The King of the Dark Chamber Part 16

GRANDFATHER. You are young still--you can afford to wait for him; but to me, an old man, a moment's loss is a week. I must set out to seek him whether I succeed or not.[Exit.]

SUDARSHANA. I do not want him--I will not seek him! Surangama, I have no need of your King! Why did he fight with the princes?

Was it for me at all? Did he want to show off his prowess and strength? Go away from here--I cannot bear your sight. He has humbled me to the dust, and is not satisfied still!

XVII

[A Band of CITIZENS]

FIRST CITIZEN. When so many Kings met together, we thought we were going to have some big fun; but somehow everything took such a turn that n.o.body knows what happened at all!

SECOND CITIZEN. Did you not see, they could not come to an agreement among themselves?--every one distrusted every one else.

THIRD CITIZEN. None kept to their original plans; one wanted to advance, another thought it better policy to recede; some went to the right, others made a rush to the left: how can you call that a fight?

FIRST CITIZEN. They had no eye to real fighting--each had his eye on the others.

SECOND CITIZEN. Each was thinking, "Why should I die to enable others to reap the harvest?"

THIRD CITIZEN. But you must all admit that Kanchi fought like a real hero.

FIRST CITIZEN. He for a long time after his defeat seemed loth to acknowledge himself beaten.

SECOND CITIZEN. He was at last fixed in the chest by a deadly missile.

THIRD CITIZEN. But before that he did not seem to realise that he had been losing ground at every step.

FIRST CITIZEN. As for the other Kings--well, n.o.body knows where they fled, leaving poor Kanchi alone in the field.

SECOND CITIZEN. But I have heard that he is not dead yet.

THIRD CITIZEN. No, the physicians have saved him--but he will carry the mark of his defeat on his breast till his dying day.

FIRST CITIZEN. None of the other Kings who fled has escaped; they have all been taken prisoners. But what sort of justice is this that was meted out to them?

SECOND CITIZEN. I heard that every one was punished except Kanchi, whom the judge placed on his right on the throne of justice, putting a crown on his head.

THIRD CITIZEN. This beats all mystery hollow.

SECOND CITIZEN. This sort of justice, to speak frankly, strikes us as fantastic and capricious.

FIRST CITIZEN. Just so. The greatest offender is certainly the King of Kanchi; as for the others, greed of gain now pressed them to advance, now they drew back in fear.

THIRD CITIZEN. What kind of justice is this, I ask? It is as if the tiger got scot-free, while his tail got cut off.

SECOND CITIZEN. If I were the judge, do you think Kanchi would be whole and sound at this hour? There would be nothing left of him altogether.

THIRD CITIZEN. They are great, high justices, my friends; their brains are of a different stamp from ours.

FIRST CITIZEN. Have they got any brains at all, I wonder? They simply indulge their sweet whims as there are none to say anything to them from above.

SECOND CITIZEN. Whatever you may say, if we had the governing power in our hands we should certainly have carried on the government much better than this.

THIRD CITIZEN. Can there be any real doubts about that? That of course goes without saying.

XVIII

[The Street. GRANDFATHER and KANCHI]

GRANDFATHER. What, Prince of Kanchi, you here!

KANCHI. Your King has sent me on the road.

GRANDFATHER. That is a settled habit with him.

KANCHI. And now, no one can get a glimpse of him.

GRANDFATHER. That too is one of his amus.e.m.e.nts.

KANCHI. But how long more will he elude me like this? When nothing could make me acknowledge him as my King, he came all of a sudden like a terrific tempest--G.o.d knows from where--and scattered my men and horses and banners in one wild tumult: but now, when I am seeking the ends of the earth to pay him my humble homage, he is nowhere to be seen.

GRANDFATHER. But however big an Emperor he may be, he has to submit to him that yields. But why have you come out at night, Prince?

KANCHI. I still cannot get rid of the feeling of a secret dread of being laughed at by people when they see me meekly doing my homage to your King, acknowledging my defeat.

GRANDFATHER. Such indeed is the people. What would move others to tears only serves to move their empty laughter.

KANCHI. But you too are on the road, Grandfather.

GRANDFATHER. This is my jolly pilgrimage to the land of losing everything.

SINGS.

I am waiting with my all in the hope of losing everything.

I am watching at the roadside for him who turns one out into the open road, Who hides himself and sees, who loves you unknown to you, I have given my heart in secret love to him, I am waiting with my all in the hope of losing everything.

XIX