Day 9

11 AM, Studio 1

Chris enters the studio with the inspector, and sees that Alan is sitting down on the floor, shaking his head. Then he looks at the bathroom door, and sees that there´s new graffiti on it.

Chris: Oh no, not again! What does it say?

Alan: “Nothing can come between us, you´re a brother of mine”.

Chris: This time it´s not a quote from a Yes album.

Alan: No, but… I have to say, it does sound familiar in some way or the other.

Inspector: Well, I cannot judge that for sure, but I do see something else. This graffiti clearly has a different outlook than the earlier graffiti.

Alan: You mean… that somebody else put on the new graffiti?

Inspector: Indeed so. (Walking towards the bathroom door, touching the graffiti). And the paint´s still fresh.

Chris: So maybe our guy is still nearby?

Inspector: Maybe, but I don´t expect to find someone in the hall with a spray can in his hand. Our guy seems to be too subtle for that. Still, I´ll have another chat with the studio secretary right away. See if she saw someone.

Chris: Okay, in the meantime we will continue recording some music.

The inspector leaves the room, but three minutes later he enters the studio again.

Inspector: Gentlemen, could you come out for a while? I think we have some kind of breakthrough.

Chris and Alan come out of the studio, and next to the inspector they see Kitty, the studio secretary. She was crying.

Inspector: Please, tell us what you saw, my dear.

Studio secretary: I saw mr. Bill Bruford (sobbing) coming out of the studio with a spray can in his hands.

Alan and Chris stare at each other, with their mouths falling open.

Inspector: And did you see mr. Bruford act in some other suspicious manner these days, dear?

Studio secretary: Yes (floods of tears coming out). I wish I didn´t have to say this! Mr. Bruford was always so nice to me.

Inspector: Come on, child, it´s for the best. Now what else did you tell me a few minutes ago?

Studio secretary (drying her tears): On the first day, when you all came to the same room, I heard some angry noise. It was mr. Bruford who was shouting, and he came out of the room, and he slammed the door. Suddenly he stopped, grabbed a note from his pocket and pushed it under the door. (Crying passionately again). And I promised him not to say anything! (Hitting the reception desk with her little fists). I promised! I promised! He said it was a joke and I shouldn’t say anything.

The inspector puts an arm around her shoulders and whispers some comforting words to the studio secretary down, leading her away from Alan and Chris. After a few moments he returns to Alan and Chris.

Chris: We finally got him!

Inspector: Well, we don´t know that for sure.

Alan: What do you mean? He was caught in the act!

Inspector (nods): Yes, so it seems. It certainly is a breakthrough, but technically we do need to have a confession, gentlemen.

Suddenly they see an angry Peter Banks opening the door from studio 3.

Peter: Someone put graffiti in my studio! What kind of a studio is this, where everybody can just walk in and out??

Chris, Alan and the inspector enter Peter´s studio quickly.

Alan: It´s the same message from our studio.  “Nothing can come between us, you´re a brother of mine”.

Suddenly they see the door from studio 2 swinging open. They see Bill Bruford coming out, with a spray can in his hands. He was smiling from ear to ear.

Peter (angrily jumping up and down): Caught! Caught! Caught! Caught in the act! (looking at the inspector): Come on, what are you waiting for? Arrest him! He´s our joker, obviously! How much more proof do you need?

Inspector (after staring in disbelief to Bill): Indeed, it seems that you have a lot to explain, mr. Bruford!

Bill (still smiling): I´m more than happy to do so, sir. I invite you into my studio.

Studio secretary: Mr. Bruford, can you forgive me? I told them about the note you pushed under the door. I feel horrible.

Bill: No need to, Kitty. It had to come out someday.

Bill closed the door behind the inspector and himself.

Peter: I never trusted him.

Alan: Well, I did!

Chris: So did I. I didn’t expect this at all. Well, at least everything’s solved now.

Peter (with a grin on his face) : Absolutely!

Peter, Alan and Chris disappear to their respective studios. Alan and Chris are jamming and recording together, Alan playing both keyboards and drums (though not at the same time of course). After a few hours they stop.

Alan: Well, what do you say? We have three songs already.

Chris: All songs are about 3,5 minutes. With some hit potential as well. The record company will be pleased.

Alan: Yes, but we do need some other instrumentalists. Maybe we should ask Tom Brislin and Billy Sherwood to our band?

Chris: Yes, and maybe I can sing.

Alan: Maybe Jon would like to help out?

Chris: I don’t think so, but I can try.

Alan: Hopefully the case is really solved now, and nobody tries to separate us from each other after all.

Chris: Alan, nothing can some between us!

