King:
Not for myself I have a fear of doom, not for myself; but I have inherited a rocky land, windy and ill-nurtured, and nursed it to prosperity by years of peace and spread its boundaries by years of war. I have brought up harvests out of barren acres and given good laws unto naughty towns, and my people are happy, and lo, the stars are angry!
Chamberlain:
It is not the stars, it is not the stars, Majesty, for the prophets of the stars have not interpreted it. Indeed, it was some reveller wasting his gold.
{Meanwhile enter Chief Prophet of the stars that look on Zericon.}
King:
Chief Prophet of the stars that look on Zericon, I would have you interpret the rhyme upon yonder door.
Chief Prophet: {goes up to door and reads}
It is from the stars.
King:
Interpret it and you shall have great turquoises round your neck, with opals from the mines in the frozen mountains.
Chief Prophet: {cloaks himself like the others in a great black cloak}
Who should wear purple in the land but a King, or who should go up against the sky but one who has troubled the stars by neglecting their ancient worship? Such a one has gone up and up increasing in power and wealth, such a one has soared above the crowns of those that went before him, such a one the stars have doomed, the undying ones, the illustrious. {A pause.}
King:
Who wrote it?
Chief Prophet:
It is pure gold. Some god has written it.
Chamberlain:
Some god?
First Sentry: {aside to Second Sentry}
Last night I saw a star go flaming earthward.
King:
Is this a warning or is it a doom?
Chief Prophet:
The stars have spoken.
King:
Is it, then, a doom?
Chief Prophet:
They speak not in jest.
King:
I have been a great King -- Let it be said of me "The stars overthrew him, and they sent a god for his doom." For I have not met my equal among kings that man should overthrow me; and I have not oppressed my people that man should rise up against me.
Chief Prophet:
It is better to give worship to the stars than to do good to man. It is better to be humble before the gods than proud in the face of your enemy though he do evil.
King:
Let the stars hearken yet and I will sacrifice a child to them -- I will sacrifice a girl child to the twinkling stars and a male child to the stars that blink not, the stars of the steadfast eyes. {To his Spies} Let a boy and a girl be brought for sacrifice. {Exit a Spy to the right looking at footprints.} Will you accept this sacrifice to the god that the stars have sent? They say that the gods love children.
Chief Prophet:
I may refuse no sacrifice to the stars nor to the gods whom they send. {To the other Prophets} Make ready the sacrificial knives.
{The Prophets draw knives and sharpen them.}
King:
Is it fitting that the sacrifice take place by the iron door where the god from the stars has trod, or must it be in the temple?
Chief Prophet:
Let it be offered by the iron door. {To the other Prophets} Fetch hither the altar stone.
{The owl-like whistle is heard off right. The Third Spy runs crouching toward it. Exit.}
King:
Will this sacrifice avail to avert the doom?
Chief Prophet:
Who knows?
King:
I fear that even yet the doom will fall.
Chief Prophet:
It were wise to sacrifice some greater thing.
King:
What more can a man offer?
Chief Prophet:
His pride.
King:
What pride?
Chief Prophet:
Your pride that went up against the sky and troubled the stars.
King:
How shall I sacrifice my pride to the stars?
Chief Prophet:
It is upon your pride that the doom will fall, and will take away your crown and will take away your kingdom.
King:
I will sacrifice my crown and reign uncrowned among you, so only I save my kingdom.
Chief Prophet:
If you sacrifice your crown which is your pride, and if the stars accept it, perhaps the god that they went may avert the doom and you may still reign in your kingdom though humbled and uncrowned.
King:
Shall I burn my crown with spices and with incense or cast it into the sea?
Chief Prophet:
Let it be laid here by the iron door where the god came who wrote the golden doom. When he comes again by night to shrivel up the city or to pour an enemy in through the iron door, he will see your cast-off pride and perhaps accept it and take it away to the neglected stars.
King: {to the Chamberlain}
Go after my spies and say that I make no sacrifice. {Exit the Chamberlain; the King takes off his crown} Good-bye, my brittle glory; kings have sought you, the stars have envied you. {The stage grows darker}
Chief Prophet:
Even now the sun has set who denies the stars, and the day is departed wherein no gods walk abroad. It is near the hour when spirits roam the earth and all things that go unseen, and the faces of the abiding stars will be soon revealed to the fields. Lay your crown there and let us come away.
The Sentries: {kneeling}
Yes, Majesty.
{They remain kneeling until after the King has gone. King and the Chief Prophet walk away.}
Chief Prophet:
It was your pride. Let it be forgotten. May the stars accept it. {Exeunt left}
{The Sentries rise}
First Sentry:
The stars have envied him!
Second Sentry:
It is an ancient crown. He wore it well.
First Sentry:
May the stars accept it.
Second Sentry:
If they do not accept it what doom will overtake us?
First Sentry:
It will suddenly be as though there were never any city of Zericon nor two sentries like you and me standing before the door.
Second Sentry:
Why! How do you know?
First Sentry:
That is ever the way of the gods.
Second Sentry:
But it is unjust.
First Sentry:
How should the gods know that?
Second Sentry:
Will it happen to-night?
First Sentry:
Come! we must march away. {Exeunt right}
{The stage grows increasingly darker. Reenter the Chamberlain from the right. He walks across the Stage and goes out to the left. Reenter Spies from the right. They cross the stage, which is now nearly dark.}
Boy: {enters from the right, dressed in white, his hands out a little, crying}
King's door, King's door, I want my little hoop. {He goes up to the King's door. When he sees the King's crown there, he utters a satisfied} O-oh! {He takes it up, puts it on the ground, and, beating it before him with the sceptre, goes out by the way that he entered.}
{The great door opens; there is light within; a furtive Spy slips out and sees that the crown is gone. Another Spy slips out. Their crouching heads come close together.}
First Spy: {hoarse whisper}
The gods have come!
{They run back through the door and the door is closed. It opens again and the King and the Chamberlain come through.}
King:
The stars are satisfied.
{Curtain}