Vertigo Page #3

MIDGE:

Mmm. Why don't you go away for a

while?

SCOTTIE:

(Grins)

To forget? Don't be so motherly,

Midge. I'm not going to crack up.

MIDGE:

Have you had any dizzy spells this

week?

SCOTTIE:

I'm having one now.

She looks up sharply with quick apprehension.

SCOTTIE:

From that music.

MIDGE:

Oh!

She goes and turns off the gramophone. Scottie has wandered

over to the drawing table.

SCOTTIE:

What's this do-hickey here?

He turns the brassiere over with his stick

MIDGE:

It's a brassiere. You know about

those things. You're a big boy, now.

SCOTTIE:

I've never run across one like that.

MIDGE:

It's brand new. Revolutionary uplift.

No shoulder straps, no back straps,

but does everything a brassiere should

do. It works on the principle of the

cantilever bridge.

SCOTTIE:

(Impressed)

Uh-huh!

MIDGE:

An aircraft engineer down the

peninsula designed it. He worked it

out in his spare time.

SCOTTIE:

What a pleasant hobby.

He wanders back to the chair and watches her work for a long

moment. Then:

SCOTTIE:

How's your love life, Midge?

MIDGE:

That's following a train of thought.

SCOTTIE:

Well?

MIDGE:

Normal.

SCOTTIE:

Aren't you ever going to get married?

MIDGE:

(Lightly)

You know there's only one man in the

world for me, Johnny-O.

SCOTTIE:

Yeah, I'm a brute. We were engaged

once though, weren't we?

MIDGE:

Three whole weeks.

SCOTTIE:

Ah, sweet college days. But you're

the one who blew it. I'm still

available. Available Ferguson. Say,

Midge, do you remember a guy at

college named Gavin Elster?

MIDGE:

Gavin? Gavin Elster? You'd think I'd

would. No.

SCOTTIE:

I got a call from him today. Funny.

He dropped out of sight during the

war, and I'd heard he'd gone East. I

guess he's back.

(he fishes out a slip

of paper)

It's a Mission number.

MIDGE:

That's Skid Row... isn't it?

SCOTTIE:

Could be.

MIDGE:

He's probably on the bum and wants

to touch you for the price of a drink.

SCOTTIE:

Well, I'm on the bum; I'll buy him a

couple of drinks and tell him my

troubles. But not tonight. If you

won't drink with me, I'll drink alone,

tonight.

(He rises to go)

MIDGE:

Sorry, old man. Work.

SCOTTIE:

Midge, what did you mean, there's no

losing it?

MIDGE:

What.

SCOTTIE:

My... the acrophobia.

MIDGE:

I asked my doctor. He said only

another emotional shock could do it,

and probably wouldn't. And you're

not going to go diving off another

rooftop to find out.

SCOTTIE:

I think I can lick it.

MIDGE:

How?

SCOTTIE:

I've got a theory. Look. If I can

get used to heights just a little at

a time... progressively see?

He has been looking about eagerly, sees a low footstool,

drags it to the center of the room as he speaks.

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