Scene Nine
A rock by the sea
coast in Lepros nineteen years later. CATALUNI has aged tremendously. His
hair is white, and he has grown pudgy. Next to him sits TITHAKA, who has
aged almost not at all. THEY both hold
fishing poles.
CATALUNI
I don't know how I would
have survived all these years if it hadn't been for you, Tithaka.
TITHAKA
But you were here four years
before they exiled me.
CATALUNI
And it was sheer hell.
TITHAKA
At least the fishing is good.
Tell me, Cataluni, do you still dream of Rome?
CATALUNI
Not much. Only about fifty
times a day.
TITHAKA
Me, too.
CATALUNI
I loved Rome. Even though
Rome did not love me.
Life is nothing but one long stumbling block---
Does anyone ever get his wish?
TITHAKA
Who would have thought I'd wind up on a rock
Surrounded by lepers and fish?
I know how men in exile
Feed on dreams.
Or so it seems,
Or so it seems.
CATALUNI
I had such great inventions---
Or so my memory recalls.
I had such good intentions
But then I also had my
balls.
TOGETHER
I know how men in exile
Feed on hope---
It's how we cope,
It's how we cope.
The sun has rays,
The moon has beams,
And we poor fools
Must have our dreams.
CATALUNI
I never thought they exiled
slaves. I thought they just put them in an arena and someone came along
with a trident and disemboweled them.
TITHAKA
But I wasn't a slave when
they exiled me. That terrible woman freed me then brought charges that
I stole her inlay of pearl beauty box. Now what would I be doing with an
inlay of pearl beauty box? I'm beautiful enough as it is. But, of course,
she was afraid I'd tell the truth about the coffin and the grave. But you
know all that, Cataluni. Why are you asking me?
CATALUNI
(with a devilish smile)
Because of this.
(HE pulls out a small
machine from behind his back which resembles Edison's original cylindrical
phonograph.)
TITHAKA
What is it?
CATALUNI
Just listen.
(HE winds a handle
jutting forth and we hear strange screeching noises which reproduce what
has just been said only in impossibly garbled tones.)
TITHAKA
I don't get it.
CATALUNI
That's you---and that's me.
It's the conversation we just had.
TITHAKA
I don't sound like that.
CATALUNI
It's not perfected yet. But
do you realize the implications of this machine?
TITHAKA
Not if it sounds like that.
CATALUNI
Just think, Tithaka. If I
had had this machine back in Rome, that woman would never have gotten away
with accusing me of murdering her husband. I could have played this back
for the judge and the jury and they would have heard exactly what that
bitch said the day we got back from the funeral.
TITHAKA
Not if it sounded like that.
CATALUNI
I've just invented the most
extraordinary thing since the aqueduct, and all you can say is: not if
it sounded like that. Just wait, Tithaka. Wait until next year when my
exile is over and I get back to Rome. I'm going to go straight to the Emperor.
They have a new Emperor now---Trajan. And they say he's not only an Emperor,
he is also a philosopher. He's going to love my talking machine. I feel
it in my bones. And this time no one is going to steal it. Just you wait,
Tithaka. Just you wait.
LIGHTS DIM
