Act Three  

SCENE I

 

 

Bassora.

Ibn Sawy's House.

A room in the outer apartments decorated for a banquet.

Doonya, Anice-Aljalice, Balkis.

DOONYA

Lord, how they pillage! Even the furniture
Cannot escape these Djinns. Ogre Ghaneem
Picks up that costly chain 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 are to blame.
However you complain, yourself are quite
As reckless.

ANICE-ALJALICE

I?

DOONYA

Yes, you. Is there a bright
Unnecessary jewel you have seen
And have not bought ? a dress that took your fancy

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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-ALJALICE

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

DOONYA

What did these trifles cost?

ANICE-ALJALICE

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-ALJALICE

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-ALJALICE

If they should!
It was a bright and merry world. To see him

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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-ALJALICE

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-ALJALICE .

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.

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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-ALJALICE

The creditors besiege you, Nureddene;

You'll pay them.

NUREDDENE

Serious, Anice?

ANICE-ALJALICE

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

NUREDDENE

Is this your doing, Doonya ?

DOONYA

Yours, cousin, yours.

NUREDDENE

Is'tso? Anice?

ANICE-ALJALICE

I've told you.

NUREDDENE

Show me the bills.

Go in, you three.  

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ANICE-ALJALICE

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 slave-girl Anice-Aljalice, ninety thousand only; to the upholsterer—

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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!

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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.

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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 way. Exit Azeem.

 

NUREDDENE

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

Enter Anice.

ANICE-ALJALICE

Nureddene, what have you done?

NUREDDENE

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

ANICE-ALJALICE

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

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NUREDDENE

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

ANICE-ALJALICE

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-ALJALICE

Shall I sing to you ?

NUREDDENE

Do, Anice.

ANICE-ALJALICE

There's a song —

Song

Love keep terms with tears and sorrow?
He's too bright.

Born today, he may tomorrow
Say good night.

 

Love is gone ere grief can find him;

But his way

Tears that falling lag behind him

Still betray.

 

I cannot sing.

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NUREDDENE

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

ANICE-ALJALICE

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-ALJALICE

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-ALJALICE

We shall reach Bagdad
Some day and meet the Caliph in the streets,
The mighty Caliph Haroun al Rasheed,
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.

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ANICE-ALJALICE

Let us be beggars then,
Rich, happy paupers singing through the world.
Oh, 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-ALJALICE

No, no, I'll stand.

NUREDDENE

Well, willful. Now, your tale.

ANICE-ALJALICE

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

NUREDDENE

As I have you.

ANICE-ALJALICE

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-ALJALICE

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

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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 creditors. 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!  

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ANICE-ALJALICE

There's always Ajebe.

AZEEM

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

Exeunt.  

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