Part 3

_Koil_ (_as they gaze long and tremblingly_). O saint, is it peace with you, and is all well? And have you roots and fruit enough for food; And have you joy in singing holy Vedas Here in this leafy-hearted hermitage?

_Rishyas._ O radiant one, yes--all is godly well. But whence are you? And whither do you go? I have dwelt only here, and not before Have I beheld so fair a vision fall-- Even from skies where wing the Apsaras.

_Koil._ I am not fair, O son of Vishwamya,

[_Timidly._

But I have come from very far away.

_Rishyas_ (_quickly_). And I have offered you no laving-water For hands and feet, Nor any fruit and herbs! Will you not sit upon this mat of kusa, Or on this skin of the wild antelope, And let me loose your sandals?--O sweet saint, For saint so bright an one must be!--it will Be dear to touch and tend you! For in this place I have beheld no other-- Only my father, Who is old and mighty In meditations he would have me mind. But you are fair as well. Will you not sit?

_Koil._ No, pious one, it is not meet for me To touch the holy water--yet I thank you.

_Rishyas._ Not meet for you? O, unto one who is So beautiful, are not all things most meet? Better are you, I know, than all the devas. And tho for but a moment I have seen you, I fain would follow The holy vows you follow. For you I would do all things. When I gaze Upon you all my body is as fire Upon the altar when I sacrifice. Will you not eat or drink?

_Koil._ Not at your hands. But see, O holy one, here are rare cakes, Brought with me from afar, and here is soma, Sparkling and ready with divinity To lift whoever drinks of it to joy. Drink you with me!

_Rishyas._ O gladly will I; give it.

[_Takes the flask; drinks deeply._

A wine of wonder is it and of wisdom, For now it makes you seem even more fair Than first you were. O let me tend about you, And let me wreathe your brow and limbs with flowers.

[_Takes some and entwines them over her._

_Koil_ (_trembling_). And you are beautiful. So I will weave Flowers upon you too. And see, and see, O, Rishyas, see, For I will dance to you-- The dance of all the dreamers in the world!

[_Unbinds her body-cloth and begins to dance--slowly at first then more alluringly, as he follows her, marvelling. Then at length she stops close up to him and murmurs_:

Does it not fill your heart, O Rishyas, With longing?

_Rishyas._ Yes, yes, yes. And with desire, I know not why, to lay my lips to yours! Then life, it seems, would burst all ill that binds it.

[_Instinctively; clasping her._

Oh this is sweeter than all other joys Of holiness that I have ever known. Your voice is like to piping of the koils That play in spring.

_Koil._ And Koil am I named.

_Rishyas._ And what is this I feel for you, O wise one? In skies from whence you come, what is its name? So pure are you that surely you can tell me?

_Koil._ O holy one, the people call it love.

_Rishyas._ Then is love better than all other bliss My father's meditations ever bring. And I will seek thro all the lapse of lives To hold you thus, And have your arms about me, As vines about the asoka clingingly. Happy am I that you have found me out, And never shall you leave me.

_Koil._ No--for ever!

[_More passionately._

But unto the city you shall go with me And there with Brahmin rites be made my husband.

_Rishyas._ Which is--I know not what--yet will I be Husband and more to you. For now it seems That not the tiger in his jungle-might, Nor any incarnation terrible, Could tear you from me.

_Koil._ Then come quickly, now, And I will be for you a champa-flower, Swung sweetly and forever to your breast. And often will I dance for you and sing And love you, Rishyas, as a deva-queen! Come quickly, one is waiting in the wood To guide us.

_Rishyas._ Yes, O yes! (_remembering_) But stay! my father! First I will tell him I have won this wisdom.

_Koil._ No, no!

_Rishyas._ Yes! (_calls_) Father! father!

_Koil_ (_in terror_). Rishyas, no! But come, come with me quickly.

_Rishyas_ (_astonished_). Do you fear?

_Koil._ He is so old!... You guess not what you do. Haste, or he will forbid.

_Rishyas._ You know him not. For I will tell him you are a holier saint To guide my steps, Then will he bid me go. Ho! father! ho!

_Vishwamya_ (_heard off_). My son, you call? I come.

_Koil._ O, I must flee--

_Rishyas_ (_dazed_). I do not understand.

_Koil._ Sunandi! Speak, Sunandi!--Ah, he comes.

[_VISHWAMYA enters and seeing her stops amazed. SUNANDI enters behind unseen. Deep suspense._

_Rishyas_ (_uncomprehendingly_). Do you see, father, I have found one here Holy, and fairer than the Apsaras. And I shall follow her, she is some goddess. For I desire only to be with her, And she has taught me this desire is love. O and I love her, And tho yet I know Not well what miracle love is in me, Yet it is better than this hermitage. For it has made me seem.... But what burns in you?

