THE LIVID ONE (Fiercely gesticulating at MELNAK) Give us the woman! ALL THE PRIESTS Sacrifice! Sacrifice! THE HAIRY ONE (Stepping in front of his companions and thereby constituting himself their leader) We have not time to wait. Give us the woman that we may make fitting sacrifice to the gods. THE OTHER PRIESTS Give her to us!-The gods!-Kill! Kill! THE BLACK ONE It is the law! The gods demand it! MELNAK (Slowly descending the steps, and folding his arms. Haughtily) You are fools-children-frightened at a shadow. The gods are safe in their chambers. . . . . Go back. Give us the woman! THE LIVID ONE MELNAK (Abruptly) And if I do not-? THE LIVID ONE (Excitedly to his companions) He is not a priest! He does not fear the gods! THE CLUB-FOOTED ONE Kill! Kill! THE HAIRY ONE (Silencing the others) Melnak, either give us the woman, or— [He makes a gesture with his great hands like one strangling another. The priests surge forward. The knives gleam in the light.] MELNAK (Who does not give way) Listen to me. Is it not agreed that we have invented the gods to scare the villagers? What is this talk of the blue gods and their coming. . . . There are no gods! THE LEAN ONE (Screaming) Blasphemy! Blasphemy! THE CLUB-FOOTED ONE He has denied the gods! THE APE-LIKE ONE They will kill us all because of him. THE HAIRY ONE He has lied to us. There are gods. We have seen them— THE LIVID ONE They have put out the lights of the village! THE LEAN ONE They have swallowed up the moon! THE BLACK ONE They are eating up the stars! THE HAIRY ONE The woman! The woman! There are no gods!—And yet if you will [A great crash is heard outside. There is a moment's frozen silence. From the right-hand door, THE YOUNG PRIEST, his robe torn, his hair in disorder, his features distorted, rushes in and falls staggering to the floor. THE SIX PRIESTS turn to look at him. Doubt and scorn struggle in MELNAK's face.] (Gasping) THE YOUNG PRIEST Lord I have striven. . . . . But now-the outer wall has fallen. . . . into the valley. He has blasphemed!-The gods!-Kill! Kill! I-I-Let me go. I will get her! [He frees himself and mounts the platform at the left, followed by THE HAIRY ONE. The other priests stand still in the center of the stage, casting fearful glances at the right-hand wall, and whispering uneasily among themselves. One steals over to the prostrate figure of THE YOUNG PRIEST. Before MELNAK has more than mounted the platform, he stops and falls back, fear, rage, and consternation mingling in his face. The curtain of the door has been drawn, and in the doorway stands KEDDRA, pale, statuesque, and with a knife in her hands. She seems to have grown taller and older, and there is in her eyes a new look -the look of one who sees far off and important things. There is a movement among the priests.] KEDDRA (Slowly, as though in a trance) The sacrifice is ready But I see I see. . . . It is the gods, Lord Melnak. O Priests, they are not your gods. You have made your gods of fear and hatred and ignorance. They are cowardly gods-like you. (She looks slowly round the group.) I go to meet-the Unknown Gods! And because the victim must be given willingly .. (She raises both arms as if in supplication, extending them toward the great gate) O Gods, accept the offering! [She plunges the knife in her bosom, stands for a moment wide-eyed, and crumples slowly down upon the platform.] MELNAK (His face white, trembling in every limb) There are! [Before he can finish, there is a sound as though a giant hand were knocking at the great gates of the wall. The priests turn in varying attitudes of terror; THE HAIRY ONE and one other stand upright, the others kneel or fall prostrate.] The gates that are never opened! The gates are opening! [The knocking is heard again, ominously. MELNAK falls on his knees. The hand strikes a third time, and, as though that were the signal, slowly, majestically, the great gates swing open, and there pours from the opening an intense blue radiance which inundates the chamber with its splendor. The body of JASPER is seen in silhouette, lying limply across the railing of the balcony. But besides that there is nothing, save the radiance and the silence.] MELNAK (Bowing in confusion and terror) The gods! The gods! [Silence. The light slowly fades to a milder texture, calm and healing as moonlight.] |