Scene: The Frankenstein’s bedroom. The monster enters to find Frankenstein, with his head in his hands, still in his nightclothes.
The monster stands a moment in silence, just gazing at him.
Finally, the doctor, sensing its presence looks up and does not seem startled to see it.

Monster: You have nothing to say?

Dr. Frankenstein: Why have you come back here?

Monster: I never left, not really. I have been nearby. Have you missed me?

Dr. Frankenstein: [laughing faintly] what a ridiculous question…

Monster: I did not think it ridiculous, or I would not have asked… Have you missed me?

Dr. Frankenstein: I have no answer for you, that you wish to hear. Is it true? You have taken my wife?

Monster: It is true. She is safe enough. That pompous Dr. Pretorius convinced me at a weak moment that I should listen to his ridiculous plan to put you back to work on the "secret of life" itself… That’s him downstairs now, making all that racket with Igor, trying to convince him that he simply must see you. I’m to be called in case you won’t listen to reason.

Dr. Frankenstein: And what would "reason" be, pray tell?

Monster: I suppose the implication is that some harm would come to your wife—if you do not choose to help him with his insane plans…

Dr. Frankenstein: And what are your intentions?

Monster: I came here to talk to you alone.

Dr. Frankenstein: We are alone—what did you wish to say?

Monster: I had the most lovely dream, of two creatures making love on the beach. They had neither arms nor lips nor… but I get ahead of myself…
have you heard of the demon mermaid Griseus? She was one of the immortals, an "old one." She had lived in the sea for centuries. At one time she was seen frequently on land, but these times had grown short and far between.

Her powers were legendary, and a great gypsy magus became jealous of these legends and he captured Griseus. He took her to his castle, far above the rocky shores and restrained her with heavy chains, though she were only a tiny thing…right there in the main hall.

He kept there for weeks with neither food nor water —preparing to question her and to wrest her power from her.

Dr. Frankenstein: [irritated]…this is all dreadful nonsense… get to the point, what do mermaids and magicians have to do with any of this? Why there is no such thing as a mermaid…

Monster: [angrily] Why, only a year ago there were no such things as dead men being stitched together and walking the earth, my good doctor…
It isn’t good to be so feint of imagination…

But getting back to my story…
For some reason the magus believed that the secret to the mermaid’s power was in what she ingested. As long as he kept her there without nourishment, he believed she would reveal this in desperation.

But he misunderstood the mermaid’s resolve. The magus grew more and more irritated and resorted to more arcane methods of interrogation- removing Griseus’s fingers one by one, and then her hands, her arms, and her breasts in turn. None of this pain, nor these indignities compelled her to speak.

Dr. Frankenstein:…really, I ask you, what does the torture of this sea creature have to do with this….this story is most unpleasant, and I fail to see how it applies to this situation. Can’t you simply tell me what you want, and why you have come here?

Monster: But I am telling you. For someone patient enough to study cadavers and to rifle graves night after night—you can hear my story. And I am amazed that you could be squeamish after the atrocities you have committed…

Dr. Frankenstein: I committed "atrocities," as you say, on no living thing!

Monster: You imply that I do not live? You deny that?

Dr. Frankenstein: I don’t deny it, but you are a created life. God did not form you.

Monster: My point exactly, my good doctor… and this is why you will listen. What you have made is speaking to you—and you will listen…

Once again the doctor falls back, covering his face with his hands.

Dr. Frankenstein: All right, I will listen, but please do get to the point….

Monster: I intend nothing less.

Now where was I? Oh, yes… the magus was waiting for pain, humiliation and the instinct to survive to force the mermaid to speak. She was immortal, Griseus, and facing eternity without freedom, chained in the magus’ castle. She had come to realize that she would never be able to escape her predicament, and she yet searched her mind for a way. She decided to tell the magus what she ate.

When she revealed to him that she was a vampyre, and ate only her own kind, even the cruel and beastly magus was shocked. It was inconceivable to him that a being would exist by cannibalizing his own. Even to gain the power the mermaid possessed, he was revolted to think of eating her flesh. And he was angry—cheated of the ability to gain her power, and in a fit of rage, smashed out her teeth.

