Ben pauses to take us on an interlude as Harrison Wolfe, Kalon Masters, and Zjan-Ren take a look at a simpler time before the universe starts to unravel around them.
The Boys of the Lady Lex Interlude "The Savoy Special" Written By Douglas DD and Benjamin T.C.
Kalon Masters sat in his room with a big tub of popcorn on his lap. He found and pulled the remote for his television out from underneath him, and aimed it at the TV. Just as the movie started, there was a knock at the door. A disgruntled Kalon paused his movie and got up to answer it.
"I found the book you requested," said Harrison Wolfe, standing in the doorway holding an old, worn out book.
"I don't need it now. I found the video. I was just about to watch it. Why don't you join me? I made popcorn and everything."
"I prefer not to watch movies. They fail to capture the essence of the book. Yes, one's mind interprets and paints a better image of the story told through words on a page then it does when shown on screen."
"Look, I have just about enough time to watch the movie before the hockey finals. Now get your literate ass in here. Movies are so much more enjoyable when you watch them with someone."
Wolfe let out a long disgruntled sigh. "Very well, but why the sudden interest in this story?" Harrison Wolfe entered the room which looked like no maid had entered it in months.
"One of my kid's shuttles was named after a character in this book. And ever since the shuttle became FUBAR, he hasn't been the same. And with the baseball finals tomorrow, I need to find a way to get his head back in the game."
"Ah yes, you are referring to Master Collins and the Wonder Boy."
"Yes I am. That broken down shuttle was a piece of Ben. He worked on her to bring her up to what she was before burning out her systems and causing her to be put to rest."
"I would imagine that, when Master Collins piloted the Wonder Boy, it was the only time he felt in charge and free at the same time. Even when he is crouched behind home plate he might be in charge, but he is not totally in control. I can see why he is taking the death of the Wonder Boy so hard."
"Well, I hope by watching the movie I can find out a way to bring him out of this funk."
"Did you try giving him a new shuttle?" asked Wolfe.
"I thought of that, but unfortunately we are fresh out of shuttles. Besides, I don't know if that would do the trick or not." Kalon's attention turned to his door as there was a knock on it. Kalon opened the door and saw Zjan-Ren standing there.
"I'm sorry I'm late, but I had to find Young McDowell to borrow my baklava. I plan on some self training this afternoon after the hockey finals."
"I didn't think you were going to show up."
"I've never seen an Earth movie before, so this should be rather amusing. Oh Mr. Wolfe, are you joining us?"
"Although I am sure the movie will be entertaining, it will never capture the same feeling as the book."
"Yeah, whatever," said Kalon, as he flopped on his bed. Zjan-Ren sat in an empty chair. Kalon once again pulled the remote out from underneath his body and clicked on "play." The movie began.
"So this movie is called `The Natural'," remarked Zjan-Ren.
"That must be him there in those old clothes, sitting in the chair on a porch," said Kalon.
"That's not a porch, that is a train station," said Wolfe.
"That must be the train there," remarked Zjan-Ren.
"That must be him when he was younger. My word the gloves have changed over the years," said Kalon as he saw the star, Robert Redford, think back when he was a kid and his father was teaching him the game of baseball.
"Roy, that must be his name," said Zjan-Ren.
Wolfe shook his head. He knew that these two weren't going to shut up during the movie.
"You got a gift Roy. But it's not enough. You gotta develop yourself." said the actor who was portraying Roy Hobbs' father. "Rely too much on your own gift, and you'll fail."
"Now that is very sound advice," agreed Zjan-Ren.
"But sometime your gift is the only thing you have," said Kalon.
"But what I think he is referring too is not to take your gift for granted."
"Oh look, the old man just keeled over," said Kalon.
"Humans don't have strong hearts like Kritons do."
"That's ok kid. Father's don't amount to much anyways," said Kalon.
We watched, as the tree that the old man died under was struck by lightning. The young Roy Hobbs saw this and immediately took to building a baseball bat from the tree's wood. In a slow pan, the camera revealed the name that Young Roy Hobbs burned into the lumber.
"The Wonder boy," pointed out Kalon.
