The Hills over Hyres / Margaret & RLS are taking a walk
Cummy Ooo – that certainly hurts the calves – its like hiking up three Leith Walks in a row – how are you feelin
RLS I’m fine – I feel strong – we are like two soldiers, aren’t we, marching off to battle
Cummy We are, indeed, fighting for the good honest Scottish kirk & its outstanding psalmody – this land is certainly not god-fearing
RLS I’m afraid of God
Cummy & so you should be – I mean, come & sit here a moment – just smell the wild thyme – & then look at this wonderful view – all created by the master’s hand – & all such a perfect blend, created on the second day, for as the good book says;
And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
RLS On which day did he make the animals
Cummy That will be the fifth & the sixth days – on the fifth he made the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky, then on the next day he made all the animals who live on the land
RLS Including the giraffe
Cummy Yes, all the animals
RLS It’s such a silly animal, his neck is so long
RLS Well, that is because God wanted them to eat the tallest leaves in the tress – he has thought of everything
RLS God is a very clever man
Cummy Not a man, but a spirit, Lewey – & I hope very much when the time come in my lifetime when world will once again become like the garden of the lord
RLS You really do love God, don’t you – I mean, I love him, but I don’t think I love him as much as you do
Cummy That will come, I hope, but I’ve never enjoyed such nearness to god as I’m doing now – I feel as if I’m on the verge of the eternal world
RLS Can I come with you, I want to go there
Cummy Of course you can – do you know, young man, I am more in love with you than ever now we are together in a foreign land – the heather is not quite as that of our native country, neither so golden nor so beautiful, it is not the broom of the Cowdenknowes, but it is fine enough
RLS It is very beautiful – I think I would like to come back here one day, when I’m all grown up
Enter the adult RLS watching the scene unfold
Cummy Perhaps you shall, young man, the world is a very big place, & despite my… grumblings, I must be honest, this view is quite spectacular & it is a joy to see more of the Lord’s creation – but don’t tell your parents I’m softening to the trip
RLS I promise
Cummy Ah – you’re a good boy
They cuddle up & gaze on the view
Scene 21
The garden of La Solitude / it is evening / Fanny is working / enter RLS
Fanny Ah, you’re back – how was your work
RLS Inspiring – the mountains are wide awake today – so much life – I even revisited a spot I first attended many years ago, with Cummy, I could even see my younger self & her – like a married couple – but, of course, you are my true wife
Fanny I do love you very much
RLS I mean look – this garden, this house, this life, our love has made this happen – we are bless’d
Fanny Seven years & counting darling
RLS Seven years, is that right, well I love you better than ever – I cannot think what I have done to deserve such happiness – & you make a far better person of me – here, in Hyeres, this year, is the happiest I have felt in my entire life
Fanny There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world.
RLS I believe our marriage has been the most successful in the world – you are everything – wife, brother, sister, daughter & the dearest of companions
Fanny Well, we are all travellers in the wilderness of this world, my love, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend
RLS I would not change you for a goddess or a saint
Fanny Nor you, darling, & this charming spot has really work’d wonders for your health- you have gain’d flesh, strength, spirits, eat well, walk a good deal, work completely without fatigue
RLS One cannot help but be inspir’d by this voraciously fascinating place – at night, when the moon is out the, these plumed blue trees that hang trembling, become the very breath of paradise
Fanny & the stars, don’t forget the stars
RLS Ah – the Kosmos – incommensurable suns & worlds in a vastness of its space, imponderable zones of abstract speculation, upon which I ponder only one truth – that is the love I have for my wife
Fanny Aah
RLS I have even written you a poem on my walk
Fanny You have
RLS Yes, I have memorized it, would you like to hear
Fanny Please
MY WIFE
My Wife Trusty, dusky, vivid, true, With eyes of gold and bramble-dew, Steel-true and blade-straight, The great artificer Made my mate.
Honour, anger, valour, fire; A love that life could never tire, Death quench or evil stir, The mighty master Gave to her.
Teacher, tender, comrade, wife, A fellow-farer true through life, Heart-whole and soul-free The august father Gave to me.
Fanny Ahh – absolutely divine, you speak with the dialect of your soul
RLS As is my wife – I am truly the bondslave & the zealot of our love {they embrace} By the way, another thing of interest occur’d on the walk
Fanny Yes
RLS A new title – for my Penny Whistles – it cxame to me when I saw my younger self in the hills – how does A Child’s Garden of Verses sound?
Fanny Perfect, yes
RLS I hope to have Kate Greenaway or Randolph Caldecott illustrate it, & I will be dedicating the book to Cummy
Fanny Cummy? Your mother might not be happy
RLS Well – Cummy has had the most trouble & the least thanks – it will please her I’m sure, & lighten a little my burthen of ingratitude – in place of a great many things that I might have said & that I ought to have done to prove I am not altogether unconscious of the great debt of gratitude I owe her
Enter Sam & Valentina dress in carnival costumes
Sam Well hello
RLS Oh my word, what the devil
Sam It is La Carnival, where are your costumes
Fanny Oh – the carnival
Valentina
Oui, madame Stevenson – it is, eh, a big tradition in this country – there are many, eh, floats is the word, le défilé est spectaculaire
RLS We will be coming – we shall meet you down in the square – you kids go & have fun – don’t get too drunk
Valentina D’accord – see you soon
Exit Sam & Valentina
Fanny Well let us betake ourselves in the spirit of the times & I guess we had better get changed – you’ll want a bath after your walk – freshen up beforehand
Slowly RLS & Fanny arm-in-arm
RLS Yes – are you in the mood for a spot of dancing
Fanny
Always, darling, the Russians have a genius for novels, the Italians painting, the English poetry, the Germans opera, but for we Americans, our genius is the dance floor
Scene 22: Hyeres, the Place de la Republique
The carnival is in full swing – all the cast arrive on stage for the final number in various masques & disguises including a Harlequin, a Pulcinella, Colombine (Harlequin’s lover), the Captain (a soldier who’s boastful, yet cowardly) and Pierrot (a dreamer and a clown) – there is an effigy of Monsieur Carnival which is burnt
LA CARNIVAL
La Carnival La Carnival La Carnival La Carnival
La Carnival Bang on the cymbal & give the signal To open the ball
La Carnival La Carnival La Carnival La Carnival
A Pulcinella That isn’t dancing Waits for his pretty one To give him an arm.
Zim and boom and tara ta ta Zim and boom, let’s dance the polka. Zim and boom and tara ta ta tonight
La Carnival La Carnival La Carnival La Carnival
& poor Colombine Now has a happy heart Her Harlequin Is at the ball tonight
Zim and boom and tara ta ta Zim and boom, let’s dance the polka. Zim and boom and tara ta ta tonight
La vie est un carnaval Et selon que tout va bien ou mal Nous voici à chaque instant du jour Différents aux bruits de nos amours
La Carnival La Carnival La Carnival La Carnival
When the dancing is over Let us love one another For La Carnival Yes, La Carnival Oh la Carnival Is the day we all adore
Scene 23
Edinburgh, an older Cummy is at home reading – there is a knock at the door / it is the postman
Postman Good morning – a parcel for you, from France
France, oh, well thank you very much
Enjoy your day
Exit Postman / Cummy opens the parcel, it is the Child’s Garden of Verses / she opens it up / the older RLS comes on stage holding the younger RLS’s hand
FROM HER BOY
For the long nights you lay awake And watched for my unworthy sake: For your most comfortable hand That led me through the uneven land: For all the story-books you read: For all the pains you comforted:
For all you pitied, all you bore, In sad and happy days of yore:– My second Mother, my first Wife, The angel of my infant life— From the sick child, now well and old, Take, nurse, the little book you hold!
And grant it, Heaven, that all who read May find as dear a nurse at need, And every child who lists my rhyme, In the bright, fireside, nursery clime, May hear it in as kind a voice As made my childish days rejoice!
Maizabilica Urco Titi Huamanchoro … Incan Caciques
Vincente de Valverde… Dominican friar
Ekkoko – Incan Priest
Fellipilo… Translator
SCENE 1: Huamachuco Village
Chief Huamanchoro is sat with Cuxamiray / enter Cuxamiray who sings Virgenes de Sol
Huascar Such a very fine song, so finely sung
Huamanchoro She is my own daughter
Huascar You must be proud
Huamanchoro I am – so, Prince Huascar, tell me Why honor us with your visit today
Huascar My father is dying
Huamanchoro I’d heard rumors On which I could not comment ‘til confirm’d, But the whiff of his illness upsets us He is beloved here & far abroad
Huascar He is a wonderful monarch, & man, I rush to be beside him, but must rest From time to time, I will stay here tonight
Huamanchoro Of course
Huascar We leave for Cuzco tomorrow
Huamanchoro While you are with us, anything you want To take from my village is yours at once
Huascar Your daughter
Huamanchoro What
Huascar I will take you daughter… You hesitate before your future king
Huamanchoro No, it is just, I knew this day would come Her qualities at singing songs exceed Anything I’ve ever seen, she is yours
Huascar So, is her talent natural or train’d
Huamanchoro A wond’rous blend of both, yachaywasi In younger years taught her enough to frame Superbian modes of her vocal range While a talented pongocamayo Has train’d her in the flauta fantastic
Huascar Excellent, then send her to my dwelling Along with that beautiful beverage For which your village is widely fam’d
Huamanchoro Yes, sire
Exit Huascar
Huamanchoro Fetch the best chicha for Prince Huascar
Exit attendants / Huamanchoro sits in silence musing upon the loss of his daughter
SCENE 2 – CASTILLE
Don Pizarro has been summoned to speak to King Charles
Don Pizarro Your Highness
King Charles Don Pizarro, welcome home Thou art to the appointment fresh & fair You look as healthy as I’ve ever seen What spirits are within thee, & without
Don Pizarro I’m ecstatic to see his majesty Oft times across the Ocean in the west, Scourg’d by tasteless trials of exploration, Torrents of mischiefs & machinations, I wonder’d if I’d no more see thy face & smile, your highness, but the thoughts of these To once more stand before mine emperor Maintain’d my stridence to fulfill those vows To empire of its sacred extensions
King Charles Your letters tell the tale, but better lips, How was it over there, how is Peru?
Don Pizarro The present condition of the country Discovered alongside Don Diego Almagro of Malagon, I & he Were the richest in Panama province, Is this is, your highness, the truth of Peru tis but a small poor province, fifty leagues From the start of the equator, whose name Extended oer the next twelve thousand leagues Pepper’d with piddling oppidulums We fought so many battles in that space In one bout Don Diego lost an eye, Many other implacable problems Each day did beset us as we hack’d Thro coastlines thick with hardship & swampsuck Where lizards as long as the fragata Call’d alligators in a native tongue Who breed at river mouths like common trout Who’ll scent a man & with a massive bite Drag him to the bottom to be eaten
King Charles You, yourself, what sustenance & succor Provided by Peru
Don Pizarro We knew hunger, sire Such burning fever, inimitable, Unknown in fertile Spain, the only fruit Which e’er kept us alive grown in the sea The salty, bitter flesh of the mangrove, To split the fishy dishes we would net Tho’ oranges, lemons, figs & grapefruits Do grow in much abundance, distances Defeated all our limited storage & left us oft in difficulties dire
King Charles But survive you did, dear Don Pizarro For destiny was with you, & the Lord, Whom now mine eyes & ears are in Peru So, tell me of its natives, how are they
Don Pizarro Proud & curiously beautiful, sire The women wear their hair so very short & naked go about but for a small Apron to cover up their private parts, The men, however, go waist down naked Clad only in a short shirt navel o’er, Both sexes take delight in golden jewels & emeralds, in nostrils, & in ears, Your majesty, deep mines are all about & there is known the value of silver Of gold & of diamonds, they worship these Almost as much as their infidel gods
King Charles Inform me of this pagan pantheon Of how they’ve never heard of Calvary
Don Pizarro They worship the Sun & Moon as great gods Know terrafirma as their Earth mother Their priests are nothing but murderers, sire, Sacrificing animals & men Searching thro hearts & entrails with hands stain’d By bloody delving into guts & gore Waiting to see the signs that they desire & justify this craven homicide Saying the gods must not be satisfied Yet with the sacrifice, blunt knife on knife Murdering more & more, until they find The symbols that the seek, & what’s more, sire The chiefs believe in flesh resurrection Seated on thrones in vaults seal’d after death Attired in richest clothing, with the wife Whom he loves most beside him, her throat cut,
King Charles Why so?
Don Pizarro They are expected to return To life, emanating regality Clad in majestic fineries
King Charles What fools?
Don Pizarro Indeed sire
King Charles That continent needs cleansing Of devil customs all, Don Pizarro Are you prepared this task to consummate
Don Pizarro Of course, your majesty, at your command I stand with honour, all that you desire & bid I will attend with all my strength My first expedition lasted three years But in that time, in all its suffering Thro’ nature’s dangers, Indian attacks, & inner mutinies of dark reasons, I have acquired an intimate knowledge Of how Peru thro mortality moves
King Charles Dogs might bark but the wagon passes on
Don Pizarro Indeed, sire, but alas, my wheels are worn & all my riches dissipated, sire, As Don Diego’s has – we’re both in debt, & heavily – if money could be found We are prepared for more expeditions In the name of Charles, Spain & Saint Peter.
King Charles What do you need my fine conquistador
Don Pizarro Provisions, soldiers, horses, ships & arms & beg your majesty another thing I wish to be the royal governor To compensate for hardships undergone & yet to be endured
King Charles This shall be so, My governor & my chief magistrate, You shall discover me new settlements & make me others with wide streets & squares Where churches bearing the cross of Jesus Are the brave blanch’d beacons of Christendom
Don Pizarro My King, you do me the noblest honour America’s a place for living life As we have fashion’d it from centuries
King Charles I hear something of the Incan empire It is very powerful is it not
Don Pizarro It is great, my lord, a mass of nations Held together by a single tribe The ruling elite they call the Inca, Every drop of sweat belongs to the state Whose king is supremely omnipotent Entitl’d ‘Sapa Inca’ who portrays His pagan realm as Utopia found On earth, but underneath a murd’rous veil They are lunatics, disregarding life Building a ruthless causeway of corpses Of lives expendable
King Charles Who is their King
Don Pizarro His name Huayna, who has extended The empire’s heritage to great extent By all accounts a wise & noble klng But, but
King Charles Wise pause, speak up before your king
Don Pizarro As Huayna grows old, his sons grow bold Huascar, Atahuallpa are their names Who swim against their father’s quality There are loud rumorings of discontent That part these feather’d princes, a wide gap In which to pour the resources of Spain I’ll write thy name in bloody characters & for the empire claim the Incan realms.
King Charles With God on your side what else could happen As my superintendent designate You’ll be supplied with all you’ll deem a need &, Don Pizarro
Don Pizarro Yes sire
King Charles Spread justice Tell all you meet if they accept my throne They’ll be treated with upmost dignity But if they do not
Don Pizarro Yes, your majesty
King Charles Kill them, kill all of them who dare dissent
Don Pizarro Of course, your majesty
King Charles You may leave, now & God be with you, always
Don Pizarro Majesty
King Charles Don Pizarro
Don Pizarro Sire
King Charles Remember one thing The end will depend on the beginning
Exit Don Pizarro
3: Cuzco
Huayna is on his death bed – it is silent – his son Huascar is there with Ekkoko & Apumayta – enter Chasca, Palta & Sachamama
Apumayta Emperor
Huayna Yes
Apumayta Your wives are entering
Huayna Then let me gaze upon them one last time Let sacred lights of Inti shine their cheeks Ah – Chaska, Palta, sweet Sachamama I cannot think which one of thee to choose So women woo my heart & tell me why, Which of thee has to join me in my tomb
Chaska My husband, we’ve shar’d so much together The love of youth when foster’d into age The supreme symbol of a knot of souls Who else could ever match our darling depths
Sachamama My love, listen not to this old lady None would look better on thy royal arm When you to life return, your youngest wife Am I, & thus the prettiest by far
Palta Great king, of all the conquests you have made The day you took the palace of my heart To rule this supple body as your realm The gods decreed right then which wife would sit Beside thee at thy portal of rebirth, You’ll need my beauty, guile, experience I still look young, but we’ve spent many years Conversing easy, dancing fiestas, Deliberating serious matters, & making love under an Incan moon
Huayna Chaska, you speak with such a clever chaunt, It shall be thee
Sachamama Great king let it be me
Chasca Huayna, my love, what are you doing!
Huascar Silence! Respect my father’s wishes, go, Depart this place, & Chaska, you go too, Prepare yourself for death, & dress your best
Exit Chaska, Palta & Sachamama
Huayna Huascar, come near me, son, come hear me Fear not the devils underneath my skin These evil trickeries of the White Ones Are… {cough}
Huascar Father!
Huayna When the throne is your own seat The sons of every empire chieftain Invite to Cuzco, tie them to our tongue, For being here their fathers daren’t revolt
Huascar I will do, thy counselwise respecting
Huayna Huascar
Huascar Yes
Huayna Your brother
Huascar What of him
Huayna Within his territories let him reign Tho’ supreme sapa thou, he’s still my son The brawl of brothers is a futile sport
Huascar But, father, I…
Huayna Promise me Huascar You will honour me, my orders, & my rule Without these three you never would be king
Huascar Forgive me, of course, I shall treat your son As my own child, tho’ you have sired us both
Huayna Good, good… my boy come closer, hear my words Go visit the statues & the houses Of our forefathers, your Great-Grandfather Pachacuti yupanqui, & his son Your grandfather, Topa Inca, listen To the old songs of their famous exploits, If anything is lacking there, provide, & hold great feasts, perform sacrifices & be the very best of Incan kings
Huascar Father !
Huayna I have lived this life
Huascar Father, no !
