The Peacock 1442

"Sticks and stones may break my bones", quips George, "But whips and chains excite me." "Something like that", says Amanda, forcing a smile. For some reason no one else is smiling or laughing at the joke, but this seems like a solemn moment and George, deflated, simply withdraws into himself. Most unusual to see him this way. "Sorry", she says to him, "I don't mean to rain on your parade. I guess I have already heard all the same jokes, over and over, and frankly I can't even remember when I began to get tired of everything, it was so long ago." "But just a week ago", says Carol, "you appeared all enthusistic and gung-ho and damn the torpedoes about what you are doing." "I've always been an actress", says Amanda. "In fact, when I lived in Tel Aviv for ten years I was involved in a few theatrical productions." "It's all in the article", says Carl...