Voice-of-the-Gods:  [triumphantly]

They have not lied!

Ichtharion: 

O, I am killed.

    [Laughter heard off.]

Someone is laughing.  Laughing even in Thek!  Why, the whole city is shattered.

    [The laughter grows demoniac.]

What is that dreadful sound?

Voice-of-the-Gods: 

It is the laughter of the gods that cannot lie, going back to their hills.

    [He dies.]

    [Curtain]

The Queen’s Enemies

Dramatis Personae

The Queen
Ackazarpses (her handmaid)
Prince Rhadamandaspes
Prince Zophernes
The Priest of Horus
The King of the Four Countries
The Twin Dukes of Ethiopia
Tharni, Tharrabas, Harlee (Slaves)
Slaves.

Scene:  An underground temple in Egypt.

Time:  The Sixth Dynasty.

[The Curtain rises on darkness in both parts of the stage.  Two Slaves appear with tapers on the steps.  As they go down the steps, they light the torches that are clamped against the wall, with their tapers.  Afterwards when they come to the temple they light the torches there till they are all lit.  The two Slaves are Tharni and Tharrabas.]

Tharrabas: 

Is it much further, Tharni?

Tharni: 

I think not, Tharrabas.

Tharrabas: 

A dank and terrible place.

Tharni: 

It is not much further.

Tharrabas: 

Why does the Queen banquet in so fearful a place?

Tharni: 

I know not.  She banquets with her enemies.

Tharrabas: 

In the land from which I was taken we do not banquet with our enemies.

Tharni: 

No?  The Queen will banquet with her enemies.

Tharrabas: 

Why?  Know you why?

Tharni: 

It is the way of the Queen.

    [Silence.]

Tharrabas: 

The door, Tharni, we have come to the door!

Tharni: 

Yes, that’s the Temple.

Tharrabas: 

Surely a grim place.

Tharni: 

The banquet is prepared.  We light these torches, that is all.

Tharrabas: 

Unto whom is it holy?

Tharni: 

They say to the Nile once.  I know not to whom it is holy now.

Tharrabas: 

So Nile has left it?

Tharni: 

They say they worship him in this place no longer.

Tharrabas: 

And if I were holy Nile I also would stay up there [pointing] in the sunlight.

    [He suddenly sees the huge misshapen bulk of Harlee.]

Oh-h-h!

Harlee: 

Urh

Tharni: 

Why, it’s Harlee.

Tharrabas: 

I thought you were some fearful, evil god.

    [Harlee laughs.  He remains leaning on his great iron bar.]