If: A Play in Four Acts by Lord Dunsany (uplifting books for women .txt) 📗
- Author: Lord Dunsany
Book online «If: A Play in Four Acts by Lord Dunsany (uplifting books for women .txt) 📗». Author Lord Dunsany
THOOTHOOBABA goes on fanning.]
JOHN
Speak!
[BAZZALOL is silent.
JOHN tightens it more. THOOTHOOBABA goes on quietly fanning.]
BAZZALOL
I cannot.
JOHN
If you would speak, raise your left hand. If you raise your left hand and do not speak you shall die.
[BAZZALOL is silent. JOHN tightens more. BAZZALOL raises his great flabby left hand high. JOHN releases the cord. BAZZALOL blinks and moves his mouth.]
BAZZALOL
Gracious Shereef, one visited the great lady and gave us gold, saying, "Speak not."
JOHN
When?
BAZZALOL
Great master, one hour since.
JOHN [a little viciously]
Who?
BAZZALOL
O heaven-sent, he was Hafiz el Alcolahn.
JOHN
Give me the gold.
[BAZZALOL gives it.]
[To THOOTHOOBABA.] Give me the gold.
THOOTHOOBABA
Master, none gave me gold.
[John touches his dagger, and looks like using it.
THOOTHOOBABA gives it.]
JOHN
Take back your gold. Be silent about this. You too.
[He throws gold to BAZZALOL.]
Gold does not make you silent, but there is a thing that does. What is that thing? Speak. What thing makes you silent?
BAZZALOL
O, great master, it is death.
JOHN
Death, eh? And how will you die if you speak? You know how you will die?
BAZZALOL
Yes, heaven-sent.
JOHN
Tell your comrade, then.
BAZZALOL
We shall be eaten, great master.
JOHN
You know by what?
BAZZALOL
Small things, great master, small things. Oh-h-h-h. Oh-h-h.
[THOOTHOOBABA's knees scarcely hold him.]
JOHN
It is well.
Curtain
SCENE 2
A small street. Al Shaldomir.
Time: Next day.
[Enter L. the SHEIK OF THE BISHAREENS.
He goes to an old green door, pointed of course in the Arabic way.]
SHEIK OF THE BISHAREENS
Ho, Bishareens!
[The BISHAREENS run on.]
SHEIK
It is the place and the hour.
BISHAREENS
Ah, ah!
SHEIK [to FIRST BISHAREEN]
Watch.
[FIRST BISHAREEN goes to right and watches up sunny street.]
FIRST BISHAREEN
He comes.
[Enter HAFIZ EL ALCOLAHN. He goes straight up to the SHEIK and whispers.]
SHEIK [turning]
Hear, O Bishareens.
[HAFIZ places flute to his lips.]
A BISHAREEN
And the gold, master?
SHEIK
Silence! It is the signal.
[HAFIZ plays a weird, strange tune on his flute.]
HAFIZ
So.
SHEIK
Master, once more.
[HAFIZ raises the flute again to his lips.]
SHEIK
Hear, O Bishareens!
[He plays the brief tune again.]
HAFIZ [to SHEIK]
Like that.
SHEIK
We have heard, O master.
[He walks away L. Hands move in the direction of knife-hilts.]
THE BISHAREENS
Ah, ah!
[Exit HAFIZ.
He plays a merry little tune on his flute as he walks away.]
Curtain
SCENE 3
The banqueting hall. A table along the back. JOHN and MIRALDA seated with notables of Al Shaldomir.
JOHN sits in the centre, with MIRALDA on his right and, next to her, HAFIZ EL ALCOLAHN.
MIRALDA [to JOHN]
You bade Daoud be present?
JOHN
Yes.
MIRALDA
He is not here.
JOHN
Daoud not here?
MIRALDA
No.
JOHN
Why?
Comments (0)