TWO FLAT EARTHERS KIDNAP A FREEMASON EPISODE 13: A JUST AND UPRIGHT MASON
NARRATOR: When Malcolm Kirkpatrick was Twenty-Seven years old, a Freemason named Harry Walker put a blindfold over his eyes and told him that he was going to live forever… Harry put a noose around Mac’s neck and told him he was the chosen one. He made Mac put his hands in a bowl full of peeled grapes, telling him they were really eyeballs… He rolled up his right pant leg and told him not to worry. He assured Mac that becoming The Owl was a tremendous honor. A great opportunity. But a funny thing about great opportunities… is how easily they can be stolen from you.
Two Flat Earthers Kidnap a Freemason. Episode Thirteen, A Just and Upright Mason.
INT. DINER - DAY
MAC and ARLO are getting food at a diner. Arlo is ignoring the menu and instead reading from his black leather notebook.
ARLO: Uncle Mac?
MAC: Yeah, Arlo?
ARLO: I see you’re a traveling man. Do you travel alone?
MAC: No good man travels alone.
ARLO: Have you ever been on Mt. Moriah?
MAC: I have.
ARLO: What did you do while there?
MAC: I worked on the Temple. Why do you ask?
ARLO: Just checking.
MAC: You’re going to make a right fit Tyler won’t ya?
ARLO: And you are a perfect ashlar, I see?
MAC: Yes, I am striving to make myself a good building stone. (beat) What are you thinking about ordering?
ARLO flips through the pages of his notebook.
ARLO: Uhh…? I don’t think I know that one yet.
MAC: No, Arlo. It’s not a catch-e-kism. I’m literally asking you what you want to order. To eat. Now. Today in the present moment in this Diner.
ARLO: Oh, that. I already know my order. Ten pancakes.
MAC: An order as ambitious as it is foolish. Sure you don’t want to cut that stack in half.
ARLO: I’m eighteen and I’m well aware of my limits.
MAC: Who am I to deny a young man his destiny? Ten pancakes it is.
ARLO: Knock-knock.
MAC doesn’t respond.
ARLO: Uncle Mac, I said, Knock-Knock.
MAC: And any good Freemason knows not to answer after only two knocks.
ARLO: You were supposed to say, who’s there?
MAC: I know what you wanted me to say….
ARLO: Now I don’t even want to tell the joke.
NARRATOR (V.O.): There were no leads for Mac and Arlo to follow. So Mac, as he was prone to do, looked to his past to find guidance for his future.
EXT. CARNIVAL - NIGHT
Mac and Arlo walking around Carnival… and Mac spots the person he came looking for.
MAC: There he is…. Alright, Arlo… you know what to do.
Mac approaches a man who is ordering food at a concession stand. This is GARY. (40-50s)
GARY: (to Concession Worker) Hey… I was also supposed to get a drink with this…
MAC: Three Pretzels, Gary. All that sodium can’t be good for you.
GARY: I’ve only got one Doctor and his name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The fuck do you want, Malcolm?
MAC: Straight to business. Not even a hello? Come on now, Gary. I thought we were friends.
GARY: Friends? You left me for dead in New Mexico.
MAC: Well from my perspective I thought you were already dead. So it’s not like I was leaving you to die.
GARY: (sarcastic) Hilarious.
MAC: I thought so.
GARY: You know. For as many times as I told myself I’d kill you if I ever saw you again…. Seeing your face right now… the only thing I’m feeling is relief. Stop smiling. It’s not something you should feel good about. I’m relieved because your stupid face is reminding me of why I quit the Organization and what I never have to put up with again.
MAC: Oh, come on. My face isn’t Stupid. You miss it.
GARY: I know you’re not here to wax on about the good ol’ days, Malcolm. What is it you’ve come to ask of me?
MAC: Something happened at the Nest.
GARY: Another mole?
MAC: Worse. The Owl of Euclid is missing.