"And look, it has a lightning bolt on it just like our Wonder boy shuttle. How remarkable," replied Zjan-Ren.
"The boys were to name their shuttles after something from literature. The crew of the Wonder boy did just that. And they added to it by putting a lightning bolt on it," said Wolfe who was being disturbed by the two men talking throughout the movie.
"Iris must be his love," said Zjan-Ren. "Yes it is. He just asked her to marry him. I am glad he is going to play baseball. This will be good."
"I bet he boffed her," said Kalon.
"Boffed?"
"Yeah, fucked her."
"Oh...boffed. We call that Donkish in Kriton."
Wolfe tried watching the movie. But it was hard to concentrate as Zjan-Ren and Kalon kept commenting about the movie. After Roy Hobbs said goodbye to his girlfriend the scene switched to a train where two men sat playing cards. The scene progressed where one of the men was a big time well known power hitter, known as the Whammer, and the other was a sport's journalist Max Mercy. The Whammer had his eye on a mysterious lady sitting on the train. When the train stopped to take on water, the Whammer was showing off his talent by hitting a bunch of homerun hits at a small side street carnival. Roy Hobbs was with his agent, at a booth where Roy was knocking over bottles by throwing a ball at them. A small Rivalry started between Roy's agent and Max Mercy about Roy and the Whammer. A bet was made that Roy could strike out the Whammer on three pitches. Roy didn't let his agent down, for he did just that, amazing everyone around, especially Max Mercy and the mysterious woman.
Roy and his agent finally got to the hotel, and while Roy was waiting in his room, he got a phone call from the mysterious women who he had drinks with on the train after striking out the Whammer. Her name was Harriet Bird. Roy went to her room, only to find himself looking down a barrel of a gun and hearing the sound of a blast, as he felt a sharp pain enter his body. The screen faded to black.
"How can they kill him right in the beginning of the movie?" argued Kalon.
"I don't think he's dead. In the very beginning he was at that train station as an old man. This was when he was much younger," replied Zjan-Ren. "Look see, it's 16 years later at Knight's Field in New York."
"Hey, Fowler!! Don't you know how I hate losing to the Pirates?" said Pop Fisher, a fat old man in a baseball uniform with the number one on the back.
"That must be the head coach," said Kalon.
"But why would a head coach of a baseball team would want to be a farmer?" asked Zjan-Ren.
"He just said he was fond of nanny goats."
"Look, there's Roy walking down the dark corridor to the playing field," said Zjan-Ren. "Oh good, he is going to play baseball."
Roy Hobbs tells Pop Fisher that he is the new right fielder. Pops isn't too happy. His attitude is that men his age should be retiring from baseball not becoming a rookie. Pop Fisher is pissed that his chief scout, Scottie Carson, signed him up.
The movie went on showing that Pop Fisher wouldn't play the middle age rookie and the Knights kept losing; not only losing but humiliating themselves in the process. After a big argument, Pop Fisher was going to actually let Roy bat at batting practice.
"Oh look, is that the wonder boy he has?" asked Zjan-Ren as Roy made his way to home plate.
"I bet it is," said Kalon.
"Wow, look at that. He keeps hitting the balls into the seats."
"I bet Pops wished he played him sooner."
"I bet you're right."
They watched the movie as Pop benches Bump Baily, a player who wasn't producing and put Roy Hobbs in at bat. Kalon and Zjan-Ren sat up and were on the edge of their seats.
"He hit the ball!!" pointed out Zjan-Ren.
Kalon laughed with excitement. "Not only did he hit the ball, but he hit it out of the park. Look at that. This is great."
"Nice bat, "said a pudgy boy named Bobby Savoy. He was the Knight's batboy.
"You like it?" asked Roy.
"Yeah. Do you think I'll be able to make one of those bats?"
Roy looked down as he tied his neck tie. "Tell you what. Go down to the lumberyard pick yourself out a really good piece of wood and we'll work on it together."
"All right. Thanks," said the batboy.
Roy leaves the stadium only to run into Max Mercy. Now, Roy ran into him briefly in the locker room when he first was assigned to the Knights. By the look on Roy's face, he recognized Max from 16 years before, but Max didn't recognize Roy. But after thinking on it some, Max knows Roy looks familiar; he just can't finger it where he knows him from. But Max is determined to figure it out.
