-08_The Viziers of Bassora Act-2 Sc-3.htm

Ibn Sawy's house. The upper chambers of the women's apartments,
Doonya, sleeping on a couch. Enter Nureddene and Anice-Aljalice.

NUREDDENE

I told you 'twas the morning.

ANICE-ALJALICE

Morning so early?
This moment 'twas the evening star; is that
The matin lustre ?

NUREDDENE

There is a star at watch beside the moon
Waiting to see you ere it leaves the skies.
Is it your sister Peri ?

ANICE-ALJALICE

It is our star
And guards us both.

NUREDDENE

It is the star of Anice,
The star of Anice-Aljalice who came
From Persia guided by its silver beams
Into these arms of vagrant Nureddene
Which keep her till the end. Sweet, I possess you!
Till now I could not potently believe it.
Strange, strange that I who nothing have deserved,
Should win what all would covet! We are fools
Who reach at baubles taking them for stars.
O wiser woman who come straight to Heaven!
But I have wandered by the way and staled
The freshness of delight with gadding pleasures,
Anticipated Love's perfect fruit with sour
And random berries void of real savour.

Page – 607

Oh fool! had I but known! What can I say
But once more that I have deserved you not,
Who yet must take you, knowing my undesert,
Whatever come hereafter ?

ANICE-ALJALICE  

The house is stirring.

NUREDDENE

Who is this sleeping here ? My cousin Doonya!

DOONYA (waking)

Is morning come ? My blessing on you, children.
Be good and kind, dears; love each other, darlings.

NUREDDENE

Dame Mischief, thanks; thanks. Mother Madcap.

DOONYA

Now, whither?

NUREDDENE

To earth from Paradise.

DOONYA

Wait, wait! You must not
Walk off the stage before your part is done.
The situation now with open eyes
And lifted hands and chidings. You'll be whipped,
Anice, and Nureddene packed off to Mecca
On penitential legs: I shall be married.

(opening the door)

Oh, our fell Ethiopian snoozing here ?
Snore, noble ogre, snore louder than nature
To excuse your gloomy skin from worse than thwacks.
Wait for me, Nureddene.

Exit.

Page – 608

ANICE-ALJALICE

They will be angry.

NUREDDENE

Oh, with two smiles I'll buy an easy pardon.

ANICE-ALJALICE

Whatever comes, we are each other's now.

NUREDDENE

Nothing will come to us but happy days,
You, my surpassing jewel, on my neck
Closer to me than my own heartbeats.

ANICE-ALJALICE

Yes,
Closer than kisses, closer than delight,
Close only as love whom sorrow and delight
Cannot diminish, nor long absence change
Nor daily prodigality of joy
Expend immortal love.

NUREDDENE

You have the love.

Doonya returns.

DOONYA

I have told Nuzhath to call mother here.
There will be such a gentle storm.

Enter Ameena at the door.

AMEENA

Harkoos!

Sleeping!

HARKOOS

Gmm — Mmm  

Page – 609

DOONYA

Grunted almost like nature,
Thou excellent giant.

AMEENA

Harkoos, dost thou sleep?

HARKOOS

Sleep! I! I was only pondering a text of Koran with closed eyes, lady. You give us slaves pitiful small time for our devotions; but 'twill all be accounted for hereafter.

AMEENA

And canst thou meditate beneath the lash?
For there thou'lt shortly be.

HARKOOS

Stick or leather, 'tis all one to Harkoos. I will not be cudgelled out of my straight road to Paradise.

AMEENA

My mind misgives me.

(enters the room.)

Was this well done, my child?

NUREDDENE

Dear, think the chiding given; do not pain
Your forehead with a frown.

AMEENA

You, Doonya, too
Were part of this ?

DOONYA

Part! you shall not abate
My glory; I am its artificer,
The auxiliary and supplement of Fate.

Page – 610

AMEENA

Quite shameless in your disobedience, Doonya ?
Your father's anger will embrace us all.

NUREDDENE

And nothing worse than the embrace which ends
A chiding and a smile, our fault deserves.
You had a gift for me in your sweet hands
Concealed behind you; I have but reached round
And taken it ere you knew.

AMEENA

For you, my son ?
She was not for you, she was for the King.
This was your worst fault, child; all others venial
Beside it.

NUREDDENE

For the King! You told me, Doonya,
That she was bought for me, a kind surprise
Intended?

DOONYA

I did, exact!

AMEENA

Such falsehood, Doonya!

DOONYA

No falsehood, none. Purchased she was for him,
For he has got her. And surprise! Well, mother,
Are you not quite surprised ? And uncle will be
Most woefully. My cousin and Anice too
Are both caught napping, — all except great Doonya.
No falsehood, mere excess of truth, a bold
Anticipation of the future, mother.

Page – 611

NUREDDENE

I did not know of this. Yet blame not Doonya;

For had I known, I would have run with haste
More breathless to demand my own from Fate.