GARY: Okay. And…
MAC: And the last time the Whiteboys made a move on The Nest, remind me who was their point man?
GARY: If you’re asking me that question. You already know the answer. (beat) It was me… in another life. But I was working for the Skeleton Boys. Not the Whiteboys. Fuck the Whiteboys.
MAC: Whiteboys. Skeleton Boys. The Oak Boys. The Steel Boys. Why does every goddamn Secret Society sound like a Boy Band?
GARY: How are you so out of touch that your first instinct would be to contact me? I haven’t a clue what those kids are up to these days.
MAC: Just give me a name or point me in a different direction and I’ll become someone else’s problem.
GARY: (uninitiated laugh) I’m flattered, believe me. But I’m also retired. (beat) And to be honest its been years since anyone other than the Freemasons gave a shit about the Owl. The power it holds was great in 1890, but its practically obsolete in the modern world.
MAC: Immortality is obsolete now?
GARY: Don’t believe everything you read, Malcolm. The owner of the Owl is hardly immortal. It’s a curse. The poor bastard who takes it on is a monster for the rest of their days… It’s not an honor. It’s not a trophy. It’s a slow burning suicide mission. And if you Freemasons are content with damning one of your own with that crown… then so be it.
MAC: Strange to see a Hunting Snail suddenly become so indifferent to his prey. Have you moved on or is your belly just full?
GARY: My Hunting days are behind me. And judging from the lines on your face, your best ones are behind as well, my friend.
MAC: You’re a terrible liar, Gary.
GARY: Am I? (beat) Well since you have me all figured out… I tell you what.. I’ll make it easy for you. My daughter’s been hounding my wife and I for the stuffed Raptor at the Hot Shot Basketball Booth. I have terribly weak wrists, but I seem to remember you had quite the jumper from beyond the Arc.
MAC: Still got it.
GARY: You help me win me that friendly Dinosaur and I’ll tell you exactly what you need to hear.
EXT. HOT SHOT BASKETBALL BOOTH - MOMENTS LATER
Mac and Gary approach the Hot Shot Basketball Booth.
BARKER: Hey there, Hot Shot. Care to take a shot at the Hot Shot Basketball Booth where everywhere shot—
MAC: You don’t have to sell me, Mate. I’m here to shut it down.
BARKER: Well then… Let’s get started! The goal of the game is to get as many basketball shots through that hoop—-
MAC: Are you seriously explaining basketball to me? Hit the button and pass me the rock.
We hear Carnival Music and basketball shots. A few bricks and bank shots, but almost exclusively swishes. Ending in a celebratory sound…
BARKER: That was quite the display of skill. You can get any prize on the—
GARY: We’ll take the Dinosaur. Thank You.
BARKER retrieves Dinosaur and hands it to Gary.
GARY: When we were younger they used to call this guy The Baller of Brighton.
BARKER: Wanna go double or nothing? If you win again I can convert that Dino into a Non-Fungible Token and—
MAC & GARY: Fuck off.
EXT. OUTSIDE CARNIVAL GROUNDS - PARKING LOT
MAC: So on with it. Snail to snail… Where can I find the Owl?
GARY: Great work, Malcolm. She’s going to love it. I’m a mollusk of my word. I said I’d tell you exactly what you needed to hear and what you need to hear is that your time is over. We’re old men now and the world will soon belong to someone else…
MAC: You slimy fuck. Are you seriously wasting my time with this? I’m under direct order of the Grand Lodge.
GARY: Say whatever you want, but you and I both know why you’re really after The Owl.
MAC: I’m over it.
GARY: Are you? Because here you are… still chasing those same tail feathers… (beat) Still grinding that same Axe. Probably still holding onto that Dagger, right? (beat) Listen… I understand… Walter was never a member of the Degree Team. He didn’t make the sacrifices you did… and he damn sure didn’t put in the time. The bastard had no business even being in the room with Grady that night… much less assuming that Role. I understand being Salty over what was stolen from you… But at some point you’ve gotta let it go, mate.