The movie transitioned to Chicago. A beautiful lady with a flower pattern dress on walks into a diner. Her name is Iris.
"Did you hear that?" said Kalon. "That's Iris. The girl that Roy donkished before he got shot."
"No, the girl who shot Roy was the Bird Lady. This is the girl from the farm."
"I didn't mean the bird lady he donkished. Besides, I don't think he donkished the Bird lady. They never showed it."
"But they didn't show him donkish Iris either."
"But I think they did," said Kalon. "But look at the actress who plays her now. I would like to donkish her myself." Both Kalon and Zjan-Ren laughed. Wolfe just sat their trying not to pay any attention to them.
The diner owner and a male customer start talking about a baseball game and how the cover of a baseball was knocked off.
"What's the name of his bat?" asked the customer.
"Wonder boy," replied the owner.
Iris looked up with confused interest. She takes the newspaper with the article about Roy Hobbs and his Wonder boy in it, and looks at it with great interest.
Pop Fisher had a heart-to-heart talk with Bump Baily. If he didn't shape up, Roy Hobbs would replace him. Bump didn't like that idea, so he started to play better ball in his very next game. The only thing, was that he was running after a fly ball and ran into the right field wall and crashed through it. In the next scene in big white letters on a black and white view of the Knights' score board read Fond Farewell for Bump Bailey. Funeral at Knights Field.
"That's one way getting rid of a character. Just kill him off," said Kalon.
"I bet Roy gets his position," replied Zjan-Ren. "And there he is, going up at bat. And marvelous. He hits a ball up into the rafters on the first pitch. Brilliant."
The movie progresses as the team comes alive and starts winning games. All because of Roy Hobbs and the Wonder boy. Both Kalon and Zjan-Ren cheered as they saw Hobbs make nice plays and hit balls into the stands. Wolfe showed no emotion, but he was watching the movie.
The next scene showed Red, the assistant coach, and Roy getting their shoes shined. They are talking about the Judge, who is Pop Fisher's partner owning the Knights. The Judge has not yet been seen in the movie, but in an earlier scene they heard him talk to Scottie Carson on the phone, asking him about Hobbs, and making sure that he wouldn't help the Knights win.
"Let me tell you something about Pop," said Red. "He thinks he's jinxed."
"What do you mean?" asked Roy.
"Last season he had some financial problems. He had to sell the Judge 10% of his shares. That makes the Judge the Majority stockholder of the Knights. But he got one condition in the contract. If he can win the pennant this season he can buy the shares back, and the judge is out. If he loses he's out, and he has to sell."
"And winner take all," said Roy, Kalon and Zjan-Ren in unison.
"I don't know who this Judge is, but I don't like him," said Zjan-Ren.
"Neither do I," replied Kalon.
Soon, Roy was called up to the Judge's office. It was dark and the Judge was not a good man. He tried bribing Hobbs, but Roy wouldn't give in. He informed the Judge that he intended to play to win and there was no way he would let the Judge steal the team. After Roy left, the Judge knew it wouldn't be easy to get Hobbs on his side, but he didn't give up.
The next scene, Max confronted Roy and said he finally remembered where he had seen him. He tried to get the story from Roy about where he has been the past 16 years, but Roy wasn't giving.
Max then introduced Roy to this woman named Memo Paris, Pop Fisher's beautiful niece; a niece that Pop felt brought bad luck. Roy started seeing her and soon his game went into the toilet where he kept striking out, and not playing the ball he played before meeting her.
The Knights went to Chicago and Roy wasn't playing like he should be. Then going up to bat, he looks up in the stands and sees a woman in white. A woman he recognizes. For that woman was Iris, who he hadn't seen in 16 years. Roy dug into the plate and swung twice, missing the ball both times. Iris stood up and Roy hit the ball into the clock of the scoreboard, thus helping the Knights win the game.
After the game, Roy meets Iris at the diner. They find out that neither of them are married. She tells him that she doesn't get lonely. They talk a little bit and by the looks on their faces and the sparkle in their eyes, that thing that they had many years ago still exists.
