Chapter 11Scene 2

In the Temple of Poseidon. Cireas. CIREAS I am done with thee, Poseidon Ennosigaios, man-slayer, ship- breaker, earth-shaker, lord of the waters! Never was faithful service so dirtily rewarded. In all these years not a drachma, not an obolus, not even a false coin for solace. And when thou hadst mocked me with hope, when a Prince had promised me all my findings, puttest thou me off with two pauperized merchants of Babylon? What, thou takest thy loud ravenous glut of the treasures that should have been mine and roarest derision at me with thy hundred-voiced laughters? Am I a sponge to suck up these insults? No! I am only moderately porous. I will break thy treasury, Poseidon, and I will run. Think not either to send thy sea-griffins after me. For I will live on the top of Lebanon, and thy monsters, when they come for me, shall snort and grin and gasp for breath and return to thee baffled and asthmatic. As he talks Iolaus and Perseus enter. IOLAUS What, Cireas, wilt thou run? I’ll give thee gold To wing thy shoes, if thou wilt do my bidding. CIREAS I am overheard! I am undone! I am crucified! I am disembow- elled! IOLAUS Be tranquil, Cireas, fool, I come to help thee.

Act III, Scene 2 CIREAS Do you indeed! I see, they have made you a god, for you know men’s minds. But could old father Zeus find your newborn god- head no better work than to help thieves and give wings to runaways? Will you indeed help me, god Iolaus? I can steal then under thy welcome protection? I can borrow Poseidon’s savings and run? IOLAUS Steal not: thou shalt have gold enough to buy Thy liberty and farms and slaves and cattle. CIREAS Prince, art thou under a vow of liberality? or being about to die, wilt thou distribute thy goods and chattels to deserving dishonesty? Do not mock me, for if thou raise hopes again in me and break them, I can only hang myself. IOLAUS I mock thee not, thou shalt have glut of riches. CIREAS What must I do? I’ld give thee nose and ears For farms and freedom. PERSEUS Wherefore dost thou bribe This slave to undo a bond my sword unties? IOLAUS I shrink from violence in the grim god’s temple. CIREAS Zeus, art thou there with thy feathers and phosphorus? I pray thee, my good bright darling Zeus, do not come in the way of my earnings. Do not be so cantankerously virtuous, do not

Perseus the Deliverer be so damnably economical. Good Zeus, I adjure thee by thy foot-plumes. IOLAUS Cireas, wilt thou bring forth the wretched captives Who wait the butcher Polydaon’s knife With groanings? we would talk with them. Wilt thou? CIREAS Will I? Will I? I would do any bad turn to that scanty-hearted rampageous old ship-swallower there. I would do it for nothing, and for so much gold will I not? IOLAUS And thou must shut thine eyes. CIREAS Eyes! I will shut mouth and nose and ears too, nor ask for one penny extra. IOLAUS Dost thou not fear? CIREAS Oh, the blue-haired old bogy there? I have lived eighteen years in this temple and seen nothing of him but ivory and sapphires. I begin to think he cannot breathe out of water; no doubt, he is some kind of fish and walks on the point of his tail. PERSEUS Enough, bring forth the Babylonian captives. CIREAS I run, Zeus, I run: but keep thy phosphorus lit and handy against Polydaon’s return unasked for and untrumpeted. He runs out.

Act III, Scene 2 PERSEUS O thou grim calmness imaged like a man That frownst above the altar! dire Poseidon! Art thou that god indeed who smooths the sea With one finger, and when it is thy will, Rufflest the oceans with thy casual breathing? Art thou not rather, lord, some murderous And red imagination of this people, The shadow of a soul that dreamed of blood And took this dimness? If thou art Poseidon, The son of Cronos, I am Cronos’ grandchild, Perseus, and in my soul Athene moves With lightnings. IOLAUS I hear the sound of dragging chains. Cireas returns with Tyrnaus and Smerdas. PERSEUS Smerdas and thou, Tyrnaus, once again We meet. SMERDAS Save me, yet save me. PERSEUS If thou art worth it, I may. SMERDAS Thou shalt have gold. I am well worth it. I’ll empty Babylonia of its riches Into thy wallet. PERSEUS Has terror made thee mad? Refrain from speech! Thine eyes are calm, Tyrnaus.

Perseus the Deliverer TYRNAUS I have composed my soul to my sad fortunes. Yet wherefore sad? Fate has dealt largely with me. I have been thrice shipwrecked, twice misled in deserts, Wounded six times in battle with wild men For life and treasure. I have outspent kings: I have lost fortunes and amassed them: princes Have been my debtors, kingdoms lost and won By lack or having of a petty fraction Of my rich incomings: and now Fate gives me This tragic, not inglorious death: I am The banquet of a god. It fits, it fits, And I repine not. PERSEUS But will these help, Tyrnaus, To pass the chill eternity of Hades? This memory of glorious breathing life, Will it alleviate the endless silence? TYRNAUS But there are lives beyond, and we meanwhile Move delicately amid aerial things Until the green earth wants us. PERSEUS (shearing his chains with a touch of his sword) Yet awhile Of the green earth take all thy frank desire, Merchant: the sunlight would be loth to lose thee. SMERDAS O radiant helpful youth! O son of splendour! I live again. PERSEUS Thou livest, but in chains, Smerdas.