Huayna dies
Ekkoko Sapa Inca dies, Sapa Inca lives Huayna is dead, Huascar alive Salute the father, tribute to the son
All We praise thee Huascar, our lord unique
Ekkoko {crowning Huascar} Here is your father’s borla, from his brow Still warm from life, now in his death on yours Now Topa Cuxigualpa is your name
Huascar Leave all of you, I wish to grieve in peace
Exit all
Huascar I will miss you father, thank you for life, Thank you for love, & I promise thee All thro’ my rule the empire will be large &, prosperous, rest easy with the sun, There happy be in Pacarina’s halls, When mingling with our ancestors, where we Shall meet in Heaven when I meet thee there
4: Panama
Don Diego is with Don Alverado playing chess / Enter Don Pizarro with his brothers Hernando & Gonzola
Don Pizarro Don Diego del Almagro
Don Diego Hah – so you have returned
Don Pizarro Of course, to Panama & the project
Don Alverado You might not receive a happy welcome
Don Diego Indeed, there is a lingering canker I am steaming with dissatisfaction For having read His Majesty’s missive Indignancy goes churning in my guts You ! Made my governor ! we are equals ! While my financial outlay’s much larger In all these explorative endeavors, The act smacks of mad ridiculousness, Or something more perfidious perhaps
Hernando You dog! You insinuate trickery
Don Pizarro Hernando, stay your tongue, Don Diego My friend, my country comrade, I pled deep Your case in court, but I was there not, you & His Majesty has declined, for now, To grant what you deserve, & who was I To question his divine authority
Well, there we go, there’s nothing more to say Upon a maim’d & imperfect judgement Pizarro & King Carlo have condemn’d Myself to distinct nothingness out here Despite most strenuous determinations To make Spain great
Don Pizarro Please, pass me thy bible
Don Diego A bible, & for what
Don Pizarro Thank-you, my friend I oathe & promise on this sacred book If we can continue conquest onwards Until the empire satisfied, I shall Renounce the Chief Magistracy, & then Petition His Majesty to confirm The title’s transference to your favour
Don Diego Hah – we have not come this far Francisco To fall into some pit of civil strife Hernando, & you must be Gonzola
Don Pizarro Yes, these are younger brothers to me both
Don Diego Welcome to Panama
Hernando A pleasure to meet you Don Diego
Don Diego This man is Don Alverado
Don Pizarro Hello
Don Diego Don Alverado grunts
Don Pizarro For my mean brusqueness I apologise I needed to relay my discontent
Gonzola It is no matter, sir, we understand Your status, & your station here respect
Don Alverado You should have stay’d in Spain, Don Pizarro Lunacy would be too gentle a word Peru is godforsaken, to return Means death to all but Spain’s luckiest son I would not gamble my life’s breath again Upon such chaotical cecity As conquering the scorching equator
Hernando The Roman empire not Ceasar’s alone Augustus never knew its full extent Such things as glory need the arc of time On which to flourish, as the bolting colt Tamed by an expert handler of the horse So too shall all these lands of the Andes Be temper’d by the mighty hand of Spain
Gonzola So, we go again, Don Alverado
Don Alverado You are mad, I will have no part of it The precious porcelain of human clay Lies brittle in these hands of brutal barb
Hernando Then why remain still with this company Depart & graze low pastures, while real men To highest business of the realm attend
Don Pizarro After-traces of awkwardness & doubt Should be converted to cool ambition Men died, will die again, but in the end Peru will stand among the Spanish lands
Don Alverado The end! When will that come! Our lifetimes? No! I wish you luck, I do, but you’ll need more Than luck, you’ll need God with you every step I shall send letters to your families
Exit Don Alverado
Don Pizarro We shall need stouter hearts than his
Don Diego Indeed But come, gentlemen, the ocean is vast & you would have feasted on sprigs & seeds Continents ne’er won on empty bellies Let us eat, let us plan, let us parley Today, there is much to be determined, Men, if you’ll follow me, please, step this way
Don Pizarro I have miss’d you old friend, how is life Out here on the boundary of the world
Don Diego As ever, as it was before you left A paradise of sweat
Don Pizarro Hah Panama! In the New World there is nowhere like it
Gonzola But after Panama, as soon as soon, Let us see peruse the beauties of Peru
Don Diego Your brothers are most eager, let us hope Their thusiasms survive the jungle
Exit all except Don Alverado
Don Alverado More fodder for the foolishness of greed
A feast in the central plaza of Quito – Atahualpa is sat with his sister-queen, Coya Asarpay – they are wearing vermillion, the colour of the Incan Kings. Before them & around a totem pole full of jaguars, pumas & condors a “taqui” is in full flow – the dancers are male & female, their faces painted crimson with gold or silver bands, ear-to-ear, above the nose – one has a tambourine – there are also dancers with animal masks wearing animal skins & one dressed like a devil – the beat is played out by a huge drum mounted on the back of a male porter & beaten by a woman – music is provided by bone flutes, stone syrinxes, pan-pipes, trumpets & whistling jars – as they move around the totem pole the dancers take various steps forwards, backwards, left, & right, clapping & twirling as they go.
YA GOTTA LOVE THE MAN
Big up the Quito with my amigos Adore Atahualpar wherever he goes Him born among us, him always one of us Happy & glorious singing the chorus – its
You gotta love the man !! But he’s more like a god to us So I’ll do what I can Yes we will do what we can To make him love us too My lord (my lord) My lord I’m so in love with you
When I saw his eyes I’ve never seen no finer thing Life’s a paradise When Atahualpa is your king Yes Atahualpa is our king
Where the old Guayllabamba flows like a tamber- Rine to the beat of the queen o’ the samba He is among us, him always one of us Happy & watching us singing the chorus – its
You gotta love the man !! But he’s more like a god to us So I’ll do what I can Yes we will do what we can To make him love us too My lord (my lord) My lord I’m so in love with you
When I saw his eyes I’ve never seen no finer thing Life’s a paradise When Atahualpa is your king Atahualpa is our king
You are our everything
A conch blows – Coya Asarpay stands
Coya Asarpay Citizens of Quito, subjects & kin, As his sister-wife Coya Asarpay I speak upon Atahualpa’s behalf Such love as ours an endless summer makes & so, on this day of Purucaya We feast to celebrate the noble life Of our shar’d father, & thine emperor The Sapa Inca we call Huayna From Tupac & Yupanqui descended Let us add his legend to the noble rolls Who stabiliz’d the distantmost frontiers Civilized all countries we have conquer’d Imposing laws & justice ever fair Many of us here have walk’d the great roads He laid out between Quito & Cuzco To see the Sun Temple, newly rebuilt With gold & silver plates lining the roof But let us turn the pages of the years Deeper in time, to when King Cacha reign’d & conquer’d sought a just peace thro’ marriage Therefore Princess Paccha of the Schyri First met Huayna, fell in love at once With him, her beauty heal’d him of warlust & lovingly foster’d a family Emblemiz’d by my brother-king & I Who reverentially demand a toast To King Huayna, father, emperor, & Sapa Inca, vessels to the sun !
All {raising glasses} Huayna, Sapa Inca, glorious!
Coya Asarpay These are the clippings from our father’s feet & these are cuttings from his royal mane & this an entrails from his belly drawn Together they shall form a fair statue To set up in a house in Qutio, where All can still worship him as if alive
Enter Apumayta & Marichanchi with Chalcuchima
Chalcuchima Your majesties
Coya Tell us Chalcuchima Who are these men
Chalcuchima They are both ambassadors From Huascar
Atahuallpa Welcome, speak freely, please
Apumayta Atahuallpa, we are come from Cuzco Five hundred leagues along thy father’s road Bringing your brother’s verdict on these days We have heard you are very good-temper’d Carry yourself with Royal Dignity Therefore these words will nobly be receiv’d Which we intend to say
Atahuallpa Please, say them now
Apumayta Before
Marichanchi All the Incas know you are a bastard That considering yourself an equal To the true Sapa Inca, Huascar, Insults your brother & the royal line
Apumayta He wishes, nor bids, you swear allegiance Command Quito a common curacas Tho benefiting from fraternal love You shall be favorite among his chiefs As does befit a son of Huayna
Atahualpa Dissatisfied am I of this discourse My brother’s desperations, by thy voice, Boasting his powers is an ugly thing
Apumayta You dare offend the Unique lord again These scraps are from the once elegant suits Of fine hammer’d gold you sent to the king He knows you wish to bribe the Cuzco lords & so returns them torn & trampl’d all, This the head of the noble who brought them Flay’d into silent insignificance
Atahualpa My brother’s a drunk, an amarucu Gnawing on a thousand foolish things Wife-stealing, he slays complaining husbands Nobody dares to give him wise counsel Else suffer his ego’s ferocity Yet, one must act with grace against the crude & I dare not betray my father’s will Quito belongs to its ancestral line My mother first inheritor of this & while prepar’d to swear obedience To Cuzco & my brother, this province Lies far outside his primogeniture Ambassadors of Huascar, hear me, Take this message to him, yet with silver & gold, Callucuchima go with them & Quizquiz too, my valiant captains Escort these men to Cuzco in safety
Marichanchi Not just your captains – your entire army Your brother has demanded this as well
Atahualpa He what? my warriors? he wants my men?
Apumayta Yes, every soldier that fights for you Now fights for him, commands Sapa Inca
Atahualpa Let us oppilate the northern borders I must maintain an army in Quito The frontiers & the warring tribes beyond Are held in place by my meritous men
Marichanchi My great lord said if this you did refuse Reprove the dare, declare thee enemy & state thou will be attack’d for certain Let fierce & bloody war enforce his rights
Apumayta & all of you who Quito calls a home By this vile treason shall be attainted
Atahualpa Then take defiance out of this grim mouth Quito lies not within my brother’s realms Depart in peace & tell Huascar this The sullen presage of his life’s decay Shall haunt me day & night, unless he veers Unto understanding this possession Is mine, always was, always shall be Now be gone, delay this feast no longer
The ambassadors bow & depart
Atahualpa This is a dark disturbance of the soul My shadowselves are skulking at my feet A reckoning is coming to these times Commander of our armies, speak you first, Your years & well proved valour carry weight
Coya It would be wisest to reach agreement With oour elder brother, Incan power Will spoil & mold if rotten at its core
Atahualpa But I could never fasten to such terms Insulting to our father’s honour, no!
QuizQuiz We should strike first, seize important places A battle better fought on chosen ground
Atahualpa Altho’ this war inevitable seems Let rash, hot haste not hurry us to fight As our vital mind responds to events It drives our bodies, we are what we think Making decisions twyx wrong & right Should always be easy, our conscience king, But sometimes intolerance crowds, corrupts All our natural rationalities, & then, when brains embattl’d agitate Contorted, discordant, distorted thought Destroys our harmonious decisions I must retire
Coya Brother
Atahualpa Alone my love
Exit Atahualpa
Coya The feast has ended, go back to your homes
Exit Coya
Quizquiz What do you think
Chalchucima It will be a long war Especially when the pale-faced White Ones Are now at Tangarala, riding sheep As large as chinchona
Ruminagui A sheep’s a sheep & timid creature ridden by dumb fools Whose tricks, explosions, might have terrifed The Mayans & Aztecs to the north, But Incas are of stronger fibers born We’ll toss them from the Andes peaks, break bones As down they’ll fall, to never more return
Chaluchima Better to stay united, even so Just in case
QuizQuiz The Incas have a thousand Warriors for every one they muster, We could easily defeat Huascar & later on destroy the Spanish host
Rumanagui Enough – there’s still plenty of wine about Now left undrunk
QuizQuiz Ah! a terrible waste
Chaluchima Yes, let us toast Huayna & his son Atahualpa, our future Incan King
Exit all
6: An Indian village
The Conquistadors are lying about in pain & sickness – de Valverde is attending to the sick – enter Hernando & Felipe
Don Pizarro How did you do Hernando, who is this
Don Pizarro Tell him your name
Felipe My name is Fellipilo
Don Pizarro You speak Spanish
Felipe Yes
Don Pizarro How
Felipe I’m from Tumbez I learnt the language off the garrison You once left there yourself Don Pizarro
Felipe You know my name
Felipe Your legacy is long
Don Pizarro Hah!
Felipe I can also speak Quechua, sir
Don Pizarro Quechua
Hernando It is the Incan language
Felipe Since conquer’d by Inca Pachacuti Quechua’s the second tongue of Tumbez
Hernando Pizarro He’s been very valuable so far On making inquiries of this sickness Drew truth-hoods from a hiding native’s mind
Don Pizarro Which are?
Hernando Felipe, speak
Felipe You have eaten crabs Whom have partaken of the poison tree
Gonzola Pizarro Mountains of trials, mires of miseries This land is haunted by the devil’s own Where this satanic epidemic endured Of goblin warts, deep-seated verrucas
Pedro Catano & getting to this desperation place Jungles thick with rampant disillusion, Leagues of treeless & waterless deserts Wastes our vigour, as do wide estuaries Which we must swim with all our gear in tow
De Valverde Do not forget the mosquitoes, Pedro, The most evil creation upon God’s Earth
Hernando Indeed, o priest, why e’er He gave them life I’ll never understand
De Valverde No, you would not The ways of God beyond the reach of minds Made merely mortal by Him, let us thank Him we are still alive, his purpose yet Seems unreveal’d, but as we tread the roads The gleam of truth grows nearer, we’ll survive
Don Pizarro I am sure we will, Felipe
Felipe Yes
Don Pizarro Tell me, What of the village governor, & why There’s not a living soul among the huts & all of them burnt down apart from his
Felipe He & his people fled into the hills Leaving behind the ashes of their lives Obeying their commanders in Cuzco
Don Pizarro In Cuzco, you mean the new Incan King
Felipe Yes, Huascar is his name, he is strong
Don Pizarro I am sure – so, Felipe, can you help us & if you can, you’ll be awarded well By his majesty imperial, Charles We need good food & accurate guidance Out of these god-forsaken pits of pain
Felipe I can do all those things Don Pizarro This is a bad climate – the next province Guamcavilcas is a land of plenty Lacuma fruits and waddling caimitos Will serve a tasty banquet for your men
Valverde This man has been sent to us from heaven As I have said to all you all along We are just agents of a divine force Which swept across the ocean to fulfil Some deeper destiny, to spread the word Of Jesus & his sacred sacrifice Whatever scourges we must here endure Is nothing to his hardships on the cross So, find your faith, conquistadors, & sing
MERCY
A-e-g-d
I see sometimes I sense the essence of these seminal times Sometimes I’m up where the sun always shines on my life {Lord have mercy)
But I feel sometimes I taste the flavours of these terrible times I find im flagging when the sun never shines on my life {Bring me mercy)
Lord give me mercy Give me your mercy When you’re waiting for mercy O what in the world must I do
I see I feel This things amazing but its terribly real The futures coming but the devil is stealing our days {Lord have mercy)
I feel, I see This things incredible but getting to me When future comes no-one knows if its been all staged {Bring me mercy)
Lord give me mercy Give me your mercy When youre waiting for mercy O what in the world must we do
All I can see is the end of the road I want to die of my own accord No one likes a sailor To die on land with mud on his feet I cant find a hope to hold onto Don’t have a clue of where they’ve all gone to No one likes a sailor To suffocate so far away from the sea
Good men, calm down Let’s find solutions to this merry go round We’ll follow royal roads going to Cuzco town {Bring me mercy)
Calm down, good men We’ve hit the bottom but were close to the end Because tomorrow we’ll be hearing the tender sound Of mercy
Lord give me mercy (Give me mercy)
Pedro Felipillo, tell us of the Incas
Felipe Beyond the straits of Huayna Capac Begins their empire properly, these days, However, them disunified,
Gonzala & why
Felipe They’re divided into warring factions Huascar claims hegemony of all But has a young brother, Atahualpa, Who dwells in Quito, they have come to blows Like toddlers squabbling over rattling toys Now only one of them shall win the crown The other brother destin’d then to die
Valverde Another sign ! If they were unified Our little force could never win the day But that they battle at each other’s throats Must be ordain’d by heaven, let us pray Dear Father, who gave us life, who loves us Thank you for making Inca fight himself Their power like the leaves which brown on floor Give us the strength to brush them all aside When underneath, upon the land pristeen We’ll build thy churches, raise royal standards Enlarge thy Christendom in Jesus’ name Thy son you gave to teach us of mercy & merciful we’ll be to the Incas Once they’ll accept thine article divine Per Dominum nostrum Christum Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit Regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omni saecul Saeculorum… amen
Conquistadors Amen
Felipe Amen
Don Pizarro Felipillo
Felipe Yes
Don Pizarro Can you find us food
Felipe There are dogs here, waiting for their masters Hidden in the hills
Gonzala Their meat is good
Felipe Yes
Don Pizarro Then that will have to do, Don Hernando See to it, take any of my soldiers With strength enough to hunt, on my command
Exit Hernando & Felipe
Gonzala A moment Francisco
Don Pizarro Yes, what is it
Gonzala Optimism, promises, hope & faith, This Incan empire sounds omnipotent & we so very few & fading fast Let us return with stronger forces soon But better to renew our strength than fail When under-strength, slain, never to return
Don Pizarro Thick-eyed musing to melancholy leads Do not be frighten’d, brother
Gonzala I am not
Don Pizarro There will be no turning back, we are few But we are very strong in every way & once this sickness passes we shall rise & march upon the Incas as King Charles Has order’d, let that be an end of it Remember how the Portuguese seamen Imagin’d that beyond Cape Bojador Sea monsters swam thro sheets of liquid flame Man are prone to habitate the unknown With whispering images of terror We shall defeat the Incas, mark my words
Gonzala Brother, I am sorry e’er to doubt thee
Don Pizarro From now on let us put our faith in God & let him fill the weapons in our fist The vitality of our bodies & render spirits inviolable
Gonzala Of course
Don Pizarro Now let us go & hunt some dogs Like when we children in Trujillo
Gonzala We are a long way from Trujillo now But my heart is at its happiest here Yes, let us go & hunt these damn dogs down
Don Pizarro Good man – a wager on the contest
Gonzala Sure
Exit Don Pizarro & Gonzala
7: A Narrow Mountain Pass
Huascar is marching with a few of his men including Marichanchi & Apumayta – Huascar is wearing a golden tunic, a golden helmet & carries a golden shield full of feathers & war insignias
Apumayta My lord I do not like this road at all Why leave the army’s bulk & risk attack
Huascar There’ll be no problem, Apumayta, Beyond all that bustle & congestion This road, tho’ steep, is quicker, yet narrow Then high above the plains of Quipaipán Spread under this rapid reconnaissance We’ll see where Atahaulapa moves his men While there’s a further bounty to this march We need to be in Quasca by tonight & fortify its walls, or let our foes Reach them first, & aim warak’as at us
Marichanchi This war we fight unsettles steadily The traitor has taken Caxamalca With forty thousand men there camp’d entrench’d Twould better be to settle this elsewhere We’ll never take that town, we should return To Cuzco, gather superior force
Huascar The traitor must be hunted down & slain
Apumayta My Lord, all respect to your majesty The importance of thy posterity Depends upon a winning victory But in this dark campaign you’ve lost so much I am your only living general & most of your veterans are slain The army is shock’d & demoralized
Huascar & the army will do as I command {turns to soldiers} Warriors, we march on Caxamalca
Warriors cheer – they begin to beat out a rhythm on wancara drums
Marichanchi Hail to Sapa Inca, the Unique One Generous his bounty, stormy his might An enduring pillar of battlerage Sing forever of his prowess & rage A lion for valour dauntless in deed Vanquisher of warriors, howe’er great
HUASCAR’S TRAP
We’re soldiers of Huascar marching off to war Our wise & able master’s fighting to restore His father’s sacred empire, & when they come ashore We’ll push the dreaded white ones over equator Hu-as-car, hu-as-car devoted are your boys & we’ll march with you anywhere with pride & poise
Enter QuizQuiz & Rumanagui with many warriors
Huascar, Huascar – we’ve caught you in a trap We’re promising your brother king we’ll bring you back & we shall hunt you anywhere you’ll dare to flee Just come with us without a fuss you’ll soon be free Huascar, Huascar, no need to fight today You’ll soon be back in Cuzco where the chullus play
There is a skirmish – Apumayta is slain, Huascar is captured
Huascar, this axe shall go slicing thro your neck If just one of your soldiers comes out of the speck That snaketh thro the valley, below us in the plain So send to them your messengers, else die in pain Altho’ they might outnumber us thirty to one What use is such an army when its head is gone
Huascar is led away
Huascar, Huascar, must come with us today Your army might be larger but its miles away Huascar, Huascar, must come with us today Your army might be larger but its miles away Huascar, Huascar, must come with us today Your army might be larger but its miles away
8: Paita
The Conquistadors are dining in Pizarro’s tent, which is made of boughs & palm leaves
Don Pizarro How swift can change swoop in on shining wings Twas just eleven days since when we squirm’d In filth & hunger, waiting but to die, & now… Paita’s perfect little port The best on all this coast, a friendly place Abundant with fresh foods of the district Its position reachable easily by sea From Nicaragua now re-supplied With twenty men & seven stallions Captain de Soto, welcome to host & Caballeros, to our sov’reign toast
Don Pizarro Eat
Gonzalo It is most impressive, this progress Spain has never known a greater extent
Don Pizarro In honour of this we intend to found A city on the banks of the Chira So ships from Panama can safely berth A native township call’d Tangarara Shall be the nucleus
Captain De Soto A native name? Something more Spanish surely should befit Our first true civic settlement betwyx Equator & Capricorn
Valverde San Miguel The enemy of the fallen angels He drove them out of Paradise, his blade Admonishing the greed of Satanus, The Incans are devils, so let them hear The name of our martial archangel
Don Pizarro San Miguel? Of course… any objections Then San Miguel it is, a fine, strong name It shall have a church, a hospital, houses Of authority, each Conquistador Shall have a stone brick’d villa handsome made & Indians to run its quaint estate
Valverde I want to build a monastery here & bring Mercedarians from Seville Whose bright, white habits shall dazzle our foes Like lights of heaven, drawing them to Christ
Don Pizarro You shall be given anything you need
Captain De Soto I have a letter for you, Francisco Don Diego de Almagro sent it
Don Francisco Pizarro Give it here… what does the old dog want now {begins to read it}
Gonzola What does it say
Don Francisco Pizarro He has built a large ship Is almost ready to embark
Hernando For where?
