GREEN, MERCER, and HALLIWELL at the bankers’ club.
GREEN
Just enough to get home in a cab.
MERCER
No …
GREEN
Please. My wallet was stolen.
HALLIWELL
We don’t believe you.
MERCER
That’s the kind of thing you’re always pulling to get out of paying.
GREEN
You’re each worth more than thirty million and you won’t give me cab fare?
HALLIWELL
You’re worth more than thirty million and you’re asking for cab fare?
GREEN
My wallet was stolen.
HALLIWELL
We don’t believe you.
GREEN
I don’t believe that you don’t believe me. I believe that a lousy five dollars for cab fare is more important to you than our friendship.
HALLIWELL
Which is exactly what we believe about you.
GREEN
So that’s it then?
HALLIWELL
Yes … I think it is.
MERCER
Good … So on to business. Do we all have our cheques?
They take out cheques.
HALLIWELL
(shows his cheque) One million, exactly?
MERCER
(shows his) One million.
GREEN
I didn’t fill mine out. Thought it was safer to do it here. Can I borrow a pen?
HALLIWELL
If you promise to return it.
HALLIWELL hands a pen to GREEN, who starts to write a cheque.
GREEN
If I make this out for five dollars more, could you give me the cash I need for a cab?
MERCER
We’re supposed to be equal partners. To keep it that way, we’d have to make our cheques out for two dollars and fifty cents less.
HALLIWELL
What are you trying to pull here, Green?
MERCER
Is this some way of getting the upper hand?
HALLIWELL
We each invest one million and you invest one million and five …
MERCER
So if there was ever the need for some sort of arbitration –
HALLIWELL
You could make the argument for being the senior partner.
GREEN
I just want five dollars to get home.
MERCER
We don’t believe you.
GREEN
Fine.
GREEN starts offstage.
MERCER
So … we’ll meet here again tomorrow?
GREEN
(leaving) Unless I get killed on the walk home.
GREEN is gone.
MERCER
I hope he does get killed.
HALLIWELL
So do I. The cheap bastard.
MERCER
Cheap is one thing. I can respect that. I just can’t stand the way he’s always looking for an edge.
HALLIWELL
Maybe we just don’t like him.
HALLIWELL nods as he takes a drink from the tray that has just glided onstage. He hands a second drink to MERCER.
MERCER
I was just thinking how much I could use one of these.
HALLIWELL
Obviously.
Blackout.