_Vishwamya._ My son, you are beguiled. Let go her hand That leads you on to ruin. Do you not Behold what manner of creature you so clasp?

_Rishyas._ Yes, yes--a deva!

_Vishwamya._ Deva! This is a woman, And women like the wind are full of wiles, And tempt saints to abandon Swerga's rest. He who would rule his mind has naught with them. Let go her hand and send her away.

_Rishyas_ (_amazed_). Away! Never shall she go from me and without me. If women are evil, as you say, she is not, Therefore she is no woman.

_Vishwamya._ O vain boy! In passion's jungle! Break from her at once!

_Rishyas._ I will not. Her I worship, holily. And she has given me a drink of heaven That has diffused deity in my limbs.

_Vishwamya._ And death, and an eternity of births!-- These flowers (_on his neck_) and her feigning have bewitched you!

[_Seizes them._

I tear them off and trample them to earth.

_Koil._ Rishyas! Rishyas!

_Rishyas._ Be not afraid, my Koil; He is my father And he knows you not, For did he, he would clasp you, as I clasp. Or it may be that he is little pleased Because I find you holier than he. O father, peace. Control your mind. Farewell. I go with her.

_Vishwamya._ Beguiled boy! you shall not. Thro all these years I have not, from its lair, Unloosed black anger. But this evil one And your desire to follow ways of flesh Compel me. Come, come from her!

_Rishyas._ I will never.

_Vishwamya._ Then must I drag you--and drive her away.

[_Strikes KOIL._

Away, lust-thing! away!

_Rishyas._ Oh, oh! Oh, oh!

[_In horror._

A demon enters into you and dupes you To strike her thus, a holy one. Restrain!

_Vishwamya._ No, tho I slay her!

_Rishyas._ Slay? O wickedness!

[_Seizes up wood of sacrifice._

Must I beat off your hands?--Touch her no more.

_Vishwamya._ Wild-vaunting boy! the drink and this vile girl Have maddened you. (_To Koil_) Away!

_Rishyas._ Call her not vile!

_Vishwamya._ Viler is she than sin!

[_Again strikes her._

_Rishyas_ (_uncontrollably_). You do a death-deed.

[_Falls on him with the weapon and fells him quickly to the ground--then recoils with a cry. The old man strives vainly to rise._

_Koil._ Oh, oh!--what have you done!

_Vishwamya_ (_mortally hurt_). Slain ... slain his father! And lost enlightenment ... and peace ... forever!

[_After a struggle, terribly._

But not to gorge upon the fruit of sin!

[_Turning on KOIL._

The curse of bitter karmas be upon you! May you be born a worm and crawl in slime, A serpent thro ten score of lives, and slough Your skin in hideousness and hate and horror!

_Koil._ Oh, oh!

_Vishwamya._ At every death may you despair Of ever acquiring merit!

_Rishyas_ (_terrified_). Father!

_Vishwamya_ (_to him_). Aye!

[_His strength failing._

For love, blood guilty boy, the love which she Has slipped into your heart, is the curse of the world, The immortal lure of all the generations! Your arms have ached with it about her body, But know that in the city whence she came All evil men feel in their hearts this ache. And that you may escape from it, know this: Not your arms, yours alone, have been entwined About this poison-flower--but, perchance,

[_Sinking back._

The arms of many.

_Rishyas_ (_starting painedly_). What is it he means?

[_With emotions he does not understand._

Koil, what has he said?

_Koil._ O let me go!

_Rishyas._ The arms of many? that can not be true?

[_Tortured by half-born thoughts._

O, have I fallen into demon-snares? Is beauty not the bloom of piety? Speak.

_Koil._ I would go!

_Rishyas._ Pain only darker pain!

_Koil_ (_at length overwhelmed_). I am not holy--nor am I pollution! But only one sent hither--O, the gods Bid us to sin, then fell us with calamity!

[_Hurries weeping off with SUNANDI, who has stood in terror. RISHYAS stands dazed, then comprehension dawns upon him and he falls by his father's body in a storm of anguish._

THE END

MANY GODS By CALE YOUNG RICE

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A NIGHT IN AVIGNON By CALE YOUNG RICE

_Successfully produced by Donald Robertson_

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YOLANDA OF CYPRUS A Poetic Drama by CALE YOUNG RICE

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CHARLES DI TOCCA By CALE YOUNG RICE

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NIRVANA DAYS Poems by CALE YOUNG RICE

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DAVID A Poetic Drama by CALE YOUNG RICE

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SONG-SURF (Being the Lyrics of Plays and Lyrics) by CALE YOUNG RICE

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TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:

Text in italics is indicated by underscores: _italics_.

Inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation have been retained from the original.

Punctuation has been corrected without note.

Obvious typographical errors have been corrected as follows: Page 4: The changed to Tho Advertisement for Song-Surf: PRICE changed to RICE