Playing With Fire: part four
It all gets worse and worse...
A THUNDEROUS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR.
JUSTINA
Who's that?
DEVIL
Go and see.
ENTER THE CONSTABLE, A GIGANTIC AND THREATENING FIGURE IN FULL ARMOUR.
CONSTABLE
I come in the name of the king.
I come in the name of justice.
The king wants gold.
JUSTINA
I don't have any.
CONSTABLE
You are Justina? The alchemist?
JUSTINA
I am.
CONSTABLE
Then you have discovered the secret of making gold.
JUSTINA
No I haven't.
CONSTABLE
Do not deny it. It is a thing we know. We are never wrong. The king needs gold. He is at war. His coffers are empty. He seeks to drive the English from his land.
JUSTINA
But what has that to do with me?
CONSTABLE
You can pay for it.
JUSTINA
No I can't.
CONSTABLE
You must. The English are like leeches. They suck the lifeblood of the land. They are locusts. They strip the countryside bare. Their mercenaries are everywhere. They burn for the sake of burning. They loot everything they can steal. They kill the men and they torture the children. The women they rape. They have turned our fair country into a desert full of corpses.
They have been here so long the people can hardly conceive of being free. But they will be. They will be free. The English will be driven from the land. We have undertaken to do it. But we lack the means. Our country is weak and poor. Our armies must be fed.
JUSTINA
I can't feed your armies.
CONSTABLE
You have the secret of making gold.
JUSTINA
No I don't. I can't give you anything.
CONSTABLE
I will inform the king. In an hour I shall return.
JUSTINA
I'll still say no. I'll still have nothing.
CONSTABLE
Then we will strap you down and strip you bare. We will have the pincers heated. We will burn your flesh. Here. And here. We will peel back the skin. And for every no you give us, we will give you boiling lead. Drop by drop. And then you will say yes. They always do. We will hire a man. He knows his trade.
I am a servant of the king. An instrument of his justice. The Constable of France.You have an hour. The king is merciful.
EXIT THE CONSTABLE.
JUSTINA
Now look what you've done.
DEVIL
I warned you.
JUSTINA
You never told me this would happen!
DEVIL
You said you'd take the risk.
JUSTINA
I wanted justice!
DEVIL
That's what you said, yes. For the beggar. Don't blame me that you forgot to ask.
JUSTINA
How could I?
DEVIL
You wanted justice. There it is.
JUSTINA
I don't want to be tortured.
DEVIL
That is the justice of the world.
JUSTINA
But what about the other kind? Real Justice.
Where is that?
DEVIL
Not here.
JUSTINA
It must be somewhere.
DEVIL
Then look for it yourself. I can't help.
JUSTINA
It's all your fault.
DEVIL
Why blame me? Don't blame me. Blame the world. Blame your husband. He got you in this mess.
JUSTINA
You're right. He did. He stirred the mixture wrong.
DEVIL
If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here. None of this would have happened.
JUSTINA
And it's just like him. Typical. He muddles everything up. Muddles up my head. Muddles up my life. Muddles up my house. Never puts things away. Always gets things wrong. Confuses things. Never gives me any support. Wants to make love potions.
DEVIL
And look at the trouble he's left us in.
JUSTINA
And it's alright for him. He's got the gold. No- one's going to torture him. Oh no. And he'll be out on the street somewhere spending it. He'll be drunk. Scattering money. Dropping it everywhere. Kissing people. He's very fond of kissing. And then he'll come back with some stupid present and he'll smile and he'll want life to go on just the same. But it can't. It just can't. And I never wanted gold. Never never never. I wanted the stone. The philosopher's stone. And he got me all confused. He always does. I want to see things straight. I want to see things clear. And I'm so tired of him. So tired. Oh I wish he were dead.
THE DEVIL OPENS DEATH'S DOOR. FERNANDO IS INSIDE.
DEVIL
At last you've learnt how to wish.
JUSTINA
Fernando!
THE DEVIL SLAMS THE DOOR SHUT. EXIT THE DEVIL. ENTER THE BEGGAR.
BEGGAR
Your man is dead.
JUSTINA
No.
BEGGAR
It was a cart. Full of dung. Squashed him flat. I wanted to warn him, but he just stepped right out in front of it. He was dreaming. You'd have thought he could have smelt it coming. I'd have picked him up, but I wasn't quick enough. The bakers got there first. They'll make him into a pie. A scotch pie. These new ones. They're all the rage. They're making millions. I was given one on the way home. I was hungry. But I didn't eat it. Out of respect.
SHE PRODUCES THE PIE, AND PUTS IT ON A TOMB. THEY STARE AT IT.
BEGGAR
He could still have a service. I could easily get him a coffin. Could tip someone out. One of those merchants. When no-one's looking. Got to get something out of living in a graveyard. And I'll find a priest. A cheap one.
Oh, and I was forgetting. There's this.
THE BEGGAR HANDS OVER FERNANDO'S PARCEL.
BEGGAR
He had it on him. Weighs a ton. Still, you know how he was. Always had his bit of junk. Thought you might like it. As a keepsake.
JUSTINA
The gold.
BEGGAR
The what?
JUSTINA
We're saved.
BEGGAR
Saved?
MASSIVE KNOCKING ON THE DOOR.
BEGGAR
Who's that?
ENTER THE CONSTABLE, MAJESTICALLY. THE BEGGAR MAKES HERSELF SCARCE.
CONSTABLE
The King. Make way for the King.
THERE IS NO SIGN OF THE KING.
CONSTABLE
Your majesty!
ENTER THE KING. A WEEDY FIGURE. HIS CLOTHES ARE PADDED, TO PREVENT HIM BREAKING. HE COMES IN THROUGH THE DOOR WITH INFINITE CARE.
KING
Sorry if I'm late.
CONSTABLE
Can't you make a proper entrance?
KING
I'm sorry.
CONSTABLE
You are such a disappointment to me.
KING
I do my best.
CONSTABLE
I've half a mind to make you go back and do it again.
KING
Please don't.
CONSTABLE
And where are the trumpeters? I ordered a fanfare.
KING
I think they've gone home. They did ask, and I couldn't bear to refuse. They were terribly tired. And so were their instruments. They said they couldn't play.
CONSTABLE
Your majesty is too kind.
KING
Yes.
CONSTABLE
Have you got your speech?
KING
My speech?
CONSTABLE
The speech we prepared together.
KING
I think I put it down somewhere.
CONSTABLE
The enemy is at our gates. The invader hammers on our door. Our institutions crumble. Old alliances decay. The people suffer untold agonies.
I try continuously to get you interested in affairs of state. I organise these little outings. I strain every nerve to muster the resources to meet the occasion. An occasion that calls for all our reserves of fortitude. For all our resolution. All our courage. All our strength. And what happens? You lose your speech. God give me patience.
And as for you, worm. Alchemist. You'd better have the gold. The torturer is at your door. Heating the pincers. I made no mistake about that. I organised him myself.
JUSTINA REVEALS THE GOLD.
CONSTABLE
What's that?
JUSTINA
Gold.
CONSTABLE
It had better be. The knots are tight, but my blade is sharp. The gold looks pure. For now it is enough. I shall assemble the army. There is not a moment to lose. But rest assured, I shall be back. We shall have need of more. Receive the thanks of a grateful king.
KING
Yes. Thank you. Thank you very much.
EXIT THE CONSTABLE. THE BEGGAR SCUTTLES OUT OF HIDING. THE KING STARTS TO SHUFFLE VAGUELY AWAY. VERY CAUTIOUSLY, HE STARTS TO NEGOTIATE THE DOOR.