More Portmanteau Plays Part 27

Then speak.

THE GAKI

Let me go! Do you think it did not punish me to see your misery, to bring misery upon you? That is what these h.e.l.ls are. In life we can not always see what wretchedness we make; in the h.e.l.ls we see and know and understand, but we can not escape our evil until we've sucked the bitterness, the horror to the blackest end. Oh--five h.e.l.ls lie between me and human life.

In each I may perchance forget the lesson learned before. Let me live! Let me live!--I can not fight your faith!--Let me live!

RIKI

What further harm will you do?

THE GAKI

I cannot help myself. I must live on you.--You are young--

[_He tears himself from Riki and once more rushes to the tree. Aoyagi writhes a moment in agony. Riki leaps upon The Gaki, throttling him once more. The struggle is terrific._

RIKI

Die!

THE GAKI

Let me go! Let me live!--I promise anything--I--

RIKI

Too late!--You shall harm no more!

[_With one supreme effort, The Gaki draws himself to his full height and seems about to crush Riki. He leaps upon the prostrate Aoyagi and flings her body high above his head. Riki starts for him._

THE GAKI

I shall live! I shall live!

RIKI

Aoyagi!

THE GAKI

Come not near me, Riki, or I shall crush her at your feet. I _shall_ live!

[_He laughs the hideous laugh of triumph which rang out on the mountain side yesterday._

OBAA-SAN

Give her back to us! Feed on me!

THE GAKI

In your heart there is only hope and beautiful memory. Old fool, I can not feed on you.--But now in my arms I hold the precious gift by which I shall pa.s.s from h.e.l.l to h.e.l.l.

O-KATSU-SAN

Take me!

THE GAKI

Silly old woman, you, too, like Obaa-San, can not feed me. Age learns to grasp at bubbles and pretend that they are stars.

O-KATSU-SAN

But I shall dream of my little girl.

THE GAKI

Ay, dream of her and have tender memories that are not pain.

O-SODE-SAN

I shall think of him and long for him, my lover.

THE GAKI

Ay, and in the memory of the firefly fete you'll make a poem that will leave you all melting-like and holy--then where shall I feed?

RIKI

Obaa-San, are you content? I'll let her die at my own hand before I'll let him live.

[_He draws his dagger and leaps toward The Gaki; but old Obaa-San is too swift for him. She catches his hand._

OBAA-SAN

Riki! Would you kill the evil by killing the joy of us all?

RIKI

But the joy--my little Aoyagi--can not live so. See--

OBAA-SAN

O Gaki of Kokoru--I stand before you, no longer a suppliant. I am old and in my years I have known all the wanting, all the hopelessness one can know in life. But in your evil way, you brought to me a moment of happiness yesterday and in that moment I saw the beauty that I had always believed must be and yet that I had never known. In your evil arms you hold the treasure of my life--you hold the songs that filled the heart of Riki. But you do not feed, oh, Gaki of Kokoru. You can not feed. Oh, Gaki, what is this sixth h.e.l.l of yours?--Who made it? Some man who was afraid of the joy of life;--it was too beautiful for his belief. Misery makes itself: so happiness makes itself. You stand before us, holding the darling of our dreams, but there is no misery so great as yours. See! I stand before you--unafraid--and in my heart lies happiness.--Aoyagi rested in my arms and my breast is warm and there is a glory where her dear head lay. In my life--if you take her from me--there will be an emptiness.--There will be long silences in the days to come; but my breast will still be warm with her touch and my ears will still hear the sweet words you cannot unsay--the lullaby I sang.--Oh, Gaki--it has been sung to her.--The climbing to the mountain gleaming in the sun--the glade where love found the perfect mystery--that cannot be undone whether we live or die.--Love that has been can never be undone.

[_The Gaki looks from one to the other, but finds only that splendid happiness that is almost pain. He loosens his hold upon Aoyagi and turns to Riki with her._

THE GAKI