Plays of Near Far | Page 2

a Stage Curate; for the spark that we call humour, by whose light we see much of life, comes as it were of two flints, and not of a flint and cheese.
The three little plays that follow I will leave to speak for themselves, as ultimately all plays have to do.
DUNSANY

CONTENTS
PAGE
THE COMPROMISE OF THE KING OF THE GOLDEN ISLES 1 THE FLIGHT OF THE QUEEN 21 CHEEZO 65 A GOOD BARGAIN 103 IF SHAKESPEARE LIVED TO-DAY 117 FAME AND THE POET 135

THE COMPROMISE OF THE KING OF THE GOLDEN ISLES
DRAMATIS PERSON?
THE KING OF THE GOLDEN ISLES: KING HAMARAN. THE KING'S POLITICIAN. THE AMBASSADOR OF THE EMPEROR. THE EMPEROR'S SEEKER. TWO PRIESTS OF THE ORDER OF THE SUN. THE KING'S QUESTIONERS. THE AMBASSADOR'S NUBIAN. THE HERALD OF THE AMBASSADOR. THE EMPEROR'S DWARF. THE DEPUTY CUP-BEARER. THE KING'S DOOM-BEARER.

THE KING'S POLITICIAN: A man has fled from the Emperor, and has taken refuge in your Majesty's Court in that part of it called holy.
THE KING: We must give him up to the Emperor.
POLITICIAN: To-day a spearsman came running from Eng-Bathai seeking the man who fled. He carries the barbed spear of one of the Emperor's seekers.
KING: We must give him up.
POLITICIAN: Moreover he has an edict from the Emperor demanding that the head of the man who fled be sent back to Eng-Bathai.
KING: Let it be sent.
POLITICIAN: Yet your Majesty is no vassal of the Emperor, who dwells at Eng-Bathai.
KING: We may not disobey the Imperial edict.
POLITICIAN: Yet----
KING: None hath dared to do it.
POLITICIAN: It is so long since any dared to do it that the Emperor mocks at kings. If your Majesty disobeyed him the Emperor would tremble.
KING: Ah.
POLITICIAN: The Emperor would say, "There is a great king. He defies me." And he would tremble strangely.
KING: Yet--if----
POLITICIAN: The Emperor would fear you.
KING: I would fain be a great king--yet----
POLITICIAN: You would win honour in his eyes.
KING: Yet is the Emperor terrible in his wrath. He was terrible in his wrath in the olden time.
POLITICIAN: The Emperor is old.
KING: This is a great affront that he places upon a king, to demand a man who has come to sanctuary in that part of my Court called holy.
POLITICIAN: It is a great affront.
[Enter the SEEKER. He abases himself.
SEEKER: O King, I have come with my spear, seeking for one that fled the Emperor and has found sanctuary in your Court in that part called holy.
KING: It has not been the wont of the kings of my line to turn men from our sanctuary.
SEEKER: It is the Emperor's will.
KING: It is not my will.
SEEKER: Behold the Emperor's edict.
[The KING takes it. The SEEKER goes towards the door.
SEEKER: I go to sit with my spear by the door of the place called holy.
[Exit SEEKER.
KING: The edict, the edict. We must obey the edict.
POLITICIAN: The Emperor is old.
KING: True, we will defy him.
POLITICIAN: He will do nothing.
KING: And yet the edict.
POLITICIAN: It is of no importance.
KING: Hark. I will not disobey the Emperor. Yet will I not permit him to abuse the sanctuary of my Court. We will banish the man who fled from Eng-Bathai. [To his DOOM-BEARER.] Hither, the Doom-Bearer; take the black ivory spear, the wand of banishment, that lies on the left of my throne, and point it at the man that shelters in the holy place of my Court. Then show him the privy door behind the horns of the altar, so that he go safely hence and meet not the Emperor's seeker.
[The DOOM-BEARER bows and takes the spear on the flat of both his hands. The shaft is all black, but the head is of white ivory. It is blunt and clearly ceremonial. Exit.]
[To POLITICIAN.
Thus we shall be safe from the wrath of the Emperor, and the holy place of my Court will not be violate.
POLITICIAN: Had your Majesty scorned the Emperor it were better. He is old and durst not take vengeance.
KING: I have decided, and the man is banished.
[A HERALD marches in and blows his trumpet.
HERALD: The Ambassador of the Emperor.
[Enter the AMBASSADOR. He bows to the King from his place near the door.
KING: For what purpose to my Court from Eng-Bathai comes thus the Ambassador of the Emperor?
AMBASSADOR: I bring to the King's Majesty a gift from the great Emperor, [AMBASSADOR and his men bow] who reigns in Eng-Bathai, the reward of obedience to his edict, a goblet of inestimable wine.
[He signs and there enters a page bearing a goblet of glass. He has a pretty complexion and yellow hair falling as low as his chin and curling inwards. He wears a cerise belt round his tunic exactly matching the wine in the goblet he carries.
He prays you drink it, and to know that it was made by vintners whose skill is lost, and stored in secret cellars over