A Sentence of Sorts

The Pseudoscientists, Act II, scene 1: It was just a joke, of course

 (Summary: Hyde slowly comes to the realization that Jekyll is serious in his betrayal, and that he can do nothing to convince him otherwise. This is the first time Hyde is shown in a position of weakness.)

As Jekyll makes his slow walk home, Hyde’s shadow follows alongside. He seems to be having a hard time of it: normally, Hyde can just glide along perfectly, as a regular shadow might, but today he has to make an effort to keep step, accidentally running too fast or falling behind. 

He tries to engage Jekyll in their usual playful banter, looking for any window into his thoughts: “Damn, did that ever get out of hand!” “I thought you were going to be stuck in there all day!” “What was that with ol’ Lanyon? ‘We are friends, are we not’? As if he has any friends!" 

But Jekyll doesn’t give him the slightest response, so he lapses into silence. This is most unusual for Hyde–until now he has never been without a snide comment or a wicked laugh. He often gives the impression of performing for an audience, for Jekyll if no one else. But here, for the first time, he is truly still, truly alone. 

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In Jekyll’s study, he settles back into his mirror-space. Knowing Jekyll can talk freely with him here, he makes one more attempt to engage him: "So what’s the plan?”

Jekyll is painfully slow in answering: “There is no plan.” When Hyde doesn’t believe him, he continues: “Nothing like this was ever supposed to happen. No one was ever meant to see you, much less to link you to some mad criminal like Moreau– Why didn’t you run?” Hyde is confused. “When Moreau was down, and you saw Lanyon and the police headed towards you, why didn’t you run?”

Hyde’s go-to defense: He didn’t want to! “Didn’t want to … ! If you had lingered any longer, they would have captured you then and there! I know you have a sense of self-preservation. It was obviously in your best interests to get the hell out. What kept you there?" 

Hyde tries to put into words his reasoning and finds his memory of that time to be a little fuzzy and out of focus. His mind plays back quick flashes of images: Frankenstein in the Creature’s arms, the Creature cornered in the ring of fire, the monstrous beast … ! "I couldn’t well leave when there were still things for me to fight,” he explains, trying to convince himself just as much as Jekyll. Then, defensively: “I can do whatever I feel like, can’t I? No one’s ever going to figure out we’re the same person, and as long as you’re here to help me–”

“–I can only help you so long as you don’t get caught. If they catch you, they’re going to hold you in a cell, the formula’s going to wear off and guess what? People are going to figure out that we’re the same person because they’ll have seen it with their own bloody eyes!”

Hyde wavers, then mutters petulantly, “But I won’t get caught… .”

“This is useless.” Jekyll stares moodily out his window. It seems he’s come to a decision. “I can’t let you go out tonight. It’s too dangerous.”

Hyde insists that Jekyll can’t be serious. When Jekyll does not respond, Hyde rounds on him, rallying himself into a snarling ball of rage. But Jekyll is not frightened of him–he seems merely very tired. “Don’t be like that. You know I had no choice. There will be no going out until this entire investigation has calmed down, and after that … we’ll see.”

Hyde feels as if the pit has fallen out of his stomach. “We’ll see?” He has never in his wildest dreams ever considered that Jekyll might stop him going out for even one night … and now suddenly he is facing the possibility of being trapped, a mere shadow of his former self, possibly forever. He wants to question Jekyll further, force him to admit that this isn’t true, but at that moment the door opens and Rachel pokes her head through:

“Sir, I’m sorry to bother you, but … it’s Frankenstein! I think he’s coming to!”