Alan (jumps up): What did you just say?? … You said… the text from the graffiti…

Chris: Come on, Alan, calm down! Don’t get paranoid. That was just a coincidence. I’m not the joker, really! You saw Bill coming out of the studio with a spray can in his hand! And you heard what Kitty said!

Alan: Okay… I’m sorry… It’s just… it’s all so nerve wrecking.

(A knock on the door).

Alan: Come in!

Jon enters the room.

Jon: Just dropping by to see how you’re doing.

Chris: Quite good, actually. And yourself?

Jon: Not too good. Did you make some more music lately?

Alan: Yes, and maybe you’d like to sing on it.

Alan and Chris let Jon listen to their songs.

Jon (with a grimace on his face): Did you do nothing more than just… pop songs?

Chris: Well, actually…

Jon: Sorry, guys, it’s your music, but I think you can do so much more. You are so talented! Why not write some real music?

Chris: Jon, you really have a hit singles disease!

Jon: Sorry guys, I will participate only of you are making Yes music.

Chris: It is Yes music! We’re Yes!

Jon: (Looking sadly). Well, yes and no. For me, it’s only Yes if it sounds like Yes. And this doesn’t sound like Yes. Good luck, guys.

Jon leaves the room. Five minutes later, the inspector comes in the room.

Inspector: I just came to say goodbye. It was nice cooperating with you. (Shakes hands with the other two). Bye now!

Alan: Great! So everything’s alright now? Bill made a confession?

Inspector: Well, yes and no. But everything’s okay. You don’t need to worry.

Alan: Did you arrest him?

Inspector: Um… no!

Alan: I don’t understand.

Inspector: I can’t say anything more. I’m sorry. I got my orders.

Chris: You got your orders? But we hired you!

Inspector: Um, no, actually you didn’t. The record company did. If you need some more information, ask the CEO of your record company.

The inspector leaves the room.

Chris: I’ll do that immediately! (Takes his mobile phone and dials a number). Yes, Chris Squire here! Did I hear rightly from the inspector that everything’s been solved.

CEO: Yes, yes. You don’t need to worry. Just worry about the music. You do have music, don’t you?

Chris (angrily): Yes, yes, you don’t need to worry! Just worry about us. We got three hit singles. It will be a smash.

CEO: Three hit singles? Chris, and the rest?

Chris: What rest? Well, we will write some more songs.

CEO: Some epics please. The Yes audience loves that!

Chris: But you said we should do hit singles!

CEO: Really, Chris, sometimes I get the impression that you don’t understand me at all.

Chris (still angry): I confess that I don’t sir.

CEO: You need hit singles of course, as I said, to get public attention, first things first, but apart from that you also need some epics, for the long term fans. You know what? Talk to Jon, and talk to Bill. Bright chap, that Bill!

Chris: You don’t know how bright he is.

CEO: I do, Chris, but do you? Get Jon and Bill, and Steve and Rick if possible.

Chris: They left the band.

CEO: I know that! I know everything.

Chris: Do you know then by any chance if our joker has been identified?

CEO: Why, yes!

Chris: Who is he then?

CEO: Can’t tell you, sorry.

Chris: I am the manager of this band!

CEO: The keeper of the flame, aren’t you?

Chris: Yes, at least I never left. Nor did Alan.

CEO (laughs): But some people left you.

Chris: Yes, many! But that’s not my fault!

CEO: Chris, listen carefully to me. Everything’s under control, you don’t need to worry. You know that I built up this record company? And it’s a big one, isn’t it? And did you know that I even built up a soccer team in New York? I had the best Dutch football players in the world, and German… And Dutch and German football coaches. I could even buy David Beckham if I wished.

Chris (sarcastically): And you can build a fashion house, so that his wife can go over the catwalk. Okay, you obviously don’t want to tell us more. But tell me this, is Yes still in the hands of Alan and me?

CEO: Yes will rise from the ashes, like the Phoenix, the mythological bird. That’s all I can say to you.

Chris: And all I know is that our joker can still separate Alan and me from each other!

CEO: You gotta go with the flow, Chris. I’m telling you, Yes will survive. It always did! Don’t worry. Bye now!

Chris stares at his shoes.

Alan: And?

Chris: I think he and the inspector got bribed. Alan, we have to watch out real carefully today! The danger’s not gone!

Alan: And what if the CEO is the joker?

Chris: All I know is that we should stay close to each other.

Chris and Alan stay together, eat together, practice together, and try not to panic.

3 PM

Chris and Alan are walking down the hallway towards their studio. Suddenly they see Roger Dean coming by.

Alan: Hi, Roger! How did you know we’re here? Are you coming to do some artwork for our new album?

Roger: Um no, I’ve been asked by Jon and Bill. I’ll meet them in the cafeteria. See you!

Chris and Alan stare at each other.

