Uther and the Secret of the Dragon
Page 5
even have won this gold. I will take just enough to
keep us fed and leave the rest with you and Memet.
If you invest it and the investment makes more
my decision will be justified.
MEMET
Merlain, you are a very special person, I knew it
when we met outside Carthage. I swear on
The Queen of Arabia’s life your gold will be
safe here until your return.
ADRIUS
Is there anything you want to take as security; something
valuable of mine which you can redeem for your
investment on your return?
MERLAIN
No my friend, the lighter we travel the safer we will be.
UTHUR
Hang on, there is one thing I’d like to take; as
you’ve offered.
ADRIUS
Anything.
UTHUR
I would like to take Esuit with us.
ADRIUS
Esuit; now that is a valuable piece of security.
Tell me, young UTHUR, is there a particular
reason why you want to take my wife’s slave away with you?
UTHUR
I like her, she’s my age and we get on well.
She knows the local language and this could be useful.
MERLAIN
I could learn the local language but I’m too old
to be a good companion to my young ward...
MEMET
Your breasts are not as firm as he would like...
ADRIUS
And your buttocks a little too tight.
They all laugh
ADRIUS
I will have to speak to my wife about this but
I’m sure she will have enough slaves to fill the gap...
UTHUR
I am happy now....
SCENE 13. EXT DAY
The following day UTHUR, MERLAIN and ESUIT are riding away from the city on three camels, a donkey attached to UTHUR’S camel carries their tents and luggage. As they cross a high sand dune MERLAIN glances behind and gets one final glimpse of the city in the distance. They do not see the group of men following them secretly.
As the sun begins to sink below the horizon they come across a group of men working in an open cast mine. Babylon’s men stand over them with whips urging them to work faster as they use bronze tools to dig out rock and load it into wooden carts. UTHUR gets down from his camel and picks up one of the chunks of rock and examines it closely.
UTHUR
Esuit, what do they call this place?
ESUIT
This is Grentagil; the place of Green rock.
UTHUR
You said this is what they feed to the dragon to get
it to give then one of the three elements that make
up bronze; it’s a strange rock.
MERLAIN
It has a green tinge to it yet you said the dragon will give
out a red metal when it fests upon this.
ESUIT
The red element is called copper. It’s strange I know.
The dragon eats a green rock and a red element
is produced by it; Dragons are strange creatures.
UTHUR
I know the other thing it needs to eat is the
charcoal the glassmaker employs but what about
the third rock, what colour is that?
ESUIT
They call that element Tin; it cannot be found on
these shores and we have men going to the far
corners of the known world to discover it.
In the past it was taken from a mine between
the two rivers but that mine is now empty.
UTHUR
The dragon must consume so much to give up its treasure.
MERLAIN
Even if we capture one I don’t see where we will
get its food in Albion; perhaps we should forget this notion.
UTHUR
Never. I know we have more trees in our land than
we would ever need should we capture several
dragons and turn it all into charcoal. I’m sure we
will find this rock there too if we search hard enough.
ESUIT
It’s true. Until they found a use for this rock no
one thought it had any value; now look at the
backs they break to get it out of the ground.
MERLAIN
Slavery is a barbarous condition to keep men.
I think that free men, men who are paid for their
labours, will work harder and be more loyal than
those kept in bondage.
ESUIT
You are an enlightened man Merlain. The
Baby loans may seem educated and hospitable
but they treat some people worse than pigs.
I think it stains their whole culture.
I was treated so badly before my Master Adrius
saved me but he and his wife are the exception.
Most Babylon’s are cruel and wicked.
MERLAIN
If that is so then it is a stain well hidden from
visitors. Let us take out animals away from this
dusty place of misery before it gets too dark.
We must make camp and prepare a meal.
UTHUR
Yes, I am hungry.
ESUIT
I packed some good meat for us to eat tonight.
When we find a suitable place to camp I will
cook while you put out tent up.
MERLAIN
What a good team. This journey just gets better every day.
SCENE 14 NIGHT EXT
They sit beside the upright tent under a huge sky full of stars. The animals graze nearby as ESUIT ladles a thick soup into bowls for them to eat. She hand the bowls to her male companions and then sits between them.
UTHUR
This is very good.
MERLAIN
Very spicy, what is the flavour I taste, it is
marvellous?