Act III, Scene 2 SMERDAS But thy good sword will quickly shear them. PERSEUS Thou wilt give me all Babylonia holds Of riches for reward? SMERDAS More, more, much more! PERSEUS But thou must go to Babylon to fetch it. Then what security have I of payment? SMERDAS Keep good Tyrnaus here, my almost brother. I will come back and give thee gold, much gold. PERSEUS You’ld leave him here? in danger? with the knife Searching for him and grim Poseidon angry? SMERDAS What danger, when he is with thee, O youth, Strong radiant youth? PERSEUS Yourself then stay with me, And he shall bring the ransom from Chaldea. SMERDAS Here? here? Oh God! they’ll seize me yet again And cut my heart out. Let me go, dear youth, Oh, let me go; I’ll give thee double gold. PERSEUS Thou sordid treacherous thing of fears, I’ll not

Perseus the Deliverer Venture for such small gain as the poor soul Thou holdest, nor drive with danger losing bargains. SMERDAS Oh, do not jest! it is not good to jest With death and horror. PERSEUS I jest not. SMERDAS Oh God! thou dost. DIOMEDE (without) Cireas! CIREAS (jumping) Who? who? who? IOLAUS Is’t not a woman’s voice? Withdraw into the shadow: let our swords Be out against surprise. Hither, Tyrnaus. DIOMEDE Cireas! where are you, Cireas? It is I. CIREAS It is the little palace scamp, Diomede. Plague take her! How she fluttered the heart in me! IOLAUS Say nothing of us, merchant, or thou diest. Iolaus, Perseus and Tyrnaus withdraw into the dimness of the Temple. Andromeda and Diomede enter.

Act III, Scene 2 CIREAS Princess Andromeda! PERSEUS (apart) Andromeda! Iolaus’ rosy sister! O child goddess Dropped recently from heaven! Its light is still Upon thy face, thou marvel! IOLAUS My little sister In these grim precincts, who so feared their shadows! ANDROMEDA Cireas, my servant Diomede means To tell you of some bargain. Will you walk yonder? Cireas and Diomede walk apart talking. Art thou, as these chains say, the mournful victim Our savage billows spared and men would murder? But was there not another? Have they brought thee From thy sad prison to the shrine alone? SMERDAS He, — he, — ANDROMEDA Has terror so possessed thy tongue, It cannot do its office? Oh, be comforted. Although red horror has its grasp on thee, I dare to tell thee there is hope. SMERDAS What hope? Ah heaven! what hope! I feel the knife even now Hacking my bosom. If thou bringst me hope, I’ll know thee for a goddess and adore thee.

Perseus the Deliverer ANDROMEDA Be comforted: I bring thee more than hope. Cireas! CIREAS You’ll give me chains? you’ll give me jewels? ANDROMEDA All of my own that I can steal for you. CIREAS Steal boldly, O honey-sweet image of a thief, steal and fear not. I rose for good luck after all this excellent morning! O Poseidon, had I known there was more to be pocketed in thy disservice than in thy service, would I have misspent these eighteen barren years? ANDROMEDA Undo this miserable captive’s bonds. SMERDAS What! I shall be allowed to live! Is’t true? ANDROMEDA No, I’ll undo them, Cireas; I shall feel I freed him. Is there so much then to unlink? O ingenuity of men to hurt And bind and slay their brothers! SMERDAS ’Tis not a dream, The horror was the dream. She smiles on me A wonderful glad smile of joy and kindness, Making a sunshine. Oh, be quicker, quicker. Let me escape this hell where I have eaten And drunk of terror and have slept with death.

Act III, Scene 2 ANDROMEDA Are you so careless of the friend who shared The tears and danger? Where is he? Cireas! TYRNAUS (coming forward) O thou young goddess with the smile! Behold him, Tyrnaus the Chaldean. ANDROMEDA (dropping the chain which binds Smerdas) Already free! Who has forestalled me? TYRNAUS Maiden, art thou vexed To see me unbound? ANDROMEDA I grudge your rescuer the happy task Heaven meant for me of loosening your chains. It would have been such joy to feel the cold Hard irons drop apart between my fingers! Who freed you? TYRNAUS A god as radiant as thyself, Thou merciful sweetness. ANDROMEDA Had he not a look Like the Olympian’s? Was he not bright like Hermes Or Phoebus? TYRNAUS He was indeed. Thou knowst him then? ANDROMEDA In dreams I have met him. He was here but now?