Chris: Bill… and Jon?

Alan: I’m gonna find out. Wait for me in the studio.

Five minutes later, Alan runs down the hallway, and enters studio 1.

Alan (panting): Chris… Chris!

Chris: What’s up?

Alan: Anderson…

Chris: Jon?

Alan: Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe is reforming!

After talks with Jon and a still smiling Bill they find out that that is only too true, and that ABWH also wants to have the big studio, studio 1.

Jon: After all, we are four and you are two.

Chris: Yes, but we are Yes. You left!

Alan: We could cooperate.

Chris: No! We are Yes. They left! And one more thing, don’t use the Yes name for your project!

Jon: We are the true Yes!

Chris: No, we are! I know the law.

Jon: And I know your music and it doesn’t sound like Yes!

Chris (to Bill): And why didn’t you get arrested??

Bill: What for? You can wash away the paint. Besides, it gives all our studios a nice look.

Jon: Yes, and the graffiti is so inspiring! Bill did it in all the studios, to remind us that we are all brothers!

Bill (laughs) : Yes, first time I understood a Yes lyric.

Jon: I’m glad he used that powerful Yes line.

Chris: It wasn’t from a Yes album!

Bill: It was from the only Yes album you didn’t hear enough: the Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe album.

Chris: You’re the joker, Bill! You don’t fool us!

Bill (laughs): Well, I am a joker from time to time, yes.

The rest of the afternoon, Yes studio 1 and Yes studio 2 (that’s where ABWH gathered) played their own different versions of Yes music. But there was even a third Yes about to happen, in studio 3. Alan was walking down the hallway and saw that the door of studio 3 wasn’t closed. He was having a look.

Peter: Okay, what they can do, we can do. And even better!

Geoff: Well, I don’t know.

Peter: Yes, yes! You had a big hand in Drama, I wrote a lot for the first two albums, Patrick wrote a lot for Awaken, for which he didn’t get enough credit, and Trevor wrote most of the 90125 album!

Patrick: But we’re two guitar players and two keyboardists!

Peter:  We could use session musicians. Come on, let’s give it a try! Banks Moraz Rabin Downes. BMRD! Why not?

Trevor Rabin: Sorry, I’m off to do another movie soundtrack.

Downes: I’m going to do another Asia album, without Steve Howe, too bad. Hey, Trevor, maybe you’re interested?

Trevor: Well, I don’t know…

Alan returns to Chris to tell the news. Meanwhile Geoff and Trevor leave studio 3. Peter and Patrick  as well, and they are walking down the hallway, They listen to the music coming out of studio 2.

Peter: Well, ABWH in full action.

Patrick: Yes, and it doesn’t sound bad, to be honest.

Peter: Wait, do you hear the guitar?

Patrick: That must be Steve?

Peter: No, they use a tape with my guitar parts! They’re using my parts!!

Patrick: And it’s upfront in the mix as well. Maybe I made a mistake by acting the way I did?

Peter: No, Patrick, you did the right thing. You did us all a favour. Don’t try to fix it.

A tear was running down on one of Peter’s cheeks.

Peter: At last they’re using my parts!

Meanwhile, in studio 1

Chris: I’m getting pretty much depressed by now. Shall we have some fun tonight?

Alan: Yes, and it’s best to leave the studio. In case there’s still a joker around.

Chris: Yes, we should go. Have some dinner together.

Alan: And shall we go to the ice rink tonight?

Chris: Great idea!

8 PM, ice rink

Alan and Chris are having fun on the ice rink. They were having a little chat during the skating.

Alan: Well, we sure needed that, didn’t we?

Chris: Yes! I’m feeling much better now.

Alan: Me too! I think from now on everything will be going better. We’ll just hire some session musicians and ignore ABWH, BMRD and whatever combination we’ll encounter.

Chris: Yes!

Suddenly a man is skating very fast towards Chris and Alan.

Chris: Watch out, Alan!

Alan tries to skate away, but too late. The skater hits Alan’s ankle with one of his skates, and Alan falls. Chris tries to get him up. A bearded man approaches.

Bearded man: I’m a doctor. Just let me help.

Alan: Ouch!

Bearded man: I’m afraid he has broken his ankle.

Chris: No, that can’t be true!

Bearded man: I’ll call the hospital immediately. Take care.

(The bearded man shakes Chris’ hands and runs away very fast. Chris, who was wearing gloves, suddenly finds out that the bearded stranger had put a note in his hand. Chris read it out loud.)

“Two little proggers were having lots of fun,

then one got injured, and suddenly there was only one!"

Chris: No… no… no!!!

Alan (groaning): Chris!

Chris: Yes?

Alan: You’re… on your own now… Chris!

TO BE CONTINUED