Five Plays Part 16

Come, come!

[_They listen. No one speaks. The stony boots come on. Enter in single file through door in right of back, a procession of seven green men, even hands and faces are green; they wear greenstone sandals; they walk with knees extremely wide apart, as having sat cross-legged for centuries; their right arms and right forefingers point upward, right elbows resting on left hands; they stoop grotesquely. Halfway to the footlights they left wheel. They pa.s.s in front of the seven beggars, now in terrified att.i.tudes, and six of them sit down in the att.i.tude described, with their backs to the audience. The leader stands, still stooping._

OOGNO (_cries out just as they wheel left_)

The G.o.ds of the Mountain!

AGMAR (_hoa.r.s.ely_)

Be still! They are dazzled by the light. They may not see us.

[_The leading Green Thing points his forefinger at the lantern--the flame turns green. When the six are seated the leader points one by one at each of the seven beggars, shooting out his forefinger at them. As he does this each beggar in his turn gathers himself back on to his throne and crosses his legs, his right arm goes stiffly upward with forefinger erect, and a staring look of horror comes into his eyes. In this att.i.tude the beggars sit motionless while a green light falls upon their faces. The G.o.ds go out._

_Presently enter the Citizens, some with victuals and fruit. One touches a beggar's arm and then another's._

CITIZEN

They are cold; they have turned to stone.

[_All abase themselves, foreheads to the floor._

ONE

We have doubted them. We have doubted them. They have turned to stone because we have doubted them.

ANOTHER

They were the true G.o.ds.

ALL

They were the true G.o.ds.

CURTAIN

THE GOLDEN DOOM

PERSONS

THE KING CHAMBERLAIN CHIEF PROPHET GIRL BOY SPIES FIRST PROPHET SECOND PROPHET FIRST SENTRY SECOND SENTRY STRANGER ATTENDANTS

_Scene: Outside the King's great door in Zericon._

_Time: Some while before the fall of Babylon._

THE GOLDEN DOOM

_Two Sentries pace to and fro, then halt, one on each side of the great door._

FIRST SENTRY

The day is deadly sultry.

SECOND SENTRY

I would that I were swimming down the Gyshon, on the cool side, under the fruit trees.

FIRST SENTRY

It is like to thunder or the fall of a dynasty.

SECOND SENTRY

It will grow cool by night-fall. Where is the King?

FIRST SENTRY

He rows in his golden barge with amba.s.sadors or whispers with captains concerning future wars. The stars spare him!

SECOND SENTRY

Why do you say "the stars spare him"?

FIRST SENTRY

Because if a doom from the stars fall suddenly on a king it swallows up his people and all things round about him, and his palace falls and the walls of his city and citadel, and the apes come in from the woods and the large beasts from the desert, so that you would not say that a king had been there at all.

SECOND SENTRY

But why should a doom from the stars fall on the King?

FIRST SENTRY

Because he seldom placates them.

SECOND SENTRY

Ah! I have heard that said of him.

FIRST SENTRY