:F4130

          (F)  - /en4/ /en9/ TIME CODE: 41:30

         Susanne and Justin come upstairs.

                                JUSTIN
                Tell me everything she told you.

                        SUSANNE
                She's so upset, it was hard to follow.
                Basically, she said she joined the cult after
                she learned that Maxine had joined.  And when
                Yang Richard came on so strong to her, she
                gave in, figuring that it would put her in a
                position of power in the church to marry him,
                a position she could use to advantage against
                Maxine.

                        JUSTIN
                She'd marry for that?

                        SUSANNE
                Apparently so.  She's getting revenge, and she
                said Helen's after revenge as well.  She was
                very upset, Justin, it's hard to say how much
                of it she really means and how much is just
                anger and frustration.  I wish you'd talk to
                her.

                        JUSTIN
                She didn't say more about Helen?

                        SUSANNE
                Just about her conversation on the phone this
                afternoon, with Helen being upset and
                drinking, about planning to invade the
                sternwheeler by boat or plane, coming to seek
                revenge on Maxine.

                        JUSTIN
                It explains why she's not here -- but it's a
                damn hard hypothesis to accept.  Helen hasn't
                gone off the deep end like that -- not yet,
                anyway.  It must've been the booze.

                        SUSANNE
                I'm sure you're right.

                        JUSTIN
                What about Trudy's revenge?  Do you think
                she's dangerous?

                        SUSANNE
                I don't think so.  Upset, more than anything.
                And a little afraid of Maxine, probably too
                afraid to do anything.

                        JUSTIN
                There must a ship-to-shore phone on board.  I
                should call Helen.

                        SUSANNE
                Good idea.

                        JUSTIN
                I'll ask the captain.

                        SUSANNE
                What about Trudy?

                        JUSTIN
                I'll talk to her -- but I doubt if I'll find
                out more than you did.

                                SUSANNE
                It's still worth a try.

                        JUSTIN
                I still can't believe Helen skipped the
                wedding.  She sent out the invitations, she
                rented the estate ballroom , she went along with
                them writing their own ceremony -- I can't see
                her doing all that and then not showing up.
                Backing out of spreading Nat's ashes, maybe, but
                not missing the wedding.

                        SUSANNE
                Maybe, in the end, she couldn't face it -- and
                so got drank instead, and came up with a few
                wild ideas.

                        JUSTIN
                I hope so.  And maybe she shared them with
                Trudy to upset her, to get even for joining
                the cult.  But you feel Trudy isn't dangerous?

                                SUSANNE
                I think she's feeling a lack of nerve now. She
                was upset and exhausted, not bearing under the
                pressure very well at all.

                        JUSTIN
                Could she be on drugs?

                        SUSANNE
                I didn't consider that.

                        JUSTIN
                So much seems to be going on around here --
                maybe it's all related.  Does Trudy know what
                Jack is up to?  She mention him at all?

                        SUSANNE
                No.

                        JUSTIN
                There's potential trouble, when those two get
                into it.  Poor Helen.  Maxine isn't the
                beginning of her troubles.

                        SUSANNE
                No wonder she's been drinking heavily.

                        JUSTIN
                Nothing like this afternoon, apparently.

                        SUSANNE
                The pressure of having to face the wedding,
                with all of us here.  She couldn't do it,
                finally.

                        JUSTIN
                I'd better see if there's a phone on board.
                Between you and me, I'm ready to dock -- the
                party definitely feels over.  I'm ready to spread
                Nat's ashes and get the hell out of here.

                        SUSANNE
                I know what you mean.

        Trudy enters from downstairs.  /en3/ TIME CODE: 43:30

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