Читать книгу Mr. Burns and Other Plays - Anne Washburn - Страница 22

CHAPTER 9

The Palace of King Zedekiah who sits on his throne.

Rain on the roof.

Ebediah is near.

The remaining actors stand on either side of the stage, and frame the action with their hands.

EBEDIAH (To Jeremiah):

Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags

under thine armholes under the cords

and we will draw you up, from the pit

To King Zedekiah:

We threw down old cast clouts and rotten rags

we said:

now put on these old cast clouts and rotten rags

under your armholes, and we will draw you up,

and he did so

And then we threw down the cords

and then did draw him up by the armholes

with cords

Jeremiah is drawn up and brought before the king.

He is drenched in mire.

KING ZEDEKIAH:

The princes said unto me:

PRINCES:

We beseech thee, let this man be put to death

for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men

of war, and the hands of all the people,

in speaking such words unto them. This man seeketh

not the welfare of the people but the hurt.

KING ZEDEKIAH (In explanation):

When ye saideth: this city shall surely be given

into the hand of the King of Babylon’s army

which shall take it.

I will ask thee a thing. Hide nothing from me.

JEREMIAH:

If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death?

KING ZEDEKIAH:

As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death,

neither will I give thee into the hand of those men that seek thy life.

JEREMIAH:

The Lord put forth his hand

and touched my mouth

and the Lord said to me

Behold

I have put my words

in thy mouth

I spake: I cried out, I cried violence

and spoil

I am in derision daily,

everyone mocketh me

then I said I will not make mention of Him

nor speak any more in His name

but His word is in my heart

as a burning flame

and I am weary with forbearing

I must ignite

Jeremiah listens, relaxes.

The Lord sayeth, that He will move

among your arms and

will falter . . . will bring the arms of your

archers to faltering. And the spears will

fail. He will fill your soldiers with trembling

and with tears and in fact will himself fight

against you, moving among the enemy troops shouting

encouragement. With an outstretched hand

and with a strong arm. In anger

and in fury

and in great wrath.

He will employ signs

he will employ wonders against you

Gaining strength.

He will smite the inhabitants of this city

he will utterly destroy them

and make them an astonishment

Quoting God directly:

Behold I am against thee

Oh thou most proud

for thy day is come

the time that I will visit thee.

And the most proud shall stumble

and fall

and none shall raise him up

and I will kindle a fire in his cities

and it shall devour all ’round about him.

He subsides. Pause.

Oh, and also: you will be delivered

unto the King of Babylon. Thine eyes

will behold his eyes, veryupclose

they will be unblinking. And he’s going to

speak to thee, his mouth, just this far from

your mouth, veryupclose. And thou shalt go

to Babylon.

Rather vacant and faint:

(and you will say:

the King of Babylon

hath devoured me

he hath crushed me

he hath made me an empty vessel

he hath swallowed me up like a dragon

he hath filled his belly with my delicates

he hath cast me out)

Very very long pause.

KING ZEDEKIAH:

Let no one know these words

and you will not die.

Jeremiah is bundled from the throne room and abandoned under an awning. Sounds of cars passing by on wet pavement.

He stands there, dazed.