Don Pizarro Here – with as many as he can recruit He wishes to claim those parts of Peru Which lie outside the boundaries assign’d To me in the concession of our King
Captain De Soto That was two hundred and fifty leagues south Of the equator, right
Don Francisco Pizarro He can have that But something rankles worse in this letter He stakes a claim to half the gold we find
Hernando Pizarro Half the gold! The bandit!
Don Pizarro But I’m afraid The King decrees it so
Enter Pedro & Felipe with a local chief – Urco
Pedro Caballeros
Don Pizarro Pedro Catano, you are late for lunch
Pedro My apologies, Don Francisco
Don Pizarro You bring an Indian to my table Why?
Pedro He is the chieftain of Paita
Hernando And? we can speak with him after we eat
Don Pizarro No let him stay, he clearly needs to speak Tears well within his eyes like empty bowls Left in the rain outside, Young Felipe
Felipe Sir
Don Pizarro Do you speak his language
Felipe Yes I do, sir
Don Pizarro Extract from him the best account you can
Valverde & Felipe, translate it accurately
Felipe I shall {he speaks to the chief} His name is Urco… he says this He was a great lord once, ‘til Old Cuzco Came conquering, those crude Capucunna Destroy’d twenty-five of his villages & all who liv’d within them put to death They’d even slice open pregnant bellies Bring out the babes & slay them just before They kill’d its mother, a mad massacre… He says he will be happy to assist To him the Incas just detestable
Don Pizarro Thank him for his honesty, & inform Him, he’ll now be the chief representative Of his Imperial Highness from now In this place, soon to be call’d San Miguel, Tell him we shall be bounteous with gifts Out of the sea they’ll come from far off lands & all the richest pickings shall be his
Felipe He thanks you & offers you his daughter
Don Pizarro His daughter, tell him there’s no need for that You may leave us now
Exit Felipe & Urco
Valverde The Incas are beasts The sooner we defeat them the better
Gonzola Agreed
Hernando How many are we now
At the last count The Christians among us number thus There’s sixty-seven horsemen, while on foot We number one hundred & seventeen Among them are three well-train’d bombardiers & a squadron of keen-eye’d crossbowmen
Pedro I’ve heard there are a million Incas Arm’d to the teeth, all itching to despoil Our Spanish skins
Gonzola I’ve heard you are frighten’d
Pedro Not frighten’d, a realist, we are few They are many, there’s logic in caution
Don Pizarro Anyone who wishes to stay behind & build this town has my blessing, they shall Be given Indians enough to aid Their settlement, for San Miguel shall be A vital link in the long chain to Spain & needs to be completely protected Spread the word among the men, next morning we depart At nine, that they must make their choice by then But I intend to advance & conquer With such as stay with him, whate’er the count
Captain de Soto My men will march with you Don Pizarro We havn’t sail’d this far to idle sit None of them have titles to go home too The best hidaglos, but most are peasants An artisan or two, in Spain they’re dust But here they’re mighty fiefdoms in the flesh
Hernando The Indians are rigid in the field Their system of command depends on fear Of whomever commands them, common sense Is rarely used, just blind obediance Compar’d to them each of us an army Who exercises his initiative Thro’ carefully co-ordinated plans Our arsenal contains traps & treachery Our tactics are Ceasarian in style
Gonzola Let us march to their mad endamagement our muskets have their bowels full of wrath Ready to out spit iron indignation
Valverde & whether we’re twenty or two hundred Our victory has long been fate ordain’d Indians are sinners, to purge their faults, By higher spirits summon’d to this place, Idolatrous practices, abhorrent Customs, religious rituals Are all the devil’s work, they sacrifice Each other – no we have to defeat them Irredeemably, so we can save them
Don Pizarro & so we shall Vincenzo, let us toast Once more, in brotherhood, to victory
Ekkeko Your imperial majesty, welcome Huascar is no longer Cuzco’s king This is his golden tunic, his helmet, His shield & war insignias, all these Were pluck’d from the defeated personage Of your defeated body, so our lord May have the honour of treading upon The things & ensigns his enemies Lord Atahualpa, Cuzco’s halls are yours O Unique King, the lover of the poor Son of the Sun, Zapalla Inca, heil! This city is the Incan capital The royal seat from where four well-built roads To Cuntisuyu, Collasuyu lead To Antisuyu, Chinchasuyu too Out from this city of your destiny Thine ancestors emanated glory & so, as their successor, them ye’ll meet Initiatory ceremony Each of the Sapa Inca has peform’d Are you willing, sire, to permi its rites
Atahualpa Yes
Ekkeko Bring out the Inca, Atahualpa Take this anointed censor in your hand Wave it until the smoke ascends, then ask & you shall have your answers, but be brief The mighty dead brook no long questioning
The first mummy is brought out
Ekkeko This is Manco Capac, the first Inca & founder of this wonderful city He who brought together all the ayllu & brought them here, to the Cuzco valley & one-by-one defeated the three tribes Who once dwelt here, the Alcahuisas, The Sahuares & the Huallas and Alcahuisas, & settl’d in the swamp between the streams Where now the plaza lies most grandiose & being settl’d in this famous place, Wrought ire from larger, more powerful tribes The Pinaguas & Ayarmacas Confederated but were well repell’d,
Atahualpa Spirits of my fathers, The great burden of your empire, renown’d, Has descended upon my bare shoulders Most mighty Manco, founder of the line Am I, in your eyes, worthy of command
Ekkeko Mancu says you are welcome & worthy
Atahualpa Father, do you approve
Ekkeko Huayna says Your brother broke the funerary bond To rule in perfect harmony with thee & has thus lost the crown, the angry gods Ensur’d his fate, the other kings agree, Sinchi Roca, Lloque Yupanqui Mayta Cápac, Yahuar Huácac & Pachacútec, he who builedth this Great temple dedicated to the sun
Atahualpa Tell them I humbl’d by the honour
Ekkeko They hear… Atahualpa, King of Inca, This was your father’s crown & now tis yours {Ekkeko crowns Atahualpa} This is the royal borla, crimson hued A single strand is all you need to send With messages, obeisance to ensure
Ekkeko clicks his fingers & the royal wives are brought out
Ekkeko These were wives of Huascar, & all queens Train’d in the graceways of regal manners & of them you may have your pick; sire, choose
Atahualpa examines the wives, pauses at Cuxirimay
Atahualpa What is your name
Cuxirumay I am Cuxirimay
Atahualpa You are very beautiful… I choose her And this one… & her… execute the rest
Ekkeko Of course your majesty, take them away
Atahualpa Take her, Cuxirimay, to my chambers But wash her first, I do not wish to smell My brother’s flesh upon her
Ekkeko As you wish
Exit Atahualpa
SCENE 10: CAJAS
Hernando & Captain De Soto enter the village of Cajas / There are women spinning & weaving / there are three men hanging upside down from a tree
Hernando What evil is this hanging trinity This despicable Incan Calvary Felipe ! ask these women what here occur’d
Felipe converses with the women
Felipe They say ‘tis the will of Atahualpa The middle one snook in the regal nest & took advantage of one of his wives The guards, who let him in, hang either side & I would not want to be related To any of them, their poor families Are destined to be massacr’d entire
Felipe Hither off, find me the village cacique
De Soto These not the first to die of woman’s lust But look, the way they go about undress’d Those dark & dusky deer-eyed damsel does Enough to prise the passions of a priest I’ve loved the pretty maidens of the Tagus I’ve kiss’d the blissful beauties of Madrid I’ve even broken Barcelona hearts Alack, the crucifixes round their necks Were wards of deft protection from the flesh But here, the flesh, the skin, the nipple hues, Tis Eden, still, before the applefall
Hernando There will be time enough come the conquest When we shall wive ourselves into old age For now, let us avoid their distractions & focus on the massive task at hand The spirit of Atahualpa is strong & must be broken, else we shall return As empty-handed fools, if still alive
De Soto There’s nothing wrong with looking, Hernando, Anticipation is half the passion
Felipe returns with Titi, the village chief
Felipe I have found him, the cacique
Hernando Excellent
Chief brought out
Hernando Ask him of Atahualpa’s whereabouts
Felipe speaks to the chief – there is silence
De Soto Speak up man, nay, just speak, what holds the tongue Solemn preoccupation scythes thy face With troughs of apprehension goug’d by fret Felipe, tell him to speak else tortur’d be
Felipe speaks with Titi – this time he responds
Felipe He says he is afraid to speak with you Now Chaluchima roams the provinces Punishing with death Huascar’s allies & killing those who with White One’s converse
Hernando Tell him he is under our protection & safe – when, on the Governor’s behalf He & his people now gladly receiv’d As vassals of the Spanish emperor
Felipe translates
De Soto Ask him what he knows of Atahualpa
Titi speaks more to Felipe
Felipe He says he is the thirteenth Inca
Hernando Thirteenth – one’s luck must run out sometime Tell him to tell us his story
Felipe Yes sir, His name is Titi, this village Cajas, Whose bursting passions into plaints now pour When Atahualpa came, he hid in fear Igniting a great fury in the king Slew four thousand of my five thousand men & took three thousand women for his troops Then stripp’d his wealth, planted higher taxes Than ever the Old Cuzco or his son Impos’d on them, combin’d
Hernando Felipe, tell him Those taxes now abolish’d in the name Of Carlos, King of Spain
Felipe translates – Titi starts crying
De Soto Is he alright
Felipe He says that his children were sacrificed Their youth made them the purest of beings & being noble-born & beautiful King Atahualpa gave them to the gods
Titi Capacocha, capacocha
Felipe All three Of his children sent to Mount Ampato Clad in the colour’d aksu tapestry There drugg’d & clubb’d & left to freeze & die
Hernando Poor soul, his face has been confused with tears
De Soto A tragic tale… but, ask him does he know Of Atahualpa’s military might
Felipe He says there are two armies in your way At the foot & summit of the mountains & another one at Caxamalca The largest force led by the king himself Of fifty thousand men, or maybe more
Hernando Caxamalca, is it far
Felipe Ten days march Across these spreading green peaks over there He also notes that Atahualpa’s pride Promises & boasts of Christian deaths That none of you will leave his lands alive
De Soto I well believe he is a great soldier But tell this Titi my lord Emperor The King of Spain, the Indies & the World Numbers many great men as his servants More powerful than your Atahualpa My own brother, Don Pizarro, is one Who has defeated mightier rulers Than any of the Cuzcos
Hernando I have it Felipe, you shall go to Atahualpa There guided by some of this old chief’s men Ask him at once
Felipe He says he can help us
Hernando Good, good, & so my boy, listen to me Tell Atahualpa how we Christians Give good & noble treatment to caciques Who share a proper peace with us, but those Who dare attack we will obliterate & tell him you are telling him the truth According to everything you have seen & tell him that if he treats us kindly My brother shall be his brother, & shall Favor him & aid him in his regions, & in high state remain shall for all time But if he chooses war, he shall be fought & punish’d to the height of our pleasure & kill’d just as the caciques of Tumbez, Santago & all others who oppos’d The march of Don Pizarro, & Felipe
Felipe Yes
Hernando In that same space act a spy inside While speaking, assess everything you can The qualities of weapons, men & mood
I shall, but I have many things to fear The whims of Atahualpa are deadly
De Soto {giving a musket} Take this, as a token of our friendship Make sure he hears its power, fire it off
Felipe I shall do everything you ask of me
Exit Felipe & Titi
Hernando Let’s hope that gun is never used on us
De Soto There’s only powder for a ball or two
Hernando Fifty thousand men at least, that’s a lot
De Soto Better not to muse on simple numbers The quality of arms decides the day
Hernando Those mountains look treacherous for horses
De Soto But ours are Christian horses, my friend & the Lord’s with us, Hernando Come, enough doominess & gloominess Let us enjoy our dinner & the scene This truly is a beautiful valley
Exit Hernando & De Soto
Scene 11: Caxamalca
Atahualpa is sat with his wives in the Royal Tent in the camp outside Caxmalca with his wives – Cuxirimay is singing The YMA Sumac song, Taka Rari
Atahualpa Cuximiray, Cuximiray, my queen! What joy you have given to the empire Its emperor the happiest he’s been To Heaven elevated by desire Your face entices, as your neck enthralls & if singing to your tynya’s pinions Shaking your chajcha’s sea-shells & bead-balls What freshness sweeps across these dominions Invigorating beauty, when beheld In such close quarters, hypnotizes minds When all life’s weary niggles are dispell’d By stunning vision as its glaze spellbinds, Your pulchritude’s but worthy of a king, & I am he, buzzing on the bee sting!
Coya Asarpay Come & sit with us, my sister… a chair
Servants bring a chair out – Enter Purutu with Felipe
Purutu Sire
Atahualpa My good Purutu, who is this man
Purutu He is the White Ones’ messenger, my lord
Atahualpa Well, what does he have to say
Purutu Step forward Tell the emperor everything you know
Felipe Great lord & king, praise God for this meeting, Such mutual conference high honour For poor Felipe from Tumbez, I am he, Who travel’d with the Spanish to this land Whom are so very powerful & brave They have horses that gallop like the wind & give men death with teeth & leaping hooves Whose riders carry lethal lances long & them who fight on foot have such sharp swords That slice a man in two with single blows Whose fire-shooters fling death from a distance Whose enemies are ever slain in pain
Felipe gives Atahualpa a musket
Atahualpa Is this a fire stick
Felipe It is
Atahualpa Very strange
Felipe From them a simple message I’ll relay They say if you’ll accept them as rulers You will be permitted to reign in peace As Incan king, but subject to their king, But if you snarl hostilities in war Annihilation is your just reward
Coya Asarpay You dare to speak so brusquely
Curixamiray Let him speak He is only the messenger
Atahualpa Of course Return to the White Ones with my blessing Tell them they can travel to this city In perfect safety, that when they arrive They shall find all Caxamalca empty With lodgings to suffice a Prince of Spain While I’ll make camp beyond its walls, once Ensconc’d, let deliberations ensue As to the future status of my realm, Purutu – give him everything he needs To give his journey comfort,
Purutu Of course, sire
Atahualpa & go with gifts, there’s goosemeat skinn’d & dried Aplenty in the stores, & give them wine, & milk, & sheets of silken comfort clean & take them seven baskets full of fruit Guava, Caimitos & Guayba Egg fruit, sweet potatoes, albondigas & Yuca for to make Cassava bread
Purutu All shall be done, & well {to Felipe} You, come with me
Exit Purutu & Felipe
Curixamiray That man had a curious countenance
Coya Asarpay He is a dog, Tumbez provincial pit & please Curixamiray, stay your tongue Your inexperience effects discourse
Curixamiray My inexperience
Coya Asarpay Yes
Atahualpa Be silent
Coya Asarpay But
Atahualpa No! both of you haste yourselves away I wish to play with Inkasisa now
Exit Coya Asarpay & Cuxirimay
Scene 12: Caxalmaca
The Spanish arrive in Caxamalca square to the sound of trumpets – the square is deserted
Don Pizarro Cease the song of sennets, as sole tenants Of this city, surplus sound… deserted, Why?
