The Tent of the Arabs

ACT 2.

The same scene

One year has elapsed.

[The King, wrapped in a camel-driver's cloak, sits by Eznarza, a gypsy of the desert.]

King

Now I have known the desert and dwelt in the tents of the Arabs.

Eznarza

There is no land like the desert and like the Arabs no people.

King

It is all over and done; I return to the walls of my fathers.

Eznarza

Time cannot put it away; I go back to the desert that nursed me.

King

Did you think in those days on the sands, or among the tents in the mornings, that my year would ever end, and I be brought away by strength of my word to the prisoning of a palace?

Eznarza

I knew that Time would do it, for my people have learned the way of him.

King

Is it then Time that has mocked our futile prayers? Is he greater than God that he has laughed at our praying?

Eznarza

We may not say that he is greater than God. Yet we prayed that our own year might not pass away. God could not save it.

King

Yes, yes. We prayed that prayer. All men would laugh at it.

Eznarza

The prayer was not laughable. Only he that is lord of the years is obdurate. If a man prayed for life to a furious, merciless Sultan well might the Sultan's slaves laugh. Yet it is not laughable to pray for life.

King

Yes, we are slaves of Time. To-morrow brings the princess who comes from Tharba. We must bow our heads.

Eznarza

My people say that Time lives in the desert. He lies there in the sun.

King

No, no, not in the desert. Nothing alters there.

Eznarza

My people say that the desert is his country. He smites not his own country, my people say. But he overwhelms all other lands of the world.

King

Yes, the desert is always the same, ev'n the littlest rocks of it.

Eznarza

They say that he loves the Sphinx and does not harm her. They say that he does not dare to harm the Sphinx. She has borne him many gods whom the infidels worship.

King

Their father is more terrible than all the false gods.

Eznarza

O, that he had but spared our little year.

King

He destroys all things utterly.

Eznarza

There is a little child of man that is mightier than he, and who saves the world from Time.

King

Who is this little child that is mightier than Time? Is it Love that is mightier?

Eznarza

No, not Love.

King

If he conquer even Love then none are mightier.

Eznarza

He scares Love away with weak white hairs and with wrinkles. Poor little love, poor Love, Time scares him away.

King

What is this child of man that can conquer Time and that is braver than Love?

Eznarza

Even memory.

King

Yes. I will call to him when the wind is from the desert and the locusts are beaten against my obdurate walls. I will call to him more when I cannot see the desert and cannot hear the wind of it.

Eznarza

He shall bring back our year to us that Time cannot destroy. Time cannot slaughter it if Memory says no. It is reprieved, though banished. We shall often see it though a little far off and all its hours and days shall dance to us and go by one by one and come back and dance again.

King

Why, it is true. They shall come back to us. I had thought that they that work miracles whether in Heaven or Earth were unable to do one thing. I thought that they could not bring back days again when once they had fallen into the hands of Time.

Eznarza

It is a trick that Memory can do. He comes up softly in the town or the desert, wherever a few men are, like the strange dark conjurors who sing to snakes, and he does his trick before them, and does it again and again.

King

We will often make him bring the old days back when you are gone to your people and I am miserably wedded to the princess coming from Tharba.

Eznarza

They will come with sand on their feet from the golden, beautiful desert, they will come with a long-gone sunset each one over his head. Their lips will laugh with the olden evening voices.

King

It is nearly noon. It is nearly noon. It is nearly noon.

Eznarza

Why, we part then.

King

O, come into the city and be Queen there. I will send its princess back again to Tharba. You shall be Queen in Thalanna.

Eznarza

I go now back to my people. You will wed the princess from Tharba on the morrow. You have said it. I have said it.

King

O, that I had not given my word to return.

Eznarza

A King's word is like a King's crown and a King's sceptre and a King's throne. It is in fact a foolish thing, like a city.

King

I cannot break my word. But you can be queen in Thalanna.

Eznarza

Thalanna will not have a gypsy for a queen.

King

I will make Thalanna have her for a queen.

Eznarza

You cannot make a gypsy live for a year in a city.

King

I knew of a gypsy that lived once in a city.

Eznarza

Not such a gypsy as I...come back to the tents of the Arabs.

King

I cannot. I gave my word.

Eznarza

Kings have broken their words.

King

Not such a King as I.

Eznarza

We have only that little child of man whose name is Memory.

