(W1 Starts up his chainsaw when suddenly Solones comes running in from the back of the theater, screaming at the top of his lungs: )
S: STOP! STOP! BY HEAVEN’S
LAWS
I BEG OF YOU, PUT DOWN
YOUR SAWS!
(S. climbs onto his chair, panting and our of breath, and W1 turns off the saw. NOTE: Throughout this scene percussion played by the Dryads will be playing increasingly aggressively and increasingly loudly. )
E: Come good fellow, catch
your breath.
You’ve nearly scared my
men to death.
You’re here to work?
S: (courteously to E. )
Your Lordship, no.
E: Then why have you been
shouting so?
S: I’ve come to ask your
Lordship’s grace,
And beg you spare this
peaceful place
From what you are about
to do.
E: From logging trees?
S: Yes,
Lord.
E: It’s
true
I’ve planned to cut
these trees
And I will do just as I
please
With these estates, my
brother’s land,
I’ll harvest it as I
have planned.
S: With due respect, I beg you
hear
My reasons why you
should not clear
Away these oaks and
pines.
E: Speak
on.
(Chorus
begins light, rhythmic drumming )
S: The time will come when
we’ll be gone,
When all our bones will
fall to dust,
Our swords and saws will
cake with rust,
When royal estates shall
be forgot
And power and might be
brought to nought.
And though our ports
shall launch no ships,
And though our names
shall cross no lips,
From plain to hill, from
stream to sea,
The land itself will
testify
Of us and be our legacy
Forever in eternity.
E: You speak with passion –
that is good,
You speak as young men
do, and should.
But praising only
Nature’s glory
Ignored the might of
Mankind’s story.
The works of Man are
great as well,
And last as long, for
who can tell
If Thodes’ Colossus will
be gone
Before the wood of
S: But Nature bears a beauty
rare
To which Man’s work can
not compare.
E: It’s true this is the
finest grove
For miles about: a
treasure trove
Of planks and boards, of
twigs and sticks
But you are not the one
who picks
The timber for my
daughter’s home.
W4: (To S. ) You’ve talked enough.
W3: Leave
us alone.
(Chorus shifts to
regular thrumming punctuated by sudden strikes )
S: You claim the right to log
this spot,
But if this is yours,
then what is not?
Do you own all the
stones up here?
The air as well?
E: I
think it’s clear
I have the right to take
what’s mine:
Those stones, this oak,
that field, that pine.
S: That’s arrogance! Or surely
greed –
When you take more than
what you need.
E: I take no more than what I
want.
S: But palaces are made to
flaunt
Man’s wealth, Man’s
power, Man’s pride –
E: Man’s
Art!
The beauty which comes
from Man’s heart.
Man is the keeper of the
earth
Without our care, it has
no worth.
S: Man’s care for earth is
poor indeed,
He scars her flesh and
makes her bleed,
And furthermore
destroyed the places
Her children dwell. When
Man erases
And beasts and drives
them out. Man’s words
Spell death for both the
wolves and deer,
Whose numbers drop from
year to year.
W1: Perhaps he’s got a point.
W3: No
way!
I’m not about to waste
all day
To hear his talk
concerning owls.
It makes me sick.
W4: Churns up my bowels.
S: (To the W’s ) But
more than beasts and birds survive
On what makes your axes
soon fell:
Our healers frequently
derive
Their cures from sources
here as well.
W2:
(timidly ) We’re just doing our
jobs.
W4: And
we all need to work.
W3: Ignore this idealistic,
intellectual jerk.
W1: Besides, we could replace
these trees
With
saplings grown from hybrid seeds
S: (Turning to W1) Replace, what
did you say?! Replace this wood!
W1: It has been done.
W2: You think we could?
(Chorus
moves to crecendoing rolls with sudden bursts)
S: I’m
sure you can’t – You’ll lose the soil
As soon as Winter’s rains
come down.
However much you strain
and toil
These slopes will wash
right into town.
E: (Shouting over S.) We’ve all heard enough. Now, quickly, please go!
S: (Shouting over E.) And then, when your saplings will no longer
grow,
What next? You can’t replace these trees.
W4: (Angrily) We’ve got a right to work as we please.
S: (Wheeling on W4) Your right to work? That means a lot.
What of my right to
enjoy this spot?
And will my children
have the right
To see a forest on this
site?
W3: We might as well clear-cut
this hill:
If we don’t log it,
someone will.
S: There’s fine thinking! (Mimicking) “We might as well,
‘Cause if we don’t then
who can tell
Who’ll get the chance
which we would pass
To kiss our Lord and Master’s
ass.”
E: (Clearly angry) Leave now!
Before I drive you out!
This is not the reason
which you shout.
It’s plain invective
sophistry,
As base as any words can be.
S: My lord, I meant not to
offend! (Chorus backs down)
I only seek to try to end
Your plans to cut and trip
this land.
E: You’ve said enough! I will not stand (Chorus resumes)
To hear your wild
impertinent speech.
If what you want to do
is preach
Obscenity don’t do it
here.
S: Perhaps I’ve not made my
point clear.
W3: Perhaps you’d better
clear out now.
S: I only wanted to show how
These trees are better
left alone.
W4: I think you’ve really only
shown
Yourself to be a pompous
prick.
S: Oh, be the gods your skulls
are thick!
Why can’t you see we all
depend
On what I’ve come here
to defend:
This grove is yours as
well as mine.
A sacred place! A gift divine!
W2: (To the other W’s) Perhaps the gods have sent this man
To warn us any way they
can
Against our logging off
this spot!
