Rada - A Drama of War in One Act

Alfred Noyes

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Rada, by Alfred NoyesThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it,give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online atwww.gutenberg.netTitle: Rada A Drama of War in One ActAuthor: Alfred NoyesRelease Date: April 30, 2004 [EBook #12220]Language: English*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RADA ***Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Juliet Sutherland, Charles M. Bidwell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.RADAA DRAMA OF WAR IN ONE ACTBY ALFRED NOYESAuthor of "The Wine Press," "Tales of the Mermaid Tavern," Etc.1913PERSONS OF THE PLAYRADA, wife of the village doctor.SUBKA, her daughter, aged twelve.ARRAM } two hostile soldiers quarteredMICHAEL } in her house, in time of war.NANKO, a half-witted schoolmaster.Several soldiers.THE SCENE is in the Balkans, in a village which has just been taken by the enemy, on Christmas Eve.RADASCENE—_A guest-chamber, the typical living-room of a prosperous village doctor in the Balkans. On the left,a small window and an entrance door. On the right, a door leading into a bedroom. At the back, an open fire oflogs is burning brightly. Over the fireplace is the eikonostasis, with three richly coloured and gilded eikons,the central one of the Madonna. The light, which is never allowed to go out, is burning before it. The room is litat present only by ...

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• Publié par: zaek
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 52
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Rada, by Alfred seyoN This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: Rada A Drama of War in One Act Author: Alfred Noyes Release Date: April 30, 2004 [EBook #12220] Language: English * E * B *  O ST O A K  R R T  A O D F A     T ** H * IS PROJECT GUTENBERG Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Juliet Sutherland, Charles M. Bidwell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.

ADAR A DRAMA OF WAR IN ONE ACT BY ALFRED NOYES Author of "The Wine Press," "Tales of the Mermaid Tavern," Etc. 3191 PERSONS OF THE PLAY RADA, wife of the village doctor. SUBKA, her daughter, aged twelve. ARRAM } two hostile soldiers quartered MICHAEL } in her house, in time of war. NANKO, a half-witted schoolmaster. Several soldiers. THE SCENE is in the Balkans, in a village which has just been taken by the enemy, on Christmas .evE

ADAR SCENE—_A guest-chamber, the typical living- room of a prosperous village doctor in the Balkans. On the left, a small window and an entrance door. On the right, a door leading into a bedroom. At the back, an open fire of logs is burning brightly. Over the fireplace is the eikonostasis, with three richly coloured and gilded eikons, the central one of the Madonna. The light, which is never allowed to go out, is burning before it. The room is lit at present only by this, the fire-light, and two candles in brass candlesticks on a black wooden table under the window. Rows of porcelain plates round the walls gleam fitfully. On either side of the eikonostasis is a large chibouk, with inlaid bowl and amber mouth-piece. There is a divan with scarlet rugs flung across it to the right of the fire; and there are several skins and rugs on the floor. T MI w C o H R A o E u L m , a a n r i e a   n s   e s a o t l e di d e   r a s t _ t , h   e A  t R a R bl A e, M   _ d   ri a n n k d ing. h R e A r D h A e , a  a d     d b a o r w k  e h d a  i n n  d h s e o r  m h e a   n w d o s m ,  a o n n ,     t s h it e s     di w v e a e n p . ing with NANKO, the idiot, sits on the floor, rubbing his hands, snapping his fingers, chuckling to himself, and staring into the fire.

ARRAM Look here, my girl, where's the use of snivelling? You ought to think yourself damned lucky to be alive. ADAR O my God! My God! MICHAEL This is war, this is! And you can't expect war to be all cakes and cream. [They laugh and drink.] ARRAM You ought to think yourself damned lucky to be alive, and have two men quartered on you instead of one. If your husband and the rest of the villagers hadn't made such a disturbance, they might have been alive, too. NANKO Exactly! Exactly! I used to be a schoolmaster, you know, in the old days; and, if you knew what I know, you'd understand, my dear, it's entirely a question of the survival of the fittest! The survival of the fittest! That's what it is. ARRAM Wouldn't they have done the same to us, if they'd had the chance? We've got women and children at home snivelling and saying, "O my God, O my God," just like you. Don't you trouble about God. What can He do when both sides go down on their marrow-bones? He can't make both sides win, can He?

ADAR O God! God! God! MICHAEL [Getting up and standing in front of her.] Look here. We've had enough of this music. We've been cutting throats all day, and now we want to unbuckle a bit. There'll be hell to pay when the other boys come back. A pretty wild-goose chase you've sent them on, too, with your tale about the old Jew's money-bags. What was the game? You seemed mighty anxious to wheedle us all out of the house; and you'd never get out of the village alive to-night. Listen to that! [There is an uproar outside, a shot, and a woman's scream, followed by the terrified cry of a child: "Ah! Ah! Father!"] ARRAM The men are mad with zaki and blood and fr — o o m th  t e h r  e t   h c i h n il g d s r . e  T n. h   e W re h ' a s t     n c o h   a h n ol c d e i   n w g  o t u h l e d  m t   h i e n r ,  e e   v b e e  n for a fine-looking wench like yourself? MICHAEL Don't tell me you were going out into that? [He points in the direction of the uproar.] Something to hide on the spot, eh? Well, now you've got the others out of the way, we're going to have a look. What's in there? [He points to the little door on the left.] RADA [Rising to her feet slowly, steadying herself o wi n t   h h   i o s  n f e a   c h e a .] n   d T   h a is g   a i i s n   s w t a t r h , e is   n w 't a   l i l t , ? a  I n f d I     f c ix h i o n o g s h e e t r o  eyes revenge myself on those I hate— listen to me. I

