Home is the Hunter (13 page)

First, I’ll warm my bones at the fire. Draughty places, these big halls.

HOMER

(Taking a seat opposite
ULYSSES
,
on the other side of the hearth with its low but steady fire)

You’ve travelled far?

ULYSSES

Far enough.

HOMER

That’s quite a journey. Where are you going?

ULYSSES

Home.

HOMER

Talkative fellow, aren’t you?

ULYSSES

Tired men prefer sleep.

HOMER

But you must wash and eat, first. Then you can sleep all afternoon, until those barbarians return. There won’t be much sleep for anyone then. Do you mind if I ask you a question or two? I was hoping you could give me some news.

ULYSSES

When I travel, I mind my own business. Then I don’t run into trouble.

HOMER

I see. You prefer to walk into it, as you did today.

(There’s a moment of complete silence. Then
HOMER
tries again.)

On your travels, did you hear anything of Odysseus?

ULYSSES

Odysseus? Who’s that?

HOMER

You are sitting in his house.

ULYSSES

I am? Odysseus...

HOMER

He was the greatest general we had against the Trojans. He won the war for us.

ULYSSES

Wasn’t that the fellow who got killed?

HOMER

He’s alive. He’s travelling home, just like you.

ULYSSES

Well, I hope he had a better journey than I had. You a friend of his?

HOMER

I’d be honoured if he would call me that. Actually, I never met him. He was off on a secret mission when I visited the Trojan front. I was so sure that he’d be home by this time that I made a special journey to visit his house.

ULYSSES

Why?

HOMER

You’d rather ask questions than answer them, I think. You don’t know who I am, do you?

ULYSSES

Can’t say I do.

HOMER

I am Homer.

ULYSSES

Glad to meet you. Noman is the name.

(He taps himself on the chest.)

What’s your line of business? Or are you retired?

HOMER

I hope not. I’m a poet. A man who makes verses. I’ve been telling about the heroes of the Trojan War.

ULYSSES

Must be quite a story.

HOMER

But you can take it or leave it, eh?

ULYSSES

Well, heroes are just people.

HOMER

(Sharply)

Have you ever met a hero?

ULYSSES

Who knows a hero when he meets one?

HOMER

You certainly wouldn’t. What’s your trade?

ULYSSES

A bit of everything, and nothing very much. A hunter, mostly.

HOMER

Boars?

(He’s interested, now.)

ULYSSES

I’ve met them too on my travels.

HOMER

(Angry again)

I meant wild boars. Have you ever hunted them?

ULYSSES

Sure, sure...

HOMER

Splendid! You see, I’m composing a description of a boar hunt for my new book, and this particular hunt is the famous one when Odysseus was gashed in the leg by a boar’s tusk.

ULYSSES

Working the boar pretty close, wasn’t he?

HOMER

(Severely)

He killed it. But, what I must find out is this: when a boar attacks, how does he—

ULYSSES

Odysseus... That’s the fellow who owns this house?

HOMER

(Rising in disgust)

The delayed-reaction type, I see.

ULYSSES

Him?

HOMER

(Turning away)

No. Not
him,
as you say so eloquently.

ULYSSES

Nice place he’s got here, anyway.

(He grins, watching
HOMER
’s retreat.)

Pretty nice,
pretty
nice, if you ask me.

(He stretches his legs and relaxes.)

Not bad at all.

HOMER

That’s what some other men think, too.

(
ULYSSES
’s smile fades,
CLIA
enters, and hurries down from the dais.
HOMER
forgets the beggar.)

How is Penelope? Did you tell her I was sorry? Of course, I still disagree with what she’s done, but I should never have—

CLIA

I told her. But she just sat there, clasping her hands.

HOMER

(Somewhat taken aback)

Oh...

CLIA

Twice, she said: “Was I right? Or did I guess wrong?” And I said, “Now whether you were right or wrong, honey, we’ll just have to wait until those men get back here tonight.
Then
we’ll know.”—Heaven help us!

HOMER

Her conscience has begun to trouble her.

CLIA

Then she said,
“Could
I have been mistaken?”

HOMER

You see!

CLIA

But she answered herself, this time. “No,” she said, “no. I
was
right. I could feel it. In here.” And she clasped her hands over her heart.

HOMER

Clia!—Is Penelope ill? She has been living under too great a strain—

CLIA

But wait until you hear the end! Up she jumps, throws her arms around me, and dances around the room. She was singing that song she’s picked up from you. About Mrs. Porter and her daughter. I left
then.

(She turns to
ULYSSES
.)

I’ll get you freshened up in no time, before Penelope comes downstairs to welcome you.

(She goes over to fetch a basin from a wall.)

ULYSSES

(Startled)

Welcome
me
?

CLIA

So she said. And why not?

