The Tragedy of Arthur: A Novel (59 page)

But, lo, here’s panting word that wants for ear.

Your Majesty, the enemy’s abroach
¹⁶

In two large wings that hawk-like spread themselves

And will in rapid minutes close us up.

Speak that again: doth Mordred now attack

While we do entertain his embassies?

The night’s too black to see with certainty,

And mud gives no preferment to the Pict.

No stratagem of men can sweep with haste

Across this hellish fog and bubbling mire.

Tell slower now what thine own eyes did spy.

By dark night’s coverture they creep at us

While embassies do talk us to our beds!

This crime doth disannul civility.

Good king, I swear, we know of this no word.

No action can begin ere we return.

They lie. Within these bags of flesh and wind

Intelligence does nook
¹⁷
and it must flow.

Large secrets want large outlets to escape

So we must loosely pierce and vent their hides.

I vow, fair majesty, this cannot be.

I fain
¹⁸
had given kingdoms to the wolf,

But now I’ll send you on your way to hell.

[
He kills Ambassadors
]

No! No! Unjust!

O, villainy! I die!

What crazèdness! In haste you slay the queen

And slay us all!

You are a woman, Duke!

Now thundering into this mud and bog

We march ere Mordred’s slavering jaws do lock.

To arms! To arms! And arm yourselves with hate!

Hot rage now wing us o’er this drowning field!

Let fly the mangonels!
¹⁹
Swing, trebuchets!
²⁰

Belch fire, cannon, lift us on your breath

And speed us to the queen or to our death!

Exeunt with charges

What noise is this? What motion is begun?

Wherefore are not my embassies sped home?

Th’usurper’s massed battalia shoulder through

The swamp and murk of night with mighty speed.

Our wings are far advanced but close on air.
¹

He spurns our embassy and hies to fight?

He offers nothing for these ransomed lives

But values them beneath his throne and glory?—

[
To Guen. or Philip
] Your king doth sooner laugh and greet your corpse

Than change his crown for safe exile with you.

’Tis his command and he who chooseth now.—

These two are proofed unvalued currency.
²

They serve no further use that I can see.

Though sure I will require this day a queen

She’ll not be this unstaid
³
and misproud
⁴
stale.
⁵

[
To Soldier
] I would thou trad’st
⁶
upon them now. I go.

The child beside its mother dies the same?

’Tis sure the poison’s thickest in the young.
⁷

Exit Mordred

This cannot be. Call back these fearful words.

What is your name, O gentle knight?

But choose.

I would choose one who’s spoken of in verse,

Whom poets praise for courtesy and grace,

A name befitting one who nobly fights

And never would do harm to innocents.

Then choose such name for me. That is no matter.

Prepare yourself howe’er you will: time’s brief.

I am prepared. Art thou? Thine act’s thine own.

I would not have it any other wise.

In killing me you disobey your king.

Your king would have you cut off Arthur’s line,

But I am not of Arthur’s blood or seed

Nor am no heir nor can endanger you.

The boy speaks plainsong,
⁸
sooth, and ought be freed.

And you are not the queen, nor that the sky,

For queens reside in London not in mud,

The sky, being often blue, cannot be black,

And all these things being other than they are,

It’s best we think no more, or never act.

To slay anointed queen gives thee no pause,

Then contemplate before this foolish boy:

His face and mad outrageous circumstance

Must pluck forth pity e’en from blackest heart.

How often do I hear of pity spake,

Yet glean no sense of what the word must be.

It seems a kind of shriek or bootless prayer.

Then God have mercy on thee.

And on you.

But, Queen, cannot you make this vision end?

I would awake from this and see my home.

Be brave, and thereby something of a prince.

You will awake right soon, they say, now come.

Stabs Philip

But no, but no, this cannot be my end!

Dies

O, God be merciful and take me in!

[
First Soldier
]
stabs Guenhera, she dies

[
To Second Soldier
] You stand as well as any man I know.

But be now better used and give your hands.

The king gave you the baseness, I the watch.

Well-watched, bold guard, now lift and to the bog.

Exeunt
[
with bodies
]

King Arthur’s dead! Fly, English! Arthur’s slain!

The king is dead! The day is lost! Give back!

Exit Mordred

No king, no heir, no queen, but fly and live!

But see! From my uncovered face take heart

And we will push them to the drowning wash!

King Arthur lives! He lives! Fight on! Fight on!

Exeunt

Alarum. Enter Gloucester and Mordred. They fight

I would spend all my breath in slaying thee,

Thou hag-born demon of the darkest pit.

Thou never wilt be Britain’s king a day.

Old Gloucester, God doth wield my sword for me

To lead me to that throne and do His will,

And first of His designs must be your doom.

No king art thou, bereft of Arthur’s strain.
¹

Thou diest, poltroon!
²
Now out upon it, die!

Gloucester is slain

The lord protector leads the way to hell.

The brat he taught will follow him apace,

Though I dare not dispatch him without aid.

To me! To me!

My lord?

Thy work is done?

My king, to its perfection.

Honored friend!

Then to my side until th’usurper falls.

The coward vowed to strike me from behind.

Exeunt