(Scene: Charles’ house. Jonathan is sitting down while George stands above him. The statue of Aphrodite is now gone.)

Jonathan

There. I have told you everything. Now you know the miserable extent of my failures.

George

(Stunned) My God, man. And what of your creation?

Jonathan

It must have followed me here from University. Why, I am unsure. Perhaps it merely craves to kill anyone and everyone within the vicinity of its maker.

George

And how many know of its existence?

Jonathan

Only you and my professor. I had thought I could trust my professor, but--

George

He could not comprehend the genius of what you were doing.

Jonathan

Genius?

George

Indeed. Jonathan, do you remember what I had told you right before you left for University?

Jonathan

That I would accomplish extraordinary things.

George

Ah, yes, but I had said much more than that. I had told you that you would achieve greatness far sooner than your witless peers, that while they idle away with their poetry clubs and their vain pursuit of social reform, you would pathe the path towards mankind's future. And you have, my son. You have forever changed the trajectory of science. You have done what most men would only dare to dream of. You are a true Edgar.

Jonathan

But Father, people have died because of what I have done.

George

Don't brood like that. That is part of the nature of success. People may die. But what are a few lives to a man who has beat God at His own game? And all you must do now is reproduce this clone of yours, and improve upon its cognitive abilities. Is your plan not that simple?

Jonathan

I often fear that it won't matter. They will think that I am the murderer. If not that, they'll find me guilty of these crimes anyway and denounce my entire experiment as a failure.

George

I will use my power to prevent your being imprisoned. And not a soul will ever know of your… well, let us call them setbacks, shall we? As for your creation, I shall deal with it myself.

Jonathan

But…

George

Oh, what is it now?

Jonathan

My darling fiancee. My Cecelia. If it had not been for all this, she would…

George

Dammit, man. You are an Edgar. Don’t disgrace that name by sulking over a mere woman.

Jonathan

Yes, yes, you’re right. I am an Edgar. My apologies, Father. I don't know where my head went.

(Enter Charles, holding the statue of Aphrodite)

Charles

(Angrily) Who tossed away in the woods?

Jonathan

(To Charles) I had told you to throw that kitsch away. It is a symbol of disgrace to our family.

Charles

Have you told Father about it?

Jonathan

Yes. I had to. That woman whom you call Mother was… (Hesitates. Glances at George, who nods), she was a whore, Charles. She committed the ultimate sin against her husband. (Timidly) She—she’s better off dead.

Charles

How dare you! She was your mother too!

Jonathan

No, she isn’t. I disown her. If I could obliterate her from my memory, I would.

Charles

You would, eh? Would you obliterate the memory of your first day of school? When, after you returned home, you cried in Mother's lap because it tortured you to depart from her?

Jonathan

Be quiet.

Charles

When she later cried with you and said that she would never leave you again so long as she lived? And when she sang to you in that silly voice she so often made and you laughed until your cheeks were red?

Jonathan

Be quiet, I say!

Charles

You don't recall a single display of warmth from her? Not one?

(Jonathan exits in a fit)

George

(Sits on chair and lights a cigar) Charles, I must say, you do have rather poor tastes. You furnish your home as if you’ve been dorming with bats and spiders your entire life. And Jonathan was quite right in throwing that kitche away; it polluted whatever charm remained within these walls. (Pause) Stay away from my son. You are a foul influence on him, just as your mother was.

Charles

I am your son too. (Pause) Is that why you’ve always refused to help me? Because I am a foul influence?

George

I refused for the sake of our name.

Charles

Our name! What the devil is in our name!

George

Charles, Charles. Our name is an entity all onto itself. It is all powerful, all permeating. Like a god in this godless world, it is only as strong as our fellow Man makes it to be, and will only endure so long as Man believes in it. I have been made strong by it, far stronger than the lowly insects who crawl about this town, and far stronger than you shall ever hope to be. I can bend the law to my will, Charles. I can make an army of your neighbors, of your closest friends, and, with the promise of mere scrap change, order them to crush you to dust. Such is the power of our name. And my son will carry that name with him after I am gone, and do great things with it. He will strengthen it, enrich it, prosper by it, just as I had done when my father passed. But should a scandal such as the one you are endeavoring to release ever reach the public, all of that power would be stripped away. Man would lose faith in our name. Adultery, murder; such scandals would bring us to ruin.

Charles

So that’s it, eh? Power? Influence? But where is the common decency? The gentleness? What neighbor would ever knock on an Edgar’s door for a slice of bread?

George

(Rises and approaches the front door) This is your last warning. Drop this murder nonsense and let my son be.

Charles

No. I refuse. There is much more on the line than a mere name. A man has been murdered, Father. I will stand my ground and bring justice to him— and to Mother as well, and to myself, and to all who have been stomped on by men with bloated names and shriveled hearts. (Pause) Get out of my house. Both you and Jonathan.

George

Very well. I have warned you. Now it shall begin. (Exits)