MAC: Tell me where the Whateverinthefuck-Boys are keeping the Owl….
GARY: Fuck off, Mac. I have a family now. I don’t work for the Red Diamond anymore. I work in a warehouse. I tape boxes all day long and I go home to my family. I love it. You think I’d fuck that up just to get shackled in a lodge basement every month… (beat) Before we’re gone we need to build something for this world. Not for yourself. But for those who will come after you… And you’re damn sure not going to build anything meaningful while you’re still chasing after a mythical trophy from your past…
Mac snatches one of the PRETZELS and crams the extra salty treat into the side of Gary’s snail face. The Salt sizzles against Gary’s skin.
MAC: Now who's the salty bastard? Fuckin’ snail.
GARY: What the fuck, mate! Are you crazy!? That’s going to leave a wicked dry burn. Yep. Yep. I can already feel it settling in…
MAC starts to storm off. Boots crunching on gravel.
INT./EXT. CAR - HIGHWAY [DRIVING]
ARLO: Uncle Mac, can I ask you a question?
MAC: Speak your mind, Arlo. When a man’s throat is silenced it’s impossible to carry out his duties.
ARLO: Why did you become a Freemason?
MAC: Well, we would say that I’ve been on my path to Freemasonry since my Birth.
ARLO: The question was why did you join? Not when….
MAC: Ah… well… I was lost. I needed community. I needed guidance. And that’s what the Lodge promised.
ARLO: And what exactly is the Owl of Euclid?
MAC: Ever watch any Werewolf movies?
ARLO: Oh yeah… like Teen Wolf.
MAC: yeah… like Teen Wolf. (beat) So you know on Teen Wolf… during a Full Moon.. the Werewolf will transform from a regular person into a Monster…
ARLO: Yeah.
MAC: It’s exactly like that, but different. Whoever holds The Owl in their chest will undergo a transmutation. Feathers will poke through their skin. Wings will sprout from their back. Their eyes will glow red. Their fingers will draw out into razor sharp talons. For one night a month, upon the New Moon, they’ll become a monster. Completely unable to control themself.
ARLO: Why don’t we just kill the owl?
MAC: Because unfortunately Arlo, whoever kills the Owl will be the next person to hold the Owl in their chest. And the cycle will continue. It will never leave our world. Brave souls went to battle with the Owl for millennia… always passing the evil back and forth… never knowing why or how the Monster managed to follow them home. (beat) Sometime in the early 1800s a group of Masons came in contact with The Owl. After several attempts to kill the beast… these wise Craftsmen realized what was happening… how the evil was passing to the next person… and they charged themselves with the duty of hiding that evil away from the world. If it were held in the right hands.. the problem could be contained. So, for the past two centuries that’s what we’ve done. A Mason will be selected to assist the previous Owl into Death… and then that Mason will become the new Owl… assuming all the burden, power and responsibility that comes with it. It takes a strong stone to step into that role.
ARLO: Is that what I’ll have to do?
MAC: No. (laugh) That’s the Degree Team. (little bitter) Nineteen young Masons train for the opportunity, but it will only be granted to one… (clear throat) It’s a tremendous honor. What you’ll do… or rather the Tyler of St. Louis… he’s charged with the direct oversight and guardianship of The Owl. When the time comes The Tyler will set restraints upon the The Owl prior to the transformation and then The Tyler will stand guard outside the door to assure the Owl doesn’t escape.
ARLO: So, that’s why The Owl is out now. Because my Father wasn’t there to stand guard?
MAC: In a way. Yes. Now I don’t mean to be so blunt here… its just… I want you to be prepared for the gravity of the world you’re stepping into. And exactly what shoes you’re aiming to be wearing. (Beat) And speaking of shoes… Have you got any nicer ones to wear? We’re going to a party.
