GEORGE SHAW - Collected Works

BRITANNUS. His manner is frivolous because he is an Italian; but he means what he says.

APOLLODORUS. Serious or not, he spake well. Give me a squad of soldiers to work the crane.

BRITANNUS. Leave the crane to me. Go and await the descent of the chain.

APOLLODORUS. Good. You will presently see me there ( turning to them all and pointing with an eloquent gesture to the sky above the parapet ) rising like the sun with my treasure.

He goes back the way he came. Britannus goes into the lighthouse.

RUFIO ( ill-humoredly ). Are you really going to wait here for this foolery, Caesar?

CAESAR ( backing away from the crane as it gives signs of working ). Why not?

RUFIO. The Egyptians will let you know why not if they have the sense to make a rush from the shore end of the mole before our barricade is finished. And here we are waiting like children to see a carpet full of pigeons’ eggs.

The chain rattles, and is drawn up high enough to clear the parapet. It then swings round out of sight behind the lighthouse.

CAESAR. Fear not, my son Rufio. When the first Egyptian takes his first step along the mole, the alarm will sound; and we two will reach the barricade from our end before the Egyptians reach it from their end—we two, Rufio: I, the old man, and you, his biggest boy. And the old man will be there first. So peace; and give me some more dates.

APOLLODORUS ( from the causeway below ). Soho, haul away. So-ho-o-o-o! ( The chain is drawn up and comes round again from behind the lighthouse. Apollodorus is swinging in the air with his bale of carpet at the end of it. He breaks into song as he soars above the parapet. )

Aloft, aloft, behold the blue

That never shone in woman’s eyes—

Easy there: stop her. ( He ceases to rise. ) Further round! ( The chain comes forward above the platform. )

RUFIO ( calling up ). Lower away there. ( The chain and its load begin to descend. )

APOLLODORUS ( calling up ). Gently—slowly—mind the eggs.

RUFIO ( calling up ). Easy there—slowly—slowly.

Apollodorus and the bale are deposited safely on the flags in the middle of the platform. Rufio and Caesar help Apollodorus to cast off the chain from the bale.

RUFIO. Haul up.

The chain rises clear of their heads with a rattle. Britannus comes from the lighthouse and helps them to uncord the carpet.

APOLLODORUS ( when the cords are loose ). Stand off, my friends: let Caesar see. ( He throws the carpet open. )

RUFIO. Nothing but a heap of shawls. Where are the pigeons’ eggs?

APOLLODORUS. Approach, Caesar; and search for them among the shawls.

RUFIO ( drawing his sword ). Ha, treachery! Keep back, Caesar: I saw the shawl move: there is something alive there.

BRITANNUS ( drawing his sword ). It is a serpent.

APOLLODORUS. Dares Caesar thrust his hand into the sack where the serpent moves?

RUFIO ( turning on him ). Treacherous dog——

CAESAR. Peace. Put up your swords. Apollodorus: your serpent seems to breathe very regularly. ( He thrusts his hand under the shawls and draws out a bare arm. ) This is a pretty little snake.

RUFIO ( drawing out the other arm ). Let us have the rest of you.

They pull Cleopatra up by the wrists into a sitting position. Britannus, scandalized, sheathes his sword with a drive of protest.

CLEOPATRA ( gasping ). Oh, I’m smothered. Oh, Caesar; a man stood on me in the boat; and a great sack of something fell upon me out of the sky; and then the boat sank, and then I was swung up into the air and bumped down.

CAESAR ( petting her as she rises and takes refuge on his breast ). Well, never mind: here you are safe and sound at last.

RUFIO. Ay; and now that she is here, what are we to do with her?

BRITANNUS. She cannot stay here, Caesar, without the companionship of some matron.

CLEOPATRA ( jealously, to Caesar, who is obviously perplexed ). Aren’t you glad to see me?

CAESAR. Yes, yes; I am very glad. But Rufio is very angry; and Britannus is shocked.

CLEOPATRA ( contemptuously ). You can have their heads cut off, can you not?

CAESAR. They would not be so useful with their heads cut off as they are now, my sea bird.

RUFIO ( to Cleopatra ). We shall have to go away presently and cut some of your Egyptians’ heads off. How will you like being left here with the chance of being captured by that little brother of yours if we are beaten?

CLEOPATRA. But you mustn’t leave me alone. Caesar you will not leave me alone, will you?

RUFIO. What! Not when the trumpet sounds and all our lives depend on Caesar’s being at the barricade before the Egyptians reach it? Eh?

CLEOPATRA. Let them lose their lives: they are only soldiers.

CAESAR ( gravely ). Cleopatra: when that trumpet sounds, we must take every man his life in his hand, and throw it in the face of Death. And of my soldiers who have trusted me there is not one whose hand I shall not hold more sacred than your head. ( Cleopatra is overwhelmed. Her eyes fill with tears. ) Apollodorus: you must take her back to the palace.

APOLLODORUS. Am I a dolphin, Caesar, to cross the seas with young ladies on my back? My boat is sunk: all yours are either at the barricade or have returned to the city. I will hail one if I can: that is all I can do. ( He goes back to the causeway. )

CLEOPATRA ( struggling with her tears ). It does not matter. I will not go back. Nobody cares for me.

CAESAR. Cleopatra——

CLEOPATRA. You want me to be killed.

CAESAR ( still more gravely ). My poor child: your life matters little here to anyone but yourself. ( She gives way altogether at this, casting herself down on the faggots weeping. Suddenly a great tumult is heard in the distance, bucinas and trumpets sounding through a storm of shouting. Britannus rushes to the parapet and looks along the mole. Caesar and Rufio turn to one another with quick intelligence. )

CAESAR. Come, Rufio.

CLEOPATRA ( scrambling to her knees and clinging to him ). No, no. Do not leave me, Caesar. ( He snatches his skirt from her clutch. ) Oh!

BRITANNUS ( from the parapet ). Caesar: we are cut off. The Egyptians have landed from the west harbor between us and the barricade!!!

RUFIO ( running to see ). Curses! It is true. We are caught like rats in a trap.

CAESAR ( ruthfully ). Rufio, Rufio: my men at the barricade are between the sea party and the shore party. I have murdered them.

RUFIO ( coming back from the parapet to Caesar’s right hand ). Ay: that comes of fooling with this girl here.

APOLLODORUS ( coming up quickly from the causeway ). Look over the parapet, Caesar.

CAESAR. We have looked, my friend. We must defend ourselves here.

APOLLODORUS. I have thrown the ladder into the sea. They cannot get in without it.

RUFIO. Ay; and we cannot get out. Have you thought of that?

APOLLODORUS. Not get out! Why not? You have ships in the east harbor.

BRITANNUS ( hopefully, at the parapet ). The Rhodian galleys are standing in towards us already. ( Caesar quickly joins Britannus at the parapet. )

RUFIO ( to Apollodorus, impatiently ). And by what road are we to walk to the galleys, pray?

APOLLODORUS ( with gay, defiant rhetoric ). By the road that leads everywhere—the diamond path of the sun and moon. Have you never seen the child’s shadow play of The Broken Bridge? “Ducks and geese with ease get over”—eh? ( He throws away his cloak and cap, and binds his sword on his back. )