Chapter 8
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?
MIRALDA
We all obey you, but not Daoud.
JOHN
I do not understand it.
A NOTABLE
The Shereef has frowned.
[Enter R. an OFFICER-AT-ARMS. He halts at once and salutes with his sword, then takes a side pace to his left, standing against the wall, sword at the carry.
JOHN acknowledges salute by touching his forehead with the inner tips of his fingers.]
OFFICER-AT-ARMS
Soldiers of Al Shaldomir; with the dance-step; march.
[Enter R. some men in single file; uniform, pale green silks; swords at carry. They advance in single file, in a slightly serpentine way, deviating to their left a little out of the straight and returning to it, stepping neatly on the tips of their toes. Their march is fantastic and odd without being exactly funny.
The OFFICER-AT-ARMS falls in on their left flank and marches about level with the third or fourth man. When he reaches the centre he gives another word of command.]
OFFICER-AT-ARMS
With reverence: Salute.
[The actor who takes this part should have been an officer or N. C. O.
JOHN stands up and acknowledges their salute by touching his forehead with the fingers of the right hand, palm turned inwards.
Exeunt soldiers L. JOHN sits down.]
A NOTABLE
He does not smile this evening.
A WOMAN
The Shereef?
NOTABLE
He has not smiled.
[Enter R. ZABNOOL, a CONJURER, with brass bowl. He bows. He walks to centre opposite JOHN. He exhibits his bowl.]
ZABNOOL
Behold. The bowl is empty.
[ZABNOOL produces a snake.]
ZABNOOL
Ah, little servant of Death.
[He produces flowers.]
Flowers, master, flowers. All the way from Nowhere.
[He produces birds.]
Birds, master. Birds from Nowhere. Sing, sing to the Shereef. Sing the little empty songs of the land of Nowhere.
[He seats himself on the ground facing JOHN. He puts the bowl on the ground. He places a piece of silk, with queer designs on it over the bowl. He partly draws the silk away with his left hand and puts in his right. He brings out a young crocodile and holds it by the neck.]
CONJURER
Behold, O Shereef; O people, behold; a crocodile.
[He arises and bows to JOHN and wraps up the crocodile in some drapery and walks away. As he goes he addresses his crocodile.]
O eater of lambs, O troubler of the rivers, you sought to evade me in an empty bowl. O thief, O appetite, you sought to evade the Shereef. The Shereef has seen you, O vexer of swimmers, O pig in armour, O...
[Exit.
SHABEESH, another CONJURER, rushes on.]
SHABEESH
Bad man, master; he very, very bad man.
[He pushes ZABNOOL away roughly, impetus of which carries ZABNOOL to the wings.]
Very, very bad man, master.
MIRALDA [reprovingly]
Zabnool has amused us.
SHABEESH
He very, very bad man, lily lady. He get crocodile from devil. From devil Poolyana, lily lady. Very, very bad.
MIRALDA
He may call on devils if he amuse us, Shabeesh.
SHABEESH
But Poolyana, my devil. He call on my devil, lily lady. Very, very, very bad. My devil Poolyana.
MIRALDA
Call on him yourself, Shabeesh. Amuse us.
SHABEESH
Shall one devil serve two masters?
MIRALDA
Why not?
SHABEESH [beginning to wave priestly conjurer's hands]
Very bad man go away. Go away, bad man: go away, bad man. Poolyana not want bad man: Poolyana only work for good man. He mighty fine devil. Poolyana, Poolyana. Big, black, fine, furry devil. Poolyana, Poolyana, Poolyana. O fine, fat devil with big angry tail. Poolyana, Poolyana, Poolyana. Send me up fine young pig for the Shereef. Poolyana, Poolyana. Lil yellow pig with curly tail. [Small pig appears.] O Poolyana, great Poolyana. Fine black fur and grey fur underneath. Fine ferocious devil you my devil, Poolyana. O, Poolyana, Poolyana, Poolyana. Send me a big beast what chew bad man's crocodile. Big beast with big teeth, eat him like a worm.
[He has spread large silk handkerchief on floor and is edging back from it in alarm.]
Long nails in him toes, big like lion, Poolyana. Send great smelly big beast--eat up bad man's crocodile.
[At first stir of handkerchief SHABEESH leaps in alarm.]
He come, he come. I see his teeth and horns.
[Enter small live rabbit from trapdoor under handkerchief.]
O, Poolyana, you big devil have your liddle joke. You laugh at poor conjuring man. You send him lil rabbit to eat big crocodile. Bad Poolyana. Bad Poolyana.
[Whacks ground with stick.]
You plenty bad devil, Poolyana.
[Whacking it again. Handkerchief has been thrown on ground again. Handkerchief stirs slightly.]
No, no, Poolyana. You not bad devil. You not bad devil. You plenty good devil, Poolyana. No, no, no! Poor conjuring man quite happy on muddy earth. No, Poolyana, no! O, no, no, devil. O, no, no! Hell plenty nice place for devil. Master! He not my devil! He other man's devil!
JOHN
What's this noise? What's it about? What's the matter?
SHABEESH [in utmost terror]
He coming, master! Coming!
ZABNOOL
Poolyana, Poolyana, Poolyana. Stay down, stay down, Poolyana. Stay down in nice warm hell, Poolyana. The Shereef want no devil to-day.