Gonzola Pizarro I do not trust the Inca, brother
Valverde Perhaps this is a trap, & thus our tomb
Don Pizarro The truth soon subsentient, lets inspect Each house, make sure we are truly alone Keep the horsemen fasten’d in their saddles Battle-ready, ‘til when we feel secure
Pedro Well, in practical terms, Don Pizarro There is no better position than this
Don Pizarro Father De Valverde, what day is this?
Valverde The fifteenth of November, a Friday, The year of our lord, fifteen thirty two;
Hernando Pizarro On this day of heavenly endeavor I feel as if Phoenicians Pillars pass Before even Cadiz was ever built, Or if Vasco de Gama has landed In India, incessant labors drawn, But we are Spain, Islam now not alone In such an adventurous enterprise The Andes are like their Himalayas The arid Chihuahua their Sahara But we command the ocean every side Such is the limpieza de sangre Which flows thro all our progress
Enter Captain de Soto
De Soto They are here
Don Pizarro What prospect from the battlements, Captain
De Soto Their camp is on a mountain’s lower slopes A league or so away, so many tents I’ve never seen so many in my life
Don Pizarro Is Atahualpa’s among them
De Soto Yes, sir
Don Pizarro Will you go there & request a meeting With me, in Caxamalca, tomorrow
De Soto Of course
Don Pizarro Take twenty-five horsemen with you & when presented tell the Inca this I will not assign Christians quarters Until we know Atahualpa’s pleasure Where they should lodge, & in his mind instill A great desire in me that we’ll be friends
De Soto But what if there are tensions, & combat Erupts
Hernando Do not pick a quarrel captain However critical the disturbance & hard you are provok’d, with priestly peace & calm ambassadorial conduct, Pursue your negotiatory talk ‘Til its satisfactory conclusion
Gonzola Some waste their lives, yet some their time redeem To be the first among us who shall speak With Atahualpa, is a great honour
Don Pizarro Go with the ambitions of our glory
De Soto I shall not let you down, Governor
Don Pizarro Good
Exit De Soto
Valverde Conquistadors, let us together pray For the success of Captain de Soto
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: miserere nobis. Agnus Dei, quitollis peccata mundi: dona nobis pacem. Contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur: Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute, in infernum detrude. Amen.
The Incan camp – Atahualpa’s apartments, a gallery looking down on a garden – walls are plaster’d with bright red bitumen – wood stained with same dye – Atahualpa is sat on a low seat at the door of the lodging – there are many caciques around him including the royal concubines – these have their faces hidden behind masks of beaten gold, their gowns adorn’d with precious stones, their bodies shaded by canopies – Enter Ciquinchara
Ciquinchara Your majesty
Atahualpa Are you Ciquinchara
Ciquinchara I am
Atahualpa You’ve spent time with the Spanish, yes
Ciquinchara I have
Atahualpa Tell me, are they truly the gods Have you seen any miracles perform’d
Purutu If they are gods, give them obedience To make you even more powerful, sire
Ciquinchara They are not gods – they’re men & men only When I first saw them I was frighten’d true & felt that they were gods but very soon I watch’d them conversing with my people & do no harm to any one, but those Who tried to give them harm
Marichanchi Where is their realm
Ciquinchara At the far ends of the earth
Atahualpa Well, these must be The gods who live at the ends of the earth
Apumayta How many are they
Ciquinchara Two hundred, or more
Atahualpa Well, now they are firm in Caxamalca & some of them are due any minute So, you shall translate for me, you do speak Their tongue, I was led as much to believe
Ciquinchara I speak enough
Coya Asarpay Tell us, how do they look
Ciquinchara These men come so well cloth’d no skin appears, But for the hands & their half-bearded faces
Inkisasa Would they consume our flesh if they kill’d us
Ciquinchara The only meat I’ve ever seen them eat Are sheep & lambs & ducks, deer & pigeons
Marichanchi They’re not worth the shit that drools out their arse
Purutu Whatever they are, whether gods or shit They are now here
Atahualpa Let them enter
Purutu Yes, sire
Enter Captain de Soto, Hernando & Felipe with Ruminagui
KING OF THE INCA
He’s Atahualpa (please dont look at him) Atahualpa (dont go anywhere near him) Atahualpa (you be dead if you do that) Atahualpa (with your head on a brushmat)
He is A-ta-hu-al-pa he is the King of the Inca…
Atahualpa {standing} White Ones welcome to my country So very welcome to be here As long as you’ll accept that I am your lord
He is A-ta-hu-al-pa he is the King of the Inca… He’s Atahualpa
Atahualpa sits down – Ciquinchara speaks to Felipe – a look of love passes between Cuxirimay & Felipe
Ciquinchara You may speak to the emperor, captain
De Soto Through you
Ciquinchara No, thro’ Felipe, he better speaks
De Soto Tell him my name is Captain de Soto Hernando de Soto, the governor Of Spain’s empire is in Caxamalca Who sends me here today to visit thee To say how much desires he to see you & greatly shall be pleas’d if you’ll agree To go tomorrow into the city & there become his friend, what say you sir
Felipe translates – Atahualpa does not answer – speaks to Ciquinchara instead
Ciquinchara He says if seeking peace why cometh arm’d
De Soto Say we have a right to defend ourselves,
Felipe Defend yourselves? or indiscriminate Slaughter, Maizabilica, speak your truth
Maizabilica He was on the Zuricara river When the Spanish ill-treated its caciques Wrapp’d their limbs in chains, & about their necks Slung collars of the heaviest iron Then slit their throats in outrage heinous
Felipe Sire, this is Hernando Don Pizarro Who assures his majesty these men were held In just constraint, as due to criminals Such as stole on us in the secret night & murder’d three men & stallions slew A rogue operation, I am quite sure Your majesty would never have deign’d it But if he did Hernando says this, His brother’s Don Pizarro, a great man, Whose promis’d fair treatment to the peaceful But will attack until he has destroy’d All foolish enough to make war on him & likewise, the enemies of his friends, Shall also be obliterated, so As to be Atahualpa’s friend seeks he & if that friendship seal’d just say the word Then he would ride to face & fight thy foes Upon his mighty battlesteeds of war
Ciquinchara Hi majesty is happy you are here & wishes friendship also, as the ways Of Inca celebrate such amity The company shall drink
Atahualpa orders female servants to get the drinks
Hernando We’d rather not
Felipe {to De Soto) You must, there’s no choice, insults are treason If Atahualpa bids a man to drink If he does not he’ll never drink again
Ciquinchara He says four marches from this royal camp There are many rebellious subjects Still to his brother loyal, all despite Him being Sapa Inca… these must die – If the Governor wants to be his friend His men shall march with yours to slay traitors
Hernando You warriors are better off as guards However large an army they could field The rebels will be destroy’d easily By only ten Christians on horses
De Soto Your soldiers are unnecessary, sire, Except, perhaps, to search for those conceal’d
On hearing the translation Atahualpa laughs
Ciquinchara He says he’ll discuss all this tomorrow With the Governor
Enter Ekkoko women with gold cups, 8 inches high, full of wine – each woman drinks from her cup before passing it on to the Spanish & the caqiques & returning to her place
Ekkoko Friends of the Inca The seeds of amity planted today Shall into friendship flower by the morn
The drinks are down’d – Atahualpa summons a woman who offers him her palm into which he spits
De Soto Your majesty, there is another point On which my Governor your word awaits
Ciquinchara He says speak
Hernando Our lodgings in the city He wishes not your hospitality Offended, by some sacrilegious act Perform’d in ignorance to Incan law
Ciquinchara Lodge where you want, except the well-built fort Beside the square, leave that a neutral space
De Soto Thank him
Ciquinchara He says to take another drink
Hernando We must refuse his generous offer The Governor did not grant permission For us to dawdle in a drinking bout His anger’s goat is not worth the pricking
Atahualpa gestures to the women
Ciquinchara He says take another drink – he insists
De Soto It is a very decent beverage
Hernando Very well, we’ll consume another draft
Ciquinchara There’s something else he wishes to ask you
Hernando Yes
Ciquinchara He’s heard many damaging reports That say as you ravag’d his provinces Many gold & silvers have we stolen & says to tell the Governor, before They can be friends he wants it all return’d
De Soto Tell Lord Atahualpa, with all respect, Go cautious with his visionary brain Tell him Don Pizarro is a good man & will alleviate his discontent
The drinks are brought out once more – Atahualpa holds out the vessel for a moment then drains his glass – the Spanish follow suit
Ciquinchara He says tomorrow he’ll be very pleas’d To meet the Governor & be a friend Of Christians, since they are all good men
Hernando Thank him for allowing us this time An honour we shall entreasure always
Ciquinchara He says there’s a chamber in the courtyard Where he shall lodge tomorrow, keep it free But anywhere else in Caxamalca Is ours, & all within, to aid our stay
Hernando Thank his majesty
De Soto It is time to go
The Spanish & Felipe withdraw with a bow
Atahualpa Ruminagui, I should end your life now
Ruminagui Your majesty
Atahualpa Why did you not kill them
Ruminagui But, but
Atahualpa I am very upset
Ruminagui But sire, We dared not attack, for if they escaped Whatever plans we would have tomorrow Would be corrupted, they’ll all be captur’d In the trap of Caxamalca
Apumayta My lord The Christians are not good warriors We could defeat them with a hundred men & we are fifty thousand
Maizabilica He’s right, sire The White Ones are few & very lazy, Tiring easily, must ride giant sheep They call horses
Coya Asarpay Are you sure we will win
Ekkoko For as long as the dawn comes each morning The children of the sun shall hold the throne Their children after them throughout all time & from failure are forever immune
Atahualpa Take alive as many as possible, Some to be castrated, then guard my wives & as our custom is the rest shall die In solar sacrifice to thank the gods But now the drink turns weary, let us sleep, & energize our best for the contest
Atahualpa enters his house – the rest of the Incas are reverential – the queens also exit
Ruminagui It is a fine moon tonight, like the one We saw that night oer the Quipaipán plains
Purutu I hope you are correct Ruminagui
Ruminagui I cannot for tomorrow wait to face Pathetic & proselytizing scum Cough’d up by the sick goddess of the sea Let our greatest indignation prevail Perfervid, as we spring the spider’s trap Their fire-sticks are few, our spears galore So, let them come, when we shall kill them all
Maizabilica Our victory is certain
Apumayta Yes, it is! So let us clean our mean macana clubs & we will see how much fresh blood we’ve spill’d
Ekkoko I do not like the omens I have seen I fear for Atahualpa tomorrow
Purutu What could we do
Ekkoko Suggest to him to hide In the province of the Chachapoyaqs In a place called Labando, wait there ‘til The White Ones wilt away
Purutu I will ask him But cannot imagine the concession Of Caxamalca
Ekkoko His pride is too strong & alas, that shall serve a swift downfall
Scene 14: Caxamalca
Caxamalca square – the Spanish are waiting – enter Felipe
Gonzola This is a sunny day, the sun feels good
Don Francisco Pizarro I sense we hold the bulldog by its leash It pulls & jerks & gnashes but is ours
Don Pizarro I sense the same but still this day’s in doubt Immortal fame & infamy are sired By Destiny, whose pre-determin’d moods No man can know until he’s on the verge Of triumph, or mud-trampl’d in the dirt
Enter Felipe & an Incan woman
Felipe Governor Don Pizarro
Don Pizarro What is it
Felipe This girl is from my very own village She was enslaved by Atahualpa’s men & snook away this morning, risking death With information on the treachery Awaiting us today
Don Pizarro What does she say
Felipe She says to run away, you all are doom’d
Hernando Doom’d!
Gonzola What perfidy is this
Don Pizarro Tranquilo It was to be expected after all Titanic struggles lurch to denouement There’s only this single variable How ready are our arms
Gonzola Pizarro We are ready The men secreted secretly about, While all our cannons train’d upon the mass Of men that move towards us this morning
Don Pizarro How many
Gonzola Pizarro I would say thirty thousand Each wielding spears as long as Spanish pikes
Valverde Look
Don Pizarro Steady your weapons, cabalerros
Enter Quiz-Quiz – he speaks with Felipe
Hernando What does he want
Felipe He says because you came To Atahualpa’s camp baring your arms Then he shall do the same with an escort
Don Pizarro Tell him that the king might come as he likes & when he does a brother shall he be
Felipe & Quizquiz converse
Felipe The king suggests he’ll be sequester’d In the House of the Serpent, a statue Within provides the name
Don Pizarro It shall be so
Felipe & Quizquiz converse / exit Quizquiz
Don Pizarro & so, the stage is set, the hour is hot Today the Spanish conquer the Inca My distant cousin, Hernando Cortez, Massacring the people of Choula Did Montezuma sieze, after that day The peasants, hidaglos & artisans Of his little, unentitl’d army Burst thro’ Iberia’s rigid strata & founded priceless fiefdoms of their own
Valverde It is all because they carried the cross & are the vanguard of Emmanuel The Indians have sinn’d, so we must purge Their faults & all their pagan progeny Deliver irredeemable defeat To sacrificial rites of human flesh Idolatrous practices, abhorrent Customs & sexual depravities,
Don Pizarro The Indians fight in a rigid host Following, like catterpillar’s legs, Their captains crowing orders, if we slice The head off that vast host the rest shall fright This is my plan, to seize Atahualpa
Gonzola How
Don Pizarro A co-ordinated battleplan, Of course, & carefully executed Our arsenal contains traps & treachery If we can snatch the king, then spring surprise Of deathly blows upon his men, morale Will plummet to the panic-pits of rout
De Soto If, buts & maybes, the scourges of fate
Gonzola Are you afraid, then, Captain de Soto
De Soto Of course not, just concern’d, there’s no escape For those without a horse, if things turn sour
Hernando Then this day’s another in the Indies Small-pox, eruptions, floods & privateers, Famines & cyclones & murd’rous revolts But thro’ them all the bold Conquistador Pour’d waters of the oceans thro’ our roars
Enter Pedro
Pedro Sir, the King is very close
Don Pizarro This day’s work Is about to begin, let us go & arm ourselves in strictest concealments Restrain your men when the enemy here Until you hear the fire of Spanish guns Then rush the plaza with speed & fury Coming out fiercely, fight them steadily & when you charge take care that the horses Avoid all collisions, we must be seen As a brutally unstoppable force
Valverde This is the intercession of our lives Men, I exhort you to display courage For it shall make a fortress of your hearts Since you have no other, & no other Help except from God who aids his servants In keenest moments of their greatest need Since the Divine will must ever favour Such important, necessary enterprise
Don Pizarro & there is one firm thing to remember We need to take Atahualpar alive Vengeance the only force that masters fear
De Soto It shall be done
Don Pizarro & God be with you all
Exit all – enter Atahualpa carried by men in blue livery – the litter is litter lined with multicolour’d feathers & gold/silver plates – he is preceded by singing Incas in red & white chequer’d livery wearing gold & silver crowns – two carry banners on lances – they clean the square of straw as they proceed – Atahualpa orders silence
Atahualpa Well, what has become of the bearded ones
Chalcuchima They must be hidden sire
QuizQuiz They are frighten’d
Ruminagui Wait, there’s one, with the traitor who translates
Enter de Valverde with a bible in hand, & Felipe
Chalcuchima You, who speaks the tongue of the White Ones
Felipe Yes
Chalcuchima Where is their principle cacique
Felipe He waits In his lodgings, invites Atahualpa There to dine
Atahualpa Well, tell him these things first We will not leave this place without a vow To restitute all that he has usurp’d Across these realms, all property purloin’d Must be restor’d to its rightful owners
Atahualpa rises up in his litter & gestures to hi men to draw their weapons / Felipe translates to Valverde who responds with Felipe translating intermittently
Valverde What is this soaring, caustic insolence Atuahualpa, king of Inca, repent! The spirits ye call gods are nothing but The strangest creations of pagan minds No – let me tell you of the only God Who made us Earth & Heaven & devode His sacred omniscience into three; The Son, the Father & the Holy Ghost ! Of how he form’d our primal ancestors, Made Adam His first man who trod the world Who gave to God a rib, from which there grew His womanlove, fair Eve, of Eden green, Of whom we’re all engender’d, you & I Their features share, their marrowbones & blood Alas, in fruity disobedience, From Paradise rejected, centuries Of epic generations slowly pass’d Until, at last, our Lord, in His mercy, Now Knowing Humankind could not achieve, Following faultless lives of good events, The grace of seeing Him up in Heaven, Sent Christ the Redeemer via virgin To save us all, from passion-thorns, thro’ death, Resurrection & blessed Ascension, Leaving the world evangelical laws, Led by his representative on Earth, Saint Peter first, the rock that Jesus knew, & follow’d on the Popes in succession Down to this day, administering truth From regal Rome, of distant Italy Who to the kings & princes of Europe Entrusted each with Christian conquest & thus, this vast Peruvian province Was given to his majesty in Spain, In whose great name Governor Pizarro Given the task this day shall satisfy Surrender yourselves & souls to Jesus Treat Don Pizarro as a living saint Who says, if you choose to believe, receive The waters of baptism, & obey This awesome government of Christendom His Majesty will act thy defender Maintaining peace & justice thro’ thy land As in all other countries who’ll accept His rule, without the risk of cruel war But if, Prince Atahuallpa, ye should spurn Such an offer of dignity in peace, The governor is free to raise his lance & drive it deep into your beating heart.
