Chapter 10Act III, Scene 1

Act III

Bassora.

Scene 1 Ibn Sawy’s house. A room in the outer apartments decorated for a banquet. Doonya, Anice, Balkis.

DOONYA Lord, how they pillage! Even the furniture Cannot escape these Djinns. Ogre Ghaneem Picks up that costly chair between his teeth And off to his castle; devil Ayoob drops That table of mosaic in his pocket; Zeb sweeps off rugs and couches in a whirlwind. What purse will long put up with such ill-treatment?

BALKIS It must be checked.

DOONYA

’Tis much that he has kept His promise to my uncle. Oh, he’s sound! These villains spoil him. Anice, you’re to blame. However you complain, yourself are quite As reckless.

ANICE

I?

DOONYA

Yes, you. Is there a bright Unnecessary jewel you have seen And have not bought? a dress that took your fancy And was not in a moment yours? Or have you lost A tiny chance of laughter, song and wine, Since you were with him?

ANICE

A few rings and chains, Some silks and cottons I have bought at times.

DOONYA What did these trifles cost?

ANICE

I do not know.

DOONYA Of course you do not. Come, it’s gone too far; Restrain him, curb yourself.

BALKIS

Next time he calls you To sing among his wild companions, send Cold answers, do not go.

ANICE

To break the jest, The flow of good companionship, drive out Sweet friendly looks with anger, be a kill-joy And frowner in this bright and merry world! Oh, all the sins that human brows grow wrinkled With frowning at, could never equal this!

DOONYA But if the skies grew darker?

ANICE

If they should! It was a bright and merry world. To see him Happy and gay and kind was all I cared for; There my horizon stopped. But if the skies Did darken! Doonya, it shall cease today.

Enter Azeem. Well, Azeem.

AZEEM

Madam, half the creditors, And that means half the shops in Bassora, Hold session in the outer hall and swear It shall be permanent till they get money.

ANICE Where is your master? Call him here. A moment! Have you the bills?

AZEEM

All of them, long as pillars And crammed from head to foot with monstrous sums.

ANICE Call him.

AZEEM

He’s here.

Enter Nureddene.

NUREDDENE

What, cousin Doonya! Balkis! Did you steal down to see the decorations? Are they not pretty?

DOONYA

Like a painted tombstone Sculptured and arabesqued, but death’s inside And bones, my brother, bones.

NUREDDENE

And there are bones In this fair pleasing outside called dear Doonya, But let us only think of rosy cheeks, Sweet eyes and laughing lips and not the bones.

DOONYA You have boned my metaphor and quite disboned it, Until there’s nothing firm inside; ’tis pulpy.

ANICE The creditors besiege you, Nureddene; You’ll pay them.

NUREDDENE

Serious, Anice?

ANICE

Till you do, I will not smile again. Azeem, the bills!

NUREDDENE Is this your doing, Doonya?

DOONYA

Yours, cousin, yours.

NUREDDENE Is’t so? Anice?

ANICE

I’ve told you.

NUREDDENE

Show me the bills. Go in, you three.

ANICE

Ah, he is grieved and angry! His eyes are clouded; let me speak to him.

BALKIS Now you’ll spoil all; drag her off, Doonya.

DOONYA

Come.

Exit drawing away Anice, Balkis behind.

NUREDDENE Well, sir, where are these bills?

AZEEM You will see the bills?

NUREDDENE The sums, the sums!

AZEEM To tailor Mardouc twenty-four thousand pieces, namely, for caftans, robes, shawls, turbans, Damascus silks, —

NUREDDENE Leave the inventory.

AZEEM To tailor Labkan, another twenty thousand; to the baker, two thousand; to the confectioner, as much; to the Bagdad curio-merchant twenty-four thousand; to the same from Ispahan, sixteen thousand; to the jeweller on account of necklaces, bracelets, waist-ornaments, anklets, rings, pendents and all manner of trinkets for the slavegirl Anice-aljalice, ninety thousand only; to the upholsterer —

NUREDDENE Hold, hold! Why, what are all these monstrous sums? Hast thou no word but thousands in thy belly, Exorbitant fellow?

AZEEM Why, sir, ’tis in the bills; my belly’s empty enough.

NUREDDENE Nothing but thousands!

AZEEM Here’s one for seven hundred, twelve dirhams and some odd fractions from Husayn cook.

NUREDDENE The sordid, dingy rogue! Will he dun me so brutally for a base seven hundred?

AZEEM The fruiterer —

NUREDDENE Away! bring bags.

AZEEM Bags, sir?

NUREDDENE Of money, fool. Call Harkoos and all the slaves. Bring half my treasury.

Exit Azeem. She frown on me! look cold! for sums, for debts! For money, the poor paltry stuff we dig By shovels from base mire. Grows love so beggarly That it must think of piastres? O my heart!

Enter Azeem, Harkoos and Slaves

with bags of money. Heap them about the room. Go, Azeem, call That hungry pack; they shall be fed.

Exit Azeem.

Harkoos, Open two bags there. Have you broken the seals?