[ZABNOOL before speaking returns to centre and pats air over ground where handkerchief lies.
Then SHABEESH and ZABNOOL come together side by side and bow and smile together toward the SHEREEF. Gold is thrown to them, which ZABNOOL gathers and hands to SHABEESH, who gives a share back to ZABNOOL.]
A NOTABLE
The Shereef is silent.
[Enter three women R. in single file, dancing, and carrying baskets full of pink rose-leaves. They dance across, throwing down rose-leaves, leaving a path of them behind them. Exeunt L.]
A NOTABLE
Still he is silent.
MIRALDA
Why do you not speak?
JOHN
I do not wish to speak.
MIRALDA
Why?
[Enter OMAR with his zither.]
OMAR [singing]
Al Shaldomir, Al Shaldomir, Birds sing thy praises night and day; The nightingale in every wood, Blackbirds in fields profound with may; Birds sing of thee by every way.
Al Shaldomir, Al Shaldomir, My heart is ringing with thee still Though far away, O fairy fields, My soul flies low by every hill And misses not one daffodil.
Al Shaldomir, Al Shaldomir, O mother of my roving dreams Blue is the night above thy spires And blue by myriads of streams Paradise through thy gateway gleams.
MIRALDA
Why do you not wish to speak?
JOHN
You desire me to speak?
MIRALDA
No. They all wonder why you do not speak; that is all.
JOHN
I will speak. They shall hear me.
MIRALDA
O, there is no need to.
JOHN
There is a need. [He rises.] People of Shaldomir, behold I know your plottings. I know the murmurings that you murmur against me. When I sleep in my inner chamber my ear is in the market, while I sit at meat I hear men whisper far hence and know their innermost thoughts. Hope not to overcome me by your plans nor by any manner of craftiness. My gods are gods of brass; none have escaped them. They cannot be overthrown. Of all men they favour my people. Their hands reach out to the uttermost ends of the earth. Take heed, for my gods are terrible. I am the Shereef; if any dare withstand me I will call on my gods and they shall crush him utterly. They shall grind him into the earth and trample him under, as though he had not been. The uttermost parts have feared the gods of the English. They reach out, they destroy, there is no escape from them. Be warned; for I do not permit any to stand against me. The laws that I have given you, you shall keep; there shall be no other laws. Whoso murmurs shall know my wrath and the wrath of my gods. Take heed, I speak not twice. I spoke once to Hussein. Hussein heard not; and Hussein is dead, his ears are closed for ever. Hear, O people.
HAFIZ
O Shereef, we murmur not against you.
JOHN
I know thoughts and hear whispers. I need not instruction, Hafiz.
HAFIZ
You exalt yourself over us as none did aforetime.
JOHN
Yes. And I will exalt myself. I have been Shereef hitherto, but now I will be king. Al Shaldomir is less than I desire. I have ruled too long over a little country. I will be the equal of Persia. I will be king; I proclaim it. The pass is mine; the mountains shall be mine also. And he that rules the mountains has mastery over all the plains beyond. If the men of the plains will not own it let them make ready; for my wrath will fall on them in the hour when they think me afar, on a night when they think I dream. I proclaim myself king over...
[HAFIZ pulls out his flute and plays the weird, strange tune. JOHN looks at him in horrified anger.]
JOHN
The penalty is death! Death is the punishment for what you do, Hafiz. You have dared while I spoke. Hafiz, your contempt is death. Go to Hussein. I, the king... say it.
[DAOUD has entered R., bearing two oars. DAOUD walks across, not looking at JOHN. Exit by small door in L. near back.
JOHN gives one look at the banqueters, then he follows DAOUD. Exit.
All look astonished. Some rise and peer. HAFIZ draws his knife.]
OMAR [singing]
Al Shaldomir, Al Shaldomir, The nightingales that guard thy ways Cease not to give thee, after God And after Paradise, all praise.
CRIES [off]
Kill the unbeliever. Kill the dog. Kill the Christian.
[Enter the SHEIK OF THE BISHAREENS, followed by all his men.]
SHEIK
We are the Bishareens, master.
[MIRALDA standing up, right arm akimbo, left arm pointing perfectly straight out towards the small door, hand extended.]
MIRALDA
He is there.
[The BISHAREENS run off through the little door.]
A NOTABLE
Not to interfere with old ways is wisest.
ANOTHER
Indeed, it would have been well for him.
[The BISHAREENS begin to return looking all about them like disappointed hounds.]
A BISHAREEN
He is not there, master.
HAFIZ
Not there? Not there? Why, there is no door beyond. He must needs be there, and his chief spy with him.
SHEIK [off]
He is not here.
MIRALDA [turning round and clawing the wall]
O, I was weary of him. I was weary of him.
HAFIZ
Be comforted, pearl of the morning; he is gone.
MIRALDA
When I am weary of a man he must die.
[He embraces her knees.]
ZAGBOOLA [who has come on with a little crowd that followed the BISHAREENS. She is blind.]
Lead me to Hafiz. I am the mother of Hafiz. Lead me to Hafiz. [They lead her near.] Hafiz! Hafiz!
[She finds his shoulder and tries to drag him away.]
HAFIZ
Go! Go! I have found the sole pearl of the innermost deeps of the sea.
[He is kneeling and kissing MIRALDA's hand. ZAGBOOLA wails.]
Curtain