The Land Of Hearts Desire | Page 5

words are! That is our Blessed Lord.
THE CHILD. Hide it away,
BRIDGET. I have begun to be afraid again.
THE CHILD. Hide it away!
MAURTEEN. That would be wickedness!
BRIDGET. That would be sacrilege!
THE CHILD. The tortured thing Hide it away!
MAURTEEN. Her parents are to blame.
FATHER HART. That is the image of the Son of God.
THE CHILD (caressing him) Hide it away, hide it away!
MAURTEEN. No, no.
FATHER HART. Because you are so young and like a bird, That must take fright at every stir of the leaves, I will go take it down.
THE CHILD. Hide it away! And cover it out of sight and out of mind!
(FATHER HART takes crucifix from wall and carries it towards inner room.)
FATHER HART. Since you have come into this barony, I will instruct you in our blessed faith And being so keen witted you'll soon learn.
(To the others.)
We must be tender to all budding things, Our Maker let no thought of Calvary Trouble the morning stars in their first song.
(Puts crucifix in inner room.)
THE CHILD. Here is level ground for dancing; I will dance.
(Sings.)
"The wind blows out of the gates of the day, The wind blows over the lonely of heart, And the lonely of heart is withered away."
(She dances.)
MARY (to SHAWN). just now when she came near I thought I heard Other small steps beating upon the floor, And a faint music blowing in the wind, Invisible pipes giving her feet the tune.
SHAWN. I heard no steps but hers.
MARY. I hear them now, The unholy powers are dancing in the house.
MAURTEEN. Come over here, and if you promise me Not to talk wickedly of holy things I will give you something.
THE CHILD. Bring it me, old father.
MAURTEEN. Here are some ribbons that I bought in the town For my son's wife--but she will let me give them To tie up that wild hair the winds have tumbled.
THE CHILD. Come, tell me, do you love me?
MAURTEEN. Yes, I love you.
THE CHILD. Ah, but you love this fireside. Do you love me?
FATHER HART. When the Almighty puts so great a share Of His own ageless youth into a creature, To look is but to love.
THE CHILD. But you love Him?
BRIDGET. She is blaspheming.
THE CHILD. And do you love me too
MARY. I do not know.
THE CHILD. You love that young man there, Yet I could make you ride upon the winds, Run on the top of the dishevelled tide, And dance upon the mountains like a flame.
MARY. Queen of Angels and kind saints defend us! Some dreadful thing will happen. A while ago She took away the blessed quicken wood.
FATHER HART. You fear because of her unmeasured prattle; She knows no better. Child, how old are you?
THE CHILD. When winter sleep is abroad my hair grows thin, My feet unsteady. When the leaves awaken My mother carries me in her golden arms; I'll soon put on my womanhood and marry The spirits of wood and water, but who can tell When I was born for the first time? I think I am much older than the eagle cock That blinks and blinks on Ballygawley Hill, And he is the oldest thing under the moon.
FATHER HART. O she is of the faery people.
THE CHILD. One called, I sent my messengers for milk and fire, She called again and after that I came.
(All except SHAWN and MARY BRUIN gather behind the priest for protection.)
SHAWN (rising) Though you have made all these obedient, You have not charmed my sight and won from me A wish or gift to make you powerful; I'll turn you from the house.
FATHER HART. No, I will face her.
THE CHILD. Because you took away the crucifix I am so mighty that there's none can pass, Unless I will it, where my feet have danced Or where I've whirled my finger-tops.
(SHAWN tries to approach her and cannot.)
MAURTEEN. Look, look! There something stops him--look how he moves his hands As though he rubbed them on a wall of glass!
FATHER HART. I will confront this mighty spirit alone. Be not afraid, the Father is with us, The Holy Martyrs and the Innocents, The adoring Magi in their coats of mail, And He who died and rose on the third day And all the nine angelic hierarchies.
(The CHILD kneels upon the settle beside MARY and puts her arms about her.)
Cry, daughter, to the Angels and the Saints.
THE CHILD. You shall go with me, newly-married bride,
And gaze upon a merrier multitude. White-armed Nuala, Aengus of the Birds, Feacra of the hurtling foam, and him Who is the ruler of the Western Host, Finvarra, and their Land of Heart's Desire, Where beauty has no ebb, decay no flood, But joy is wisdom, Time an endless song. I kiss you and the world begins to fade.
SHAWN. Awake out of that trance--and cover up Your eyes and