"You will eat no more….I must think of a just end for you," he told her, and left her, revolted to be in the presence of such a creature, and suddenly bent on destroying what he had hoped once to possess.

He studied his ancient manuscripts and magical texts until he came upon a spell that pleased him, and he returned to the mermaid, there in the hall, calling all of his disciples to assist him.

"I have found one of your kind, and we shall summon him. Perhaps he will know what to do with a creature as foul as yourself." He ordered his disciples to remove the lips of the mermaid and to gather her scattered teeth. He himself unchained her and she fell to the ground in a thud, unable to steady herself, and weak from the months of torture. The disciples gathered her and her chains and they made a procession out to the sea.

Dr. Frankenstein: This is almost ended I hope…

Monster: [sadly] Yes, it is almost ended.

They restrained the mermaid on rocks nearest the beach, chaining her once again. One of the disciples laid her brown lips and sharp teeth there beside her limbless torso.

It was almost dusk, and the light had a golden orange cast. The magus stood, legs apart on the beach, facing the sun as it went down and he began to recite, softly at first and then growing more animated, throwing his arms apart as well, and his head back as he cast his spell. The sea began to churn, and to sparkle, bubble and quake, and a huge eel, throwing arcs of electricity emerged from its depths.

The demon eel wasted not a moment and snatched the lips and teeth of the mermaid from the rocks. The magus looked triumphantly about him, feeling the tremendous power he had summoned and controlled. But something strange happened.

Dr. Frankenstein: [uncovering his eyes] …something strange?… really, you insult my intelligence…

The monster and the doctor lock eyes, until finally the doctor again covers his face and slumps even further into his chair.

Monster: The demon eel stopped and stretched his head alongside the mermaid, relaxing his entire length. The magus began to shout, demanding that the creature consume the mermaid immediately, but the eel did not hear him.

"How have you come to be here?" the eel asked.
It is difficult for the mermaid to speak, but she tells him of her capture and her torment at the hands of the magus. The creature listens and caresses her moaning sympathy at her plight. The mermaid tells the eel how she has tricked the magus, lying to him about her source of nourishment, knowing he would never have believed the truth.

"But you have doomed me as well," said the eel sadly, and both of them begin to cry.

"It was not my intention," said the mermaid. "I believed he would eat me, so jealous he was of my power, and die himself. I would have never wished you any harm…you are the only one left of my kind, and I have never but loved you…"

Unknown to the magus, the flesh of such creatures was a deadly poison—and though immortal, they could be destroyed, but only by another such as themselves… The two creatures caressed each other, as best two creatures with no arms nor lips could love, and the eel grew very grey and his electric sparks began to sizzle lifelessly across the rocks and the beach. The eel and mermaid whispered sweetly and just before the eel’s head fell lifeless from the rocks, he bit the mermaid below her ear, and she watched him, dying herself, fall back into the sea.

Dr. Frankenstein: How very sweet…So… I have heard your story.

Where does this leave us?

What do you want me to say?

Monster: The story is metaphorical—does it mean nothing to you?

Dr. Frankenstein: You were always the fanciful one…I am but a humble scientist…

Monster: You lie when you say you do not understand.
Why do you say that to me?

Dr. Frankenstein: I didn’t say I did not understand—but the truth is that it does not matter. I am leaving here and I have no intention of having anything else to do with you. Is there something about that you do not understand?

Monster: I…I don’t believe you…

Dr. Frankenstein: Believe me.

At this moment Igor comes rushing into the room with Pretorius and Clyde on his heels.

Igor: Master, Master—I cannot hold them at bay… this man and his …parrot…

Everyone seems surprised to find the monster there, but especially Clyde seems disturbed.

Frankenstein: I tire of this absurd intrigue. Go and fetch my wife at once. We have no further business and nothing to discuss, unless you would like to explain your ridiculous notions and various trespasses to the constable.

