent.)

No, don’t believe we have, ol’ fella.

MR SCRIBB (sticking out his hand) Mr. Scribb, at your service.