JOE
It’s been real interesting. Into what Max called ” The room of the husbands.”
And on a clear day, the theory was, you could see Catalina. Last Update: December, 24th 2013 My work was over
I was feeling no pain
Locked up like John the Baptist. HE looks up at the audience, breaks off from his game. JOE
In December, the rains came. (NORMA frowns; SHE turns to him, her expression bewildered.)

NORMA
Call? The sound of heavy rain. De Mille in person. Mars is transiting Jupiter, and today is the day of closest conjunction. JOE
Will you call and let me know as soon as you have some news? JOE
Well, I can’t stay. NORMA
Max is going to deliver the script to Paramount. NORMA
Yes… JOE
Did she read the script? NORMA
You’ll stay on with full salary, of course… NORMA
De Mille is Leo; I’m Scorpio. So she had me moved into the main house. JOE
Norma, the script is finished. JOE’s typewriter is no longer on the table, but closed and standing on end on the floor. our hopeless opus. (HE resumes his game;
All of a sudden NORMA sweeps out of her room and down the stairs. No. NORMA
Not at all, it is I who should thank you. Where? HE’s alone in the great room, playing solitaire. JOE
You’re really going to give it to De Mille? She read De Millle’s horoscope; she read mine. JOE
What do you mean? NORMA
Max

MAX
Yes, Madame

(SHE hands the typescript to MAX.)

NORMA
Make sure it goes to Mr. And little by little I worked through to the end of the script. It’s day-time but dull enough to need the lights on. (HE’s on his feet now, and NORMA grips his hand tightly for a moment.)

NORMA
Thank you, thank you, Joe. (NORMA now has a look of genuine panic on her face,
And JOE sees that some reassurance is essential.)

Yes, of course, I’ll stay until we get some sort of news back from Paramount. At which point I might have left;
Only by then those two boys from the finance company had traced my car and towed it away;
And I hadn’t seen one single dollar of cash money since I arrived. NORMA
I’ve just spoken with my astrologer. NORMA
Great day. JOE
Oh, Norma, it’s not the money. JOE
I want to thank you for trusting me with your baby. (SHE releases his hand and moves off leaving him a little shaken by this turn of events,
His expression rueful. One great big package, over-sized, like everything else in California;
And it came right through the roof of my room above the garage. MAX is at the organ, wearing his white gloves, playing. He trundled along to Paramount
To hand Cecil B. There’s a silence;
NORMA moves up and down in a state of heightened emotion;
JOE is steeling himself to broach a difficult subject.)

JOE
Well…. SHE snaps at MAX.)

NORMA
Stop that! (MAX stops playing.)

Today’s the day. HE turns to the audience.)

JOE
So, Max wheeled out that foreign bus
Brushed the leopardskin upholstery. hasn’t it? SHE’s holding a fat typescript in her hand. NORMA
No, Joe. (HE leaves the house by the front door. JOE
My apartment. NORMA
Oh, but, you couldn’t possibly think of leaving now, Joe. JOE
Oh, well, that’s all right, then. It’s just the beginning,
It’s just the first draft: I couldn’t dream of letting you go, I need your support.