KING.  Speak, good Father.

MONK.  I pray your Majesties to see one Christopher Columbus.

KING (inquiringly).  Columbus?

MONK.  The Italian who thinks he can find a short route to the Indies, sire.

KING (nodding).  Ah, I remember.  You brought his plans to us some time ago, good Father.

QUEEN (nodding).  Let us see him to-day, sire.

KING (to First Courtier).  Admit this Christopher Columbus.

(Courtier admits COLUMBUS. He kneels before the King.)

Rise, Columbus, and tell us what you seek.

COLUMBUS (rising).  Ships, sire, to prove the plans which I did send your
Majesties; plans for sailing in the unknown seas.

QUEEN.  They seemed to me most wise and sensible.

COLUMBUS (with joy).  Ah, your Majesty believes with me?

KING (hastily).  I’d have our Wise Men speak.  Unfold your maps before them, sir.

[Columbus crosses to Wise Men and unfolds a map before them.  They look at it, shake their heads and laugh.]

COLUMBUS (with dignity).  I propose to sail by this route to find that eastern land.

FIRST WISE MAN.  Ha, ha!  I never heard anything so absurd!  He’d sail west to find the east!  Ha, ha!

SECOND WISE MAN (pointing to map).  The edge of the world is out there in those strange waters!  And you are willing to fall off with your ships into space, sir?

COLUMBUS.  I’m sure the water continues—­

THIRD WISE MAN (interrupting).  How could there be land beyond?  ’T would be under us, and the trees would have to grow their roots in the air.

[Wise Men nod wisely.]

SECOND WISE MAN.  And the rain must needs fall upward there!

ALL WISE MEN (nodding wisely).  Aye!  Aye!

QUEEN.  I’ve heard you did lay your plans before King John of Portugal?

COLUMBUS.  I did, your Majesty.

KING.  That was bad for you, Columbus.  King John sent ships, but they soon returned.

(Turning to CAPTAIN RIVERRA.)

Was not that the way of it, Captain?  You sailed with them, I believe?

RIVERRA.  Yes, sire.  But the failure came because the sailors were afraid and refused to go on.

(To Columbus.)

You were thus avenged for the theft of your maps, sir.

QUEEN.  Would you sail again with this man as your leader, Captain?

RIVERRA.  I would, your Majesty!  I believe not in the monsters and the edge.

QUEEN.  Nor I!  Let’s provide the ships, sire.

KING.  Our people would not like it—­they’d grumble.  And so ’t would be bad for us.

[Enter MESSENGER in great haste; kneels before King and Queen.]

KING.  What news do you bring?  Speak!

MESSENGER.  The Turks have captured the Spanish merchant ships!