Atahualpa You say we are pagans, but I listen’d To thy tale intently, & all I heard Were subjects teeming with absurdities What makes you think these lands belong to Spain My father & his ancestors took them Where were your beards & boats when then we bath’d In all the blood of fighting’s sacrifice Since when we’ve held hereditary rights That to Huascar came & then to me As he’s my familial prisoner I am Atahuallpa, King of Inca & as for your Saint Peter, who is he Decreeing lands that Oceania parts Belong to other Princes – not at all, His powers hold no significance here
Valverde That is a very foolish utterance
Atahualpa I own my thoughts – as for your Son of God & how he is his father all the same I never have heard anything like it God is the sun, look there he is, so bright Life prospers in His rays, there, that is God
Vaverde Blasphemer! Ye confounded troglodyte! Your perpetual damnation assur’d, The sun was created for us by God, But is not God
Atahualpa Where is your proof
Valverde The truth Is written in this book call’d the Bible The Lord speaks here, voicing sacred scriptures Thro the mouthpiece of his son, Lord Jesus
That cannot be, I am the sun’s own sun & the sun is god, if Jesus his son We would be brothers – yet I know him not
Chalcuchima, QuizQuiz & Ruminagui Yes, Atahualpa he is our only lord
Atahualpa Let me peruse this little book of yours
Valverde Adam is in the text of Genesis That beginneth this beautiful Bible Jesus comes later, in the four Gospels, Whose perfect, glorious earthly sojourn Witness’d by saintly Matthew, John, Mark, Luke
Atahuallpa {turning the pages slowly} Is this the word of God, to me it speaks Nothing – {throws Bible to the ground} In fact it does not speak at all
Valverde Ye fiend ! Demon dog ! At them ! At them ! Christians, on you I call to avenge This insult to the name of Jesus Christ
A gun is fired from the ramparts at the Incan army – the Spanish attack the plaza – Felipe flees
Valverde Jesus, King Don Carlos & Pizarro! Draw strength from honour, safety from prayer Advance ! Advance ! Fate’s blessing closes fast Maintain the day, slacken not from slaying
Atahualpa’s litter is attacked & slash’d, its bearers slain, some losing arms & using bleeding, mutilated stumps to support him – Atahualpa receives a wound to the ear Don Pizarro grabs his hair throws him to the ground, putting a knife to his throat – at this point his warriors become frozen in disbelief, mesmerized by the sight of their living god in captivity
Don Pizarro Back ! Back ! All of you get back, else I’ll slit Thy king’s naked throat – Atahuallpa lives Or dies on your choice {To Atahuallpa} Do you want to live
Atahualpa cannot understand Don Pizarro
Don Pizarro Where is Felipe, get me Felipe
Pedro Yes sir
Atahualpa’s warriors begin to surround them led by Ruminagui
Don Pizarro Back, back I tell you, or your king shall die (to Atahualpa} You shall be slain if they take one more step
Don Pizarro urges on Atahualpa the urgency of the situation without words – Atahualpa stills his soldier with a wave of his hand
Enter Felipe
Don Pizarro Tell the king he is now our prisoner His states are forfeit to us & to Spain That his army must leave Caxamalca If they do not I will slice off his head
Felipe translates Atahualpa orders his men to withdraw – the Spanish soldiers start pushing them back – some begin shooting – the Indian drop their weapons & begin to rout
Don Pizarro Captain De Soto, let the hunt begin Slay all you come across, no mercy hold We have the head, lets strip the serpent’s scales & you Atahualpa, Felipe, tell him Let’s turn his defeat into victory When, proud partner of imperial Spain, All honour will be given to his reign
Felipe translates – Atahualpa nods / Don Pizarro passes him to Pedro
Don Pizarro Take him, keep a musket keep deep in his back & take him to my lodgings to await This day’s fair outcome by heaven ordain’d Whose grace of God has given us glory As he gave us his son, to victory
The Spanish cheer in celebration
Scene 15: The royal apartments of Caxamalca
Atahualpa is meditating – enter Hernando & Felipe
Hernando Your majesty… ask him if he’s content
Felipe He says he is
Hernando & the wound to his ear
Felipe He says it is healing, the pain has gone He wonders on his wives’ whereabouts
Hernando Tell him that they are safe & very near, That we went to his camp & found them there With many costly treasures; silver, gold, Emeralds, but the beauty of his wives Were jewels without price
Atahualpa laughs at the translation
Felipe He wants to know If ever he shall see his treasures, both Flesh & precious stone, both cherish’d by him
Hernando His wives, when all is settl’d, he shall see His treasures now the property of Spain
Enter Don Pizarro & the Valverde carrying a bible & an Incan idol
Don Pizarro Is he well?
Hernando Yes brother
Don Pizarro Felipe, listen Please tell the king these words as best you’ll hear Upon these unruly moments in time Two destinies convergent, his & mine, & thro’ this alchemy their springeth change The nursemaid of humanity, so strange When coming, our mind’s armour disturbing Thro mankind its energy reverbing But Change is necessary to convert Grief into joy & happiness to hurt & now, King Atauhalpa, change has come On thee, the Incan leadership, your thumb Releas’d from the jaguar’s jugular The land’s you once posses’d have been wrested Forfeited to the family of Spain A wond’rous, worldwide, welter of nations Ten thousand languages & dialects A tapestry of famous architects In Mesoamerica, the Mayas Mosca & Aztecs, acknowledge my king & made Castalian the common tongue, As you will too, all of these lands once yours Have come directly to the reign of Spain & you will govern peacefully, as long As you accept this change
Felipe He says he does
Valverde Tell him also this, our Lord Emperor, Who is lord of the whole world, order’d us To let the Incas understand our faith In case good Christians they’d deign to be This is my Bible, this is your idol One word of God, the other rough-hewn stone You fear this devil more than us, I know, Not from devotion, but for augurs crude, That fester on the tongues of your warlock
Don Pizarro You’ve witness’d our Christian victory
Felipe Perhaps, it was the judgement of his gods That not enough respect to them was shown He might have overstepp’d by mortal task When dealing with his brother
Don Pizarro Huascar
Felipe Yes, that is his brother’s name
Don Pizarro Where is he
Felipe He is being held captive By Atahualpa’s men
Don Pizarro That will not do I wish to hold all here, who might attempt To raise an army thro’ kingly prestige
Felipe He’s very well secur’d
Don Pizarro Nevertheless Have Atahualpa bring his brother here To Caxamalca
Felipe His majesty asks When he shall be allow’d to leave this place
Don Pizarro While armies are at large he will remain In residence & royal comfort, here… What says he now
Felipe He speaks of so much gold
Hernando Gold?
Atahualpa Gold
Don Pizarro You speak Spanish your majesty
Felipe He says that he will learn your language soon But gold the lingua franca of the world!
Hernando What of the very excellence of gold? That turns mens’ liquid promises to stone That even sends our souls to paradise
Felipe He says as the Governor’s prisoner He hopes he will be treated properly Says he possesses enormous riches & knows the Spanish are hungry for gold & so, to accelerate his release He promises a ransom to fulfil & fill up this tamba from floor to roof With treasures summon’d from his realms, more gold Than you have ever counted in your dreams
Don Pizarro Is that so, how long will it take
Felipe Two months
Don Pizarro I cannot see how that might be acheiv’d
Felipe He says he will send troupes of messengers To all parts of his empire
Don Pizarro His empire? Remind him there’s no empire anymore & all belongs to Spain, but very well, I will accept this ransom, tho’ far-fetch’d, & hope it appears here as so promis’d
Felipe He says you should not doubt an Incan King His reach, his power, & his gold is great
Don Pizarro Very well, tell him he shall see his wives Without partition, they might warm his bed, As soon as we have seen first glimpse of gold Beyond what we have taken already
Don Pizarro Hernando stay here with Atahualpa & Felipe, teach the king of Spanish ways
Hernando Of course
Exit Don Pizarro & Valverde
Hernando Felipe, pass me a sharpen’d stick {Felipe gets the stick} Tell Atahualpa this is Europa & this is Spain & this the mighty sea We call Atlantic, this America….
Cuxamiray is playing a set of zampoñas panpipes– enter Felipe
Cuxamiray What are you doing here
Felipe What is your name
Cuxamiray I am Queen Cuxamiray – & you are
Felipe My name is Felipe – I am from Tumbez
Cuxamiray Tumbez – are you not afraid to be here
Felipe Terror is a stunning woman’s beauty
Cuxamiray What
Felipe I saw the way you were gazing on me
Cuxamiray I gaz’d on you – hah – I did no such thing
Felipe Yes, you did, not once, but every time I came inside the king’s court to translate
Cuxamiray What if I did, a look is just a look
Felipe A look is not a look, a look’s a book On which is written the story of love Glances confess the secrets of the heart, Intimate celebrations of desire Lock perfect memories within us all To some it is passion’s rogue explosion To us it was the moment that our eyes Enlock’d, as when the first ray of the sun Skips oer Aconagua’s lofty peak & lights our lovely land, there was a gleam Of solar power in your pupil-shine An oriental passion-lamp of love
Cuxamiray Of love, what foolish nonsense you do speak
Felipe Cuxamiray, your frowns are fairer far Than smiles of other maidens are, when we Lock’d eyes we magick’d joy & pain, both, You felt it too, I know, & so you know How I felt too, it took but a second, As I thro’ Heaven’s gates did gladly go, This iris a veil, eternal life lies Behind, & when you see the soul once join’d With yours, something exquisite breaths & falls & all the glory of existence miss’d Arrives at last, I know the stars by name, & know the paths they take, my loving eyes Gaze on thy form & cannot find its flaws If ever they’ve existed
Cuxamiray Stop this now
Felipe Your words mislead, but your eyes cannot lie Kiss me Cuxamiray, our lips must meet
They kiss
Cuxamiray If you portray my eyes as beautiful It is because they are looking at you I see loving in your answering smile You must be very brave my darling one Tell me for truth the measure of your love
Felipe When first I saw you first I felt love’s force & all my petty previousnesses Became the path until I’d fell in love Thy being is my goddess, to the law My services are bound
Cuxamiray If bound to me Why does thee tarry at the White Ones’ work They steal from us & murder like daemons
Felipe They are irresistible – as are you
Cuxamiray Your flattery is reckless, how should I Respond to such an insult from your rank
Felipe But who would kiss the lips which insult them You might be queen, but you’re a woman too
Cuxamiray He doesn’t love me – I am a trophy There are twenty women in this marriage & his sisters favorites – I’m mere flesh No soul nor substance, but a diadem Of dull necessity to decorate His reign & ego
Felipe One more travesty That ails us all beneath the Incan throne Atahualpa is but a dim-eye’d fool Not to fall in love with Cuxamiray
As ocean waves are crashing in on my Island phantasy I like these signs of passion vibes That shine in front of me
Well she might want a whiter man & she might like the king But when I sit beside her I’m the one who makes her sing
I know her heart is bossin’ it Its time to follow thro With all those secret promises Our aching hearts withdrew There is a gaze between two lovers When that love is true O my darling sweet Curaximay I’m so in love with you
So, baby face my face Why waste another second on the chase I know that you & me Are meant to be infinitely
I like the cauldron of your eyes That boil in front of me It all some kind of salutary mystic hymnary
WelI might seem regality I might be a queen But all thro my humanity No finer boy I’ve seen
& yes my heart is bossin’ it Its time to follow thro With all those secret promises Our aching hearts withdrew There is a gaze exchanged twxy lovers When that love is true My foxy cocky fellipo Im so in love with you
Enter Queen Inkasisa
Inkasisa What is he doing here… are you crazy
Cuxamiray Its… we are… the thing is…
Inkasisa Queen Cuxamiray, if ever the king Would hear of this, he’d send the borla strand To raze your village, slaying all who dwell In thy precious, little Huamachuco, & kill ten thousand people roundabout & slaughter all the sheeps, sow fields with salt Fell every tree, demolish every home Do you want such destruction on your hands Because of this thing who dines with White Ones Go, begone vile slug-ling LEAVE THIS PLACE NOW
Evil yunga dog
Exact such a punishment that noknowlegde would remain of him his lineage & his nation
Cuxamiray Haste yourself away We’ll make amends on a friendlier day & take care of your smile A splash of sunlight flashing fertile
Felipe {exiting} I’ll wait for your signal, sing a sweet song Deep in the forest & I’ll come to you
Cuxamiray I beg thee, Inkasisa, breath no word To anyone – he came uninvited – T’would be you who slew my native country
Inkasisa If I see him here again, I will tell
Exit Queen Inkasisa
Scene 17: The Royal apartments, Caxamalca
It is meal time / Atahualpa is being served by his wives & is eating from their hands – enter QuizQuiz
QuizQuiz Your majesty, a cacique has arrived From Huamachuco, baring bags of gold Are you ready to receive him
Atahualpa I am
Inkasisa licks Atahualpa’s hand clean – QuizQuiz brings in Huamanchoro & a porter who is carrying a bag of gold
QuizQuiz Chief Huamanchoro of Huamachuco
Huamanchoro takes the bag, places it on his own back, takes it to Atahualpa’s stool then showers the gold at his feet / Huamanchoro then raises his hands to the air & is weeping
Huamanchoro In the presence of my only master I Heaven thank, for blessed is the sight These tears I shed are fill’d with liquid joys I love you, Atahualpa, adorate {Huamanchoro kisses the hands & feet of Atahualpa who says nothing in response} I trust my daughter has been good for you To me she was a princess, thus a queen She would have made quite naturally, sire {Atahualpa is still silent, but looks around for Cuxamiray with his eyes noticing she was not there} As I told the general we shall rise As one arm’d mass, White Ones to terminate When reveng’d upon the whole pack of them The Inca shall resume their sacred rule
Enter Don Pizarro, Felipe, De Soto & Gonzola
Don Pizarro What did he say
Felipe I did not hear it sir
Don Pizarro You two can leave
Dimisses QuizQuiz & Huamanchoro
Don Pizarro I heard they’d brought you gold Is this it
Atahualpa Yes, some
Don Pizarro You speak Spanish now
Atahualpa A little – but I am learning quickly
Don Pizarro This is just not enough, you waste our time Two months have pass’d, we still can see the floor Within the chamber you promis’d to fill
Gonzola & each new day brings tidings of armies Advancing swiftly on Caxamalca
Atahualpa asks Felipe to translate – he responds in Spanish
Felipe These men bring gold
Gonzola They might be bringing war
Don Pizarro This hoard of gold might be a fake façade Delaying time for to collect a force In order to attack us – what says he
Felipe He says you are wrong to be suspicious
Don Pizarro Restless when unfulfill’d promises drawl I’ll be as agitated as I like Will you remind our captive who’s in charge
Felipe He says that you should satisfy yourselves On whether the promise can be fulfilled Or not, a month of little consequence If still you’ll get your gold…. He also adds The chief place where his treasures are obtain’d Is Cuzco, long hard journey on bad roads, When all is carried on a breaking back, So many precious objects; vessels, pots & golden plates pried from the polish’d wals Of Qurikancha Temple of the Sun
Don Pizarro Tell him whatever the circumstances Time is always finite
Atahualpa Don Pizarro I am here, my wives are here, why would I Risk a rescue, or dare to displease you
Don Pizarro Well, just in case, your brother’s coming here
Atahualpa My brother
Don Pizarro I want you both together As my prisoners, to ensure the peace
De Soto He might a fine facilitator prove In gathering the gold of the Inca Another month trapp’d in Caxamalca & we might lose our minds, the days grow drear Caught by your promise, on a dull hook hung
Atahualpa My brother has no power
Gonzola But he might We are the masters of your country now Drive its delegatory rivulets Let us decide its rightful succession Whoever conjures finest carat gold In greatest quantities shall be the king
Don Pizarro Gonzola, quit your idle surmising Ignore him Atahualpa, but know this Your brother comes to Caxamalca soon
Gonzola & when he does your sentiments might change We’ve heard he’s buried all your father’s wealth Loaded upon the backs of many men & slit their throats to keep the caskets safe But all these treasures ten to fifteen days Away from Caxamalca at the most
Enter Don Diego & Don Alverado
I like dance, I like girls, I like romance, I like pearls I like money, I like dogs, I like fires with logs
Because Don Diego de Almagro is my name
I like music, I like slaves, I like weapons, I like waves I like silver, I like songs, I like righters of wrongs
Because Don Diego de Almagro El Adelantado and El Viejo, are my names
I like goblets, I like gold, I like furniture fine & old I like islands I like wine, I like sunshine all of the time
Don’t wear it out now, don’t wear it out now Don’t wear it out now, don’t wear it out
During the song Atahualpa has a discussion with one of his captains, who leaves
Don Pizarro Don Diego
Don Diego Is my name
Don Pizarro Welcome friend, To Caxamalca, & look who it is Don Alverado – have you changed your mind?
Don Alverado We’ve all heard about the Incan riches Is that gold, & this, & that, is that gold
Don Pizarro It is
Don Alverado At once this sight extinguishes My life’s vexatious experiences
Don Diego And the rest
Don Pizarro We shall discuss that later Atahualpa, this is Don Almagro Come hither lately from our seaboard camp With him march men, the first of many more Who come to stabilize our conquest here
Don Diego With a little a web as this, have we Really snar’d the noble Atahualpa Whose ferociousness is now frothy-mouth’d Reduc’d to draining treasures from his realm In order to only remain alive
Gonzola It is him
Don Diego & that chain around your own noble neck I’ve never seen a finer worksmanship
Don Alverado His promis’d opimaspoil, where is it
Don Pizarro In-creeping slowly, there is much to come
Don Diego With such a great prisoner in our grip We ought to drive this bargain that will turn Our penury to opulence, & send Us home rich merchant princes
Don Pizarro Not so fast Cabalerros, I have far nobler aims Than storing up on gold – I did not put My hand to this adventure in the hope Of soul-less wealth divorc’d from sov’riegnty Tho empire’s aim is mine, you’ll have your gold
Don Diego Gold is the chosen manna of the gods
Don Pizarro Enough of money, you must be hungry
Don Diego I am more than well, my men, however, Are famish’d, many leagues this week we’ve march’d
Don Pizarro Then they shall eat a handsome feast tonight Let’s spread the joys of victory among Our gang of happy comrades, let us talk Of empire, & to toast the health of Spain Come
Don Alverado There was a battle yes
De Soto One of sorts Our victory a sign spectacular That Christians destin’d to rule the world
Exit Don Pizarro, Captain de Soto Don Diego & Don Alverado with Felipe following
Hernando Your Spanish is improving all the time
Atahualpa It is a good language, as you are man But who is he who the Governor loves
Hernando He is Don Diego de Almagro
Atahualpa He has an evil heart, I trust him not
Hernando You are fine, Don Pizarro respects you Tho’ I expect his patience might run out If your golden promise fades unfulfill’d
Atahualpa It shall be so, I’ll fill that room with gold
Hernando As you have told us many times, but time Will only solve that quandary, lets play A little chess, I have a set with me
Atahualpa Chess
Hernando Chess… it is a very ancyent game This is call’d a board, like a battlefield The winner of the game will master it & these its pieces, soldiers every one The Queen, the Bishop, Knight, Rook & the King…
SCENE 18: A Country Road
In the Juaja district, Huascar is marching along a road in captivity / enter hammocks carrying QuizQuiz & Chalochima, drawn by two runners after a long relay
QuizQuiz Huascar, we have come from your brother
Huascar I know that look, those are the eyes of death That sheep see last as shepherds drop the veil Who’d thought them safe, protected from jackals When all along they were meant for the pot I knew when first you nail’d me to these chains I’d never live to see them unshackl’d The White Ones gave me hope, but in my heart I knew that Atahuallpa would decide If I’m to live or die… the latter, yes?
