The King of the Dark Chamber | Page 3

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 That is why I see him everywhere. I went far away to hear his own words, But, ah, it was vain! When I came back I heard them In my own songs. Who are you who seek him like a beggar from door to door! Come to my heart and see his face in the tears of my eyes! */
[Enter HERALDS and ADVANCE GUARDS of the KING]
FIRST HERALD. Stand off! Get away from the street, all of you!
FIRST CITIZEN. Eh, man, who do you think you are? You