Memo Paris continues to try to dig her claws deeper into Roy, but it doesn't work. Roy is back in the game and hits more homeruns to win more games. Of course Memo is trying to dig her claws into him for the Judge, to throw his game off.
Roy meets up with Iris once again, and this time they go for a long walk; a walk where, for the first time, Roy tells someone, his childhood love, what happened on that fateful day with Harriet Bird. And he continues to explain what he has done since.
"Figures they end up at her apartment after the walk," said Zjan-Ren. "I bet he boffs her again."
"I bet he does too," replied Kalon. "Just as long as he stays away from the Memo chick. She is bad news, working for the Judge like that."
"Did you hear that? She just said that glove Roy is looking at is her son's," said Zjan-Ren.
"She's not married, and she has a kid," said Kalon. "And she just said that his father lives in New York."
"The Knights are from New York," said Zjan-Ren. "I bet he is the father, from when they boffed in the barn, before he got shot."
"I bet you're right."
Wolfe took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, as he tried to watch the movie and tune out the babbling viewers.
The Knights got back on another winning streak. Hobbs was back on his hitting streak. There was still hope for the Knights that they might win the pennant for Pop Fisher. But the Judge was concerned. Friends of his told him not to worry; it won't happen.
Roy is showing no more interest in Memo, but he is still showing interest in Iris, even though he has been unable to get a hold of her. Memo keeps trying to get hold of him, but he isn't biting anymore.
Roy shows up at a party where he is pursued to side with the Judge, but he isn't budging. Memo then gives him something too eat. And shortly after that, Roy collapses. He wakes up a few days later in a hospital to find that the Knight have lost 3 games already.
He finds out that the interior of his stomach has been being eaten away by a silver bullet head that's been in there for years. The doctor warned Roy that if he plays ball again, it could cause his stomach to explode and kill him. But Roy doesn't want to give up on winning the pennant for Pop Fisher. Memo tries to act concerned and tries to keep him from playing again, but he isn't buying her charade. He still wants to play ball.
Roy and a few of his teammates sneak out of the hospital and go to the field to see how well he does. After a couple of swings, he falls to his knees. It doesn't look good for Roy.
"So Roy is being visited by the Judge," said Kalon.
"Listen to him, he is trying to bribe Roy not to play," pointed out Zjan-Ren.
"Look, he has police photos of him lying on the floor shot and that Bird Lady dead on the street. Shit, that mother fucker is trying to black mail him now. That low lying bastard."
"Roy's not like that. He won't give in."
"He better not," said Kalon.
"Oh shit, the Judge just hinted that he has a key man on his side, who will help the Knights lose. This isn't good."
Wolfe just sat there, watching and observing them talk about the movie.
Zjan-Ren and Kalon were both happy when Iris came to the hospital to visit Roy. Even though she was confronted by Max, who had the police photos, before seeing him, she just ignored Max and went on to see Roy.
The sparkle between them shined even more as she helped him and gave him a pep talk. Telling him that there are two kinds of lives; the life you learn with and the life you live after that. Roy was pleased to find out that she was going to go to the pennant race game with her son. This was it. The Knights had to win this game. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. And in order to do so, they needed Roy Hobbs.
Kalon and Zjan-Ren cheered as Roy entered the Judge's office and returned the money that the Judge used to bribe him with. He informed the Judge, Memo and the Judge's other crony that his plan was to hit away.
The scene went to Pop Fisher and Red shaving in the locker room. "I wanted do win that pennant worse than I wanted any god damned thing in my life. You'd think I could, just this once, wouldn't you? I didn't care anything about the Series. Win or lose, I would have been satisfied. I'd have walked away from baseball, and I'd have bought a farm," said Pop Fisher.
"Nothing like a farm," said Roy standing in the doorway. "Nothing like being around animals, fixing things. There's nothing like being in the field by yourself with the vegetable, corn and the winter wheat. The greenest stuff you ever saw."
"You know, my mother told me I ought to be a farmer."
"My dad wanted me to be a baseball player."
"All my dad wanted was for me to disappear out of his life," said Kalon. The image of Jake Masters falling dead to the ground flashing before his eyes.
