Dialogue 8

[LULU, spoken]
Like the Rolls. "Poof" he went. 

[PEPPERMAN, spoken]
Try the other channels!

[HAIG, spoken]
There's nothing on any of them. 

[LULU, spoken]
They are all disappeared!

[PEPPERMAN, spoken]
This is chaos! There is no television! Will somebody tell me what the ground rules are in this situation?

[HAIG, spoken]
Well, I think the best way to deal with this is to remain very calm. On the face of it, and this is just an educated guess, we seem to be approaching the end of the world as we know it. 

[LULU, spoken]
So what do we do? My hair is such a mess!

[WALTER, spoken]
Do what the gentleman says, love. Stay calm. There's no chicken without a stone. 

[PEPPERMAN, spoken]
How can I stay calm when the whole building's shaking?

[HAIG, spoken]
We stay calm by simply thinking about something soothing. Let's all think of the sea, of the gentle eddies and— I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die, Mr. Blint, Mr. Blint!

[PEPPERMAN, spoken]
I can corroborate that he does not want to die, Mr. Blint. He does not want to die and neither do I want to die, Mr. Blint. 

[WALTER, spoken]
I don't want to be a nuisance, Mr. Blint, but—

[PEPPERMAN, spoken]
Jesus!

[LULU, spoken]
The lights have gone!

[BLINT, spoken]
Having one's own generator is quite a blessing at times like these. The lighting's quite adequate downstairs. I'm a reasonably skilled electrician. I was once asked to turn professional, but I don't think I would have enjoyed the publicity. I've always been rather a private person. I'd better start on the tarpaulin for the hole (Ah!). It needs nailing pretty firmly to the floor.. I brought up a couple of torches. I thought they might be handy. 

[HAIG, spoken]
Thank you very much Mr Blint. I'm sorry about that screaming, it's hereditary. 

[BLINT, spoken]
Not at all! Feel free to scream. 

[PEPPERMAN, spoken]
Mr. Blint, I have a confession to make. I am a stereotype and always have been a stereotype. I'm not ashamed of it and I'm not proud of it. The whole thing is not an issue to me. Can I ask you quite openly, as one human being to another to help me—to help us all for my own sake?