EXT. FRAT HOUSE - NIGHT to INT. FRAT HOUSE
A party rages inside... Knock-Knock-Knock-Knock. The DOOR opens.
SCOOTER: What’s the password?
SCOTT: (interrupting) Well… hello and let me be the first to welcome you to the Bone Zone. It’s not offensive because we’re all skeletons in this house.
SCOTTIE: Sorry about my friends. They don’t know when to shut up.
SCOOTER: But I do know when I’m being rude. Come on in.
Suddenly MAC rushes in.
MAC: May I come in too?
SCOOTER: It’s the Fuzz! Scatter!
Sounds | We hear a RECORD SCRATCH. Light switch. Beer can crush. And the click clack of skeletons scattering.
ARLO: Thank you, ladies. Here’s your money. Hope it weren’t too much of a bother.
ARLO closes the door behind him. We hear scattering footsteps. Bottles dropping to the ground. A backdoor slams shut and suddenly the once bumping Skeleton Boys Frat House feels very empty.
MAC: The party’s over, boys. Come on out.
We hear the Click-Clack of bones as the SKELETON BOYS emerge from the shadows.
NARRATOR (V.O.): The light peels the darkness from their faces… and in doing so… reveals their true nature. In the dark they appear handsome… not like super hot, but like a Matt Smith kind of handsome… but once they step out into the light… you can see that they’re nothing but walking, talking skeletons. They’re the oldest fraternity at Missooo University and one of the oldest non-secret Secret Societies in the modern world. They’re responsible for everything from The Got Milk Conspiracy to Phoebe Bridgers’ guitar smashing antics on Saturday Night Live…. They’re the Skeleton Boys; Scott, Scottie, and Scooter— Diversity baby!
SCOTT: I thought you said he was a Cop. He doesn’t look like a cop.
NARRATOR (V.O.): As he steps forward, Scott cracks his knuckles and rolls up his sleeves which aren’t there.
SCOTT: No Cop. No Stop. Skeleton Boys Unite!
No one else steps forward.
SCOTT: What the— did everyone else leave?
SCOOTER: Yeah… I think so.
SCOTTIE: Don’t worry Bone-Bros. I’ve got this… (to Mac) The best part of being made of bones. Is knowing how to break them.
MAC: Is that right?
SCOTTIE: Osteoblast!
Mac dodges Scottie’s ATTACK, using SCOTTIE’S own momentum against him, sending him twisting awkwardly to the floor with a POP and CRUNCH.
MAC: Which one did we break that time?
SCOTTIE: My leg bone!
SCOTT: Dammit Scottie, you’re an Anatomy Major! Have some respect for yourself.
SCOTTIE: I broke my Fibula.
SCOTT: And?
SCOTTIE: The periosteum…
MAC: Missed one.
Mac acts like he’s going to stomp on Scottie’s other leg…
SCOTTIE: No-no-no-no-no-no-
MAC: You must know what I’m here for..
SCOTT: You can’t have him! He’s our Honey Badger now!
SCOOTER: Yeah! I already named him Kirby.
MAC: Honeybadger? What the fuck is a Honeybadger?
SCOOTER: You’re not from South-Southern Arkansas University?
SCOTT: If you’re not here about the Honey Badger then why did you bust up our party asshole?
MAC: I'm here for the Owl.
SCOTT: The Owl? Like The Illinois State Owls. We don’t play you jokers until November.
MAC: I'm not here from Illinois State. I’m a Brick.
SCOOTER: Ohhh….. what does that mean? Is that the same as a Booster?
MAC: So when I say that The Owl of Euclid. The Key of the West Gate.… you lot don’t have any idea what I’m referring to?
SCOTT: Not a clue.
MAC: Ever heard of the Freemasons?
SCOTT: Like on Assassin’s Creed?
MAC: How young are you?
SCOTT: How old are you?
All the Skeleton Boys laugh.
MAC: The Freemasons are the largest, oldest and most powerful Fraternal Organization in the world.