"Good, Pop Fisher is letting him play," said Zjan-Ren.
"And just listen to that crowd go wild for Hobbs!" said the announcer as Roy took the field. "Unbelievable! He looks like he's set and ready to go. This is for the National League pennant. The Knights versus Pittsburgh! The playoff game!"
"Play ball!!" yelled the umpire.
For the first time since the movie started, Kalon and Zjan-Ren were quiet. They watched with great interest as the announcer took them through the game.
"Al Fowler on the mound for the Knights. Two outs as he faces Schaffer. The pitch! Schaffer swings! Fly ball going out over the field!! Hobbs goes back fast!"
Kalon and Zjan-Ren cheers as Roy makes the catch. But they start to get concerned as they see Roy hobble a little, trying to hide the fact that he is in pain.
The announcer continued. "The Pirates go down 1-2-3 in the first inning."
"Look at him. He's in pain," said Kalon. "He can't go on."
"Ah, but he will, Kalon. He is a warrior, a knight. He will fight, wounded or not," assured Zjan-Ren.
"Hobbs kneels next to Bobby Savoy, the batboy for the Knights. Now batting for the Knights, Number 9, Roy Hobbs."
Kalon and Zjan-Ren are into the game. They are cheering and yelling as if they were there at the game itself. They lost all consciousness that this was just a movie, and not a real game. Even Wolfe was getting excited, though he wasn't showing any signs of emotion. Kalon threw the remote across the room when Hobbs struck out in the first inning.
After three innings the board remained scoreless. Kalon and Zjan-Ren were on edge. They wanted Hobbs to succeed. They wanted Pop Fisher to get his pennant. They wanted the Judge to go down. They wanted the Knights to WIN. But Roy was showing signs of fatigue and pain.
"SHIT!!" yelled Kalon, as he watched the Pirates score off of a two RBI homer. "That damned pitcher is throwing the game. I just know it. And look, Roy knows it too. He is telling the pitcher to play like he should. I think this is going to get Roy hitting again. I just know it."
Kalon cursed yet again when he was proved wrong, and Hobbs struck out yet again. "Hey Iris is going somewhere. I bet that is his fuckin' son, and in that note she is trying to get to him tells him about the son. See? She just said that he doesn't know his son is in the stands. It is his son from when they donkished in the barn."
Roy got the note and read it. He paced the dugout and stepped out and looked into the stands. He is thinking now. A new spark just entered his eyes.
In the 9th, still two to nothing Pittsburgh. With two outs." said the announcer in the movie.
"Yes, the Knights got a man in scoring position," cheered Kalon.
"But they need to get him in and get another guy in to at least tie the game," said Zjan-Ren. Then he erupted into cheering himself when the first runner advanced to third and the batter made it to first. Roy Hobbs and the wonder boy step up to the plate.
"Ball," yelled the umpire on the first two pitches.
"Shit, they are bringing in a new pitcher," said Kalon.
"Here comes the pitch," said Zjan-Ren.
"He hits it!!" yelled Kalon. "Right into the glass window, shattering it on Max Mercy. This is too great.
"The pitch!" yelled the announcer.
"Strike!" yelled the umpire.
"Damn, it's 2-2 count. He better win this thing," said Kalon.
"Look, it is now lightning out. I think that is a good sign," said Zjan-Ren.
"It better god damned well be," said Kalon.
"Will Hobbs take them all the way?" said the Announcer. "The pitch! Hobbs hits! Fading, fading, it's foul ball!"
"Son of a bitch," said Kalon.
"Back!!" cursed Zjan-Ren.
"Oh my God!!" said Kalon in shock. "The Wonder boy is broken. He broke his mother fuckin' bat. This is not good."
Roy walks up to his broken bat in disbelief. Bobby Savoy the batboy runs up to it and picks it up and shows it to Roy. The young boy looks at Roy with a look of "tell me what to do." Roy looks at his broken bat and then looks at Bobby. "Pick me out a winner, Bobby."
"OK," was the only thing Bobby could say. He, too, was in shock, and scared that things wouldn't go the way they wanted them to. For a bat that couldn't be chipped or nicked was now broken.
