for the first time)

What?

SPOCK

I have a theory, Captain, that the easiest world for a spaceman to “go native” on—is his own world.

KIRK

Don’t be ridiculous. The stakes are too high here.

SPOCK

(with meaning)

That was precisely my point.

He crawls away in the dark as Kirk looks after him for SEVERAL MEANINGFUL BEATS and then slowly looks back toward the brightness of the window, and Edith silhouetted, with her SONG on the ascendant. HOLD on Kirk, ambivalent.

DISSOLVE TO:

72 INT. TENEMENT—SHOT UP STAIRWELL—DAY

as Edith comes down TOWARD CAMERA brightly. There is joy in her movement, enthusiasm and spring in her step. A man could delight in this female, so very womanly and yet so self-possessed in her maturity. A VOICE O.S. halts her.

KIRK’S VOICE O.S.

Hello.

She is CLOSE TO CAMERA now and as she pauses with her hand on the banister, she looks back up the way she came and we see Kirk leaning over the railing on the floor above. HOLD Edith CLOSE IN F.G. to Kirk in b.g. above her.

EDITH

Hello.

KIRK

(nervous beat)

I wanted to say hello.

EDITH

(amused)

And you do it very well. Would you like to try it again? Hello.

KIRK

(grins widely)

I guess it was a pretty lame way to get to meet you.

EDITH

On the contrary. It worked marvelously well. I’m Edith Keeler.

Kirk comes around the newel post, down the stairs to her as CAMERA FOLLOWS holding her in f.g.

KIRK

I’m Jim Kirk. I just moved in. I saw you a couple of times.

EDITH

You have a very pleasant accent. Iowa?

KIRK

Uh, Iowa. Yes, that’s very good, most people don’t catch it.

EDITH

I have a good ear. From singing in church choir. You get to know pitch.

Now they stand beside each other.

KIRK

(at a loss now)

Well…

EDITH

You’re quite handsome.

KIRK

(nonplussed)

Why, uh, thank you. And you’re quite lovely.

EDITH

Now that all that is out of the way, would you like to take a walk with me? I’m going to pick up some stolen merchandise.

Kirk is astonished. His expression tells us so. She notes his consternation.

73 2-SHOT—KIRK & EDITH

EDITH (CONT’D.)

(laughs)

Don’t be bothered. I’m not a thief. Some young boys I know, well, they made a mistake. I talked to Lt. Gleeson at the precinct, and he said if the goods were returned—

KIRK

(pleasured)

You do quite a lot of that sort of good work, don’t you?

EDITH

I try to keep busy.

KIRK

There seems to be enough misery to keep a platoon busy.

(beat)

You seem sturdy, but it must wear you down.

EDITH

(confides)

There is a Depression on; the secret is not getting “depressed.”

(brightly)

Shall we walk now?

KIRK

Love to.

74 REVERSE ANGLE