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INT LONDON BASEMENT - “Let ‘Em In”
The cluttered, dusty basement where ZERO first arrived appears untouched. A drop of paint falls on the floor, hitting a furniture dropcloth. JANUS is fully immersed in his painting. He is meticulously recreating a photo of Vermeer’s “Allegorie op de schilderkunst” on an old canvas.
Behind him, a commotion of Soothsayers move in and out of the Rabbit Hole. ONe of them, CAELUS, approaches him.
JANUS
Not now Caelus. I’m just putting on the finishing touches.
CAELUS
What are you doing?
JANUS
What does it look like? I’m painting a Vermeer.
CAELUS
But, why?
JANUS
Because the background radiation left after nuclear testing is a dead give away for fakes, so I’m painting here.
CAELUS
What is the point? Are you going to sell it?
JANUS
Some things are just done for the love of the craft. That reminds me, send for some scrap metal. Pretend it’s a collection for the war effort and take it back home. The unirradiated metal will be good for surgical instruments.
CAELUS
I’m on it.
CASSANDRA enters through the Rabbit Hole as CAELUS leaves the basement.
CASSANDRA
The preparations are ready. Are you sure you want to go through with this?
JANUS
I’ve been thinking. Maybe the kid was right. There has to be another way to fix the timeline. We have been working too militarily, but that is the old way. We are in charge now and we should treat this scientifically.
CASSANDRA
I’m just worried introducing more technology will cause problems.
JANUS
This time it is not a weapon though. With this primitive computer we could end the war earlier. We could save lives instead of destroying them. This machine will bring the information age to the people of this time!
CASSANDRA
Very well. The device is ready when you are.
JANUS
Alright. Pack up this painting and take it home. I’ll deliver the device to the British command. I just have to make a stop on the way in case this all goes downhill fast.
CASSANDRA wraps the painting in paper. JANUS ties the drawstrings on a large bag full of silver coins weighing over fifty pounds. He closes a briefcase containing a complicated typewriter for codebreaking and takes both of them up the stairs.
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