AMEENA

What will your father think? I am afraid.
He was most urgent; grave beyond his wont.
Absent yourself awhile and let me bear
The first keen breathing of his anger.

NUREDDENE

The King!
And if he were the Caliph of the world,
He should not have my love. Come, fellow-culprit.

Exit with Doonya.

AMEENA

Harkoos, go fetch your master here; and stiffen
The muscles of your back. Negligent servant!

HARKOOS

'Tis all one to Harkoos. Stick or leather! leather or stick! 'Tis
the way of this wicked and weary world.

Exit.

AMEENA

Yet, Anice, tell me, is't too late? Alas!
Your cheeks and lowered eyes confess the fault.
I fear your nature and your nurture, child,
Are not so beautiful as is your face.
Could you not have forbidden this ?

ANICE-ALJALICE

Lady,
Remember my condition. Can a slave
Forbid or order ? We are only trained

Page – 612

To meek and quick obedience; and what's virtue

In freemen is in us a deep offence.

Do you command your passions, not on us

Impose that service 'tis not in our part.

AMEENA

You have a clever brain and a quick tongue.
And yet this speech was hardly like a slave's!
I will not blame you.

ANICE-ALJALICE

I deny not, lady,
My heart consented to this fault.

AMEENA

I know
Who 'twas besieged you, girl, and do not blame
Your heart for yielding where it had no choice.
Go in.

Exit Anice. Enter Harkoos and Ibn Sawy.

IBN SAWY

I hope, I hope that has not chanced
Which I have striven to prevent. This slave
Grins only and mutters gibberish to my questions.

AMEENA

The worst.

IBN SAWY

Why so! the folly was my own
And I must bear its heavy consequence.
Sir, you shall have your wage for what has happened.

HARKOOS

The way of the world. Whose peg's loose? Beat Harkoos.
Because my young master would climb through the wrong window

Page – 613

and mistake a rope-ladder for the staircase, my back must ache. Was the window-sill my post ? Have I wings to stand upon air or a Djinn's eye to see through wood? How bitter is injustice!

IBN SAWY

You shall be thrashed for your poor gift of lying.

AMEENA

Blame none; it was unalterable fate.

IBN SAWY

That name by which we put our sins on God,
Yet shall not so escape. 'Twas our indulgence
Moulded the boy and made him fit for sin;

Which now, by our past mildness hampered quite,
We cannot punish without tyranny.
Offences we have winked at, when they knocked
At foreign doors, how shall we look at close
When they come striking home ?

AMEENA

What will you do?

IBN SAWY

The offence here merits death, but not the offender.
Easy solution if the sin could die
And leave the sinner living!

AMEENA

Vizier, you are perplexed, to talk like this
Because a little's broken, break not more.
Let Nureddene have Anice-Aljalice,
As Fate intended. Buy another slave
Fairer than she is for great Alzayni's bed,
Return his money to the treasury
And cover up this fault.

Page – 614

IBN SAWY

With lies?

AMEENA

With silence.

IBN SAWY

Will God be silent ? Will my enemies ?

The son of Khakan silent ? Ameena,

My children have conspired my shame and death.

AMEENA

Face not the thing so mournfully. Vizier, you want
A woman's wit beside you in the Court.
Muene may speak; will you be dumb ? Whom then
Will the King trust ? Collect your wits, be bold,
Be subtle; guard yourself, protect your child.

IBN SAWY

You urge me on a road my weaker heart

Chooses, not reason. But consider, dame,

If we excuse such gross and violent fault

Done in our house, what hope to save our boy, —

Oh, not his body, but the soul within ?

'Twill petrify in vice and grow encrusted

With evil as with a leprosy.

AMEENA

Do this.
Show a fierce anger, have a gleaming knife
Close at his throat, let him be terrified.
Then I'll come in with tears and seem to save him
On pledge of fairer conduct.

IBN SAWY

This has a promise.
Give me a knife and let me try to frame

Page – 615

My looks to anger.

AMEENA

Harkoos, a dagger here!

Harkoos gives his dagger.

IBN SAWY

But see, you come not in too early anxious
And mar the game.

AMEENA

Trust me.

IBN SAWY

Go, call my son,
Harkoos; let him not know that I am here.

Exit Harkoos.

Go, Ameena.

Exit Ameena.

Plays oft have serious fruit,
'Tis seen; then why not this ? 'tis worth the trial.
Prosper or fail, I must do something quickly
Before I go upon the Caliph's work
To Roum the mighty. But I hear him come.

Enter Nureddene and Harkoos.

NUREDDENE

You're sure of it? You shall have gold for this
Kind treason.

HARKOOS

Trust Harkoos; and if he beats me,
Why, sticks are sticks and leather is but leather.

NUREDDENE

Father!

Page – 616

IBN SAWY

O rascal, traitor, villain, imp!

He throws him down on a couch and

holds him under his dagger.

I'll father you. Prepare, prepare your soul,
Your black and crime-encrusted soul for hell.
I'm death and not your father.

