SCENE VI
The public square of Bassora.
Alzayni on a dais; in front a scaffold on which stand Nureddene,
an executioner, Murad and others. Almuene moves between the
dais and scaffold. The square is crowded with people.
EXECUTIONER
Ho! listen, listen, Moslems. Nureddene,
Son of Alfazzal, son of Sawy, stands
Upon the rug of blood, the man who smote
Great Viziers and came armed with forgeries
To uncrown mighty Kings. Look on his doom,
You enemies of great Alzayni, look and shake.
(Low, to Nureddene)
My lord, forgive me who am thus compelled,
Oh much against my will, to ill-requite
Your father's kindly favours.
NUREDDENE
Give me water:
I thirst.
MURAD
Give water. Executioner,
When the King waves the signal, wait; strike not
Too hastily.
EXECUTIONER
Captain, I will await thy nod.
Here's water.
ALMUENE
(coming up)
Rebellious sworder! Givest thou drink
To the King's enemies!
A VOICE
IN THE CROWD
God waits for thee,
Page – 724
Thou wicked Vizier.
ALMUENE
Who was that?
MURAD
A voice.
Behead it.
ALMUENE
Mighty Sultan, give the word.
ALZAYNI
There is a movement in the crowd and cries.
Wait for one moment.
ALMUENE
It is Ibn Sawy.
Oh, this is sweet!
CRIES
Make way for the Vizier, the good Vizier. He's saved! he's saved.
Enter Alfazzal; he looks with emotion at
Nureddene, then turns to the King.
IBN
SAWY
Greeting, my King; my work in Roum is over.
ALZAYNI
Virtuous Alfazzal! we will talk with thee
As ever was our dearest pleasure; first,
There is a spotted soul to be dislodged
From the fair body it disgraced; a trifle
Soon ended. There behold the criminal.
IBN
SAWY
The criminal! Pardon me, mighty King;
Page – 725
The voice of nature will not be kept down.
Why wilt thou slay my son?
ALZAYNI
Nay, 'tis himself
Insisted obstinately on his doom;
Abused his King, battered and beat my Vizier,
Forged mighty Haroun's signature to wear
My crown in Bassora. These are the chief
Of his offences.
IBN
SAWY
If this thing is true,
As doubtless near inquiry in Bagdad —
ALZAYNI
Nay, take not up thy duties all too soon.
Rest from thy travel, bury thy dear son
And afterwards resume thy faithful works,
My Vizier.
IBN
SAWY
I would not see my dear child slain,
Permit me to depart and in my desolate house
Comfort the stricken mother and his kin.
ALZAYNI
Perhaps a stone of all thy house may stand.
The mother and thy niece? It hurts my heart.
They too are criminals and punished.
IBN
SAWY
God!
ALZAYNI
Slaves, help my faithful Vizier; he will faint.
Page – 726
IBN
SAWY
Let me alone; God made me strong to bear.
They are dead ?
ALZAYNI
Nay, a more lenient penalty.
What did I order ? To be led through -Bassora
Bare in their shifts with halters round their necks,
And, stripped before all eyes, whipped into swooning, /
Then sold as slaves but preferably for little
To some low Nazarene or Jew. Was that
The order, Almuene?
IBN
SAWY
Merciful Allah!
And it is done?
ALZAYNI
I doubt not, it is done.
IBN
SAWY
Their
crime?
ALZAYNI
Conspiring murder. They have killed
The son of Almuene. Good Ibn Sawy,
God's kind to thee who has relieved thy age
Of human burdens. Thus He turns thy thought
To His ineffable and simple peace.
IBN
SAWY
God, Thou art mighty and Thy will is just.
King Mahomed Alzayni, I have come
To a changed world in which I am not needed.
I bid farewell.
ALZAYNI
Nay, Vizier, clasp thy son,
Page – 727
And afterwards await within my hearing
Release.
IBN
SAWY
My Nureddene, my child!
NUREDDENE
Justice
Of God, thou spar'st me nothing. Father! Father!
IBN
SAWY
Bow to the will of God, my son; if thou
Must perish on a false and hateful charge,
A crime in thee impossible, believe
It is His justice still.
NUREDDENE
I well believe it.
IBN
SAWY
I doubt not I will join you, son. We'll hold
Each other's hands upon the narrow way.
ALZAYNI
Hast done, Alfazzal ?
IBN
SAWY
Do thy will, O King.
ALZAYNI
(waving his hand)
Strike.
Trumpets outside.
What are these proud notes ? this cloud of dust
That rushes towards us from the north? The earth
Trembles with horse-hooves.
ALMUENE
Let this wretch be slain
Page – 728
We shall have leisure then for greater things.
ALZAYNI
Pause, pause! A horseman gallops through the crowd
Which scatters like wild dust. Look, he dismounts.
Enter a soldier.
SOLDIER
Hail to thee, Mohamad Alzayni! Greeting
From mightier than thyself.
ALZAYNI
What art thou, Arab ?
SOLDIER
Jaafar bin Barmak, Vizier world-renowned
Of Haroun, master of the globe, comes hither.
He's in your streets, Alzayni. Thus he bids thee;
If Nureddene, thy Vizier's son, yet lives,
Preserve him. Sultan, as thy own dear life;
For if he dies, thou shalt not live.
ALZAYNI
My guards!
My soldiers! here to me!
SOLDIER
Beware, Alzayni.
The force he brings could dislocate each stone
In Bassora within the hour and leave
Thy house a ruin. In his mighty wake
A mightier comes, the Caliph's self.
ALZAYNI
'Tis well.
I have but erred. My Murad, here to me!
Murad, thou shalt have gold, a house, estate,
Page – 729
Noble and wealthy women for thy wives.
Murad!
MURAD
Erred, King, indeed who took a soldier
For an assassin. King, my household gem
I have saved and want no others. Were she gone,
Thou wouldst not now be living.
ALZAYNI
Am I betrayed ?
MURAD
Call it so. King.
ALZAYNI
My throne is tumbling down.
The crowd quite parts, the horsemen drive towards us.
ALMUENE
Sultan Alzayni, kill thy enemies,
Then die. Wilt thou be footed to Bagdad,
Stumbling in fetters ?
ALZAYNI
They are here.
Enter Jaafar and soldiers.
JAAFAR
This sigh't
Is thy own sentence. Mahomed Alzayni,
Allah deprived thee of reason to destroy thee,
When thou didst madly disobey thy lord.
ALMUENE
'Twas a mistake, great Vizier. We had thought
The script a forgery.
Page – 730
JAAFAR
Issue of Khakan,
I have seen many Viziers like thyself,
But none that died in peace. Hail, Nureddene!
I greet thee. Sultan, lord in Bassora.
NUREDDENE
It is the second toss that tells, the first
Was a pure foul. I thank Thee, who hast only
Shown me the edge of thy chastising sword,
Then pardoned. Father, embrace me.
IBN
SAWY
Ah, child,
Thy mother and thy sister!
MURAD
They are safe
And in my care.
IBN
SAWY
Nay, God is kind; this world
Most leniently ruled.
JAAFAR
Sultan Alzayni, Vizier Almuene,
By delegated power I seize upon you,
The prisoners of the Caliph. Take them, guards.
I've brought a slave-girl for you, Nureddene,
The Caliph's gift.
NUREDDENE
I'll take her, if I like her.
Life is my own again and all I love.
Great are Thy mercies, O Omnipotent!
Page – 731
HOME