Rose of Persia
Dialogue Following Song No. 12 — Act I
- Abdallah:
- In the morning I shall tell the Sultan. Peace be on you.
- All:
- And on you Peace!
- Exit Abdallah.
- Desire: (to Rose-in-Bloom).
- I will see if the way be safe —
then we will run to the palace. Wait here. (Exit.)
- Yussuf: (looking after her).
- The Sultan's wife!
- Hassan:
- I have a happy thought.
- Scent:
- Then be sure it is the only one here. Pass it around in
little pieces, a bit for each of us.
- Hassan:
- I will. It is in this box — in little pieces of sweetmeat.
- Honey:
- I am partial to Persian sweetmeats. But I don't think
even rose-leaves fried in sweet oil with vanilla
flavouring would make me forget I may never have
another breakfast!
- Hassan:
- But this will. I am serious.
- Rose:
- So are we all — very.
- Hassan:
- This is a drug called "Bhang." Have you
heard of it?
- Girls:
- No.
- Yussuf:
- I have; it is worse than opium.
- Hassan:
- It is better than opium. In times of severe mental worry
it gives dreams much more delightful and extravagant.
- Yussuf:
- A dream — and then comes the awakening.
(Sighs.) Such is life!
- Hassan:
- In our case there will be no awakening! Such is — ! We
shall still be dreaming when — !
- Girls:
- Don't!
- Yussuf:
- I never heard of a single man who was happier for
eating Bhang.
- Hassan:
- My dear sir, that's just it. I am not a single man. When
you have been married twenty-six times you will see the
charm of this drug, believe me. If you eat enough of it
you will be able to sit out the most lengthy and
complicated choruses of feminine complainings, and
imagine you are listening to a promenade concert. I've
tried it often. Twice a day. For years.
- Honey:
- We might taste it.
The drug is passed round — the Girls eat a little.
- Hassan:
- A drug that will affect your imagination as to make you
enjoy a curtain lecture from Dancing Sunbeam will
carry you through a paltry execution. I believe a double
dose will enable me to imagine that decapitation is
rather less trouble than having one's hair cut. I shall
reserve a double dose, and you can have the remainder.
I shan't want it.
- Honey:
- It's not bad. Peculiar, but not bad.
- Scent:
- Things really do seem a little brighter!
- Rose:
- Yes. Much!
- Scent:
- Not much. But a little.
- Yussuf:
- Not to me! (Sighs deeply.)
- Hassan:
- What's the matter with you? You are not going to
lose your head.
- Yussuf:
- No. But I have lost my heart — to the Sultan's wife —
the Royal Rose-in-Bloom.
- Rose:
- What impert — oh, by the way, that girl who went out is
not the Sultana, you know.
- Yussuf:
- Not the Sultana? Not the Sultan's wife?
- Hassan:
- Not — ! Why didn't you say so
before?
- Honey:
- I don't see that it makes any difference.
- Scent:
- Not a bit.
- Yussuf:
- No difference! If she is not the Sultana I can ask her to
be my wife — and perhaps she will — and I needn't
commit suicide! That's the difference!
- Hassan:
- If the Sultana has not been here, there is no reason why
I should be executed. That's all. Little enough — but
there it is.
-
Yussuf and Hassan shake hands and show every sign of mutual
congratulations and delight.
- Scent:
- She was not the Sultana — but she is.
(Indicating Rose-in-Bloom.)
- Rose:
- Yes. I am.
- Hassan:
- You are? Then you have been
here!
- Rose:
- Yes. All the time. I am still.
- Hassan:
- I shall have to take a treble dose of Bhang now, instead
of a double one. (Going to exit.) I don't know
what the effect will be, but I mean to be off my head
before they take my head off.
- Exit Hassan
- Yussuf:
- Ha! Ha! This is delightful. Where is Heart's
Desire?
Enter Heart's Desire, agitated.
- Desire:
- I am here! Run into the house — all of you! Hide! Quick!
- All:
- What's the matter?
- Desire:
- The Sultan himself is coming this way!
- All:
-
- The Sultan!
- Desire:
- With the Grand Vizier, Physician-in-Chief, and
Executioner.
- All: (groaning).
- Ugh!
- Desire:
- All disguised as Dervishes! They are coming
here!
- Yussuf:
- Into the house — quick! I will warn Hassan — if he will
listen to me!
Exeunt.
Page created 6 February 1999