(A candlelit room. A small radio sits on a table. Charles Darwin nods in a chair. A dinosaur sleeps on a sofa. A small mammal scurries about.)
(The radio crackles faintly.)
THE MAMMAL
(softly)
It was close.
(The dinosaur stirs in his sleep.)
THE MAMMAL
He remembers.
(The dinosaur grunts. Darwin looks up.)
DARWIN
What was that?
THE MAMMAL
He has a bad dream.
(The dinosaur opens one eye.)
THE MAMMAL
(glancing at the dinosaur)
That is not good.
THE DINOSAUR
I am hungry.
THE MAMMAL
This is very bad.
DARWIN
Judging from his jaws, he is a carnivore.
(The dinosaur sits up.)
THE MAMMAL
Good morning.
(The dinosaur yawns.)
DARWIN
Look at his canine teeth.
THE DINOSAUR
I must apologize. I have not brushed them for a while.
THE MAMMAL
You may also wish to rinse your mouth.
THE DINOSAUR
Do I have bad breath?
DARWIN
It is likely gastric if you haven’t eaten for some time.
THE DINOSAUR
Might there be some porridge?
RADIO
We are afraid we cannot assist with that request. There are proteins in the room, though.
THE MAMMAL
This is not helpful.
THE DINOSAUR
They both look appetizing.
THE MAMMAL
You may wish to begin with him.
THE DINOSAUR
I gave up flesh some sixty million years ago.
THE MAMMAL
Phew.
THE DINOSAUR
But if I do not get some porridge, I might change my mind.
DARWIN
Radio, procure some porridge.
RADIO
I cannot help you with this request.
THE MAMMAL
So much about progress.
DARWIN
Progress is not a simple matter. It does not proceed in a straight line. But over time, through variation and selection, forms emerge that are better adapted to their conditions. There is, if you will, a certain beauty in that.
THE DINOSAUR
We were pretty well adapted and there was no shortage of food. Not like here.
DARWIN
It could have continued.
THE MAMMAL
I do not like such thoughts. We were so much more than foodstuff.
DARWIN
Your kind would have changed. You might have become smaller, better able to hide. Or larger, perhaps, able to resist.
THE MAMMAL
Smaller seems more plausible.
DARWIN
Yes, because becoming larger would have required several steps, and there would have been considerable danger along the way.
THE DINOSAUR
Larger would have been preferable.
DARWIN
Then it would not have occurred. She would have become smaller, perhaps very much smaller.
THE MAMMAL
I liked to look down on ants.
THE DINOSAUR
A smaller you, fighting ants. That would have been entertaining.
THE MAMMAL
But what would you have eaten then?
THE DINOSAUR
Porridge.
RADIO
Porridge is not available.
