Scene 1
A ghost comes to Richard Little

The year is 1653. It is a cold, dark winter night and Richard Little, a man of forty, is sitting in his chair. His wife, Mary, comes in. She is making a dress. She has the dress in her hand.

RICHARD Mary, I can hear something outside.
MARY There's nothing there. Read your book, Richard.
RICHARD Come and sit with me.
MARY No. I'm making a dress. I'm going upstairs.
RICHARD Mary, please. There's something out there.
MARY Oh, Richard!

Mary goes out and James Heston's ghost comes in.

HESTON Hello, Richard.
RICHARD Aaaagh! You! James! James Heston! But you - you're dead!
HESTON Yes. I am dead. But I can't find peace because of you.
RICHARD Because of me? Why - why because of me?
HESTON Beth had a new husband after me. That animal, Keech.
RICHARD Yes. Beth was a good woman. And a good sister to me. I said to her, "Don't go with Keech. Think of James. He's dead now."
HESTON She was Keech's wife for only three months. Then she died. And now Keech has my son. And he has my son's money.
RICHARD Ah. I understand now.
HESTON Oh, you remember now? Before I died, I said to you, "My boy gets my money at twenty-one and not before". He is eight now. Eight. And Keech has his money.
RICHARD I'm sorry about that, but what can I do?
HESTON You must get my boy's money. Get it from Keech.
RICHARD No! Keech can kill me with one hand. He's big - he always has a knife in his pocket. Last year he killed a man with that knife. I'm afraid of him, James.
HESTON Are you afraid of me?
RICHARD No. Oh! Yes, a little. You're a ghost!
HESTON Only a little, eh? Look at the table.
RICHARD (Looking at the table) Oh no! The table is moving! (He stands up and walks to the table) Oh no! Oh, the chair is moving now! And now my chair is moving! James! Don't do this to me!
HESTON At this minute, Keech is building a new home in a village near hear with my son's money. Stop him!
RICHARD I'm sorry, James. I can't. (He gets a book and through it across the room.) I didn't want - that was my hand but - James, can you get in my head? Can you tell my hand-----
He looks at his hand and at the book.
HESTON   (Laughing) Yes, Richard. And your answer is going to be ''Yes". Or you are going to do this again and again and again and-----

Richard gets a book and throws it across the room again. Then he runs across. Then he moves the table, the chairs and his chair. Heston laughs. Richard stops.
RICHARD   I'm going mad! Why does my hand throw a book, when I don't want to? Can all dead people do this? Can they get in a man's head, so he moves a chair or throws a book?
HESTON   Oh yes. Now, I can do it to you again or you can say "Yes" and get my son's money. Which?
RICHARD   But how? How can I get the money from Keech?
HESTON   Sit down. I'm going to tell you.
                   (To be continued)