NUREDDENE

Mother, quick!

Help, mother!

Ameena comes hurrying in.

The poor dear old man is mad.

IBN SAWY

Ah, woman! Wherefore do you come so soon ?

NUREDDENE

How his eyes roll! Satan, abandon him.
Take him off quickly.

IBN SAWY

Take me off, you villain ?

NUREDDENE

Tickle him in the ribs, that's the best way.

IBN SAWY

Tickle me in the ribs! Impudent villain!
I'll cut your throat.

AMEENA (frightened)

Husband, what do you ? think,
He is your only son.

IBN SAWY

And preferable

Page – 617

I had not him. Better no son than bad ones.

NUREDDENE

Is there no help then?

IBN SAWY

None; prepare!

NUREDDENE

All right.

But let me lie a little easier first.

IBN SAWY

Lie easier! Rogue, your impudence amazes.
You shall lie easier soon on coals of hell.

AMEENA

This goes no farther.

ANICE-ALJALICE (looking in )

They are in angry talk.
Oh, kill me rather!

NUREDDENE

Waste not your terrors, sweet heart.
We are rehearsing an old comedy,
"The tyrant father and his graceless son".
Foolish old man!

IBN SAWY

What! What!

NUREDDENE

See now the end
Of all your headstrong moods and wicked rages
You would indulge yourself in, though I warned you,
Against your gallant handsome virtuous son.

Page – 618

And now they have turned your brain! Vicious indulgence,
How bitter-dusty is thy fruit! Be warned
And put a rein on anger, curb in wrath,
That enemy of man. Oh, thou art grown
A sad example to all angry fathers!

IBN SAWY

Someone had told you of this. (To Harkoos) Grinning villain!

HARKOOS

Oh yes, it is I, of course. Your peg's loose; beat Harkoos.

IBN SAWY

My peg, you rogue! I'll loose your peg for you.

NUREDDENE

No, father, let him be, and hear me out.
I swear it was not out of light contempt
For your high dignity and valued life
More precious to me than my blood, if I
Transgressed your will in this. I knew not of it,
Nor that you meant my Anice for the King.
For me I thought her purchased, so was told,
And still believe religiously that Fate
Brought her to Bassora only for me.

IBN SAWY

It was a fault, my child.

NUREDDENE

Which I cannot repent.

IBN SAWY

You are my son, generous and true and bold
Though faulty. Take the slave-girl then, but swear
Never hereafter mistress, slave or wife
Lies in your arms but only she; neither,

Page – 619

Until herself desire it, mayst thou sell her.
Swear this and keep thy love.

NUREDDENE

I swear it.

IBN SAWY

Leave us.

Exit Nureddene.

Anice, in care for thee I have required
This oath from him, which he, perhaps will keep.
Do thou requite it; be to him no less
Than a dear wife.

ANICE-ALJALICE

How noble is the nature
That prompts you to enforce on great offenders
Their dearest wishes!

IBN SAWY

Go in, my child, go, Anice.

Exit Anice.

Last night of my departure hence to Roum
To parley with the Greek for great Haroon,
I spoke with you, and my long year of absence, —

AMEENA

It is a weary time.

IBN SAWY

Wherein much evil
May chance; and therefore will I leave my children
As safe as God permits. Doonya to nuptials.
The son of Khakan wants her for his cub,
But shall not have her. One shall marry her
Who has the heart and hand to guard her well.

Page – 620

AMEENA

Who, husband?

IBN SAWY

Murad, Captain of the City.
He rises daily in Alzayni's favour.

AMEENA

He is a Turk. Our noble Arab branch
Were ill-engrafted on that savage stock.

IBN SAWY

A prejudice. There is no stock in Islam
Except the Prophet. For our Nureddene,
I will divide my riches in two halves,
Leave one to him and one for you with Murad,
While you are with your kin or seem to be.

AMEENA

Oh wherefore this ?

IBN SAWY

Tis likely that the boy,
Left here in sole command, will waste his wealth
And come to evil. If he's sober, well;

If not, when he is bare as any rock,
Abandoned by his friends, spewed out by all,
It may be that in this sharp school and beaten
With savage scourges the wild blood in him
May learn sobriety and noble use:

Then rescue him, assist his better nature.
And we shall see too how the loves endure
Betwixt him and the Persian; whether she
Deserves her monarchy in his wild will,
Or, even deserving, keeps it.

Page – 621

AMEENA

But, dear husband,
Shall I not see my boy for a whole year ?

IBN SAWY

No tears! Consider it the punishment
Of our too fond indulgent love, — happy
If that be worst. All will end well, I hope,
And I returning, glad, to Bassora
Embrace a son reformed, a happy niece
Nursing her babe, and you, the gentle mother,
Like the sweet kindly earth whose patient love
Embraces even our faults and sins. Grant it,
O Allah, if it be at all Thy will.

Exeunt.

Page – 622