Chalochima Yes, Huascar, you are to die today
Huascar Hah! At the hands of one of my subjects?
QuizQuiz Atahualpa orders it
Huascar So be it But to behead me like some common slave A craven death & unbefitting most Asphyxiation is the only way But strangulation’s a criminal’s death & drowning has a glow of the divine Thus I, being a deity of sorts, Deserve a bloodless passing such as that
QuizQuiz You wish to die by drowning
Huascar I do, yes
QuizQuiz We have orders to end thy life at once There is a river there
Chalochima Then let us go
Huascar looks around at nature as he’s led to the river bank
Huascar O what a wonder is this world of ours & all of it was mine until the hour I fell, forgotten by my higher gods Abandon’d to lonely enormity
QuizQuiz Will you step within the waters
Huascar I will
Chalochima Walk slowly in, where we shall hold you fast, Immers’d until your lungs can draw no air
Huascar Then that shall be the death of me, will I Be buried with my treasures & best wife
QuizQuiz That is for Atahuallpa to decide Your highness, it is time,
Huascar When you return Unto my brother, making a report, Tell him only this – the White One’s justice Compels all men to die who take a life & when his moment comes, remember this Huascar consents to retribution For I am my brother’s natural lord & yet my death he orders, Heaven knows The brazen illegality of this
Chalochima Will you step inside yourself, or be forc’d
Huascar When I return to life I’ll find you both & slay you in as many ways as known & hunt down all your family & friends
QuizQuiz gestures to his men to force Huascar into the water, where he is drowned
19: The Forest
Cuxamiray is playing the flauta & singing Yma Sumac’s Chuncho (the Forest Creatures) – at the end of the song Felipe arrives & they embrace without words
Don Diego is in his rooms – he is reading by a fire – there is a knock on the door
Don Diego Come in
Enter Felipe
Don Diego Ah Felipe, thank you for coming
Felipe Don Diego
Don Diego I trust you are happy Among the Conquistadors
Felipe Yes, sir
Don Diego Please take a seat… would you like some wine
Felipe Yes
Don Diego So, to business, I hear you are in love
Felipe What
Don Diego Love, with one of Atahualpa’s queens
Felipe How did you, how did you know
Don Diego I have eyes & had you follow’d on one of your trysts But do not panic, boy, your secret’s safe But there is one thing I’d like you to do
Felipe Yes My mind is clear therefore my words are few
Don Diego The situation is rather simple While Atahualpa lives all of his gold Bethroth’d only for ransom, none of which Am I entitl’d to not being here W,hen was that promise made, if he were dead However, then equally divided Would the treasures be, &, if he were dead, His wives would not be married anymore
Felipe You want me to murder Atahualpa
Don Diego Of course not, Don Pizarro is no fool He would suspect & seize the gold in lieu No, it must be done within the bounds of law
Felipe I do not understand
Don Diego Listen to me You must tell Don Pizarro you have heard Atahualpa plotting with his men That he is treacherously deceitful Sends stealth-orders out to his native land & all his other provinces to raise An army large enough to kill us all That now approaches daily, at its head Ruminagui, his greatest captain, aims For Caxamalca, & arriving soon & swear upon the Bible all you say
Felipe The book, you want me to swear on the book
Don Diego In this case, he is a pagan king Refusing still the Savior as his Lord He is beyond redemption & to Hell We’ll send him
Felipe I – I
Don Diego Think of your lover With Atahualpa gone she shall be yours
Felipe I shall do it
Don Diego Good boy, good boy, more wine
Felipe No – that was enough, thank you, I shall go
Don Diego I suggest create the illusion of an army Light some fires, trample, grasses, All convincing needs …
Felipe As soon as Atahualpa has been slain You’ll never have to sneak around again
Exit Felipe – Don Diego pours himself another drink
Don Diego My dear, dear friend, my dear Don Pizarro Why should you have first plucking of the fowl I leave me a scanty set of feathers I have not travel’d all this way from Spain To watch other Spaniards grow wealthy – hah, Too long has the prodigal course remain’d Out of my hands, wealth unproliferate {inspects gold} But all is changing to a golden glut.
21: Caxamalca
Atahualpa’s apartments / he is playing chess with Hernando
Hernando What is this
Atahualpa It is call’d the coco plant You chew & suck the leaf – it makes you sharp
Hernando Thank you – it is your move I do believe
Atahualpa I check you with my bishop
Hernando A fine move & one as if you have conquer’d the game A feat impossible in one short month Nevertheless, as princes master men They master games
Atahualpa & writing too, I love The way words travel forth thro space & time
Hernando Spanish, also, you master this as well In only three months, quite remarkable When I return to Spain, as I will soon, The Governor has order’d my return, To take the King of Spain his legal share Of your regal ransom & other gold & when I am safely over ocean I will send you a letter from my homes Describing fertile Andalucía & all the beauties of my perfect land
Atahualpa But I shall never read it
Hernando Why say that
Atahualpa It pains me you’re leaving Caxamalca I sense the moment you are departed The fat man, with the single pitch-black eye Whose ugly stare rolls with disillusion, Will slay me in the cause of Incan gold
Hernando You mean Don Diego de Almagro
Atahualpa Yes
Hernando But he is a good Christian man
Atahualpa He worships not your God but only gold Speak of the Devil & the Devil comes
Enter a furious Don Pizarro with Don Diego
Don Pizarro How sordid can a situation swing I’ve kept you like a prince, but in your turn, You treat me like a swine
Atahualpa What, me, I, I
Don Pizarro Princes do not die accidental deaths You’ve killed your brother to secure your throne & furthermore armies are amassing Approaching Caxamalca at your word
Hernando Brother, what is happening
Don Pizarro This traitor Is plotting our destruction
Hernando I object I swear he is a good man
Don Diego You’ve been fool’d He’s hatched a scheme, worthy of the devil Is that not so
Atahualpa What plot, no, not at all His majesty, the emperor of Spain Has treat me well, has promised me my lands Why would I jeopardize security & honour, on some plot, while imprison’d It makes no sense
Don Pizarro I share that sentiment So sad when I took you as a brother Heard your inviolable promises Sacred, indisputable, & worthless I have heard reports
Hernando What is reported?
Don Pizarro Tell me of your captain, Ruminagui,
Atahualpa He is a fine warrior, cool of head What of him
Don Diego He marches with an army On Caxamalca where he doth intend The deaths of every Christian he sees In order to release your royal spine From this incarceration
Atahualpa If he does Tis not at my command he cometh here
Don Pizarro Independent Incas do not exist They are your words that draws him to this place
Atahualpa Ha-ha! this is your Spanish mockery That’s always making jokes at my expense How could I & my people possibly Cause anxiety to valiant men You must be silly-talking, just as jest My children in the jungle playing ball If there was such an army drawing near I would know every detail of the march Such eyes & ears do Incan kings possess Nobody will ever move in this land Unless the word I’d given – look at me A prisoner of the bearded White Ones You have nothing to fear
Don Pizarro But your escape
Don Diego I think he should be kill’d
Hernando But why, he is sufficiently guarded Only a fool would attempt a rescue
Hernando How do we know he is telling the truth
Don Diego Who
Hernando Your source for Rumanagui’s attack
Don Pizarro We cannot waste time investigating When balancing upon on a razor’s edge & all this points to a singular choice Being a bar to the permanent peace Tho’ most noble, Atahualpa must die
Atahualpa Die! But why should I die?
Don Pizarro It has to be Pain & strife assembl’d are, while horror Paves a pathway to us while you are living
Hernando Death thro’ false testimony is sinful Thou shalt not bare false witness
Don Pizarro Enough
Hernando But the town is defendable Surely twould better be to wait & see If Rumangui does truly approach us
Don Pizarro & if he does our safety compromised No, Athualpa has to die, & soon When halls of morn from mists unfolded seen
Atahualpa I beg you, Don Pizarro, let me live
Don Pizarro Enough – men put a chain around his neck Tight-fasten’d so he utters no more lies Captain De Soto gather in a host & take with you a hundred horse, relay To every part that Atahualpa’s slain Such news might sting enough to end the cause We should maintain a careful watch meanwhile All thro’ the night our cavalry shall tour The outer walls, patrolling the ramparts
De Soto Yes sir, I shall tell all the men at once
Hernando But brother
Don Pizarro This is no concern of yours & besides, your horses are now ready
Hernando My horses Don Pizarro I have ended the terms of the ransom All that we now possess have smelted down To distribute among my warriors According to their station & service As does befit an army’s valiance & you shall take the quinto to the king Four boats approach San Miguel To carry thee, via Panama, home There’s one hundred thousand pesos of gold & twenty thousand marks of silver pack’d In saddlebags, with handsome figurines
Hernando You are painting me out of the picture
Don Pizarro There is nobody else that I could trust So, brother, say your farewells to the King {to Atahualpa} You have twenty minutes {to his soldiers} Make sure he comes
Exit Don Pizarro
Hernando I do not know what to say
Atahualpa Say nothing You have been a very good friend to me I wish all White Ones were noble as thee
Hernando Likewise, I wish all kings could share thy grace Embrace me {they embrace} Farewell King Atahualpa
Exit Hernando – the soldiers chain Atahualpa
22: Caxamlaca
Don Pizarro’s apartments / Don Pizarro is at a desk with Valverde, Gonzola & Captain De Soto – Atahualpa is brought in
Valverde This court shall now convene, the prisoner Shall now pronounce his name – tell us your name
Atahualpa I am Atahualpa
Don Pizarro Where are you from
Atahualpa From?
Don Pizarro Your place of birth
Atahualpa Its call’d Caranqui
Valverde In the name of his majesty King Charles These are the charges Spain brings against thee Incest, idolatry, heinous plots Against your Christian captors, & the Murder of your brother, King Huascar
Don Pizarro How do you plead
Atahualpa What
Don Pizarro How do you plead
Arahualpa Plead
Don Pizarro There is no need for pleading, all your sins Shall be accounted for when put to death
Atahualpa Buy why want to kill me
Don Diego Not want, but must Trusting the ways of justice among us In the name of his Divine Majesty King Atahualpa here condemn’d to die
Atahualpa Die ! No ! No ! double my fetters & guards & wait until you see there are no plots To challenge thy authority absurd For I am in your power, bound with chains, If you think men come without permission, You misunderstand the obedience Commanded by my power in this land If I do not wish it, no bird will fly, & not a leaf will stay upon the trees
Valverde Whate’er you say this verdict shall not change & flames shall be thy fate, to ash & bones Your flesh reduced, you shall accepting Jesus as Savior, the heretic dies In agony, stake-tied, melting in flames & there’s no afterlife for bodies burn’s As is your freakish custom, Christians However, do enjoy a swifter fate, When if in Jesus’ name ye’ll be baptized Death’s fire will be dows’d, how chooseth thee
Atahualpa I-I
Valverde You must call your fate this moment
SAVE YOUR SOUL
You, you, you know its true The Azrael wont come for you & the Holy Ghost comes into view when Jesus Christ in you renews King of the Jews
Yes, you, you who are to blame It’s not too late to cleanse your shame If you don’t want Satan’s hated flame Baptise yourself in Jesus name
Save your soul my son Save your soul O special one
You, you, know what to do The everlasting avenue Of Christians shall pray for you’ our paradise on earth is due
King of the jews
Yes, you, you I do proclaim Ever since the saviour to us came We’ll never let Satan stake his claim Baptise yourself in Jesus name
Save your soul my son Save your soul O special one
Valverde So who shall it be, Jesus or Satan?
Atahualpa Jesus
Don Pizarro Fray Vincente de Valverde Bring his soul’s sheep into our happy fold Take him away, the execution tim’d For two o clock, the sooner the better
Exit Atahualpa & Valverde
Gonzola Don Francisco, I urge thee, change thy course We are hierarchical in our bones & regicide astonishingly wrong I know the King of Spain will not approve When executioners of low estate Slaying a veritable Suleyman
Don Pizarro ‘Tis pity he must die, but die he must I cannot keep him more my prisoner The center of fermenting hopes His life brings vigor to his warriors His being dead all obstacles are gone That bars our forward passage to the realm If he were old then fain I’d let him live But he is young & well, with strength endow’d The only answer’s Atahualpa’s now Condemn’d to death’s cruel necessity
Gonzola Mercy, God’s first & final attribute This would be the worst deed we’ve committed In this entire empire of the Indies
Captain de Soto Subjects & sovereigns are not the same To kill him would be wrong, even a sin
Don Pizarro Enough, it is decided, no more talk I love you brother but now you must leave But be pregnant in your preparation At two o’clock the King of Inca dies
23 : Caxamalca main square
Atahualpa is brought out & tied to a stake – De Valverde comes with a bible
Valverde The Bible tells us we are God’s children & belong in the Kingdom of Heaven May your Holy Spirit surround us, Lord & welcome this new child into thy church So your son may dwell in his heart though faith & the grace of Jesus Christ throughout him flow Being rooted and establish’d in love, Fill’d with the measure & fullness of God By the authority vested in me In the name of the Father & the Son & the Holy Ghost, I baptize thee Paul As was the name of the first apostle Paul, do you acknowledge God’s love this day Already works within thee
Atahualpa Yes I do
Valverde Then, as Jesus took children in his arms & bless’d them, so now we ask God’s blessing Heavenly Father, we praise this child’s birth Surround him with your blessings, so he’ll know Your love, & know your goodness all his days, As are your faultless ways Amen
All Amen
Enter Felipe & Cuxamiray hand-in-hand / straw thrown over Atahualpa & lit / he is garrotted
Valverde So end the days of a man so cruel
Enter Pedro with Ciquinchara
Pedro No
Don Pizarro What is it {They speak in silence / Don Pizarro points to Felipe} Arrest that man
Felipe What is this
Don Pizarro Now you’ll share your Inca’s fate While you are now censur’d to share his fate I know, Felippilo, what you have done
Felipe Done, what do you mean
Don Pizarro You betray’d your king Told disgusting lies of phantom armies Sent Indians to trample grass & build Camp-fires of deceptive regiments, All for to make Queen Cuxamiray yours
Felipe It is not true
Don Diego Yes, it is, I recall Hearing something with that gist from his mouth Now it all makes sense
Don Pizarro Never traitors trust Take him away, tear his body apart With horses roped to every limb
Felipe Wait, no!
Valverde Let Felipillo forever Be the name of a traitor in Peru
Cuxamiray wails
Don Diego & now, if there are no more Incan kings There can’t be any queens, she’s lost her rank Do what you will with her, please shut her up
Conquistador 1 Who’s the first lads
Conquistador 2 Allow me
Conquistador 3 Hold her down
Cuxamiray is raped while Atahualpa is taken down from the stake by Valverde / Atahualpa’s grieving wives hang themselves
March 1979: Joy Division are concluding their set at Bowdon Vale Youth Club, Altrincham. There are kids as young as ten in the crowd. The final notes of Love Will Tear Us Apart are met with rapturous applause. The crowd begins to disperse.
John Squire That was amazing
Ian Brown Certainly was, John, From doldrum, slingshot starlight to inspire
John Squire That was cosmically quaternary With bass, guitar, vocals – from now I know A better drummer makes a better band
Ian Brown I felt that too, John, felt the perfect beat Of punkish rush, with motown’s pounding sound Enmix’d, beneath melodious menage
John Squire Hey, Ian
Ian Brown Yeah mate
John Squire We should form a band Then one day write some proper beltin tracks
Ian Brown Well, we’d best get started then, lets heave home
Exit John & Ian / Paul Ryder approaches Peter Hook as he’s packing away his bass
Paul Ryder ‘Ere mate, that was proper buzzin’ that was
Peter Hook Cheers kid, have this
Paul Ryder What is it
Peter Hook My plectrum
Paul Ryder I’m thinkin’ about playing bass like you
Peter Hook The glue that keeps the golden groove, my boy, Binding a band’s togetherness, bassline Reigns supreme – feel them in your heart, ears, guts Emitting clear omnipotence thro songs
Paul Ryder OK
Peter Hook & kid, good luck, go play
Paul Ryder I will
Exit Peter Hook / enter Shaun Ryder
Shaun Ryder Oi Paul, C’mon, we’re skinnin’ up in bogs, yer comin’
Paul Ryder Yeah… Shaun
Shaun Ryder Yeah
Paul Ryder Lets put a band together
Shaun Ryder Why not, gotta be smarter than robbin’ But come on, before they cane all the draw
Exit Paul & Shaun / enter Bez
Bez As like some VHS or Betamax Rewinding with a whirr back to the start Before the next retelling of the tale As tangl’d plotlines of this conchord root I’ll say my little prologue, with an eye & great events to come, I’ve lived them once What amazing congregations await Like here, full energiz’d, a magic host, The best bands need to feed upon best crowds When playing loud & live they’ll thrive on love As in the groove communion each plays Their part in summoning the Spirit Dance; One Heart, One Vibe, One Music & one wild Emergence of delight within One Soul – & so it was in Manchester when song Erupted in caverns, dance halls & clubs, Like Bowdon Vale Youth Club, seventy-nine & I was there with half of Altrincham Grammar, with a few other kids from town, Like the brothers Ryder, fates’ yet parted From my own, tho’ destiny intends Colliding worlds, by Trojan gods chosen To represent, to fashion, to parade Iconoclastic psionitic songs In all the vibrant glory of our youths – We were young when sonic seeds were planted, A little older when first shoots appear’d From all the earthy firmaments of fate, & then we bloom’d, when music rul’d our town, Us in our twenties, drifting on a dream Of talents as them tapp’d, that would become The miracle of Madchester in time.