SCOTTIE: (sarcastic) Yeah. Maybe in the 19th Century. (Laughs)
MAC: So you do know who we are…
SCOTTIE: Yeah… that was this new thing called sarcasm.
SCOOTER: Your most influential member of the past twenty years was Shaq.
MAC: Shaquille O’Neal is twice the man you’ll ever be.
SCOOTER: Yeah, no shit he’s fucking huge.
ARLO: Okay so we’ve clearly established that you three don’t know fuck all, but is there any chance that another Skeleton Boy might know something about the Owl?
SCOOTER: Well, Jonathan was talking about getting a bird cage. Maybe he—
SCOTT: No. That information is for SB members only. Skeleton Boy information stays Skeleton Boy information.
ARLO: Let me join. I’d like to be a Skeleton Boy.
SCOOTER: Well, there are three ways… Option One, you can sell your soul as a Non-Fungible Token.
ARLO: To the Devil?
SCOOTER: To anyone.
SCOTT: Kinda want to advise against that one right now… the market is still pretty speculative and sketchy…
ARLO: And what are my other options?
SCOOTER: You can be a legacy Skeleton Boy. Or if you have lots of money. That works too… And its not like you have to have rich and influential parents…
SCOTTIE: Yeah, you could also just have rich and influential Uncles, Aunts, Grandparents or whatever.
ARLO: And the third?
SCOTT: Well, the third option is a trial by fire. An initiation ritual so dark and depraved that Danny Trejo puked and passed out within the first three minutes…
SCOTTIE: Danny Trejo’s a Skeleton Boy?
SCOTT: Oh yeah. Danny Trejo's in everything.
MAC: This is fuckin stupid. (to Scottie) You… what bone should I break next?
SCOTTIE: None of them. (Beat) Ya dick. Leave my bones alone.
ARLO: Just let me handle this, Malcolm. At some point you have to trust me to do my job.
SCOTT: (awkward) Okay… so.. as I was saying… the third option is some freaky-deaky shit. Scooter… go grab the crackers.
Arlo and Mac getting back in the car. Arlo slams the door.
MAC: Sorry you had to see that, Mate.
No response.
MAC: Still giving me the silent treatment? (beat) I reckon’ you’ll find your voice if you need to shout for help.
ARLO: (contained anger) You’re not sorry. You were smiling.
MAC: What?
ARLO: When you held him in the air… when you put your thumb into his eye and crushed his skull… you were smiling.
MAC: Well, I’m not smiling now am I? (beat) You didn’t have to kill them. I had it handled.
MAC: So were you going to eat the cracker then were you?
ARLO: Fuck off. No. I had a plan. But it doesn’t matter anymore because you can’t get information out of a dead body.
MAC: One day you’ll understand how this job really works, Arlo. When you’re charged with a Duty there’s nothing you place above that Duty. Not friends. Not family.
ARLO: You keep telling me that I’m not a Mason yet. How I’m not ready for…
NARRATOR (V.O.): Mac doesn’t hear anything Arlo is saying… because right now Mac’s hands are covered in his own blood.
INT. CARRINGTON SCHOOL - DAY
MAC and ARLO explore the abandoned and stripped out guts of the Carr School.
ARLO: What is this place?
MAC: The Carrington School. All the architecture you see around you… this is the work of a craftsman.
NARRATOR (V.O.): The Carrington School was built in the early 20th Century. What was once an Architectural marvel… now lay abandoned and unused…. a home for Shadows. A home for the Void.
ARLO: Well, they certainly let it go to shit didn’t they? Why are we here? It stinks like old wet rags.
MAC: Looking for something.
ARLO: Something or someone?
MAC: People have been asking that question for a long time.(chuckles) Kid, you are wound too tight.
ARLO: I’ve heard that watching another human have their head caved in will do that to a person.
MAC: So now your pissy attitude is my fault as well? You would’ve preferred what? That we talked it out and wasted our time?