Enter Azeem ushering in the creditors. Who asks for money?

COOK I, sir. Seven hundred denars, twelve dirhams and three fourths of a dirham, that is my amount.

NUREDDENE Take thy amount, thou dingy-hearted rogue.

Throws a bag towards him. You there, take yours.

JEWELLER Sir, this is not a hundredth part of your debt to me.

NUREDDENE Give him two hundred bags.

HARKOOS Bags, sir?

NUREDDENE Do you grin, rogue, and loiter? Take that! (strikes him)

HARKOOS Exactly. Your peg’s loose, beat Harkoos. Old master or young, ’tis all one to Harkoos. Stick or leather! cuff or kick! these are all the houses of my horoscope.

NUREDDENE I am sorry I struck thee; there’s gold. Give them all the money; all, I say. Porter that home, you rascals, and count your sums. What’s over, cram your throats with it; or, if you will, throw it in the gutter.

CREDITORS (scrambling and quarrelling for the bags) That’s mine! that’s mine! no, mine! Leave go, you robber. Whom do you call robber, thief?

NUREDDENE Cudgel them from the room.

Exeunt Creditors snatching bags

and pursued by the slaves.

AZEEM ’Tis madness, sir.

Nureddene motions him away. Exit Azeem.

NUREDDENE

If she were clothed in rags And beggary her price, I’ld follow her From here to China. She to frown on me For money!

Enter Anice.

ANICE

Nureddene, what have you done?

NUREDDENE You bade me pay the fellows: I have paid them.

ANICE You are angry with me? I did not think you could Be angry with me for so slight a cause.

NUREDDENE I did not think that you could frown on me For money, for a matter of money!

ANICE

You Believe that? Is it so you know me? Dear, While for my sake you ruined yourself, must I Look smiling on? Nay, ruin then yourself And try me.

NUREDDENE

Dear Anice, it was with myself I was angry, but the coward in me turned On you to avenge its pain. Let me forget All else and only think of you and love.

ANICE Shall I sing to you?

NUREDDENE

Do, Anice.

ANICE

There’s a song —

Song

Love keep terms with tears and sorrow?

He’s too bright.

Born today, he may tomorrow

Say goodnight.

Love is gone ere grief can find him;

But his way

Tears that, falling, lag behind him

Still betray.

I cannot sing.

NUREDDENE

Tears, Anice? O my love, What worst calamity do they portend For him who caused them?

ANICE

None, none! or only showers The sunlight soon o’ertakes. Away with grief! What is it after all but money lost? Beggars are happier, are they not, my lord?

NUREDDENE Much happier, Anice.

ANICE

Let us be beggars, then. Oh, we shall wander blissfully about In careless rags. And I shall take my lute And buy you honey-crusts with my sweet voice. For is not my voice sweet, my master?

NUREDDENE

Sweet As Gabriel’s when he sings before the Lord And Heaven listens.

ANICE

We shall reach Bagdad Someday and meet the Caliph in the streets, The mighty Caliph Haroun Alrasheed, Disguised, a beggar too, give him our crusts And find ourselves all suddenly the friends Of the world’s master. Shall we not, my lord?

NUREDDENE Anice, we shall.

ANICE

Let us be beggars then, Rich happy paupers singing through the world. Ah, but you have a father and a mother! Come, sit down there and I will stand before you And tell a story.

NUREDDENE

Sit by me and tell it.

ANICE No, no. I’ll stand.

NUREDDENE

Well, wilful. Now, your tale.

ANICE I have forgotten it. It was about A man who had a gem earth could not buy.

NUREDDENE As I have you.

ANICE

Be silent, sir. He kept it With ordinary jewels which he took Each day and threw into the street, and said, “I’ll show this earth that all the gems it has, Together match not this I’ll solely keep.”

NUREDDENE As I’ll keep you.

ANICE

Ah, but he did not know What slender thread bound to a common pearl That wonder. When he threw that out, alas!

His jewel followed, and though he sought earth through, He never could again get back his gem.

NUREDDENE (after a pause) Tomorrow I will stop this empty life, Cut down expense and only live for you. Tonight there is the banquet. It must stand, My word being given. Azeem!

Enter Azeem.

What money still Is in the treasury? What debts outstand?

AZEEM More now than you can meet. But for today’s folly, all would have been well, — your lordly folly! Oh, beat me! I must speak.

NUREDDENE Realize all the estate, the house only excepted; satisfy the credi-tors. For what’s left, entreat delay.

AZEEM They will not be entreated. They have smelt the carrion and are all winging up, beak outstretched and talons ready.

NUREDDENE Carrion indeed and vile! Wherefore gave God Reason to his best creatures, if they suffer The rebel blood to o’ercrow that tranquil wise And perfect minister? Do what thou canst. I have good friends to help me in my need.

Exit.

AZEEM Good friends? good bloodsuckers, good thieves! Much help his need will have out of them!

ANICE There’s always Ajebe.

AZEEM Will you trust him? He is the Vizier’s nephew.

Exeunt.