Exit Bez
SCENE 2
The Factory Office. 1980. The wake of Ian Curtis. Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, Bernard Sumner (New Order), Debbie Curtis, Martin Hannet, Tony Wilson & Rob Gretton are watching the Sex Pistols in silence
Rob Gretton Its fucking shit, this, this is fucking shit
Stephen Morris I know, mate, what a selfish idiot
Tony Wilson Hang on, let not such harsh words taint the day & change our best remembrances of him Who brought the fruits of beauty to the fair Where all was dull & dusty, creaking rigs Of iron-bolted Victoriana Reduced to slums midst chimneys without looms, Whose urban decay, alienation, Was filling with our music, with our songs When semi-sensory deprivation Of landscapes over-ran by disposses’d Became an optimistic paradise Where Ian Curtis, prophet midst the bins, The Che Guevera of post-punk became
Bernard Sumner Our songs? Our music? This dismal affair Them rendersd wastrel, mute, & meaningless,
Martin Hannet Or not, perhaps them given meaning now Two masterworks about to be releas’d The brutal bloom of Love Tears Us Apart & Closer, black bouquet, from whence I pluck’d
The strangest blooms of post-punk paragons
Stephen Morris O what a massive album that shall be I have revolv’d it constantly since, since… Since
Bernard Sumner Ian died… me too
Rob Gretton & me
Peter Hook As I But almost too unbearable to hear I’ve for the first time listen’d to the words Transcribing every lyric, Oh My God ‘Tis but a manifesto of his death A warning of his suicide to come
Rob Gretton I the same – bloody hell – he was a bit Why didn’t anyone say anything
Tony Wilson We understimated the dangers & acted stupid in our flippancy
Bernard Sumner We did weather his terminal illness, With all the inexperience of youth Whose innocence has died the day he died
Debbie Curtis The blueprint given to me directly I was his wife & saw his inner thoughts Upon the moors given air & body As we went walking in our closest days He did not want to live yon twenty-five But this was rooted in a teenage angst From which all grow, I thought he’d done the same An elevated spirit to the world & all his gross morosity enjoy’d Soul wallowing like hippopotami In all the moody mudflats of his mind & all he wanted was wordsmitherie To novels sculpt, let lyrics fount & flow
Bernard Sumner I do not think I’ll ever find the strength To cope with Ian’s death, verve of my life Removed forever, & I will never Ever forget him, or be able to For just as friends he meant so much to me, Regardless of the group, but when that mixed Into our two-fold destiny, the shock Of such a gross departure leaves me scarr’d
Stephen Morris So much have we achiev’d, & yet so young, & just about to step onto the plane That leads to glory & America To tour the states a dream of ours for years & he’s just burst it with a bastard noose
Peter Hook The fun of life hath lifted with a flash Flow, flow, ye ripples of grief, over ponds, Streams & rivers, harbours, estuaries, seas & join the oceans of unspoken tears
Debbie Curtis I think its callous, my heart’s frozen cold, How can you do this to the ones you love You’ve go to put them first, your family Your friends,
Peter Hook His vision of the future was too bleak & he was very ill
Tony Wilson What’s done is done, As dust-drawn stars one day return to dust His time had come, to some before his time, To him, who knows, the cyclone of his mind Dragg’d rages thro’ his latter days of life
Bernard Sumner He was anguish’d, frustrated & depress’d Events were slipping out of his control When labouring under the heavy weight Of illness, stardom, & America Of leaving Debbie but sharing a child & loving someone she could not call mum Were nothing but the final troublesparks Which lit the fusewire of the fragile box Which kept hyenas from the rape of dreams He said as much to me one drunken night A week before he slic’d his slender bark Right off the great tree Yggdrasil
Tony Wilson That last Time we ever spoke still haunts me madly Down Birmingham, now Joy Division’s tomb, I prais’d his use of archaic phrases All thro a conversation very deep Then on the day before he went & died I was driving down thro Piccadilly & saw him in the streets just after dawn He clearly had been wandering all night With Annik rolling off him happywise, Who saw him homeward with a clinch of love Then I & he did catch the self-same train But sat in sep’rate carriages apart Til he got off at Macclesfield & I Went on to London, to lifelong regret I should have sat beside him to confine All thoughts of suicide…
Debbie Curtis Tony… Tony
Tony Wilson Sorry, what
Debbie Curtis There’s nothing you could have done
Rob Gretton Its time we form’d a funerary toast To Ian
All Ian
Peter Hook He was a great friend Stage-shaman, singer & a bloke superb Good luck mate, let your spirit wings unfurl & fly thee t’where the fuck your soul belongs
Stephen Morris So what about the band… is that too fresh
Martin Hannet
The music never dies, lads, only fades
But always comes back burning on a wheel
Bernard Sumner Well, we had rehearsals book’d, didn’t we Anybody cancel
Rob Gretton Nope
Peter Hook Not me
Stephen Morris No
Rob Gretton Well fuck it, then, lets just carry on lads
Stephen Morris So, I’ll see you all on Monday shall I
Bernard Sumner It’ll be a fuckin blue one like, but I’ll be there
Peter Hook Me too
Stephen Morris Well see you’s Monday I’m off
Tony Wilson See ya mate
Debbie Curtis Tara chuck
Bernard Sumner Laters
Exit Stephen
Martin Hannet Who wants another beer then
Peter Hook Aye go on
Tony Wilson I’ll have a can of guiness instead
Silence descends – Martin goes to the fridge for some beers / passes them out / they carry on watching the show
SCENE 3
1981 – Mark, Paul, Shaun & Gaz Whelan are in a Salford community centre preparing to practice – Derek Ryder is setting up their equipment
Derek Ryder Happy Mondays ! What kinda name is that
Mark Day Its terrible innit Derek
Derek Ryder Tis that
Paul Ryder Nah, dad, its cool, its so bad its cheesy We Scallys aren’t supposed to be happy
Shaun Ryder Unless we’re on summat
Paul Ryder Exactly Shaun Especially not on fuckin Mondays Its kind of opposite of what we’re like Its a shit name but that’s the point right there If it jars with us
Shaun Ryder It certainly does Then that is the critical quintessence Of what we’re all about
Gaz Whelan Where dya get them?
Derek Ryder What, these mike stands
Gaz Whelan Aye them
Derek Ryder I cut a little deal with Al Capone
Mark Day Did you pay for ‘em
Derek Ryder Course I bloody dint I walk’d inside the Tattersall Rd Club A week last Wednesday, well these two babies Were lying about, no-one put em away So I’m like, the club must not want them then
Shaun Ryder They’re better off with us dad, yeah
Paul Ryder So dad, Ya done yet?
Derek Ryder Aye, its all working proper Give yer instruments a nudge, check the sound
Mark Day Has anybody seen mi red plectum
Shaun Ryder Up yer fucking rectum – hey, its good that I bet its sounding banging in a song I found a plectrum up yer rectu-um
Derek Ryder {passing a packet of plectrums} Here, use one these
The band make a few noises & adjustments
Paul Ryder Well, dad, it all seems to be working fine So… ya can leave us to it now
Derek Ryder You what
Shaun Ryder He means you can fuck off dad
Derek Ryder Not a chance All of this is my fucking equipment, I paid for this room
Paul Ryder But it’s a shit hole
Derek Ryder Never mind, I still fuckin paid for it
Shaun Ryder But when you making proper buzzing tunes Astride the astral rainbows of music Willowing hither, willowing thither Who the fuck wants their dad on the carpet?
Derek Ryder I’m staying, get over it, now come on Play a tune or summat, at six o clock The Don & Dominoes are coming in
Mark Day What shall we play
Gaz Whelan Lets warm up with a jam
Paul Ryder Nah, remember that one we did last time Lets kick off with it, I’ve written some riffs Over the rough recording, dad press play
Mark Day Which one was it, I can’t remember mate?
Paul Ryder That narcoleptic ditty call’d the Egg, Some marshmellow procession thro the Blues You forg’d a snatch or two of lyrics, Shaun That herein are transcrib’d
Paul passes Shaun a lyric sheet
Shaun Ryder Nice one our kid
Paul Ryder We should start off all proper spacey I’ve been listening to Donavon’s new Neutronica, & its opening track Has such a splendid jamboree of sounds Over a galloping beat, lets do that
Derek Ryder Fucking Donavon
Paul Ryder Not that folky shit He’s entering the eighties all space age
Gaz Whelan Well, lets do it then, ready 1-2-3-4
They play The Egg
Derek Ryder That was good that
Gaz Whelan Shaun, you got any draw
Shaun Ryder Yeah I do, but Gazza that reminds me Mate, if I’m out about & selling drugs Can ya stop shouting, ‘Shaun, got any speed Got any weed,’
Gaz Whelan What shall I call ya then
Shaun Ryder I’ve been thinking – you can call me X
Gaz Whelan X! You’re not some fucking secret agent, mate
Paul Ryder Hes quite a clandestine cunt is our kid Sneaky as fuck, the name has fram’d his jib So, everyone should have a nickname then A band’s a band, we do things together I wanna be Horse, Paul Ryder, horse rider & what about Mark, Mark Day, the Sunray
Shaun Ryder Nah, he looks like a cow, so he’s Cowhead Especially with his big dopey voice Spouting off sanity in bore-o-tone
Mark Day Somebody has to be the sane one lads
Paul Ryder Well… define sanity
Mark Day A pension plan Rock n rollin’ is not a proper job
Shaun Ryder Precisely, pal, if I was ever forced To face, confront, reality, I would End it there & then, despond into death Spurning labour’s stagnant drudgeries I’d rather paint wings on a butterfly Than timewaste chasing money for to burn Time yet more on material bullshit
Gaz Whelan What about me
Mark Day Well, you’re Pepe le Pew Always farting when you walk in a room Leg-cocking, leaving scent-traps everywhere
Paul Ryder Stinking the fucking place out, that’s us then We’re Horse, X, Cowhead & Pepe le Pew The matchless, magic Happy Mondays crew
Paul Davis walks in with a bass
Derek Ryder Alright mate, can we help ya
Paul Davis Yeah you can I want to be in your band
Paul Ryder In our band
Paul Davis Yeah, Gaz Whelan’s in it & he’s a dick
Gaz Whelan Alright Paul
Paul Davis Alright Gaz
Gaz Whelan You found it then
Paul Davis I bought a bass this morning, boys, its blue
Paul Ryder We don’t need a bass – I’m the bass player
Paul Davis But I’ll be fuckin’ better – when I learn
Mark Day You what? you don’t even know how to play
Paul Davis Not yet
Derek Ryder What about keyboards, you play them
Paul Davis Keyboards, yeah, of course I can play keyboards They’re proper easy
Shaun Ryder Dad what ya saying
Derek Ryder You need a bit of extra in the sound A little top might be the cherry slice That does complete your sensory sound
Mark Day Can you really play the keyboards
Paul Davis A bit Whats a bit, like a bit, or not really
Paul Davis Somewhere in between – but I’ve got rhythm
Paul Ryder Nah, you’ve got a mental disorder mate
Have you even got a keyboard
Paul Davis Not yet Look, let me take this bass back to the shop & I’ll return on a flash of lightning With a nice shiny keyboard, by the way My name’s Paul Davis, Gaz calls me PD
Exit Paul Davis
Shaun Ryder What the fuck was that
Gaz Whelan That’s PD, a repropbate, my best mate
Paul Ryder He’ll need a nickname
Shaun Ryder How about ‘Knobhead’
Mark Day That seems about right He’s an absolute plum
Shaun Ryder He seems quite mad But none of us are exactly balanced Upright individuals, he’ll slot in This life of struggle offers chances few So who are we then others to deny A shot at something special in our lives
Gaz Whelan So X have you got any draw, or what?
Shaun Ryder Good idea, lets take a break, skin up
Derek Ryder But you lot’ve only play’d one fucking song!
March 1981: Tony Wilson is showing New Order around the Marine Center on Whitworth Street – with them are Mike Pickering & Rob Gretton
Tony Wilson Welcome to the proto-Hacienda, The Ur-Hamlet, lets say, or the Hobbit, This space, this place, shall be own demense For we deserve a place to socialize As does this fabulous city of ours If Manchester has made us, let us gift A present back to goodly Manchester, Look at the fuckin’ Beatles, working class Scouse lads shifted lock-stock to Saville Row Factory the sacred antithesis Of such turncoat disloyalty to roots
Rob Gretton Besides, I cannot DJ anywhere In Manchester, obviously Jealous of my talents, but I will need Somewhere to play my music for the birds
Tony Wilson Remov’d from smoky, scampi-in-basket Scarlet-lampshade nightclubs, dress code wanky, Rotters & Oscars, brown bottle, old school, Table-cloths, Jilly’s lagerlout ethics, These are the nineteen eighties, sweeping change Has blown away the empires of nations So why not modes of late night dance & drink
Peter Hook I understand, we’ve partied in New York Confestively on another level
Tony Wilson You were the city’s deputations there
Stephen Morris O! what a whirl of wonder & lightning Eden, Danceteria, & Tier 3 From steamy, low end sweatshops painted black To Ritz’s full of art installations, Bacchanalia was all we desired
Rob Gretton Ne’er should an artist understimate The influence of early adventures Without Childe Harold would Byron be great Without New York would we be standing here
Peter Hook Some devote their lives to trees, some deserts, Others to booming music in the dark, I’m well up for a nightclub to call home A place for strepic pleasures to uphold It should be a parable of the present A polythemic congress of the faiths, Electro, disco, funk, punk, cocktail bars, & party alcoves, creativity Focuss’d, for buildings create synergy
Tony Wilson Yes, buildings alter ways that people think I mean, just look at Renaissance Florence
Bernard Sumner Yeah, but, this isn’t Renaissance Florence This is Dark Age Manchester, in the rain A New York disco to this city moved A senseless act based on a sceneless base
Stephen Morris checks the acoustics with a loud shout
Rob Gretton Bloody hell fire
Stephen Morris The acoustics are superb The rest is an obstacle shambolic But potentially fucking brilliant As things mutate their being is improved The natural selection of a space It just needs the right vibes to set it off
Tony Wilson For those ascending Mount Improbables Claiming crown summits doubles the glory, But think about it, the location’s great The living rooms of Hulme just down the road Will pack it to the rafters if they know A night of decent music’s half a mile, Ten minutes til they step inside A temple for this next generation Of kids untouch’d by rockist snobbery
Rob Gretton Think of it less of an old-fashion’d disco But more of a community service Where people can trade off inspiration When hearing fresh ideas every day This city’s splinter’d scenes shall coalesce & disliquate to a single gospel
Mike Pickering What did you say it was gonna be call’d
Rob Gretton The Hacienda
Bernard Sumner Bit Mexican like
Peter Hook Yeah, why, why that
Tony Wilson I was reading a book Call’d ‘Leaving the Twentieth century,’ Limited edition, seventy-four, Situationist International, Where Franco-Russian Ivan Chtcheglov Wrote, wait, I have a photocopy here;
And you, forgotten, your memories ravaged by all consternations of two hemispheres, stranded in the Red Cellars of Pali-Kao, wiithour music & without geography, no longer setting out for the hacienda where the roots think of the child & where the wine is finished off with fables from an old almanac. That’s all over. You’ll never see the hacienda. It doesn’t exist. The hacienda must be built
Rob Gretton The Hacienda must be built… boys, BOYS!
Peter Hook Well lets fucking build the fucker then!
Stephen Morris YES! We’re gonna have our own friggin’ nightclub These coming brisk & giddy-footed times Shall invocate the ghosts of dance-floors past In polychromic fashions yet undar’d
Peter Hook
Then let this dull, grey city yield to light!
Rob Gretton The light of nights of music, here shall be A mortar & brick manifestation Of New Order, of Factory artwork You can literally walk right into Forum to fall in love, to dance, to slump, Perform, work, plan, & just like now, to dream
Mike Pickering So as your future booker of the bands Where the hell ya gonna put the stage
Rob Gretton At the end obvioulsy
Tony Wilson No, no, no We haven’t discuss’d that yet properly But let the dais prosper centralized This is fundamentally a disco Not a space for performers & egos The club shall be the master, not the flesh
Enter Martin Hannet
Martin Hannet Oi wankers, you pile of pretentious cunts
Tony Wilson Martin, so glad you could make it today
Martin Hannet Let me interject here for a moment I quit
Tony Wilson What
Martin Hannet You should be spending money On top of the range production equipment Make records sound the best that they can be Not spunking it all up against a wall Especially these shite, recreant walls, Nah – you’re never gonna see me again I’m far too good for you, for Factory For failing, as this venture surely shall
Exit Martin
Bernard Sumner Well, that didn’t go well, did it Tony
Tony Wilson He’ll be back, that’s a tamazi tantrum
Stephen Morris How much is it going to cost us Tony
Peter Hook & who’s gonna run it
Bernard Sumner Logistics, lads
Rob Gretton Well, the plan is we’re going to let it loose Rather than just run it
Tony Wilson Seventy grand Half from Factory, half from New Order
Stephen Morris Thirty-five grand, but the band only draws Twenty quid a week each, that sounds crazy
Tony Wilson We’ll use the profits from Unknown Pleasures
Bernard Sumner We will, will we?
Peter Hook At the end of the day We are still gonna get paid our wages & we’re gonna have a nightclub to do Whatever we want, whenever we please Reciprocally splendid arrangement Argumentative ingenuity Prevails thee yet again, Tony There might be a million ways to die But there is only one way we should live No-one changed the world by being normal, Life’s remit is to leave a legacy Suggesting greatness to posterity For us, it seems, our destiny shall be The most avant-garde club in the whole world
Tony Wilson That’s the matter, I cannot help but think Our spirits once they obtain their conquests Retain them forever, that from the heights They’ve rais’d themselves, unable then to fall For us the Hacienda is that height Hoch soll sie leben
Rob Gretton Eh
Tony Wilson Long may she live
The lads make gratuitous cheers in celebration
Scene 5
1983: Ian Brown’s flat, Hulme – it is his girlfriend, Michelle’s 21st birthday party — Ian is talking Gluebag Glen / Enter Jodie & Geno Washington
Jodie Ian
Ian Brown Hey Jodie, who’s this
Geno Washington I’m Geno, Geno Washington
Ian Brown Never heard of you
Geno Washington I’m from outta town, been playing a gig In your town, its kinda cool, Manchester
Ian Brown Then welcome to my home’s humility But what fatequirk hath shone thy light on Hulme
Geno Washington I was playing that gig at the uni & was signing some autographs out back When this one told me about your party & its hard to say no to girls like Jodie
Ian Brown Sweet, brother, sweet, you wanna drink?
Geno Washington Whiskey Or anything, I don’t really mind
Ian Brown Sure
Geno Washington Can I make a smoke, y’know, the good stuff
Gluebag Glen How good?
Geno Washington Its Jamaican
Ian Brown Twos up
Geno Washington Twos up?