King

Come. He shall bring back to us, before we part, one of those days that were banished.

Eznarza

Let it be the first day. The day we met by the well when the camels came to El-Lolith.

King

Our year lacked some few days. For my year began here. The camels were some days out.

Eznarza

You were riding a little wide of the caravan, upon the side of the sunset. Your camel was swinging on with easy strides. But you were tired.

King

You had come to the well for water. At first I could see your eyes, then the stars came out, and it grew dark and I only saw your shape, and there was a little light about your hair: I do not know if it was the light of the stars, I only knew that it shone.

Eznarza

And then you spoke to me about the camels.

King

Then I heard your voice. You did not say the things you would say now.

Eznarza

Of course I did not.

King

You did not say things in the same way even.

Eznarza

How the hours come dancing back.

King

No, no. Only their shadows. We went together then to holy Mecca. We dwelt alone in tents in the golden desert. We heard the wild free day sing songs in his freedom, we heard the beautiful night-wind. Nothing remains of our year but desolate shadows. Memory whips them and they will not dance.

[Eznarza does not answer.]

We made our farewells where the desert was. The city shall not hear them.

[Eznarza covers her face. The King rises softly and walks up the steps. Enter L. the Chamberlain and Zabra, only noticing each other.]

Chamberlain

He will come. He will come.

ZABRA

But it is noon now. Our fatness has left us. Our enemies mock at us. If he do not come God has forgotten us and our friends will pity us!

Chamberlain

If he is alive he will come.

[Enter Bel-Narb and Aoob.]

ZABRA

I fear that it is past noon.

Chamberlain

Then he is dead or robbers have waylaid him.

[Chamberlain and Zabra put dust on their heads.]

Bel-Narb

[To Aoob.]

God is just!

[To Chamberlain and Zabra.]

I am the King!

[The King's hand is on the door. When Bel-Narb says this he goes down the steps again and sits beside the gypsy. She raises her head from her hands and looks at him fixedly. He partially covers his face Arab fashion and watches Bel-Narb and the Chamberlain and Zabra.]

Chamberlain

Are you indeed the King?

Bel-Narb

I am the King.

Chamberlain

Your Majesty has altered much since a year ago.

Bel-Narb

Men alter in the desert. And alter much.

Aoob

Indeed, your Excellency, he is the King. When the King went into the desert disguised I fed his camel. Indeed he is the King.

ZABRA

He is the King. I know the King when I see him.

Chamberlain

You have seen the King seldom.

ZABRA

I have often seen the King.

Bel-Narb

Yes, we have often met, often and often.

Chamberlain

If some one could recognize your Majesty, some one besides this man who came with you, then we should all be certain.

Bel-Narb

There is no need of it. I am the King.

[The King rises and stretches out his hand palm downwards.]

King

In holy Mecca, in green-roofed Mecca of the many gates, we knew him for the King.

Bel-Narb

Yes, that is true. I saw this man in Mecca.

Chamberlain

[Bowing low.]

Pardon, your Majesty. The desert had altered you.

ZABRA

I knew your Majesty.

Aoob

As well as I do.

Bel-Narb

[Pointing to the King.]

Let this man be rewarded suitably. Give him some post in the palace.

Chamberlain

Yes, your Majesty.

King

I am a camel-driver and we go back to our camels.

Chamberlain

As you wish.

[Exeunt Bel-Narb, Aoob, Chamberlain and Zabra through door.]

Eznarza

You have done wisely, wisely, and the reward for wisdom is happiness.

King

They have their king now. But we will turn again to the tents of the Arabs.

Eznarza

They are foolish people.

King

They have found a foolish king.

Eznarza

It is a foolish man that would choose to dwell among walls.

King

Some are born kings, but this man has chosen to be one.

Eznarza

Come, let us leave them.

King

We will go back again.

Eznarza

Come back to the tents of my people.

King

We will dwell a little apart in a dear brown tent of our own.

Eznarza

We shall hear the sand again, whispering low to the dawn-wind.

King

We shall hear the nomads stirring in their camps far off because it is dawn.

Eznarza

The jackals will patter past us slipping back to the hills.

King

When at evening the sun is set we shall weep for no day that is gone.

Eznarza

I will raise up my head of a night-time against the sky, and the old, old unbought stars shall twinkle through my hair, and we shall not envy any of the diademmed queens of the world.

Curtain.