Selections from the Writings of Lord Dunsay | Page 5

(in an undertone to Ulf) But you do not know my Master. Now that you have suggested that we shall go as lords, he will make a better suggestion. He will suggest that we should go as kings.
ULF (incredulous) Beggars as kings!
SLAG Ay. You do not know my Master.
ULF (to Agmar) What do you bid us do?
AGMAR You shall first come by the fine raiment in the manner I have mentioned.
ULF And what then, Master?
AGMAR Why then we shall go as gods.
BEGGARS As gods?
AGMAR As gods. Know you the land through which I have lately come in my wanderings? Marma, where the gods are carved from green stone in the mountains. They sit all seven of them against the hills. They sit there motionless and travellers worship them.
ULF Yes, yes, we know those gods. They are much reverenced here; but they are drowsy and send us nothing beautiful.
AGMAR They are of green jade. They sit cross-legged with their right elbows resting on their left hands, the right forefinger pointing upwards. We will come into the city disguised, from the direction of Marma, and will claim to be these gods. We must be seven as they are. And when we sit, we must sit cross-legged as they do, with the right hand uplifted.
ULF This is a bad city in which to fall into the hands of oppressors, for the judges lack amiability here as the merchants lack benevolence ever since the gods forgot them.
AGMAR In our ancient calling a man may sit at one street corner for fifty years doing the one thing, and yet a day may come when it is well for him to rise up and to do another thing, while the timorous man starves.
ULF Also it were well not to anger the gods.
AGMAR Is not all life a beggary to the gods? Do they not see all men always begging of them and asking alms with incense, and bells, and subtle devices?
OOGNO Yes, all men indeed are beggars before the gods.
AGMAR Does not the mighty Soldan often sit by the agate altar in his royal temple as we sit at a street corner or by a palace gate?
ULF It is even so.
AGMAR Then will the gods be glad when we follow the holy calling with new devices and with subtlety, as they are glad when the priests sing a new song.
ULF Yet I have a fear.
AGMAR (to Slag) Go you into the city before us, and let there be a prophecy there which saith that the gods who are carven from green rock in the mountain shall one day arise in Marma and come here in the guise of men.
SLAG Yes, Master. Shall I make the prophecy myself? Or shall it be found in some old document?
AGMAR Let someone have seen it once in some rare document. Let it be spoken of in the market-place.
SLAG It shall be spoken of, Master. (Slag lingers. Enter thief and Thahn)
OOGNO This is our thief.
AGMAR (encouragingly) Ah, he is a quick thief.
THIEF I could only procure you three green raiments, Master. The city is not now well supplied with them; moreover it is a very suspicious city, and without shame for the baseness of its suspicions.
SLAG (to a beggar) This is not thieving.
THIEF I could do no more, Master. I have not practised thieving all my life.
AGMAR You have got something: it may serve our purpose. How long have you been thieving?
THIEF I stole first when I was ten.
SLAG When he was ten!
AGMAR We must tear them up and divide them amongst the seven. (to Thahn) Bring me another beggar.
SLAG When my Master was ten he had already had to slip by night out of two cities.
OOGNO (admiringly) Out of two cities!
SLAG (nodding his head) In his native city they do not now know what became of the golden cup that stood in the Lunar Temple.
AGMAR Yes, into seven pieces.
ULF We will each wear a piece of it over our rags.
OOGNO Yes, yes, we shall look fine.
AGMAR That is not the way that we shall disguise ourselves.
OOGNO Not cover our rags?
AGMAR No, no. The first who looked closely would say 'These are only beggars. They have disguised themselves.'
ULF What shall we do?
AGMAR Each of the seven shall wear a piece of the green raiment underneath his rags. And peradventure here and there a little shall show through; and men shall say 'These seven have disguised themselves as beggars. But we know not what they be.'
SLAG Hear my wise Master.
OOGNO (in admiration) He is a beggar.
ULF He is an old beggar.

ACT II
SCENE: The Metropolitan Hall of the city of Kongros. Citizens, etc. Enter the seven beggars with green silk under their rags.
OORANDER Who are you and whence come you?
AGMAR Who may say what we are or whence we come?
OORANDER What are these