Woman on Her Own, False Gods and The Red Robe Part 62

PARALYZED MAN. Thou hast but to will it, Isis, and I walk!

THE MAN [_with the bandaged head_] Heal my sores! I sow horror around me! Heal my sores!

HIGH PRIEST. Answer us! Bend thy head!

ALL. Pity!

_The crowd, delirious, cries and sobs in a paroxysm of despair._

SATNI. Oh! the poor wretched souls!

_He presses the lever. As the head of the statue bows, the people respond with one wild roar of acclamation._

CURTAIN

ACT V

SCENE:--_Same as Acts I and II._

_The statues of the G.o.ds are set up again, in their places, facing them a throne has been erected on which the High Priest is seated. Rheou, Satni, Mieris, Yaouma, Sokiti, Nourm, Bitiou, the Steward and all the women and servants of the household, and the laborers. When the curtain rises all are prostrate with their faces to the ground._

HIGH PRIEST [_after a pause_] Rise! [_All rise to their knees. A pause_]

The divine images are again in their places. You have shown that you repent. You have begged for pardon. You have testified your horror of the terrible crime you were driven to commit. You await your chastis.e.m.e.nt. The G.o.ds now permit that we proceed to the sacrifice, that will bring about the overflowing of the Nile, and give for yet another year, life to the land of Egypt. She who has chosen, the elect, the savior, is she here?

YAOUMA [_rising to her feet, radiant_] I am here!

HIGH PRIEST. Let her go to clothe her in the sacred robe. Form the procession to bear her to the threshold of the abode of the glorious and the immortal.

YAOUMA. Come!

_A number of the women rise and go out right with Yaouma._

HIGH PRIEST. To-day, at the hour when Ammon-Ra came forth from the underworld, I entered the sanctuary. Face to face with the G.o.d, I heard his words, which now you shall hear from me. These are the commands of the G.o.d. Rheou! [_Rheou stands up_] You have been to make submission to the Pharaoh--Light of Ra--you have implored his mercy. You have sworn on the body of your father, to serve him faithfully, and you have given that body to him in pledge of your obedience. You have denounced to his anger and justice those who conceived the impious plot to dethrone the Lord of Egypt. You have declared that if you did permit the images of the G.o.ds to be thrown down before you, it was because the spells of Satni had clouded your reason. Ammon has proclaimed to me that you are sincere! You are pardoned, on conditions which I shall presently impart.

[_Rheou bows and kneels down_] Satni! [_Satni stands up. He casts down his eyes, he is steeped in sorrow and shame_] Satni, you have admitted and proclaimed the power of the G.o.ds, whom you dared to deny. You have bowed you down before them. Once, in the temple, you took the first priestly vows; your life is therefore sacred. But you stand now reproved. This very day you will quit Egypt. Withdraw from the G.o.ds!

[_Satni, with eyes on the ground, withdraws, the people shrink aside to let him pa.s.s, abusing him in whispers, shaking their fists, and some even striking him. He goes to the terrace down left where he stands, hiding his face on his arm_] Ammon has spoken other words. [_The people turn from Satni_] All you who are here, you are guilty of the most odious, the most monstrous of crimes. You are all deserving of death.

Such is the decree of the G.o.d.

ALL. O Ammon! Pity! Pity! Ammon!

HIGH PRIEST. Cease your sobs! Cease your cries! Cease your useless prayers! Hear the G.o.d who speaks through my mouth.

ALL. Be kind! Thou! Thou! Have pity! Beseech the G.o.d for us, we implore thee! We would not die. Not death! not death! not death!

HIGH PRIEST. Yes--I--I have pity on you. But your crime is so great!

Have you considered well the enormity of your sin? None can remember to have seen the like. The G.o.ds! To overthrow the G.o.ds! And such G.o.ds!

Ammon and Thoueris! I would I might disarm their wrath. But what shall I offer them in your name that may equal your offence?

PEOPLE. All! Take all we possess, but spare our lives.

HIGH PRIEST. All you possess! 'Tis little enough.

PEOPLE. Take our crops.

HIGH PRIEST. And who then will feed you? Already you pay t.i.thes. I will offer a fourth of your harvests for ten years. But 'tis little. Even did I say you would give half of all that is in your homes, should I succeed? And would you give it me?

PEOPLE. Yes! Yes!

HIGH PRIEST. Still it will not be enough. Hear what the G.o.d hath breathed to me. There must be prayers, ceaseless prayers in the temple.

Every year ten of your daughters must enter the house of the G.o.d to be consecrated.

PEOPLE. Our daughters! Ammon! Our daughters!

HIGH PRIEST. The G.o.d is good! The G.o.d is good! Lo! I hear him p.r.o.nounce the words of pardon. But further, you must needs a.s.sist the Pharaoh to carry out the divine commands. Ammon wills that the Ethiopian infidels be chastised. All who are of an age to fight will join the army, that is on the eve of departure.

PEOPLE [_in consternation_] Oh! the war! the war!

HIGH PRIEST. Proud Ethiopia threatens invasion to Egypt. You must defend your tombs, your homes, and your women. Would you become slaves of the blacks?

PEOPLE. No, no, we would not!

HIGH PRIEST. You will go to punish the foes of your kings?

PEOPLE. We will go.

HIGH PRIEST. And what will be your reward? Know you not that victory will be yours, because the G.o.d is with you. And if some fall in battle, should we not all envy their fate, since they leave this world to go towards Osiris. The arrows of your foes will fall harmless at your feet, like wounded birds. Their swords shall bend on your invulnerable bodies.

The fire they light against you will become as perfumed water. All this you know to be true. You know that your G.o.ds protect you. You know they are all-powerful, because, yesterday, you all did see how the stone image of the G.o.ddess Isis did bow, to show you she protects you.

PEOPLE. To the war! To the war! To Ethiopia!

SATNI [_leaping up to the terrace_] I have been coward too long! [_To the crowd_] The miracle of yesterday--'twas I--'twas I who worked it.

_General uproar._

HIGH PRIEST. I deliver this man to you, and I deliver you to him. You will not let him deceive you twice.

_Execrations of the people, Satni cannot speak. The High Priest is borne out on his throne accompanied by Rheou._

SATNI [_when the uproar subsides_] I was in the temple--

PEOPLE. That is a lie!

SATNI. It was I who made the head of the image bow.

PEOPLE. He blasphemes. Have done! Have done! Let him not blaspheme!