Home is the Hunter (11 page)

We are in the Great Hall of Ulysses’ house. Here, the daily life of eating, cooking, talking, sitting goes on.

So, downstage left, we have the hearth and open fireplace; some pots; a basin; two leather-seated stools. Downstage right, there is the dining area: a long table, placed parallel with the right-hand wall; long wooden side benches; and the master’s chair at the head of the table. Upstage, on the left, we have a few shallow stairs, leading to a dais from which the door into the women’s quarters (and
PENELOPE
’s private apartment) opens. Upstage right, a similar narrow door to the men’s quarters. In the centre of the back wall, there is the main entrance to the Hall. Its large double doors are open to ventilate the Hall and light it by day, with the help of some narrow windows high up on the side walls. Storage chests lie against the wall under the windows. (A man standing on one of them could see out, but an outsider couldn’t see into the Hall.) On the walls, too, are four large brackets for holding torches: one near the fireplace; one on the back wall, near the dais; one, balancing it, on the back wall to the right; one near the dining table. And to the right of the main entrance we see a few small shields decorating the wall, while to the left of the door is the Great Bow. It hangs in solitary splendour, between the corner dais and the entrance. As it is unstrung, it doesn’t look much of a weapon—just two long ibex horns, fastened together at their roots by a strong handgrip of bronze and leather, their points recurved outward, with its string attached at one end and hanging free. The passage of time in the first two scenes is marked by the gradual shift of sun that pours over the threshold, moving toward the dais.

Full sunlight is now streaming into the Hall. The dining table is in disorder from the midday meal. We can hear that some of the suitors have already reached the courtyard; three others are leaving the Hall slowly, teasing
AMARYLLIS
(who doesn’t object) as she starts to help
CLIA
with the bowls and cups on the table.
MELAS
still sits in the chair at the head of the table, finishing his wine slowly. Over by the hearth,
HOMER
stands silent, watchful. The babel of voices from the courtyard diminishes gradually.

CLIA

(Bundling bowls into
AMARYLLIS
’s apron, and then bustling to the hearth to attend the fire)

Take them out to the stream. Scour them well. Use plenty of sand. I don’t want any stains left on them, this time.

AMARYLLIS

You’ve given me too many. Don’t blame me if they get dented. And stop scolding me. All day it has been nothing but nag nag nag.

(She rearranges the thin copper bowls in her apron as she talks, dumping some out on the table in protest; and then, as she catches a glare from
CLIA
,
puts them back. She speaks to
MELAS
.)

Enjoyed your dinner?

(
MELAS
pays no attention. She moves nearer.)

It’s my night off.

(
MELAS
,
without looking at her, waves her away.)

All right, Mr. Sourface, I can get one of the others to take me into the village.

MELAS

(Still not looking at her)

Will you stop pestering me?

AMARYLLIS

I like that! What’s come over you—

MELAS

Shut your mouth! Can’t a man get some peace around here?

(He avoids her eyes and pours some more wine into his goblet. He stretches himself comfortably.)

AMARYLLIS

Look at you! Sitting in the master’s chair. So you think Penelope is going to choose
you
!

(She laughs.)

MELAS

Clear out!

(He throws his wine in her face.)

You talk too much.

AMARYLLIS

(In sudden rage)

Too much? I haven’t talked enough. Penelope has been laughing at you, all along.

CLIA

(From the hearth where she is sweeping)

Amaryllis!

AMARYLLIS

Why, you fool, she could have finished that embroidery months and months ago.

(
MELAS
looks at her now.)

She’s been ripping it out, every night. And only a man wouldn’t have noticed!

(
MELAS
rises, staring.
CLIA
rushes at
AMARYLLIS
,
the hearth broom upraised, but the girl runs out into the yard.)

MELAS

(Catching
CLIA
’s arm)

So it’s true, is it?

(He twists her arm as she struggles.)

HOMER

(Coming quickly forward)

Stop that! Respect for age is the first virtue.

MELAS

(Aiming a last blow at
CLIA
’s head as he lets her go)

I’ve been tricked, is that it? Tricked...

CLIA

(Retreating behind
HOMER
)

See how they behave! At dinner, they pretended to be so reasonable, just to impress you. But now you see a touch of what they really are.

ERYX

(Enters from the yard. He carries a spear in his hand.)

Come on, you! We’re going hunting. We’ll find a deer, up the Green Mountain. We’re tired of eating stewed slop.

MELAS

I’m staying here.

(He walks back to the table, sits down.)

ERYX

You’re coming with us. You don’t stay here alone. Get that?

MELAS

A trick—

(He crashes his fist on the table.)

