[ Featuring David Hyde Pierce ]
[While everyone else is asleep, MARIANNE finds the BISHOP in a corner, nibbling on something, a lit candle by his side.]
[MARIANNE, spoken]
What are you eating?
[BISHOP, spoken]
Just a little midnight snack
[MARIANNE, spoken]
Popcorn?
[BISHOP, spoken]
No, it's paper
[MARIANNE, spoken]
Paper. Really...
[BISHOP, spoken]
Here we have this magnificent library
A feast!
It's good, try some
It'll fool your stomach, anyway
[MARIANNE tries a bit.]
[MARIANNE, spoken]
That's actually quite tasty
[BISHOP, spoken]
This is A Tale of Two Cities
[MARIANNE, spoken]
Oh, I love A Tale of Two Cities
May I?
[MARIANNE rips out a whole page and eats it.]
[BISHOP, spoken]
The classics
Always nourishing—
Now literally so
[MARIANNE, spoken]
Can I tell you a secret?
[BISHOP, spoken]
Of course
[MARIANNE, spoken]
It's my birthday
[BISHOP, spoken]
Today?
[MARIANNE, spoken]
Or somewhere around my birthday...
[BISHOP, spoken]
Mazel tov!
But why is that a secret?
[MARIANNE, spoken]
Leo never remembers...
But isn't that a sign?
Father-here we are, all togеther
Lots of time on our hands
This should be our chancе to dig in!
To talk about real things
Important things!
Existence! The meaning of life!
Isn't that why you came to the door?
To discuss just that?
[BISHOP, spoken]
Yes, but...
The meaning of life?
Not that that's not important...
[MARIANNE, spoken]
Okay, so maybe not the meaning of life
What is... I don't know...
Being, for example
According to the experts?
[BISHOP, spoken]
Being...
[MARIANNE & BISHOP, spoken]
Well, philosophically Yes
[BISHOP, spoken]
Hmm
Um
[MARIANNE, spoken]
What's the matter?
[BISHOP, spoken]
If I explain being, will you let me hold your shoes?
[MARIANNE, spoken]
Of course!
[MARIANNE takes off her slippers and gives them to BISHOP.]
There you are
Go ahead, Father
I'm all agog
[BISHOP, spoken]
Yes. Being. Well
Uh, first of all—
You might say—
We're here
Actually here
On Earth
Most likely
Though perhaps not
As are other people
And also objects—
Like these beautiful satin slippers
[MARIANNE, spoken]
Yes? And?
[BISHOP, spoken]
And that means something
That we're here
We mean something, apparently
We're what you might call
Matter that matters
Or not, depending on who you read
So, we're here for a time
On, possibly, Earth
With these very soft satin slippers
And other people, etcetera
And we live our lives
And then we die
And spend eternity with God—
Or go to hell
If there happens to be one
Or else we pass into complete nothingness
A total void
Forever and ever
That we're actually unaware of
Because we're not here anymore
The End
[MARIANNE, spoken]
I really enjoyed that
What a world, hmm?
With Being, and everything
[BISHOP gives back MARIANNE's slippers.]
[BISHOP, spoken]
Thank you for these slippers
Quite inspiring
[It begins to snow in the room.]
[MARIANNE, spoken]
And look at that—snow
[BISHOP, spoken]
Yes, or manna
[MARIANNE, spoken]
Manna!
Without us even having ordered it!
[BISHOP, spoken]
Supposedly that's how it works
[BISHOP checks one on his hand.]
No
Definitely snow
[MARIANNE, spoken]
So—just to be clear—
If all of that is "Being"
What are we supposed to do about it?
[BISHOP, spoken]
I suppose—
Be here
Until we're not
[MARIANNE, spoken]
To be continued
[BISHOP, spoken]
Exactly!
"To be"... continued
Until otherwise notified
[MARIANNE, spoken]
No, I meant—
Well, maybe I did mean that
Thank you, Father
Nightie-night
[BISHOP sets the candle on a book like a birthday cake.]
[BISHOP, spoken]
Oh, Mrs. Brink...
Happy birthday
Make a wish
[MARIANNE blows out the candle.]