Perseus the Deliverer TYRNAUS He has withdrawn into the shadow, virgin. SMERDAS Why do you leave me bound, and talk, and talk, As if Death had not still his fingers on me? ANDROMEDA (resuming her task) Forgive me! Tyrnaus, did that radiant helper Who clove thy chains, forget to help this poor Pale trembling man? TYRNAUS Because he showed too much The sordid fear that pities only itself, He left him to his fate. ANDROMEDA Alas, poor human man! Why, we have all so many sins to answer, It would be hard to have cold justice dealt us. We should be kindly to each other’s faults Remembering our own. Is’t not enough To see a face in tears and heal the sorrow, Or must we weigh whether the face is fair Or ugly? I think that even a snake in pain Would tempt me to its succour, though I knew That afterwards ’twould bite me! But he is a god Perhaps who did this and his spotless radiance Abhors the tarnish of our frailer natures. SMERDAS Oh, I am free! I fall and kiss thy robe, O goddess, O deliverer. ANDROMEDA You must

Act III, Scene 2 Go quickly from this place. There is a cave Near to those unkind rocks where you were shipwrecked, A stone-throw up the cliff. We found it there Climbing and playing, reckless of our limbs In the sweet joy of sunshine, breeze and movement, When we were children, I and Diomede. None else will dream of it. There have I stored Enough of food and water. Closely lurk Behind its curtains of fantastic stone: Venture not forth, though your hearts pine for sunlight, Or Death may take you back into his grip. When hot pursuit and search have been tired out, I’ll find you golden wings will carry you To your Chaldea. SMERDAS Can you not find out divers Who’ll rescue our merchandise from the sunk rocks Where it is prisoned? TYRNAUS You have escaped grim murder, Yet dream of nothing but your paltry gems! You will call back Heaven’s anger on our heads. SMERDAS We cannot beg our way to far Chaldea. ANDROMEDA Diving is dangerous there: I will not risk Men’s lives for money. I promised Cireas what I have, And yet you shall not go unfurnished home. I’ll beg a sum from my brother Iolaus Will help you to Chaldea. SMERDAS O my dear riches!

Perseus the Deliverer Must you lie whelmed beneath the Syrian surge Uncared for? ANDROMEDA (to Diomede) Take them to the cave. Show Cireas The hidden mouth. I’ll loiter and expect you Under the hill-side, where sweet water plashes From the grey fountain’s head, our fountain. Merchants, go; Athene guard you! TYRNAUS Not before I kneel And touch thy feet with reverent humble hands, O human merciful divinity, Who by thy own sweet spirit moved, unasked, Not knowing us, cam’st from thy safe warm chamber Here where Death broods grim-visaged in his home, To save two unseen, unloved, alien strangers, And being a woman feared not urgent death, And being a child shook not before God’s darkness And that insistent horror of a world O’ershadowing ours. O surely in these regions Where thou wert born, pure-eyed Andromeda, There shall be some divine epiphany Of calm sweet-hearted pity for the world, And harsher gods shall fade into their Hades. SMERDAS You prattle, and at any moment, comes The dreadful priest with clutch upon my shoulder. Come! come! you, slave-girl, lead the way, accurs`ed! You loiter? ANDROMEDA Chide not my servant, Babylonian. Go, Diomede; darkness like a lid Will soon shut down upon the rugged beach

Act III, Scene 2 And they may stumble as they walk. Go, Cireas. Diomede and Cireas go out, followed by the merchants. Alone I stand before thee, grim Poseidon, Here in thy darkness, with thy altar near That keeps fierce memory of tortured groans And human shrieks of victims, and, unforced, I yet pollute my soul with thy bloody nearness To tell thee that I hate, contemn, defy thee. I am no more than a brief-living woman, Yet am I more divine than thou, for I Can pity. I have torn thy destined prey From thy red jaws. They say thou dost avenge Fearfully insult. Avenge thyself, Poseidon. She goes out: Perseus and Iolaus come forward. PERSEUS Thou art the mate for me, Andromeda! Now, now I know wherefore my eager sandals Bore me resistlessly to thee and Syria. IOLAUS This was Andromeda and not Andromeda. I never saw her woman till this hour. PERSEUS Knew you so ill the child you loved so well, Iolaus? IOLAUS Sometimes we know them least Whom most we love and constantly consort with. PERSEUS How daintily she moved as if a hand She loved were on her curls and she afraid Of startling the sweet guest!

Perseus the Deliverer IOLAUS O Perseus, Perseus! She has defied a strong and dreadful god, And dreadfully he will avenge himself. PERSEUS Iolaus, friend, I think not quite at random Athene led me to these happy shores That bore such beautiful twin heads for me Sun-curled, Andromeda and Iolaus, That I might see their beauty marred with death By cunning priests and blood-stained gods. Fear not The event. I bear Athene’s sword of sharpness. They go out.