Scene Two


We are back in The Forum exactly as it was in Act One, Scene One with this exception: the EGYPTIAN has his stand of scrolls upstage as we saw in Scene Ten and instead of Josephus downstage left with his stand of scrolls, we have MAZACA, an exotic-looking Assyrian dressed in multi-colored robes. He speaks with a thick near-Eastern dialect.
 
MAZACA
Salvation…your salvation is here.
  (JOSEPHUS enters from the right with his stand and his scrolls. HE stops when he sees Mazaca.)


JOSEPHUS

You! You infidel! This is my place!

MAZACA

Who says this is your place?

JOSEPHUS

I've been occupying that space for over a year now.

MAZACA

Tough excrement.

JOSEPHUS

Find some other space.

MAZACA

You push me one more time…

JOSEPHUS

We Mamalites are not allowed to indulge in violence.
                                         (under his breath)
If we were, I'd smash your Assyrian face in!

MAZACA

Yeah? Well, we Cappadocians are!

JOSEPHUS

Heathen! (MAZACA draws back his fist, and JOSEPHUS reluctantly retreats and begins to walk upstage. The SECOND CHRISTIAN we saw in Act One enters with his stand and scrolls.)
 
SECOND CHRISTIAN
Did you hear the latest, Josephus? Another patrician has been murdered. They say it's the most bizarre murder in years. That makes 14 patrician murders this year.

JOSEPHUS

Not enough.
  (HE moves upstage and sets up his stand and scrolls as SECOND CHRISTIAN sets up his stand and scrolls downstage right as he did in Act One. From upstage CATALUNI enters dressed completely in drag with a diaphanous green gown and veil. MAZACA spots him and corners him. CATALUNI keeps glancing right and left to see if the Guards and Julinka are still after him.)
 
MAZACA
Young lady! My, you are a big young lady. You cannot be a Roman.

CATALUNI

                                       (in falsetto)
I’m from Germania.

MAZACA

Now I know why they say German ladies are the biggest and strongest in the world. Citizens! Come closer! Listen to what I have to say to this young German. Listen to me, young lady,
You are new to this cesspool of degradation,
Soon you will see, young lady,
There is only one path to true salvation.
 
JOSEPHUS
That barbarian stole my song!
  (CATALUNI observes CRISTELLE entering from upstage left carrying her jug of sacred water. SHE floats through the crowd. CATALUNI makes a move to follow her, but then thinks better of it. CRISTELLE exits stage right.)
 
MAZACA
Jove and Juno,
Mars, Minerva---
Their exploits are all absurd---
Those who swallow
The tales of Apollo
Have got to have the brains of a bird.

Neptune, Venus,
Diana, Pluto---
All they do is screw and sin---
To worship Cupid
Is shallow and stupid---
No wonder Rome’s in the state that it’s in!

Any fornicator or slattern
Can purge himself in the temple of Saturn,
And leave those halls feeling clever and couth;
But the only genuine true devotion
You can learn from any Cappadocian,
For Cappadocians
Alone have found the truth!

Living up
On Mt. Olympus---
Folderol and fa-la-la---
To know what strife is,
The misery life is---
You have got to find the Great Goddess Ma,
You have got to find the Great Goddess Ma---
And you’ve got to find Her now!
 
CATALUNI
                                 (almost dropping his falsetto)
The Great Goddess Ma? Just how many religions are there in Rome?

MAZACA

At last count, one hundred and twenty eight. Tonight we are having a meeting, and you can see how we dance wildly to trumpets and drums and slash ourselves with knives then sprinkle the Goddess with our blood.

CATALUNI

                                (aside)
Something I wouldn't want to miss.
  (JULINKA and the GUARDS enter from upstage, searching the faces of the crowd. Seeing this, CATALUNI races off stage right to the music of "The Salvation Song".)
 
 
 
LIGHTS DIM


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