KATE: Germans. Oh—

TOAST: Yeah. I think so.

KATE: Well, it’s decorated—

TOAST: Yeah. I thought it was just a gag. But listen—I thought it was a gimmick, I mean—they’re speaking German.

Pause.

KATE: Do you think they can understand us? I’m sorry—

TOAST: Sure they can.

KATE:—nobody speaks only German…This is a hotel for Germans?

TOAST: Like they have in Germany, or someplace—

KATE: That’s really—!

TOAST:—like wherever you go they have hotels for Americans. In Germany, for instance.

KATE: Is this going on all over America?

TOAST: Probably. I know they have the Meridien in Los Angeles. Or Orange County.

KATE: Another hotel full of Germans?

TOAST: Actually, they’re French. The Meridien—

KATE: I’d love to stay in a Japanese hotel! But I mean—in America.

TOAST: Why not?

KATE: Or Japan. I guess Japan would make more sense.

TOAST: Why?

KATE: Well. Jack. Because it’s—I don’t know.

TOAST: Sure, okay—

KATE: Because it’s a wish. If you’re gonna wish for a Japanese hotel, you might as well wish for a Japanese hotel in Japan. Don’t you think?

TOAST: Well, that doesn’t seem like much of a wish. Japan would be full of Japanese hotels. You’d expect it. You wouldn’t have to wish for it.

Pause.

KATE: So, your first name would be John?

TOAST: Yeah. Unless it was my middle name.

KATE: So which is it?

TOAST: Terrence. My first name—

KATE: Terrence John Toast?

TOAST: That is my entire name.

KATE: Darn.

TOAST: What.

KATE: My pen’s stopped. (Starts shaking a pen down.) I’m taking notes sideways.

Pause.

TOAST: Notes?

KATE: Just—(Pause.) I’m just jaggin’ on the java so—something to do with my hands. I’m not—(TOAST silences her with a gesture.)

TOAST: I don’t think anyone should know about this, our—I guess this encounter. Coincidental encounter.

KATE: Oh. But so—am I supposed to walk into the conference, the interview, in—fifty-seven minutes and say hello and pretend—Can I expect you actually to be in the room?

TOAST: Why don’t we just call it a conference.

KATE: Are you there? Monitoring? Or are you hiding someplace monitoring?

TOAST: I’m the first one in the room. I go in fifteen minutes early. I’m there when you all come in. You three come in together.

KATE: God. You look just like Bill Jenks.

TOAST: Bill Jenks brings you in. (Pause.) So we’re all introduced. You and I. And them. Even though we’re acquainted.

KATE: You and I.

TOAST: And them—Riggs and Northup. I know them.

KATE: But you pretend not to.

TOAST: No. I know them.

KATE: But you don’t know me?

TOAST: I flew with them from Washington.

KATE: First class?

TOAST: Dream on.

KATE: I was just wondering who I was up against.

TOAST: Nobody. Not against.—Hey, you only see the first class types for the brief second before you’re incinerated! I’m just—

KATE: So you’re not the Incinerator. You’re not the Terminator. You’re not the Investigator. You’re…Toast!

TOAST: I’m the Monitor. I don’t say a word.

KATE: Let me just make a note of that.