O hush, hush.  They do not mean to be so cruel.

Priest of Horus: 

They do not believe you would poison them.  But they do not know if the meat was killed with a poisonous arrow or if an asp may have inadvertently bitten the fruit.  These things may happen, but they do not believe you would poison them.

Queen: 

They believe I would poison them.

Rhadamandaspes: 

No; Queen, see, we eat.

    [They hastily whisper to slaves.]

1st Duke of Ethiopia: 

We eat your viands, Queen.

2nd Duke of Ethiopia: 

We drink your wine.

King of Four Countries: 

We eat your good pomegranates and Egyptian grapes.

Zophernes: 

We eat.

    [They all eat.]

Priest of Horus:  [smiling affably]

I too eat of your excellent banquet, O Queen.

    [He peels a fruit slowly, glancing constantly at the others. 
    Meanwhile the catches in the Queen’s breath grow fewer, she
    begins to dry her eyes.]

Ackazarpses:  [in her ear]

They eat.

    [Ackazarpses lifts her head and watches them.]

Queen: 

Perhaps the wine is poisoned.

Priest of Horus: 

No, no, Illustrious Lady.

Queen: 

Perhaps the grape was cut by a poisoned arrow.

Priest of Horus: 

But indeed... indeed...

    [Queen drinks from his cup.]

Queen: 

Will you not drink my wine?

Priest of Horus: 

I drink to our continued friendship.

    [He drinks.]

A Duke of Ethiopia: 

Our continued friendship!

Priest of Horus: 

There has been no true enmity.  We misunderstood the Queen’s armies.

Rhadamandaspes:  [to Zophernes]

We have wronged the Queen.  The wine’s not poisoned.  Let us drink to her.

Zophernes: 

So be it.

Rhadamandaspes: 

We drink to you, Queen.

Zophernes: 

We drink.

Queen: 

The flagon, Ackazarpses.

    [Ackazarpses brings it.  The Queen pours it into her cup.]

Fill up your goblets from the flagon, princes. [She drinks.]

Rhadamandaspes: 

We wronged you, Queen.  It is a blessed wine.

Queen: 

It is an ancient wine and grew in Lesbos, looking from Mytelene to the South.  Ships brought it overseas and up this river to gladden the hearts of man in holy Egypt.  But to me it brings no joy.

Duke of Ethiopia: 

It is a happy wine, Queen.

Queen: 

I have been thought a poisoner.

Priest of Horus: 

Indeed, none has thought that, Illustrious Lady.

Queen: 

You have all thought it.