ARLO: We could have just left. You didn’t have to kill them. They didn’t know anything.
MAC: Well they knew something now didn’t they? How do you think secrets remain secrets, Arlo? When you’re protecting the door, protecting the owl, protecting the values of our Mason lodge and traditions- do you really think you’ll never have to use that sword for more than ceremonial pageantry? Morality and Power cannot co-exist Arlo. If you still can’t see that—
ARLO: Oh, no. I definitely see it now, Uncle Mac.
INT. HOTEL ROOM - DEAD OF NIGHT
Arlo is in a deep state of sleep when he begins hearing whispering in his right ear…
SHADOW ALEX: Wake up… Wake up… Bitch wake the fuck up.
Arlo wakes up, but is unable to move. Heart pounding.
ARLO: What the— what’s going on?
SHADOW ALEX: There we go now I can see your eyes… Can you see me?
ARLO: No.
SHADOW ALEX: How about now?
NARRATOR (V.O.): The dark corner of the room steps forward taking a slightly corporeal form.
It’s SHADOW ALEX. (… an entity of nothingness and shadows… a void, but still sarcastic as hell)
SHADOW ALEX: What were you doing snooping around my facility today?
ARLO: What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.
SHADOW ALEX: Don’t. Just don’t. I see all. I know all. Just don’t.
ARLO: Well if you know all then you must already know why we were at your facility.
SHADOW ALEX: I don’t know all like that. I’m not omnipotent. I’m just smart as fuck.
ARLO: Humble as well.
SHADOW ALEX: Boy… do you even know what a Void is?
ARLO: I take it I might be meeting one right now.
SHADOW ALEX: I could swallow you up in a second. Trap you in eternal blackness with no escape.
ARLO: You must not really want to otherwise you would’ve just done it.
SHADOW ALEX: You sound so… familiar. Hmm…
MAC: (muffled behind door) Arlo! Arlo! Don’t speak to it. It’s a Void. Arlo!
MAC is pounding on the interior door separating his motel room from Arlo’s room. The handle twists… the door should be opening, but Alex is keeping it shut.
ARLO: Malcolm! Help!
SHADOW ALEX: (realization) Ah! There it is. Say that again….
ARLO: Leave me alone.
SHADOW ALEX: Little Harry Walker’s boy. So when he was on his knees and pleading… “Please don’t kill me. I have a family. I have a son.” (Laughs) You’re the little shit he was talking about. (Laughs) jeez. Can’t see how he was making such a big deal of it.
ARLO: You killed my Father?
SHADOW ALEX: No. But I wish it had been me.
Mac pounding on the door.
SHADOW ALEX: You might want to ask your friend there how it all went down. He was there…
MAC: (muffled behind door) Open the door, Arlo! You aren’t ready to take it on alone.
ARLO: You don’t scare me.
SHADOW ALEX: Oh, please keep up that confidence. It makes this next part so much more fun for me.
An extension of ALEX’S shadow wraps around Arlo, ripping him out of bed and throwing him across the room. Arlo hits the small motel dresser with a CRASH and THUD.
SHADOW ALEX: (awkward) Wait.. hold on a second.
Arlo stumbles to his feet. He’s totally naked.
SHADOW ALEX: Why are you naked?
ARLO: I like to sleep in the nude. You didn’t give me much of a chance to get dressed did you. You just ripped me out from under the sheets.
SHADOW ALEX: Okay fine. Time out. Can you at least…. Sheath your sword?
ARLO: Never.
SHADOW ALEX: Well.. this got weird as fuck. I’m outta here. Stay away from my facilities or I’ll shadowban your ass into oblivion. Got it?
And with that Shadow Alex evaporates from the room. MAC busts in through the door. He charges in and immediately begins flipping on all the lights.
MAC: Where is it? Where’s it gone?
ARLO: She already left.
MAC: Are you okay— Mate!? Why are you naked?
