Five Plays Part 29

A sword! No, no, I must not; the King would kill me if he found that I had a sword.

SECOND SLAVE (_slowly, as one who develops an idea_)

If the King found that I had a sword, why, then it would be an evil day for the King.

[_They all look off left._

ZARB

I think that they are playing at dice again.

FIRST SLAVE

I do not see Argimenes.

ZARB

No, because he was crouching as he walked. The slave-guard is on the sky-line.

SECOND SLAVE

What is that dark shadow behind the slave-guard?

ZARB

It is too still to be Argimenes.

SECOND SLAVE

Look! It moves.

ZARB

The evening is too dark, I cannot see.

[_They continue to gaze into the gathering darkness. They raise themselves on their knees and crane their necks. n.o.body speaks. Then from their lips and from others farther off goes up a long, deep "Oh!"

It is like the sound that goes up from the grandstand when a horse falls at a fence, or, in England, like the first exclamation of the crowd at a great cricket match when a man is caught in the slips._

CURTAIN

THE SECOND ACT

_The Throne Hall of King Darniak. The King is seated on his throne in the centre at the back of the stage; a little to his left, but standing out from the wall, a dark-green seated idol is set up. His Queens are seated about him on the ground, two on his right and two between him and the idol. All wear crowns. Beside the dark-green idol a soldier with a pike is kneeling upon one knee. The tear-song, the chant of the low-born, drifts faintly up from the slave-fields._

FIRST QUEEN

Do show us the new prophet, Majesty; it would be very interesting to see another prophet.

THE KING

Ah, yes.

[_He strikes upon a gong, and an Attendant enters, walks straight past the King and bows before the idol; he then walks back to the centre of the stage and bows before the King._

THE KING

Bring the new prophet hither.

[_Exit Attendant. Enter the King's Overseer holding a roll of paper.

He pa.s.ses the King, bows to the idol, returns to the front of the King, kneels, and remains kneeling with bended head._

THE KING (_speaking in the meanwhile to the Second Queen on his immediate right_)

We are making a beautiful arbor for you, O Atharlia, at an end of the great garden. There shall be iris-flowers that you love and all things that grow by streams. And the stream there shall be small and winding like one of those in your country. I shall bring a stream a new way from the mountains. (_Turning to Queen Oxara on his extreme right_) And for you, too, O Oxara, we shall make a pleasance. I shall have rocks brought from the quarries for you, and my idle slaves shall make a hill and plant it with mountain shrubs, and you can sit there in the winter thinking of the North. (_To the kneeling Overseer_) Ah, what is here?

THE KING'S OVERSEER

The plans of your royal garden, Majesty. The slaves have dug it for five years and rolled the paths.

THE KING (_takes the plans_)

Was there not a garden in Babylon?

THE KING'S OVERSEER

They say there was a garden there of some sort, Majesty.

THE KING

I will have a greater garden. Let the world know and wonder. (_Looks at the plans_)

THE KING'S OVERSEER

It shall know at once, Majesty.

THE KING (_pointing at the plan_)

I do not like that hill, it is too steep.

THE KING'S OVERSEER

No, Majesty.

THE KING