The Blue Bird Part 25

THE CHILD It seems that they will not be able to leave together...

TYLTYL And the little pink one, who looks so serious and is sucking his thumb, what is he?...

THE CHILD It appears that he is to wipe out injustice from the earth....

TYLTYL Oh!...

THE CHILD They say it's a tremendous work....

TYLTYL And the little red-haired one, who walks as if he did not see where he was going, is he blind?...

THE CHILD Not yet; but he will become so....Look at him well; it seems that he is to conquer Death....

TYLTYL What does that mean?...

THE CHILD I don't exactly know; but they say it's a great thing....

TYLTYL (_pointing to a crowd of_ CHILDREN _sleeping at the foot of the columns, on the steps, the benches, etc_.) And all those asleep, what a number of them there are asleep!... Do they do nothing?...

THE CHILD They are thinking of something....

TYLTYL Of what?...

THE CHILD They do not know yet; but they must take something with them to earth; we are not allowed to go from here empty-handed....

TYLTYL Who says so?...

THE CHILD Time, who stands at the door.... You will see when he opens it.... He is very tiresome....

A CHILD (_running up from the back of the hall and elbowing his way through the crowd_) How are you, TYLTYL?...

TYLTYL Hullo!... How does he know my name?...

THE CHILD (_who has just run up and who now kisses_ TYLTYL _and_ MYTYL _effusively_.) How are you?... All right?... Come, give me a kiss, and you too, Mytyl.

It's not surprising that I should know your name, seeing that I shall be your brother.... They have only just told me that you were here.... I was right at the other end of the hall, packing up my ideas.... Tell mummy that I am ready....

TYLTYL What?... Are you coming to us?...

THE CHILD Certainly, next year, on Palm Sunday.... Don't tease me too much when I am little.... I am very glad to have kissed you both beforehand.... Tell daddy to mend the cradle.... Is it comfortable in our home?...

TYLTYL Not bad.... And mummy is so kind!...

THE CHILD And the food?...

TYLTYL That depends.... We even have cakes sometimes, don't we, Mytyl?...

MYTYL On New Year's Day and the fourteenth of July.... Mummy makes them....

TYLTYL What have you got in that bag?... Are you bringing us something?...

THE CHILD I am bringing three illnesses: scarlatina, whooping-cough and measles....

TYLTYL Oh, that's all, is it?... And, after that, what will you do?...

THE CHILD After that?... I shall leave you....

TYLTYL It will hardly be worth while coming!...

THE CHILD We can't pick and choose!...

(_At that moment, a sort of prolonged, powerful, crystalline vibration is heard to rise and swell; it seems to emanate from the columns and the opal doors, which are irradiated by a brighter light than before_.)

TYLTYL What is that?...

THE CHILD That's Time!... He is going to open the gates!...

(_A great change comes over the crowd of_ BLUE CHILDREN, _Most of them leave their machines and their labours, numbers of sleepers awake and all turn their eyes towards the opal doors and go nearer to them_.)

LIGHT (_joining_ TYLTYL) Let us try to hide behind the columns.... It will not do for Time to discover us....

TYLTYL Where does that noise come from?...

A CHILD It is the Dawn rising.... This is the hour when the children who are to be born to-day go down to earth....

TYLTYL How will they go down?... Are there ladders?...

THE CHILD You shall see.... Time is drawing the bolts....

TYLTYL Who is Time?...

THE CHILD An old man who comes to call those who are going....

TYLTYL Is he wicked?...

THE CHILD No; but he hears nothing.... Beg as they may, if it's not their turn, he pushes back all those who try to go....

TYLTYL Are they glad to go?...

THE CHILD We are sorry when we are left behind, but we are sad when we go.... There!

There!... He is opening the doors!...

(_The great opalescent doors turn slowly on their hinges. The sounds of the earth are heard like a distant music. A red and green light penetrates into the hall_; TIME, _a tall old man with a streaming beard, armed with his scythe and hourgla.s.s, appears upon the threshold; and the spectator perceives the extremity of the white and gold sails of a galley moored to a sort of quay, formed by the rosy mists of the Dawn_.)

TIME (_on the threshold_) Are they ready whose hour has struck?...

BLUE CHILDREN (_elbowing their way and running up from all sides_) Here we are!... Here we are!... Here we are!...

TIME (_in a gruff voice to the_ CHILDREN _defiling before him to go out_) One at a time!... Once again, there are many more of you than are wanted!... It's always the same thing!... You can't deceive me!...(_Pus.h.i.+ng back a_ CHILD.) It's not your turn!... Go back and wait till to-morrow.... Nor you either; go in and return in ten years.... A thirteenth shepherd?... There are only twelve wanted; there is no need for more; the days of Theocritus and Virgil are past.... More doctors?... There are too many already; they are grumbling about it on earth.... And where are the engineers?... They want an honest man, only one, as a phenomenon.... Where is the honest man?... Is it you?... (THE CHILD _nods yes_.) You appear to me to be a very poor specimen!... Hallo, you, over there, not so fast, not so fast!... And you, what are you bringing?...

Nothing at all, empty-handed?... Then you can't go through.... Prepare something, a great crime, if you like, or a fine sickness, I don't care ...