ERYX

(Injured innocence)

A trick? I’m playing no trick—we’re just going out hunting on the Green Mountain. That’s all.

MELAS

Nothing but a god-damned trick.

(He reaches for the wine.)

ERYX

You’re drunk. What do you think you’re celebrating anyway? Get out of that chair!

MELAS

Leave me alone.

(He drinks and waves
ERYX
aside.)

I’ve some thinking to do.

ERYX

You?

(He laughs, but then falls silent as
MELAS
rises suddenly and stares at the door which leads to
PENELOPE
’s room.
ERYX
looks at
CLIA
,
who is obviously afraid.)

What’s been going on?

CLIA

Nothing... it’s nothing. Just a silly story that Amaryllis invented. And he believed her!

(She tries to sound amused.)

ERYX

Just a silly story, eh? And aren’t you going to share it with the rest of us, Melas? Or do I have to hear it from Amaryllis herself?

MELAS

Then get set for a shock. Penelope has been ripping out that embroidery, night after night.

ERYX

WHAT?

MELAS

(His voice rising)

She never meant to finish it. She’s turned weeks into months, months into years. We’ve been swindled, all of us.

CLIA

(Quickly)

I tell you, Amaryllis is crazy with jealousy, she’s—

ERYX

Sure, sure. Jealousy is a liar. But it can also tell a sharp truth when it chooses.

(He takes a step forward, threateningly.)

MELAS

Don’t waste your time on her. She’d swear blue is yellow to protect Penelope. But she gave away the truth when she rushed at Amaryllis.

HOMER

That isn’t any proof at all. It would never stand up in court.

MELAS

I’ve got enough proof. I saw the embroidery today. Now I know why it was such a god-damned mess.

(To
CLIA
)

Get your mistress down here!

(
CLIA
doesn’t move.)

All right, I’ll fetch her myself. I’ll teach her a new trick or two.

(He springs toward the steps, but
ERYX
is even quicker. He catches
MELAS
roughly by the arm and swings him around.
MELAS
whips out his short sword.
ERYX
raises his spear watchfully.)

ERYX

(Extremely dangerous, now, although his voice is quiet enough)

We’re all in this. Don’t forget that!

HOMER

(Watching them face each other, about to fight)

That could always be one solution. Go ahead, gentlemen!

(To
ERYX
)

But drop that spear and use your sword. Equal weapons, you know.

ERYX

(To
MELAS
)

The old boy made a point there. Why fight? Not much future in that for either of us.

MELAS

Sure—especially when I’m the best swordsman around here. Go on! Equal weapons—if you dare!

(A man’s shadow falls over the threshold.
A
beggar stands there, hesitant. It is
ULYSSES
,
dressed in his tattered wool cape, his traveller’s hat pulled well down over his forehead, his shoulders drooping, his whole appearance that of age and weakness. No one pays the slightest attention to him, as he stands humbly by the left side of the door.)

ERYX

Use your brains! If you are crazy enough to pick a fight, what then? Either you kill me, or I kill you—

HOMER

What’s wrong with that?

ERYX

—but there are nine other men left. Is the winner going to fight them all, too? Will they wait to be picked off, one by one?

MELAS

(Lowers his sword)

All right, then. But I’m going to wait no longer. Let Penelope choose now.

(He walks back to the head of the table.)

ERYX

Choose? Just how will she choose?

MELAS

(Shrugging his shoulders, one hand on the master’s chair)

I’ll agree to stick by her decision.

ERYX

Isn’t that generous of you? You think you’re her favourite!

(He faces
MELAS
angrily, again, his spear ready.)

MELAS

(Ready with his sword, but confident and smiling)

It’s all a gamble, anyway. I told you that when we first came here.

ERYX

Then why don’t we throw dice and let them choose the winner?

MELAS

(Angry, now, and shouting)

Because none of us would have a fair chance if you got your hands on a set of dice.

HOMER

Gentlemen, gentlemen! Really, this could go on forever.

CLIA

It has been going on for three years.

HOMER

Frankly, I don’t think you’ll ever find a solution, for each wants to win and no one intends to be the loser. When you came here, no doubt you thought there was strength in numbers; but now, your numbers defeat you. Oh, happy band of brothers!

ERYX

You keep out of this!

HOMER

I wish I could. Oh, why didn’t you leave this morning, before I ever arrived!

ERYX

(Very softly)

You know, I almost forgot that...
Penelope kept us here.
I wonder why?...

(He and
MELAS
lower their weapons.
ULYSSES
straightens his back for a moment, and then bows his head to stare at the ground once more.)

I don’t like this. Come on. We’ll both see Madame Penelope. Now.

(He and
MELAS
move purposely together toward the steps.)

HOMER