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Updated: May 8, 2025
But he would have freed himself if he could have bribed the guard. SLAVES He is going to the King. He is going to the King. ZARB He is going to the King. KING ARGIMENES Going to prophesy good things to the King. It is easy to prophesy good things to a king, and be rewarded when the good things come. What else should come to a king? A prophet! a prophet!
Queen Otharlia Queen Oxara Queen Cahafra Queens of King Darniak Queen Thragolind Guards and Attendants Time: A long time ago. SCENE: The dinner-hour on the slave-fields of King Darniak. He has uncouth hair and a dishevelled beard. A battered spade lies near him. Two or three slaves sit at back of stage eating raw cabbage-leaves. KING ARGIMENES This is a good bone; there is juice in this bone.
Bones. ZARB Yes. That is what I hope for. And have you no other hope? Do you not hope that your nation will arise some day and rescue you and cast off the king and hang him up by his thumbs from the palace gateway? KING ARGIMENES No. I have no other hope, for my god was cast down in the temple and broken into three pieces on the day that they surprised us and took me sleeping.
ZARB I wish I were you, Argimenes. KING ARGIMENES I am not to be envied any longer. I have eaten up my bone. ZARB I wish I were you, because you have been a King. Because men have prostrated themselves before your feet. Because you have ridden a horse and worn a crown and have been called Majesty. KING ARGIMENES When I remember that I have been a king it is very terrible.
KING ARGIMENES How do you know? ZARB Because whenever their officer leaves them they sit upon the ground and play with dice. KING ARGIMENES How does that show that there are not another six in sight of them? ZARB How witless you are, Argimenes. Of course it shows there are not. Because, if there were, another officer would see them, and their thumbs would be cut off. KING ARGIMENES Ah.
KING ARGIMENES Once there were other songs. Has this no name? ZARB I think the soldiers have a name for it. KING ARGIMENES What do the soldiers call it? ZARB The soldiers call it the tear-song, the chaunt of the low-born. KING ARGIMENES It is a good song. I could sing no other now. It is of no use here. Suddenly he drops on his knees and works excitedly in the earth with his hands.
ZARB You have been thinking too much of the King's dog, Argimenes, and that has made you hungry, and hunger has driven you mad. KING ARGIMENES I have found such a sword. ZARB Why then you will wear a purple cloak again, and sit on a great throne, and ride a prancing horse, and we shall call you Majesty. KING ARGIMENES I shall break a long fast first and drink much water, and sleep.
ZARB The officer of the slave-guard has gone away they are playing with dice now. ZARB Majesty! It is not a common sword, it is some king's sword. AN OLD SLAVE Argimenes will be dreadfully flogged. We shall hear him cry all night. His cries will frighten us, and we shall not sleep. ZARB No! no! The guards flog poor slaves, but Argimenes had an angry look.
KING ARGIMENES If I had a sword would they follow me? A beautiful huge sword of bronze. ZARB I wish I could think of things like that. It is because you were once a king that you can think of a sword of bronze. I tried to hope once that I should some day fight the guards, but I couldn't picture a sword, I couldn't imagine it; I could only picture whips. KING ARGIMENES Dig a little nearer, Zarb.
ZARB But you are lucky to have such things in your memory as you have. I have nothing in my memory Once I went for a year without being flogged, and I remember my cleverness in contriving it I have nothing else to remember. KING ARGIMENES It is very terrible to have been a king. ZARB But we have nothing who have no good memories in the past. It is not easy for us to hope for the future here.
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