INT. HOTEL ROOM - LATER
Arlo is sliding on his shoes as he enters Mac's adjacent hotel room.
MAC: Look at this… The lad survived his first battle with a Void.
ARLO: Was it a Void who killed my Father?
MAC: No, Arlo. Your father was killed by his own hubris. When he fought evil he thought he could take it on all by himself.
ARLO: Were you with him when he died?
A long beat of silence.
MAC: Yes. We fought many battles next to each other. And had Fate not been so cruel, we were meant to fight many more together.
ARLO: We should go back to that school right now. We should kill the void.
MAC: You can’t kill the void, Arlo. We can’t beat them. For many years Masons tried. We’ve even made temporary alliances with old enemies in an attempt to rid the world of this void… But the Void remains.
The factions have settled into relative peace, but once slip-up one misfire of a gun could send us right back into all out war.
ARLO: Other factions?
MAC: You met a few already. And there are many more just like them spread across the world.
ARLO: So that’s why you killed Nathan and the Skeleton Boys.
MAC: Yes. Now I know it's harsh, but it’s the duty with which we’re charged.
ARLO: Will you get in trouble for telling me all this?
MAC: No. Secrecy is just bait for new recruits. And you’re not a recruit anymore are you…
ARLO: What are you saying?
MAC: I’ve been in contact with the Worshipful Master. He was pleased to hear how well you’ve been coming along… and you’ll be raised in two days time at the Grand Lodge of Missouri.
ARLO: Yo deadass?
MAC: Aye. Larrimore will be there to train you in your duties as Tiler. He’s a good man. Listen to what he has to say. You can trust him.
ARLO: What are we going to do about the Owl?
MAC: I’m afraid we’ve run out of time. Wherever Walter Clay is… he’s already begun his transformation.
INT. LODGE ANTECHAMBER - NIGHT
Arlo enters the Antechamber. Larry is standing off to the side in full FM regalia. He has a sword on his side while also holding another sword.
NARRATOR (V.O.): Arlo steps into the Antechamber of the St. Louis Freemason Lodge. He’s surrounded by the Symbols of Freemasonry which littered his home as a child. He knows their shape. But he doesn’t know their lessons. Today, Arlo Walker will begin the process of squaring and smoothing his stone.
LARRY: Step forward.
Arlo does.
LARRY: What was the first name given to you when you were born?
ARLO: Caution.
NARRATOR (V.O): Larry rolls up Arlo’s right shirt sleeve. Then his left pant left up above the knee. Larry unbuttons Arlo shirt. And then wraps a noose around Arlo’s neck.
LARRY: Reach out your hands. (Pause) This was your Father’s sword. I’ve been holding onto it ever since he passed. Waiting for the next Tiler to stand guard. Only a Tiler can hold the Sentinel’s Sword.
NARRATOR (V.O.): Larry places a sword in Arlo’s hands. Cold twisted metal. The Sentinel’s Sword. The Sword of a Tiler.
ARLO: Thank you, Larry.
LARRY: This has nothing to do with me. The Tiler’s Sword symbolizes the fight to maintain the focus, honor and purpose of our Lodges. As a Tyler you’ll be charged with rooting out evil from your Lodge. As Craftsmen we’re meant to speak up against orders we know to be evil or misguided. But as a Tyler you must go a step further... If you see the burning flame of greed or evil rise in any man it’s your duty to rise up and extinguish it.
ARLO: Even a brother?
LARRY: Especially a brother. (beat) And finally, young initiate, I must remind you that it is the charge of every Freemason to build something as you go through life. To stack their bricks with clear intention. Bricks can create bridges, roads, walls or revolutions. Take care with every brick you hold.. use it to build what it is you want to build with this life. Be aware of your rough edges. Grind away your imperfections. Make yourself smooth and square before taking your seat in the East.
NARRATOR (V.O.): Larry wraps a blindfold around Arlo’s eyes.