ESUIT
We call it saffron, it is very expensive but I grew it
myself so the master will not miss it from his
kitchen. Mr Merlain, can I ask you something?
MERLAIN
Yes, anything if I can help.
ESUIT
Look above your head, can you see the four stars
that form a square in the sky?
MERLAIN
Yes.
Both he and UTHUR look up at the big dipper above them.
ESUIT
Do you see the three stars that come from the
eastern corner and lead out like a handle?
MERLAIN
Yes, I see it.
ESUIT
If you allow your gaze to follow along these
three stars you will see a further star twinkling
yonder almost on the horizon.
MERLAIN
Yes, I see it.
ESUIT
Well, beneath that star, a very high and dark dune
rises in the east there.
MERLAIN
Yes, what about it?
ESUIT
Since we left the city earlier today a group of men
have followed us. I believe they are on the top of
that dune now, watching us.
UTHUR
(He begins to stand) What...
MERLAIN
Stay where you are, do not alert them to our
discovery; just act naturally.
UTHUR
Okay, Esuit, are you sure about this?
ESUIT
I thought I saw them earlier, at the mine, but
I was unsure. While you put the tent up and I
made the food I caught sight of them looking
cautiously over the top of the dune.
; They are definitely following us.
MERLAIN
Robbers perhaps, thinking we are carrying a
trunk of gold.
ESUIT
If they intended to rob us I think they will strike
as soon as the sun goes down. We will know their
intentions soon
UTHUR
If they are not robbers, who then?
ESUIT
The King may have sent them to spy upon
you. He may have seemed happy when you won
his gold but I know those people, they did not want you
to take your winnings from the city.
They expected you to spend it all there so the gold stays
within his reach. If ever his treasury had a emergency
he would have come to take it back by force.
Now you have left the city I am sure he wants to
know where his gold has gone.
UTHUR
His gold, it’s mine, I won it.
ESUIT
All elements are eternal UTHUR. We humans come
and go. You can be sure that when our bones are
stripped of flesh and are bleached by the sun this
gold will be as yellow and bright as the day you won it.
Therefore no man ever owns it; we just look after it
momentarily on behalf of the gods.
MERLAIN
It’s true, who can own a rock or a strip of land.
Who can own the air we breathe or the water we
drink. Rain drops from the sky, flows down from the
hills and each drop becomes a stream and then a
river. We get thirsty and quench our thirst turning the
water into piss. The piss is filtered by the earth and
eventually flows back into the stream.
I agree Esuit. Humans can never lay ownership over what
is given by the gods.
They continue to eat and eventually the girl rises to collect the empty bowls. As she leans down to take UTHUR’s, the girl secretly gives him a sling.
UTHUR tucks it under his tunic and then picks up three medium sized stones as MERLAIN stands and stretches; whispering under his breath...
UTHUR, in a moment make as if you are going
for a piss over yonder by the animals. I will step into
the tent and collect the sword Memet gave me.
ESUIT
I need the staff attached to my camel; is it in the tent?
MERLAIN
Do you mean the long piece of hardwood that was
tucked under your sleeping mat?
ESUIT
Yes, where is it?
MERLAIN
I have leant it against the tent, just there to the right
of the doorway.
ESUIT
Then we are ready for them.
MERLAIN
Surely if they are spies we will not have to fight them;
they should just follow our route and report back to
their master?
ESUIT
Perhaps, but as I said. Some of these people are cruel
and wicked. They may want to take your gold and say
they lost you in the sand. Listen, can you hear them
speaking?
MERLAIN
Pretending to be crickets; I hear them...
UTHUR
If they come Esuit, please stay out of the way. Let me
and Merlain handle them.
ESUIT
Not if, when they come, we will all need to defend this
camp. If we are all destined to be murdered we all
have a responsibility to defend ourselves.
Suddenly they see a shadow approaching quickly and UTHUR stand, places a rock into his sling and starts to twirl it above his head. As Merlain enters the tent they see the shadow turn into the form of a masked man, illuminated by the firelight. UTHUR flicks the sling and the stone flies through the air hitting the man between his eyes. He falls as another comes from the darkness holding a long curved sword.
