Proofs Catherine scene 2 act 2

You wrote this?

Yes.

When?

I started after I quit school. I finished a few months before Dad died.

Did he see it?

No. He didn’t know I was working on it. It wouldn’t have mattered to him anyway, he was too sick.

I don’t understand- you did this by yourself?

Yes.

It’s in Dad’s notebook.

I used one of his blank books. There were a bunch of them upstairs. (beat)

In his study.

In his desk. I gave him the-

Why was the drawer locked?

It’s mine, it’s the drawer I keep my private things in. I’ve used it for years.

No.

No, that’s the only-

You wrote this incredible thing and you didn’t tell anyone?

I’m telling you both now. After I dropped out of school I had nothing to do. I was depressed, really depressed, but at a certain point I decided Fick it, I don’t need them. It’s just math, I can do it on my own. So I kept working here. I worked at night, after Dad had gone to sleep. It was hard but I did it.

Catherine, I’m sorry, but I just find this very hard to believe

Claire. I wrote. The proof.

I’m sorry, I-

Claire…

This is Dad’s handwriting.

It’s not.

It looks exactly like it.

It’s my writing.

I’m sorry-

Ask Hal. He’s been looking at Dad’s writing for weeks.

I don’t know.

Hal, come on.

It looks… I don’t know what Catherine’s handwriting looks like.

It LOOKS like THAT.

I think- you know what? I think it’s early, and people are tired, and not in the best state to make decisions about emotional things, so maybe we should all just take a breath…

You don’t believe me?

I don’t know. I really don’t know anything about this.

Never mind. I don’t know why I expected you to believe me about ANYTHING

Could you tell us the proof? That would show it was yours

You wouldn’t understand it.

Tell it to Hal

(Take the book) we could talk through it together. It might take awhile.

You can’t use the book

For gods sake it’s forty pages long. I didn’t memorize it it’s not a muffin recipe. (Beat) This is stupid. It’s my book, my writing, my key, my drawer, my proof. Hal tell her!

Tell her what

Who’s book is that

I don’t know

What is the matter with you? You’ve been looking at his other stuff, you know there’s nothing even remotely like this!

Look Catherine-

We’ll go through the proof together. We’ll sit down- if Claire will please let me have my book back-

That might take days and it still wouldn’t show that she wrote it

Why not

Your dad might have written it and explained it to you later. I’m not saying he did, I’m just saying there’s no proof that you wrote this

Of course there isn’t but come on! He didn’t do this, he couldn’t have. He didn’t do any mathematics at all for years. Even in his good year he couldn’t work: you know that. You’re supposed to be a scientist

Youre right. Okay. Here’s my suggestion. I know three or four guys at the department, very sharp, disinterested people who knew your father, knew his work. Let me take this to them.

WHAT

I think that’s an excellent suggestion

You can’t

Catherine.

No! You can’t take it!

I’m not ‘taking’ it

This is what you wanted

Oh come on Jesus

You don’t waste any time do you? No hesitation. You can’t wait to show them your brilliant discovery.

I’m trying to determine what this is

I’m telling you what it is

You don’t know!

I wrote it!!

At least it looks an awful like the writing in the other books. Maybe your writing looks exactly like his, I don’t know.

It does look like his… I don’t show this to anyone else. I could have. I wanted you to be the first to see it. I don’t know I wanted that until last night. It’s ME. I trusted you.

I know

Was I wrong?

No, I-

I should have known SHE wouldn’t believe me… but why don’t you?

It’s one of his notebooks. The exact same kind he used

I told you I just used one of his blank books. There were extras.

There aren’t any extra books in the study

There were when I started writing the proof. I bought them for him. He used up the rest later.

And the writing

You want me to test the handwriting?

No. It doesn’t matter. He could’ve dictated it to you for Chris sake, it doesn’t make sense.

Why not?

I’m a mathematician

Yes

I know how hard it would be to come up with something like this. I mean it’s impossible. You’d have to be… you’d have to be your dad basically. Your dad at the peak of his powers

I’m a mathematician too

Not like your dad

Oh he’s the only one that could’ve done this

The only one I know

Are you sure?

Your father was the most-

Just because you and the rest of the geeks worshiped him doesn’t mean he wrote this proof Hal!

He was the best. My generation hasn’t produced anything like him. He revolutionized the field twice before he was twenty two. I’m sorry Catherine l, but you took some classes at northwestern for a few months

My education wasn’t at Northwestern. It was living in this house for twenty five years

Even so it doesn’t matter. This is too advanced. I don’t even understand most of it.

You think it’s too advanced

Yes

It’s too advanced for YOU

You couldn’t have done this work

But what if i did?

Well what if?

It would be a real disaster for you wouldn’t it? And for the other geeks who barely finished their ph.Ds who are marking time doing lame research, bragging about the conferences they go to- WOW- playing in an awful band and whining that they intellectually past 28 BECAUSE THEY ARE