Dr. Pretorius: Yeesss…indeed. I would very mush like to explain to the constable and perhaps even to the villagers what has been happening here. I feel certain that the constable would be most grateful to solve several mysteries at once—who was it cut down the hanged man—just exactly what has Dr. Frankenstein been up to in his bedeviled laboratory—what secrets should only God know… and you, [to the monster], I suspect the constable would be most appreciative for the location of the monster that so worries his constituents.
I daresay the good man would be most grateful to me for my assistance. Igor! Fetch the constable straightway!

Igor looks towards Frankenstein sheepishly, and everyone stands quietly for a moment.

Frankenstein: You have made your point. Igor, will you bring us some tea?

Dr. Pretorius: Aahhh… [taking a seat] a tea party. I hope you don’t mind that Clyde joins us. Have a seat, Clyde. Here beside me…

Igor leaves the room for tea and sends in the SUGAR PLUM FAERIES to serve it… Everyone, except for the monster, who stays standing, gathers at the table and are served tea.

Perform a "tea ceremony."

Dr. Pretorius: Really, Dr. Frankenstein… you cannot think it would be so easy to just dismiss me, not when I know you so well! And you! You thought to strike some separate bargain with the doctor and leave me out? You are too clever for your own good, my dear. And, yes, impetuous, just as the good doctor warned me…
It will be your undoing…
Science demands rigor and discipline! Genius is simply not enough to bring your desires to life!

Frankenstein: What do you want from me? I have told you that I cannot help you.

Dr. Pretorius: And what of your wife? How will she feel to know who and what you are? To know that you would not protect her!

Frankenstein: You must not harm her—she more than anyone is innocent of all this and should not suffer…
[turning towards the monster] please do not harm her. She is a most remarkable person and deserves happiness.

Monster: [incredulous] You believe I would harm her?

Frankenstein: You have taken her by force from her own home. What am I to think?

Monster: You…you do not understand… I only wished to see you alone, and I was… curious to see her… to understand how it could be that you might love her…that I might love her…

Dr. Pretorius: Ooohh… really! This sounds more like a lover’s quarrel than the conversation between a creator and his creation! Let’s get back to reality and to Science. I find all this romantic drivel ridiculous and misses the point entirely! The point is—I have you all over a barrel and I intend to take advantage of it and none of you have any choice but to do as I ask…
pass me a croissant please…

Frankenstein: So what is it that you ask?

Everyone turns to Dr. Pretorius , awaiting his word. Dr. Pretorius savors the moment.

Dr. Pretorius: Oh, you mean besides this most excellent tea, and this lovely croissant?

We will create another monster—this time with me at the helm, someone who knows how to… handle these difficult moments between children and their parents… between a lover and the object of… affection. You are perhaps a brilliant scientist, my good Frankenstein, but frankly—your lack of tenderness amazes me. You are so quick to give up what you want…

Monster: How dare you speak to him like that!!

Dr. Pretorius: Oh come now… it is said in your defense, is it not? And besides? Isn’t it the truth?

As soon as his hearts desire grows a bit beyond his expectations—he abandons rather than exploits it? Is this any way for a real scientist to behave? Science, like love, has her little surprises…

I will meet you all in the laboratory in one hour. Clyde and I have some preparations to make. I suggest that you instruct your man Igor to obtain for you all the necessary.. materials…

And please do not concern yourself about Mrs. Frankenstein —either of you. She will be safe enough until this is taken care of.
Meanwhile—this has been a delightful tea party, and I hate to leave, but duty calls…
Clyde—Clyde?

Clyde pokes his head out from behind the curtain.

Dr. Pretorius: Really, Clyde… but I do recommend that you stay here and keep an eye on the doctor. I would hate to think he might do anything… rash-- [laughing] the thought is laughable, of course, but so is Clyde as a guard. And you, [to the monster]I suggest you assist the doctor in his endeavors—he will perhaps need a … strong arm.

Go to ACT III

Back to ACT I

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