Merlain intercepts him and they start to fight as UTHUR loads another stone into the sling. He sees another attacker and flicks the spinning sling towards the man who ducks and throws himself at the boy. They both roll across the sand and he pins UTHUR down. A wicked smile crosses the robber’s face as a blade flashes in his hand. Suddenly he is poleaxe and falls to one side. UTHUR looks up and sees ESUIT standing behind him armed with her staff.
Another attacker jumps from the darkness armed with a sword and Esuit uses her staff to defend them both. UTHUR stands and uses his sling to launch a rock at another man running from the shadows. The rock hits his head and he drops as Esuit turns this way and that using the staff so skilfully that UTHUR is amazed by her agility. She turns and upends her opponent before striking him on the head with its base.
Merlain eventually disarms his attacker who o screams and runs off into the darkness. The three watch him go.
UTHUR
Where did you learn to fight like that, I’ve never seen
any woman be so deadly...
MERLAIN
And only using a staff...
ESUIT
My family are all great warriors; especially my father.
He taught me how to kill men as soon as I could walk.
In our land you may only have access to a piece of wood
to defend yourself so this is what we learn to use.
UTHUR
I am impressed.
MERLAIN
So am I. Anyway young people, I don’t think we will
be seeing any more of these people so you two go and
rest. I will sit by the fire for a while.
UTHUR
I am tired.
ESUIT
Me too...
MERLAIN
Then go; I will see you both tomorrow.
ESUIT
We should set off at sunrise, if we continue heading north
we will reach Medin by nightfall.
MERLAIN
Medin, is it another city?
ESUIT
No. It is the place where the Magi are inducted;
their spiritual home, a huge temple in the sand dunes.
I have heard it is very beautiful and quiet.
UTHUR
Have you ever been there?
ESUIT
No, but I have heard from those who have.
You may even catch a dragon there; I have heard that
it is the place they learn how to tame them.
MERLAIN
Then Medin it is, go sleep and tomorrow we will
find this place of wonder.
SCENE 15 EXT DAY
The trio ride across the sands the following day dragging the mule in their rear as a dusk storm blows. After fighting the winds for most of the day they come over one final dune and in the distance they see a building made of green stone, shining like emerald in the sunlight, rising from the ground. In each corner thin, pointed towers point towards the heavens and small windows with coloured glass beam rainbows across the sand in front of it.
A huge double door is set into the facing wall which Merlain pounds upon with the base of his staff. Suddenly a small hatch opens and a thin faced, bald woman looks out at them.
WOMAN
Who calls upon the Magi?
MERLAIN
We do.
WOMAN
All donations to the Magi must be made through
your city administrator.
MERLAIN
We want shelter. Can you open these doors and let us in?
#
WOMAN
Only initiates and their guardians can enter here.
Esuit stepped forwards and pulled her hood from her face.
ESUIT
I am an initiate and these are my guardians.
An open courtyard is bathed in sunlight and around the edges women dressed in the long, cotton tunic and heads and eyes cloaked by the customary white cowl hold sprigs of corn in their hands. In the centre of the court is a raised Diaz where a woman, The IPSISSAMUS dressed in a grey cowl and tunic stands. She looks up and calls out to the visitors,
IPSISSAMUS
Who is called to the life of the Magi?
As the woman speaks bolts of lightning radiate from her and the smell of sulphur rises in the air. ESUIT steps forwards and kneels
ESUIT
I am, Esuit of Nubia; daughter of the Warrior King
Lotta. I am called here.
IPSISSAMUS
Are these your guardians, Esuit of Nubia?
ESUIT
They are.
IPSISSAMUS
Are you free of bondage, serfdom and slavery?
MERLAIN
She is.
IPSISSAMUS
You may spend one night here with your daughter;
but after you leave tomorrow at dawn you will say
goodbye to Esuit of Nubia; from then on she will
be known as Esuit of Sumeria, daughter of the Magi.
There is a final flash of blinding blue lightening and when their vision clears the IPSISSAMUS has gone and in her place is just a simple sprig of corn. The women around the edges lead away until just one is left, she steps toward the trio.
WOMAN
Esuit, friends, if you follow me I will show you to
your rooms for your final evening together.
They follow the woman and as they do MERLAIN notices behind the dais is a spinning drum over a small fire. Steam is being thrust from small spouts on the side of the drum and this provides the thrust to turn it. He sees two thin wires the lead from the drum to the Diaz and what looks like a trapdoor in the top.