The King of the Dark Chamber | Page 3

GRANDFATHER. What is it?
SECOND CITIZEN. This year every country has sent its people to our
festival, but every one asks, "Everything is nice and beautiful--but
where is your King?" and we do not know what to answer. That is the
one big gap which cannot but make itself felt to every one in our
country.

GRANDFATHER. "Gap," do you say! Why, the whole country is all
filled and crammed and packed with the King: and you call him a "gap"!
Why,he has made every one of us a crowned King!
SINGS.
/* We are all Kings in the kingdom of our King. Were it not so, how
could we hope in our heart to meet him! We do what we like, yet we do
what he likes; We are not bound with the chain of fear at the feet of a
slave- owning King. Were it not so, how could we hope in our heart to
meet him! Our King honours each one of us, thus honours his own very
self. No littleness can keep us shut up in its walls of untruth for aye.
Were it not so, how could we have hope in our heart to meet him! We
struggle and dig our own path, thus reach his path at the end. We can
never get lost in the abyss of dark night. Were it not so, how could we
hope in our heart to meet him! */
THIRD CITIZEN. But, really, I cannot stand the absurd things people
say about our King simply because he is not seen in public.
FIRST CITIZEN. Just fancy! Any one libelling me can be punished,
while nobody can stop the mouth of any rascal who chooses to slander
the King.
GRANDFATHER. The slander cannot touch the King. With a mere
breath you can blow out the flame which a lamp inherits from the sun,
but if all the world blow upon the sun itself its effulgence remains
undimmed and unimpaired as before.
[Enter VISHVAVASU and VIRUPAKSHA]
VISHU. Here's Grandfather! Look here, this man is going about telling
everybody that our King does not come out because he is ugly.
GRANDFATHER. But why does that make you angry, Vishu? His
King must be ugly, because how else could Virupaksha possess such
features in his kingdom? He fashions his King after the image of
himself he sees in the mirror.
VIRUPAKSHA. Grandfather, I shall mention no names, but nobody
would think of disbelieving the person who gave me the news.
GRANDFATHER. Who could be a higher authority than yourself!
VIRUPAKSHA. But I could give you proofs ...
FIRST CITIZEN. The impudence of this fellow knows no bounds! Not
content with spreading a ghastly rumour with an unabashed face, he
offers to measure his lies with insolence!

SECOND CITIZEN. Why not make him measure his length on the
ground?
GRANDFATHER. Why so much heat, my friends? The poor fellow is
going to have his own festive day by singing the ugliness of his King.
Go along, Virupaksha, you will find plenty of people ready to believe
you: may you be happy in their company.[Exeunt.]
[Re-enter the party of FOREIGNERS]
BHAVADATTA. It strikes me, Kaundilya, that these people haven't
got a King at all. They have somehow managed to keep the rumour
afloat.
KAUNDILYA. You are right, I think. We all know that the supreme
thing that strikes one's eye in any country is the King, who of course
loses no opportunity of exhibiting himself.
JANARDAN. But look at the nice order and regularity prevailing all
over the place--how do you explain it without a King?
BHAVADATTA. So this is the wisdom you have arrived at by living
so long under a ruler! Where would be the necessity of having a King if
order and harmony existed already?
JANARDAN. All these people have assembled to rejoice at this
festival. Do you think they could come together like this in a country of
anarchy?
BHAVADATTA. My dear Janardan, you are evading the real issue, as
usual. There can be no question about the order and regularity, and the
festive rejoicing too is plain enough: there is no difficulty so far. But
where is the King? Have you seen him? Just tell us that.
JANARDAN. What I want to say is this: you know from your
experience that there can be chaos and anarchy even if a King be
present: but what do we see here?
KAUNDILYA. You are always coming back to your quibbling. Why
can you not give a straight answer to Bhavadatta's question--Have you,
or have you not, seen the King? Yes or no? [Exeunt.]
[Enter a band of MEN, singing]
SONG.
/* My beloved is ever in my heart That is why I see him everywhere,
He is in the pupils of my eyes