Jodie He means can he follow you on the joint
Geno Washington No problem, lets make this shit really great, Put glide in our stride, & loot in our Flute
Gluebag Glen Fuck’s sake, Lucy’s just come in, big mistake I’m outta here
Ian Brown Gonna sort out them trips
Gluebag Glen I’m on it
Exit Gluebag Glen / Enter Lucy & Donna
Lucy Ian, Ian Brown, its me
Ian Huh
Lucy Davidson Lucy Davidson from Altrincham
Ian Brown O, its been a while
Lucy Sure, you’re all grown up & looking good
Ian Brown Thanks
Donna & your party’s ace Thanks for having us
Lucy Where’s your Michelle then
Ian Brown She’s always in the kitchen holding court
Donna Nice one – best go & give her her present
Lucy Bye Ian
Ian Brown Go & help yourself to drinks
Geno Washington Those girls were sure into your style brother
Jodie They all are, all the girls like our Ian
Geno Washington Looks like you’ve got lots of action going on
Ian Brown Nah, man, I’m just hanging around, foolin With my boys, listening to the music I’ve never been a massive tail-chaser & besides, wait til you meet my Michelle A lovelier lass you will never meet For her I’m like a loyal labrador
Geno Washington Here, take this {passes Ian the joint}
Jodie I’m off for a mingle boys
Geno Washington Thanks for bringing me here, Jodie, real good Got my mojo going and everything
Jodie Pleasure
Exit Jodie
Geno Washington You oughtta be a pop star
Ian Brown What
Geno Washington You oughtta go into the pop business Whenever girls go crazy in that way I seen ‘em swarm oer you, I see a star
Ian Brown No chance, mate
Geno Washington Trust me, the boys dig you too
Ian Brown But it’s our party & these are my friends That’s why they like me, I’m the host
Geno Washington You sing?
Ian Brown Sing, not really, no, I don’t sing at all
Geno Washington Do you write songs?
Ian Brown Well, sort of, I did form a band, once, with some schoolmates & play’d the bass & forg’d the odd lyric But we drifted adulthoodly apart For everything dustdwindles in the end
Geno Washington Unless that dust is stardust, son, listen Ya gotta get the boys back together Mark my words, the best thing you’ll ever do Goddamn it, when you was back in your school Did you write poetry, some shit like that?
Ian Brown Yeah
Geno Washington Now, I’m being very serious Composing poems leaves you but an inch From writing songs, in the music business That is where the pie is, you’ve got the looks, You got the personality, & so All you need to do’s to learn how to sing & write your own songs, then cooking on gas, Perform them from an ever-bigger stage.
Ian Brown Really? You think so?
Geno Washington I’m speaking the truth, I’m aint bullshitting you boy, I see things Sometimes, & tonight I see a shamen, But you cannot see the secret yourself, You don’t really know what you got going You got the looks, the personality People love you, you’re a goddamn magnet All you gotta do is write more poems Then etch those rhymes in music, make pure songs
Ian Brown Yeah, I’ll look into it, I’ll look into it,
Geno Washington Good, good, just listen to Uncle Geno At the start you might sound shit, but hold this Single thought inside – ‘I’m just warming up,’ The more you do the more you will improve, You got it in your hand, man, go do this Youre a star, go do the thing – as for me, I’m off to find that stunning little Jodie
Ian Brown {passing back the joint} OK man, hey, you will be needing this
Exit Geno – Ian stands all alone in the centre of the party with a new sense of purpose
Scene 6
1983: The Hacienda, just before The Smiths come on stage – Lucy is in the crowd, as is Joe : they are dancing to DJ music / Joe sings to/at Lucy
SONG: Lyrical Fireflies
Joe She’s a mystery Like a troubl’d dream Then she came up to me & ask’d me what did I see I said I’ve seen the sunrise I said I’ve seen the sunset Then she dropp’d to her knees & ask’d me what did I mean I said you are my firefly
She’s the song of God We’ve been dreaming of Then she mention’d the show & said, ‘would I like to know I really wanna see them play I’ve heard they’ve blown the world away’ She pick’d me up by my hand & with a tactile command Ask’d us to dance like fireflies
Lucy When we listen to the song we are just Whistling along to the lost messages among Lyrical educators who entertain us
Joe Now knowing what I’m knowing now I’d rather be famous & sing to the ravers I guess that she’s teaching me how
Lucy Here’s a song I wrote So your dreams may float I’m the best on the scene & my melody’s green Like the hills of Northern Thrace As they soar thro stars & space While the slide of the waves Celebrates us in staves & oer the surf flew fireflies Oer silver foam flew fireflies Over the surf flew fireflies
Lucy Wow, what’s your name
Joe I’m Joe, nice to meet ya We totally synchronized then, I stand Genuflective to thy rampant beauty
Lucy A charmer – are you here to see the Smiths
Joe The who?
Lucy They will be on in a minute Honestly, I’ve heard some of their demos You should stick around
Joe Yeah, I like it here This amphiktionic party temple They’ve call’d the Hacienda’s super cool So, what number are you
Lucy What do you men
Joe On your membership card
Lucy Oh yeah, hang on {getting out her yellow membership card} I’m number five, seven, seven, zero
Joe I’m in the four thousands me, I’m cooler
Lucy Fuck off
Joe Sorry
Lucy So, are you a student
Joe How can you tell
Lucy Well, yer accent for one
Joe I am Lucy, yeah, well spotted, & you?
Lucy I work in a record shop down Northwich
Joe Finger on the pulse
Lucy Indeed, hence I’m here
Joe I think I came a litle underdress’d Its absolutely baltic in my coat
Lucy No hypercaustic floor to keep us warm But sacrifices must be made to gain Wisdom, this temple of cultural lore Of holy hymns beneath cathedral roof, Thro’ omnivagrant symphonies of song, Defragmentizes, flagshipping focus Hath given this dark city a future Beyond the machinations of ‘the Man’
Joe I’m all for it, but the sound’s a bit naff Like a swimming pool, still it’s my new friend Always recommending brand new music
Enter The Smiths to a ripple of applause
Lucy Talking of which, here come the Smiths, that guy there Is Morrissey, he’s a Mancunian A formidable & inventive force Of poetry sat on searing setting Of tight drums, guitar-walls & bass lines deep Form a deft, inflorescence of song, which Speaketh amazedly, & hath become My marvel & my message, to the courts Of Hulme & Gorton, Salford & Chorlton No worthless emulations, but heroes! I’d say I was a fan before them seen Tonight’s the night, I’m glad you’re here to share
Morrissey Hello we are The Smiths, we are not smiths We are The Smiths – the only thing to be In Nineteen Eighty-Three is handsome
A cellar in Andy Couzens house ready for band practice : Pete Garner & Ian Brown are playing snooker– enter John Squire who begins setting up
Andy Couzens John
John Squire Hello boys, how are all today
Ian Brown Not bad, not bad, did that drummer call you The one from Wythenshaw
John Squire No he didn’t
Pete Garner Don’t worry lads, a drummer will turn up
Ian Brown I’ll just bang on a tamborine, then, yeah? A bit of a beat is better than none
Andy Couzens These thoughts of feeling hopeful to our fate Achilles amid mangl’d Myrmidons Pompey upon the plains of Pharsalus With all our inner planets unalign’d This lack of drums are like the testy waves Swallowing, confounding navigation Over waters of creative playing Where sail these songs of ours, how can we steer This ship with a casio backing track When Jutland Jellicoes can take command Of mighty & magisterial fleets We need a rhythm admiral, what’s bass Without a driving pilot, & in time
John Squire Our muse, it seems, is under house arrest
Pete Garner Why don’t we somewhere put an advert up Inviting the right drummer to our song & chaff timewasting wheat with piquant words
John Squire Try the A1 on Oxford Road, their kits Are quality, & should in fact attract The better mould of beatsman, from which hub, Let information matrix make the call & let the question ripple thro the realms For if The Smiths can do it so can we Locally rehearsing then important Band on Top of The Pops
Andy Couzens Their drummer’s tight
Ian Brown Its time to ask the gods, you’re right, the gods Help those who help themselves – but need a name Upon that point procrastinate no more Who’d join a band that doesn’t know its self For ‘tis a name that defines the entire
John Squire I think I’ve got one
Pete Garner O yeah, what is it?
John Squire I’ve listen’d to the whispering world-trees Then listen’d to our style, punctur’d by punk, But pepper’d with melodious petals Of lyrics sharp as daimond-braided drills Or willow-mellow on the meadow lawn So something hard with something soft should be The image that’s projected in the mind Whene’er our band’s name utter’d, thus therefore, I’m thinking Stones & Roses sums us up Earth’s headiness comes with a rose distill’d Earth’s steadiness made on a bed of stone
Ian Brown The Stone Roses, yeah, not bad
Andy Couzens I like it
Peter Garner It’s definitely not a shit name, but It’s a bit Rolling Stonesey, is it not
John Squire I notic’d, yeah, but is that a bad thing I mean, Exile on Main Street, Paint It Black, & Jumping Jack Flash, pure perennitas, Proper tunes, they’re not Shawaddywaddy
Ian Brown The Stone Roses, yeah, fuckin hell, it works
Andy Couzens Alright, then, fellow Roses, let us play What about Trust A Fox
Ian Brown Yeah, lets do it
John Squire I’ve been working on a new riff for that
Andy Couzens Ready Pete
Pete Garner Yep
Andy Couzens John
John Squire {fine tuning his guitar} Hang on a sec
Ian Brown Hows the animation coming lads
Pete Garner Slowly
John Squire To get five seconds of footage It takes five hours,
Pete Garner & only Sundays Are we allow’d to work in Cosgrove Hall So it’s taking proper ages
John Squire Its fun tho’ Anyway, I’m in
Ian Brown Reyt then, Trust A Fox Pete come in after four – one, two, three, four
The Stone Roses play Trust A Fox with Ian Brown playing tamborine
SCENE 8
Afllecks Palace – Phil Saxe is keeping his stall
Phil Saxe Ah! Nineteen Eighty-Four, no George Orwell Dystopia, but worse than that I feel, Music & accompanying closets Bore bland as Barnhill stout on Jura bleak, But yet unconquer’d by the drain of time Still brave the first defenders of the breach, Refusing resolutely not to fail; This is my shop, my Gangway, & my shield The epicenter of the Perry Boys On Arndale’s upper level, selling clothes No other shop would e’er admit to hang For fear of losing street-cred in an age Where streets more morgues, let fashion splash oer lives Of strange days in day-glo, long overcoats, Too much mascara, everywhere stiff hair, Condemn them all like the Crescents of Hulme For grooving as a guru of good taste To tunes rarer than a rocking horse shit I’ll sell that tip-top clobber to robbers Down alleys, students & scallys..
Enter Donna & Lucy with palm tree haircuts – hair scraped back bunched up & tied on top of their heads
Donna Oi mate!
Phil Saxe Alright girls
Donna You got any flares
Phil Saxe You what
Lucy You deaf or summat
Donna You got any flares
Phil Saxe I heard you the first time, no-one wears flares These days
Lucy Precisely, that’s why we want them Dogs might gorge on carrion, but not wolves, We aint no sheeple, we’re shepherdesses In foxy dresses, whatever feels good, & honestly, everyone looks like dicks
Donna So mate, have you got any flares or what?
Phil Saxe Its funny you should ask, it’s all as if Three Serendip princesses seize my stall, This morning, in a random box, I bought Off some Iranians, I found three pairs Of levis just your size – you want to try Them on, they’re looking a little bit tight, But you girls are slim, you should pull ‘em off
Donna Yeah, nice one, let us take a look at ‘em
Phil Saxe Wait there a minute, I’ll just dig ‘em out
Enter Alisha clutching the Blue Monday single
Alisha I got it
Donna Nice one
Phil Saxe Here you go ladies Ah, Blue Monday, that’s such a wicked track
Alisha I know, heard it on my holidays last week Its all over the Benidorm beaches I can’t believe we miss’d it first time round
Phil Saxe Better late than never – just like these flares
Lucy Cheers, we’ll just try ‘em on here – that alright?
Phil Saxe Guess so
Donna Oi mate! Change that music its shit
Phil Saxe I’ll have you know that’s…
Alisha We don’t care, change it
Lucy Something decent we can sing a long to
Phil Saxe Alright, alright, stifle your stingers girls
As the girls start getting changed Phil changes the music
FUNKY FLARES CREW
You’d better believe us when we say We are the last ones feeing the vibes Who never say never to come out & play If the disco beat is alive Then there’s the seventies vibe
See us strutting around as we’re making up rhymes Knowing that she’s looking fly girl Gazing around at your dumb fashion crimes Pulling the fun outta my world It’s a trip when you rip up society
18 inches of glory up over my boots I’m bellbottom denim running down to my roots Gonna stitch the sixties into my jeans Goin’ topless, bangin tamborines Inside a seventies scene
See us strutting around as we’re making up rhymes Wham bam glam of a geisha Gazing around at your dumb fashion crimes Mad Donna, Lucy D & Alisha It’s a trip when you slip from society
Who wears flares We do Who wins dares You gotta be true Who wears flares We do Who Wears Flares The Funky Flares Crew
Alisha Yeah, they look great, we’ll take ‘em
Lucy How much mate
Phil Saxe Eh, give me a tenner for the lot girls
Donna Bargain, thanks
Alisha Here you go Mr Saxe
Phil Saxe Thank-you
Donna Any chance you can get any more in
Phil Saxe Probably, there’s warehouses full of flares Out Oldham way
Lucy Well, we’ll be back next week
Alisha Laters
Donna Shall we go & get some scran now
Exit the girls just as the Happy Mondays & Cressa enter the shop wearing paisley shirts flowery shirts little beards
Donna Alright boys
Cressa {pointing at the flares} Where d’ya get those babies from
Alisha {pointing to Phil} He had some
Cressa Yo Phil, got any more flares
Phil Saxe Not you as well – give me a week or two I’ll source some out – Alright Shaun
Paul Alright Phil
Phil Saxe Paul… & the rest of you scooby-doo beatniks Can I help
Gaz We’re just having a bimble
Shaun Is it true you dj’d the Twisted Wheel
Phil Saxe It is, yeah, original northern soul Before twas even call’d that
PD Yo Phil How much is this shirt
Phil Saxe That’s fifteen quid mate
Shaun I heard you love your Stax
Phil Saxe The faster stuff I used to import from America Before you know it everyone’s Bruce Lee Karate Kicking to Otis Redding
Mark That’s cool that mate, so you know your music
Phil Saxe You could say that, well I know good music
Paul Can we give you a tape
Phil Saxe What of
Shaun Our band
Phil Saxe
What, you’ve got a band, you bunch of Scallys
Shaun We do
Cressa We’re the Happy Mondays
Phil Saxe The what
Shaun The Happy Mondays
Phil Saxe That’s a daft name lads
Shaun Yeah, but its our name, anyway, its here
Phil Saxe Alright, I’ll give it a listen today If its any good I’ll pass it to Mike
Paul Mike?
Phil Saxe Mike Pickering, a good mate of mine He books the bands for the Hacienda Might be able to get you a gig one day
Shaun That’d be mint mate, nice one
Paul Our number’s Well us mam’s, is written on the cassette
Phil Saxe I’ll fling a tinkle if its any good
Shaun That’s sweet that – well, its time to do one, mate
Mark Thanks for listening Phil
Phil Saxe Not a problem
Shaun Come on lads, lets find those flare-wearing girls By the hope I have of heavenly bliss I sense the blond doth fancy me, I swear
Gaz Fucks sake Shaun yer like a rampant rabbit
Exit the Happy Mondays & Cressa – PD has stolen a shirt
SCENE 9
1984 Werrington House Detention Centre, Stoke – the goveRnor’s office – he is sat at his desk – there is a knock at the door
Governor Come in, come in!
Enter Guard & Bez
Guard Govenor Williams
Governor Aha – Mister Berry – we meet again
Bez Sorry sir, I’ve been keepin my nose clean
Governor I have noticed as much, well done young man But why on earth inject such incidence Into your world as that little outburst Your release date’s rapidly approaching But set it back at least a fortnight So tell me what John happen’d exactly
Guard Well, sir, we were handing out the letters When he refused & said, do you recall Do you remember what you said
Bez I do
Guard Can you repeat it for the governor {Bez remains silent} I Have written it down word for word sir ‘I’m not feffing sitting like a kid with my finger on my lips waiting for no feffing letters anymore. I don’t want any feffing letters anyway & I don’t want to send any effer a letter either. Eff the lot of you
Governor That’s a lot of effing & jeffing Mark
Bez Sorry, Mr Governor, sir, it just Its just I’m wound up to the maximum I’m seeing a procession of people Flit from this joint who came here after me Days on days of shabby desert weather Have totally been doing my head in
Governor Well, Mark, look, Mark, I will only add one week To your total, which means there’s but a month To go, when all of this shall be over For you at least, control your self til then Do I have your word
Bez You do sir, promise
Govenor Good – I’ve met your father you know – good man Brilliant officer, & how on earth Would sons of such fine policemen turn’d to crime
Bez My dad is like double authority & I was born with a rebel streak, sir
Governor Has it remained, or has the short sharp shock Of liberty’s loss refurbish’d thy strains
Bez Sir, I’ve never cleaned so much in my life & shave my face each morning, all despite No hairs there ever venture cheek & chin My boots are always spotless, yes I’ve chang’d & know I never wanna waste my daylight Inside a cell again
Governor That’s good to hear If I return thee to society Without proper skillsets to march in time I’d be showing contempt to mine office So when you leave this house of detention What intends thee, truly, in the jungle
Bez I wanna dance sir, & fly with the birds Proper nice birds, never squirm with the rats, Because, from dawn til dreaming, all the day, I love tunes, its all about the music
Governor Do you play anything
Bez No
Governor Dj
Bez No
Governor Can you sing
Bez Definitely not
Governor Perhaps You would want to open a record shop
Bez Can’t, sir, I’m a dyslexic with numbers
Governor There does not seem to be many options For you to forge a career in music
Bez But sir, I got it beating within me I can feel it
Governor Well, very good Berry Are you going to go graffito crude Or write your name in glory cross the stars A child with integrity prospers well Now off you go, & behave yourself, yes
Bez Yes sir
Guard Come on fella, back to your cells
Exit Bez whistling the guitar melody of Wrote For Luck
The Conchordia Folio 