suppose you—want money. And I can tell you where to find it. MARRA Another wild-goose chase to the other end of the valley? RADA No. In the old mill-house. Not a hundred yards away. Money, money enough to make us all rich. But [a cunning expression comes into her face] if I tell you where to find it, you must come back and give me my share. MICHAEL [Staring at her.] Another pack of lies! What are you up to, eh? ARRAM It's been too much for her nerves. Don't worry her, or she'll go out of her mind, and then there'll be nobody to get us our supper. NANKO That would be selfish, Rada. You know it's Christmas Eve. Nobody ought to think of unpleasant things on Christmas Eve. I don't think it's right to spoil people's pleasure on Christmas Eve. What have you done with the Christmas tree, ?adaR ARRAM And who's to blame? That's what I want to a k s n   o n w o . t   ,  Y w o e u     s d h o a n l ' l t     b b e l   a fi m g e h   ti u n s g ,    d o o n     y y o o u ur ?     si W d h e y   , a   g a a s i   n li s k t ely somebody else before next Christmas. MICHAEL What have you got in there? [He points to the door on the left again and advances toward ].ti

o R p A e D n A s  [ a  H c u u rr p i b e o dl a y r   d a   n b d e   t a w s e  if e   n m  h is i u m n  a d n er d s  t t h a e n   d d in o g o   r. h ] im, f F o o r  o a d   ! w  F o o lf o -p d! a   c F k o .  o C d  o fo m r e     h o u n n ,  g h ry e   lp m   e yo n! u   r F s o e o lv d e  e s! nough t M hi I s C ,  H A A rr E a L m   . H   o H ly e   r S e' t. s     P a  e d t i e n r, n   e w r  h f a o t r    f a  o l r a t r y d   e m r! e   n L . ook at b R e A fo D r A e     [ t L h a e u o g t h h i e n r g s     w c il o d m ly e .] .    I B t' e s t   t o er u   r t   a C k h e r   i y st o m ur a  p s i   c di k nner. [ b _ e S gi h n e s     t l h o r a u d s i t n s g     d t i h s e h   e t s a   b i l n e t   o w   i M th I   C fo H o A d E ._ L ] 'S hands and p N lu A m N s K  t O h  I e f r   e y , o   u R   a h d a a p , p  y e o n  u t   o m  h ig a h v t e     g a iv n e y     m cr e y   s o t n al e li . zed ARRAM Lord, what a sight for hungry soldiers! w W a e t ' e r r e !     i I n '   m lu  h ck u ' n s  gr w y a ;  y. b   u H t  e t r h e e , r  f e e   t a c r h e    t m im e  e a s     b w o h w e l  n o   f you can't enjoy food without washing your hands. [RADA hesitates, then goes out of the room. ARRAM holds out a ring to MICHAEL.] Her husband's ring. I got it off his finger When he went down. He lay there on his back Howling like a wolf, with his belly blown out. I put him out of his misery. Look at my hands. Ugh! I want to wash. [NANKO rises and peers at them.]

OKNAN Ah, but they're red. Red, aren't they? And there's red on your coat, .oot [He fingers it curiously.] I suppose that's blood, eh? People are such cowards. Many of them never seem to understand T Dr h e at a   d m fu a ll n y '   s a   f a r   a fi i g d  h o ti f n  t g h   e a   n s i i m gh a t l   .  o T f  h b e lo y' o r d e .  afraid, I Y  t o h u i   n k k n  it o 's w   ,  a i   n b  t e h a e u   ti O f l u d l    c T o e l s o t u a r, m  b e e n a t, u  t ti h fu e l y !  used To splash it on the door-posts. MARRA [Pushing him off.] Y G o o  u  a c n r d a   z si y t     o d l o d  w d n e , vil! [RADA enters with a bowl of water, sets it on a bench and returns to her place. ARRAM washes his hands.] MICHAEL My hands want washing, too. O Lord, you've turned the water into wine! Fetch me some fresh. [ b R a A ck D , A s   w ap ay p i r n o g a   c a h  li e tt s l , e   , s   t a a s r   e if s     f a ai t  n t t h .] e bowl and moves MARRA [Roughly]

I'll empty it. Give it to me. [He goes out] OKNAN The Old Testament, you know, is full of it. Who is this, it says, that cometh from Edom In dyed garments from Bozrah? It was blood That dyed their garments. And in Revelations Blood came out of the wine-press, till it splashed The bridles of the horses; and the seas Were all turned into blood. Doesn't that show That man's a fighting animal? t M o I o C p H e A n E it L .   ] [   G W o h e a s t'   s t   o i   n t   h h e e   r d e o ? or on the right and tries d R o A o D r. A ]   [ N T o h ! r   u N s o t ! i   n D g o h n' e t r   s g e o l   f i   n b  t e h t e w r e e e ! n D  h o i n m 't     a g n o d i   n t   h t e here! MICHAEL So that's the treasury, is it? Loot? More loot? What is it? The family stocking? [ T A h R e R n A go M e  e s  n t t o e   r t s h   e w  t it a h b   l t e h   e a   n b d o   w b l e  a gi n n d s     s e e a t t s i   n it g   . d ] own. OKNAN O, no! no! The stocking is in the chimney-corner, see! [He shakes the empty stocking that hangs in the fireplace.] All ready for Santa Claus. It's a new custom. They do it in Germany. The children, there, Believe that Santa Claus comes down the chimney. The doctor studied in Germany, you know.