ACT 1 SCENE 1

Enter SISTER ARDETH

SISTER ARDETH: In the name of the Father, the Son, and the … oh, you
know the rest… I’m Sister Ardeth Margaret Katherine D’Arby, and I have
just been sentenced to three years. He knows what He’s doing. It will
be three years well spent, that I assure you. Those souls locked away
need my guidance, and it won’t be my first time on the inside, as they
say. It won’t be so bad. I hope we will be able to stay together
though — myself with the other Sisters Jacqueline and Carol. I pray
that they won’t split us up. I’ve known them since I first entered the
order. We were so young then, thinking we could save the world…
The judge had such harsh words for us. Such harsh words. He said we
were “dangerously irresponsible.” To that Sister Carol said, “Nuclear
warfare is dangerously irresponsible!” And that judge told her to Shut
Up! Shut up, he said. Imagine such talk. Shut up, he said.
Some government property should be destroyed. All the papers made such
a big deal about the blood. We used our blood to make crosses on the
missiles. I’ve been with the order for 20 years. I would do it again.
And then we used a hammer. Pounding and pounding. If only we could
turn it into salt.

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A Whittenberg is a Philadelphia native who has a global perspective. If she wasn’t an author she’d be a private detective or a jazz singer. She loves reading about history and true crime. Her other novels include Sweet Thang, Hollywood and Maine, Life is Fine, Tutored and The Sane Asylum.