Bobby runs back to the dugout with the broken Wonder boy. The bat that will never be used again. Chills shot through Zjan-Ren's, Kalon's and even Wolfe's bodies as the music started up and Bobby grabbed a new homemade bat with the name Savoy Special burned into it.
"I bet that's the fuckin' bat that he made with that kid," enthused Kalon.
"They're gonna do it. I just know. Look at him with the new bat. This is it," said Zjan-Ren.
"Roy doesn't look too good. Oh my God, he's bleeding on his side. Shit!! I don't like this," said Kalon.
The Pitch! The Swing! The Hit!
"And it's spinning way back up, high over the right field!" yelled the announcer. "That ball is still going! It's way back, high up in the air! He did it! Hobbs did it! The Knight's win the pennant!!"
Kalon and Zjan-Ren were both standing up, cheering and jumping as Roy Hobbs ran around the bases with the sparks flying from the lights that the baseball was hit into. Wolfe just sat back calm, cool and collected, but inside he was cheering like Kalon and Zjan-Ren.
"Now, that was a good movie," said Kalon. "Probably much better then the book, wouldn't you say Wolfie?"
"Yes, this movie was an adaptation of the book by Bernard Malamud; the plot has been changed for the movie to be more uplifting," said Wolfe. "But I must say, several of the characters and symbols are heavily influenced by the writings of Homer and Greek mythology. Roy Hobbs is Odysseus trying to find his way home. Max Mercy is Vulcan, God of Fire and Forging; he can either make you or break you. Did you notice he was always seen in red and brown clothing? Pop Fisher signifies Zeus, King of the Gods. Even his uniform had the number one on it, and both the oak tree, lightning bolt, and the Wonder boy bat are his symbols. The Judge represents Hades, God of the Underworld, always in the dark, a.k.a. death, and the dead were judged' in the underworld. Memo Paris was Calypso, a sea nymph who held and distracted Odysseus from returning home. Odysseus had an affair with her. Calypso means I will conceal'. And Iris represented Penelope, wife of Odysseus, the love from whom he had been separated during the Iliad & Odyssey, roughly 20 years, while she raised their son."
"I don't know much about Earth Literature, but that movie was spectacular," said Zjan-Ren still overflowing with excitement. "When that boy gave Roy the Savoy Special, I knew he was going to do it."
"That's it," said Kalon. He quickly put on his shoes.
"Where are you going?" asked Zjan-Ren.
"The past few months I was Pop Fisher to those boys in the shuttles. Now it's time for me to be Bobby the batboy," said Kalon.
"What?" asked Zjan-Ren.
"Bobby the batboy. I need to go get our Roy Hobbs, known as Ben Collins, his Savoy Special." And with that Kalon disappeared out of his room.
"What's this?" asked Ben as he walked into the shuttle bay. "You drug me all the way up here to show me this piece of junk?" Standing before Ben, Douglas and Kalon was a rundown looking shuttle. She had major dents and scratches, even some phaser blast marks.
"Never judge a book by it's cover," said Kalon. "She might look like trash, but she has much magic in her."
"Hey Ben!! Look!! Her name is Savoy Special."
"I named her," said Kalon. "I thought the name was fitting."
Ben looked at her. He didn't want the Savoy Special, he wanted the Wonder boy. But then Kalon explained to him how the name came to be. He continued to explain how this shuttle once belong to Jake Masters and since Jake had no use for it anymore, Kalon was able to get it to replace the Wonder boy. Ben learned that the systems were set up for that of a smuggler. So she was definitely a good bounty hunter.
"Savoy Special, huh?"
"That's right," said Kalon who saw that the shuttle was appealing to Ben. Douglas saw that Ben was getting out of his funk too. "I know you don't have that last chance at bat available to you like Roy Hobbs when he was given the Savoy Special. All the Capture the Flags games are over, but if you guys win tomorrow, you will need her for next term."
"Can I take her out for a test spin?" asked Ben eagerly, who warmed up to the idea of the Savoy Special after hearing the story.
"I thought you'd never ask," said Kalon. "Let's climb aboard."
To Be Continued.....