W1 – W4 lower their masks.
W2: Have you noticed our lord’s
disposition of late?
W3: Have I noticed!? Who hasn’t?
Every day he’s irate.
W4: He constantly grumbles about all
our wages.
W2: To be truthful, I haven’t
worked so hard in ages.
W1: Just because he’s been for
this past month or so
Is no reason to threaten
to quit work and go
W3: I’m not threatening to
leave. But I’m not staying by choice.
So I would like to give
my opinion a voice.
W4: (Snidely.) Nobody’s ever been able to stop you.
W3: I’ll ignore that. But I do want to say
I don’t like how he
raises our workload each day.
And remember how at
first he worked right beside us
But after a while he
decided to “guide” us
Now he just checks to
make sure we’re not cheating.
W4: It’d be better if he didn’t
spend all his time eating.
W2: It’s a sickness! A curse!
Due to something he did!!!
W3: Look – we don’t want to hear
about goddesses, kid.
W2: I said He did, not WE
did! I didn’t mean that!
W1: All of you,
stop! (Long pause.) We agreed not to say
Nor to
mention a thing in regard to that day.
W2: I didn’t agree!
W4: You did so! (simultaneously) W3: Yes, you did!
W2: (Suddenly
in a great rush of words.) I did not!
I wish I had never set
foot in that spot!
You’ve all seen his hunger, you’ve seen how it’s grown:
How day after day he
does nothing but moan
And devour his food on a
horrible rush -
And now I’m afraid it
might happen to us!
W4: Get a grip!
W1: Just
calm down!
W3: Enough
of this chatter!
Although he’s gone mad,
it just doesn’t matter
If we
were involved. He alone is to
blame
Since he gave
the orders; so it's not quite the same
As if we went and murdered some stranger
up there
Only he could condemn us, and we
know he won't dare.
W2: But the gods might
inflict us with hunger as well!
They might curse us all! You never can tell!
W3: I can hardly
believe that you still fear the gods!
Have you ever considered that the
probable odds
Are he cracked from the guilt and went
swiftly insane
And his ravenous eating's just to cover
the pain?
In any event: SO WHAT? and WHO CARES?
He still hires our labor and he still
buys our wares.
Let him sink into madness, just as long
as he's able
To provide for
my needs and put food on my table.
W4: True, we're still
earning money.
W1: Show
some respect!
Your attitude's nothing but callous neglect.
W3: Don't start
preaching at us!
W1: I'm
not preaching at you.
But to show some compassion is the least you could do.
He may treat us badly,
all the same, he's our lord.
W4: (Interrupting ) Shit! Here he comes!
W3: (to
W2 ) You shut up! Not a word!
(Women's chorus begins the Hum. E. lowers his mask, holding a tray of
vegetables in one hand. )
E: (E. pauses and
looks around )
You're here to help the work's
progression?
Or are vacations your profession?
(to
W1 ) You've done no work
from what I see,
So nothing's what you'll get from me.
W1: Forgive us,
sir, but this wall demands
Careful
discussion of our plans.
E: Your plans
discussed? That's what you're doing?
I don't believe these lies you're
spewing.
You're squandering my money and abusing
my trust,
It's employees like
you who make businesses bust.
Since I am the victim you're trying to
rob,
Consider yourself to be out of a job.
W1: (stunned
) I...I... But sir, do
you mean
I'm not working for you?
E: You are not to be
seen!
Get out of my sight! I'm not
willing to pay
For a swindler loafing about all the
day!
(E. throws the tray of vegetables at
W1 who leaves the stage hastily. )
And as for the rest of you, finish the
frame
For the wall or by sundown you'll all
get the same.
W4: But sir!
Without our foreman we may err.
E: You're free to quit
for all I care.
W2: But -
E: Silence!
You're not paid for speeches.
Your grumbling talk's for money-leeches.
Of course you're free to stand about,
And emulate that other lout,
And if you do, I think you see
Exactly what you'll get from me! (The
Hum fades away as E. raises his mask again. )
W3: (Interrupting
their stunned silence. ) It's impossible. We can't do it!
W4: (desperate
) But we must!
W2: (also
desperate ) Yes,
let's get to it!
W4: I've got to keep my
family fed.
W2: He might hire someone
else instead!
W3: Don't worry. He'll
keep us. We're faithful and cheap.
The right kind
of worker to work for that creep.
Besides, if he fires us, we'd be better
off.
W4: It's easy for you to
stand there and scoff,
You've got enough wealth on your farm to
survive,
I have to work to keep my
family alive.
W3: Are
you saying I don't work as hard as you?
W4 and W3 begin quarrelling : No, I didn't say...
What
are you saying?
I
only...
Well,
it just isn't true! (ad lib )
W2: Stop it! Just stop
it! We've got to stones to be setting.
W3: You're right. I just
noticed how late it is getting.
W4: (grimly )
Maybe that tyrant, Erysichthon's still lurking.
W3: Who cares?
W2: Let's
get to it!
W4: Yes,
we've got to get working!
(Exeunt Woodcutters from
the stage. )