S: (Contemptuously to W2) How pathetic!
You have not
Been listening to a
single bit
Of what I’ve said.
W3: You’re full of shit!
S: (to
W2) I’m not concerned with
deities
I’m only trying to save
these trees.
By cutting these you all
must see,
You’re triggering
catastrophe!
E: Men, ignore this foolish
man.
Now let’s get working
while we can
W4: Go back to town you nature
freak!
W3: (to W4) Don’t waste your breath upon that geek.
(begin
to build moderate pounding)
S: You dolts! You stupid simpletons!
Can’t you see the way he
runs
Your lives to suit his
selfish ends.
Of course he treats you now
like friends,
But when your work is
finally through
It’s clear how he’ll be
treating you:
However loyal you remain
He’ll always hold you in
disdain.
The same disdain he’s shown
these woods:
Disdain for things, for
used-up goods.
A tool he’ll use, then cast
aside.
W1: He treats us well.
W2: He’s
never lied
To us at all about our
pay.
S: Just wait and see! There’ll
come a day
When you shall reap as
you have sown
You’ll all repent with
tears and moan
With grief and
pain. And all the while,
Your master will look on
and smile,
Sitting snug and safe
inside
The palace you plan
to provide.
He’ll be happily feasting on
Imported fruits and venison,
Thus you’ll become his feast
of meat
For it’s your flesh he’ll
truly eat.
E: (Barely containing his
anger) I’ve had enough! Enough, I say!
If my words won’t drive
you away
Perhaps by fists and use
of force
You’ll be convinced to
leave.
S: (Angrily) Of course
I’ll leave, when I’ve
been threatened so;
But hear me well, before
I go:
I came here at a
friend’s behest
To put your stubborn
will to test.
I came to stop your
fruitless task.
E: (Menacingly) Who sent you here, if I may ask?
(The percussion which has built up to this point suddenly drops to a low rumble, but will climb to a frenzy as the argument progresses.)
S: (long
pause) Your daughter, sir, has bid me come.
E: MY DAUGHTER?! WHAT?! This must be some
(D1: o · · )
Demented joke. Who sent you boy?
S: (snidely) Your daughter thought I might enjoy (D1-2:
o · · )
A little chat to talk
you out
Of cutting down these
trees.
E: (With growing anger) I
doubt (D1-3: o · · )
My daughter even knows
your face
And if she does, it’s
her disgrace
That ever she should
speak to you.
S: We’ve spoken much, to be
quite true. (D1-4: o · · )
And thus on her account
I’ve come
To stop you and these
filthy scum.
E: (moving aggressively to
S., giving him a shove)
My child can speak to me
at will (All: o · · )
S: Or so you’d like to
think. But still
She’s feared you far too
much to say
The truth: We’ve shared our love each day
Since first we met,
behind your back.
E: Shut up, you liar! Or I’ll attack (Chorus does long rolls)
You here and now. How dare you claim
The right to use my
daughter’s name!
S: I love her, sir, as she
loves me!
E: (In a low angry voice) Your filthy tongue does treachery
To your own life. You have no right
To let my daughter in
your sight!
S: I’ve held her more than in
my eyes,
(sarcastically : ) My lord!
E: You’ll
never see your prize (Cresc. rolls)
Again, you wretched son
of a whore!
I’ll throw you out, and
what is more
I’ll have you whipped if
you pass near
My house again!
S: (Backing down) I speak for her –
I have her love as you
can never
Dream of having!
E: (Striking S. across the
face) Don’t you ever
Speak to me like that again!
You bastard cur! Stand by me men!
S: You pig! You don’t deserve her love!
E:
Out of your wretched
mouth!
S: I’m
not afraid (Pounding and
crescendo!)
Of you at all!
E: You can be made
To learn to fear! I think you’d best
Run while you can.
S: Your
bluffing jest
Betrays the kind of
beast you are!
A monster wallowing in
power!
(E. starts up the
chainsaw and swings it at S.)
WAKE UP, YOU FOOLS! BEHOLD THE MAN (Wild frenzy!!!)
YOUR MASTER IS!!!
W2: LEAVE
WHILE YOU CAN!
S: IT’S BY A MADMAN YOU’RE
EMPLOYED!
HE’S GOING TO HAVE YOU
ALL DESTROYED!!
W3: SHOVE OFF! (Starts up his saw.)
E: NOW
LEAVE!!! (W1 and W2 start up their
saws.)
S: YOU
WILL NOT CUT
THESE TREES! I SAID-
W4:
WHY
CAN’T YOU SHUT
YOUR WHINING
MOUTH!? (Starts up his saw.)
W1: (Screaming, pleading, and
enraged) GET OUT OF HERE!!
S: (To E.) HER LOVER FOR ME IS WHAT YOU FEAR?
FOR MESTRA’S SAKE I’LL
STAY TO PROVE
THAT ONLY I
DESERVE HER LOVE!
E: LEVEL THE
S: NO!
E: LEVEL
IT MEN!! (pause)
I SAID LEVEL IT!
NOW!! LET THE CUTTING BEGIN!!! (At
the top of his lungs.)
S: (Screaming.) NO!!!!
E: YES!!!!!
(S. lets out a blood-curdling scream accompanied by the D’s, as the percussion and chain saws explode in a frenzy of sound, S. is hacked to pieces by E. W1 will cut through a board with the saw and when the pieces fall the saws will be turned off and then everyone will fall silent. All characters then leave stage for intermission.)