ULYSSES

But—I’m just a—beggar, someone of no account.

CLIA

(To
HOMER
,
as she bustles across to the door into the yard)

He’s a stranger to this part of the world, all right. Nora! Icantha!... One of you girls—bring some water!

(She returns to the hearth, places the basin in front of
ULYSSES
,
and lifts a kettle of hot water from the fire.)

ULYSSES

Don’t trouble, please don’t—

CLIA

(Pouring some hot water into the basin)

I wish that was all the trouble we had to worry about. Wait, now, wait! Let me help you with your boots.

(But
ULYSSES
is too quick for her.)

Independent character, aren’t you?

HOMER

It’s good to find a house where the old rules of hospitality are still respected. People have got careless since the war. And selfish, too. There’s a general lowering of standards—it’s all most worrying.

CLIA

Why blame the war? Any excuse is a good excuse for some people.

(Stopping
ULYSSES
,
as he is about to put a foot into the basin)

Take your time. It’s much too hot. What’s the hurry, anyway?

(
AMARYLLIS
enters from the yard, carrying a vase of water on her shoulder. She looks nervously at
CLIA
,
and hesitates.
CLIA
glances over her shoulder.)

Oh! It’s you, Miss Troublemaker.

AMARYLLIS

I didn’t mean to—

CLIA

You didn’t mean it! That’s another excuse we can do without. Well, stop standing there, posing like a dancing girl. Can’t you see we’re waiting?

(
AMARYLLIS
comes over to the hearth. She is partly afraid of
CLIA
,
partly curious about the stranger.
CLIA
takes the vase of water, and pours some of it into the basin and tests it. She notices
AMARYLLIS
’
interest in the beggar.)

Yes, have a good look. But I don’t think he’s your style. What’s wrong with your cheek? It’s bruised. And you’ve been crying—

AMARYLLIS

And they twisted my arm, and they—

CLIA

(More gently)

So you’ve decided we are your friends, after all. Stop crying, and get me a towel. A
clean
towel.

AMARYLLIS

They were trying to make me tell all I know about Penelope. But I didn’t say a thing.

CLIA

You had already said it. Where’s the towel?

AMARYLLIS

They are all gathered together, and they are saying terrible things—if Penelope is tricking them, they’ll—

HOMER

(Striding quickly to the door)

Let them talk. What I fear is action. Sudden, irrational action.

(He looks out into the yard, and then beyond.)

No, it’s all right. They’ve taken the path to the Green Mountain. All of them.

(He sighs with relief, but he still watches the men in the distance.)

And stop gloating over our troubles, Amaryllis. I can imagine our possible future more fully than you could ever describe it.

(
AMARYLLIS
tosses her head, and moves over to one of the chests by the wall, where she searches for a towel.
HOMER
watches the path to the mountain.
CLIA
begins bathing the stranger’s feet, talking to him as she does so.)

CLIA

If you’ve got to clutch that rag around you, hold it a bit higher, will you? You’re safe with me. I’ve buried three husbands, and I’m not looking for any more, thank you. There, that’s better.

(She pulls up the cloak over his knee. She stiffens, suddenly, with her hand on his leg.)

What’s this?

(She looks down, staring at the large scar which begins just below his knee.)

Why it’s—

(
ULYSSES
clamps one hand over her mouth and chokes off the word. With his other hand, he grasps her shoulder, and he leans forward to look intently into her eyes. Then he lets her go, still watching her.
CLIA
sits back on her heels, quite motionless, staring at him. She begins, slowly, to bathe his feet as
AMARYLLIS
calls over from one of the chests.)

AMARYLLIS

I’ve looked and looked. This is the best I can find.

(She comes over to the hearth with a white towel.)

And don’t blame me—it’s Nora who does the laundry.

(
CLIA
takes the towel in silence.
AMARYLLIS
looks surprised. Then she sees that the stranger is watching her, and she smiles at him as she moves to a corner of the hearth where she can strike a pretty pose as she looks down at him.)

Where did you come from, stranger?

ULYSSES

Sparta.

AMARYLLIS

And what’s your name?

CLIA

Finish your work, Amaryllis.

AMARYLLIS

I’ve cleaned all the dishes. They are drying, out in the sunshine.

CLIA

Then gather some figs. And collect some honey.

AMARYLLIS

I want to hear the news, too. What’s the latest in Sparta? How’s Helen settling down?

CLIA

Will you do as I tell you?

AMARYLLIS

I’ll get the sandals for him. He has big feet, hasn’t he? He’s not so old, either.

CLIA

(Rising to her feet and turning on
AMARYLLIS
)

I want figs and I want honey.

AMARYLLIS

(Backing toward the door)

Yes, ma’am.

CLIA

That’s better. And if I catch you talking to one of those men again, I’ll—I’ll shave your hair off.