Plays of Near & Far Part 2

AMBa.s.sADOR: One is a wine scarcely less rare, scarcely less jubilant in the wits of man, than that which alas is lost.

[_He glances towards the spot where he threw the other._

KING: And the other?

AMBa.s.sADOR: Who may say? It is the most treasured secret that the Emperor's poisoners guard.

KING: I will send for my butlers that are wise in wine and they shall smell the cups.

AMBa.s.sADOR: Alas, but the Emperor's poisoners have added so wine-like a flavour to their most secret draught, that no man may tell by this means which is their work and which that inestimable wine.

KING: I will send for my tasters and they shall taste of the cups.

AMBa.s.sADOR: Alas, so great a risk may not be run.

KING: Risks are the duty of a king's tasters.

AMBa.s.sADOR: If they chanced to taste of the treasure of the Emperor's poisoners--well. But if they, or _any_ man of common birth, were to taste of the wine that the Emperor sends only to kings, and even to kings but rarely, that were an affront to the Emperor's ancient wine that could not be permitted.

KING: It is surely permitted that I send for my priests, who tell by divination, having burnt strange herbs to the G.o.ds that guard the Golden Isles.

AMBa.s.sADOR: It is permitted.

KING: Send for the priests.

KING (_mainly to himself_): They shall discern. The priests shall make for me this dreadful choice. They shall burn herbs and discern it. (_To_ AMBa.s.sADOR.) My priests are very subtle. They worship the G.o.ds that guard the Golden Isles.

AMBa.s.sADOR: The Emperor has other G.o.ds.

[_Enter L. two priests of the Order of the Sun. Two acolytes follow. One carries a tripod and the other a gong._

[_The priests abase themselves and the acolytes bow. The_ AMBa.s.sADOR _stands with almost Mongolian calm by the door from which he has not moved since he entered._

[_The impa.s.sive_ NUBIAN _stands motionless near the_ KING, _holding up the cups on a tray._

KING: The Emperor has honoured me with these two cups of wine that I may drink one of them to the grandeur of his throne. I bid you importune the G.o.ds that they may surely tell me which it were well to drink.

FIRST PRIEST: We will importune the G.o.ds with the savour of rarest spices. We will send up to them the odour of herbs they love. We will commune with them in silence and they shall answer our thoughts, when they snuff the savour of the smoke of the burning on the tripod that is sacred to the Sun.

[_The calm of the_ AMBa.s.sADOR _and the impa.s.sivity of the_ NUBIAN _grow ominous. The two priests hang over the tripod. They cast herbs upon it.

They pa.s.s their hands over it. The herbs begin to smoulder. A smoke goes up. The priests bend over the smoke. Presently they step back from it._

FIRST PRIEST: The G.o.ds sleep.

KING: They sleep! The G.o.ds that guard the Golden Isles?

FIRST PRIEST: The G.o.ds sleep.

KING: Importune them as never before. I will make sacrifice of many sheep. I will give emeralds to the Monks of the Sun.

[_The second acolyte moves nearer to the tripod and beats listlessly on his great gong at about the pace of a great clock striking slowly._

FIRST PRIEST: We will importune the G.o.ds as never before.

[_They heap up more herbs and spices. The smoke grows thicker and thicker. It streams upwards. They hover about it as before. At a sign the gong ceases._

The G.o.ds have spoken.

KING: What is their message?

FIRST PRIEST: Drink of the cup upon the Nubian's left.

KING: Ah. My G.o.ds defend me.

[_He seizes the cup boldly. He looks straight at the_ AMBa.s.sADOR, _whose face remains expressionless, merely watching. He lifts the cup upon the Nubian's left a little up from the tray._

[_He glances towards the priests._

[_Suddenly he starts. He has seen a strange expression upon the face of the priest. He puts the cup down. He strides a step nearer and looks at his face._

PRIEST!--Priest!---- What is that look in your eyes?

FIRST PRIEST: O King, I know not. I have given the message of the G.o.ds.

[_The_ KING _continues to search out his face._

KING: I mistrust it.

FIRST PRIEST: It is the message of the G.o.ds.

KING: I will drink of the other cup!

[_The_ KING _steps back to his place in the front of his throne where the Nubian stands beside him. He takes the cup upon the Nubian's right.

He gazes at the priest. He looks round at the Amba.s.sador, but sees nothing in that watchful, expressionless face._

[_He glances sidelong at the priest, then drinks, draining the cup at some length. He puts it down in silence. The face of the Amba.s.sador and the whole bulk of the Nubian remain motionless._

KING: An inestimable wine!

AMBa.s.sADOR: It is the Emperor's joy.

KING: Send for my Questioners.

[_There are weird whistles. Two dark men run on in loin clothes._

Ask these two priests the Seven Questions.

[_The_ QUESTIONERS _run nimbly up to the two priests and lead them away by the arm._