ECRASIA.  The woman is more sensible than the man.

The Ancients release the Automata.

THE MALE FIGURE [sinking to the ground] I am discouraged.  Life is too heavy a burden.

THE FEMALE FIGURE [collapsing] I am dying.  I am glad.  I am afraid to live.

THE NEWLY BORN.  I think it would be nice to give the poor things a little music.

ARJILLAX.  Why?

THE NEWLY BORN.  I don’t know.  But it would.

The Musicians play.

THE FEMALE FIGURE.  Ozymandias:  do you hear that? [She rises on her knees and looks raptly into space] Queen of queens! [She dies].

THE MALE FIGURE [crawling feebly towards her until he reaches her hand] I knew I was really a king of kings. [To the others] Illusions, farewell:  we are going to our thrones. [He dies].

The music stops.  There is dead silence for a moment.

THE NEWLY BORN.  That was funny.

STREPHON.  It was.  Even the Ancients are smiling.

THE NEWLY BORN.  Just a little.

THE SHE-ANCIENT [quickly recovering her grave and peremptory manner] Take these two abominations away to Pygmalion’s laboratory, and destroy them with the rest of the laboratory refuse. [Some of them move to obey].  Take care:  do not touch their flesh:  it is noxious:  lift them by their robes.  Carry Pygmalion into the temple; and dispose of his remains in the usual way.

The three bodies are carried out as directed, Pygmalion into the temple by his bare arms and legs, and the two Figures through the grove by their clothes.  Martellus superintends the removal of the Figures, Acis that of Pygmalion.  Ecrasia, Arjillax, Strephon, and the Newly Born sit down as before, but on contrary benches; so that Strephon and the Newly Born now face the grove, and Ecrasia and Arjillax the temple.  The Ancients remain standing at the altar.

ECRASIA [as she sits down] Oh for a breeze from the hills!

STREPHON.  Or the wind from the sea at the turn of the tide!

THE NEWLY BORN.  I want some clean air.

THE HE-ANCIENT.  The air will be clean in a moment.  This doll flesh that children make decomposes quickly at best; but when it is shaken by such passions as the creatures are capable of, it breaks up at once and becomes horribly tainted.

THE SHE-ANCIENT.  Let it be a lesson to you all to be content with lifeless toys, and not attempt to make living ones.  What would you think of us ancients if we made toys of you children?

THE NEWLY BORN [coaxingly] Why do you not make toys of us?  Then you would play with us; and that would be very nice.

THE SHE-ANCIENT.  It would not amuse us.  When you play with one another you play with your bodies, and that makes you supple and strong; but if we played with you we should play with your minds, and perhaps deform them.