Scene Six


The interior of the Temple of Vesta. The room is circular, and the walls are elaborately decorated. In the center rising from the floor of the stage is a bright flame. CRISTELLE appears hurrying from stage right, crossing to an imaginary entrance with a jar on her shoulder. SHE is 19 and absolutely lovely, dressed in a white gown with a white sheath over her head. SHE reaches into the jar and sprinkles water on the fire.
 
 
CRISTELLE
                    I fetch the water from the sacred spring
                    And to the temple the jar I bring. And every day I go and do the same
To sprinkle sacred water
On the sacred flame.

I do the most important work in Rome
To serve the Goddess of the hearth and home,
To be a vestal virgin so devout
I’ll never ever let the flame go out.
For if the fire should die,
It’s an unforgivable desecration
And some dreadful devastation
Will befall our blessed nation.
Thank you, Mother Vesta,
Goddess of the hearth and home,
For allowing me to do
The most important work in Rome.
 

(CATALUNI appears from stage left, hurries to the imaginary entrance and enters the circular room. CRISTELLE looks up. CATALUNI’s heart skips a beat. He is speechless.)
 
CRISTELLE
May I help you?

CATALUNI

I...I...

CRISTELLE

Yes?
                                        (HE still cannot speak.)
Have you been crying, young citizen of Rome?
CATALUNI
I’ve had some terrible things happen, but all at once I’ve forgotten what they are. You’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen in my life.
You are something magical, you are so divine.
From now on, nothing will ever be serene in my life
Until I make you mine.


CRISTELLE

You don’t understand. I’m a Vestal Virgin.

CATALUNI

Of course you are.

CRISTELLE

Then surely you must know if anyone overheard you, we would both be flogged.

CATALUNI

Do you not find me attractive?

CRISTELLE

Please.

CATALUNI

Just tell me that.

CRISTELLE

Yes, yes, you are very pleasing to the eye. Now you must go.

CATALUNI

Not until you give me some word of hope…

CRISTELLE

But I cannot.

CATALUNI

Then I will stay here all night.

CRISTELLE

Men are not allowed in the temple after sundown.

CATALUNI

Then I will disguise myself as a woman…

CRISTELLE

Is there no stopping you?

CATALUNI

One word of hope.

CRISTELLE

I came here when I was six. I am now 19. My term of service is 30 years.

CATALUNI

Then what you are saying is…

CRISTELLE

Come back in seventeen years,                     Come back if it’s not too late for you;
                    If you come back in seventeen years,
                    I promise I shall wait for you.

CATALUNI

                    Who knows what will happen in seventeen years?
                    Who knows where I’ll be?
                    I may then be found
                    In some burial ground
                    Or my ashes strewn in the Hadriatica Sea.
CRISTELLE
Come back in seventeen years.
I realize time is dear to you---
If you come back in seventeen years,
I swear I shall appear to you.


CATALUNI

Who knows what will happen in seventeen years?
Who knows what will pass?
I may be betrothed
To a girl I loathed
While I kiss her father’s fat senatorial ass.


CRISTELLE

But you don’t understand. If I should fall in love with you and act upon it, I shall commit the worst sin a Vestal Virgin can commit. And I shall be buried alive.
  (Lights dim briefly and a spot falls on Cataluni’s face. A cord of music as he is struck with an inspiration.)
 
CATALUNI
If I only had two or three denarii…

CRISTELLE

                                        (reaching into her tunic)
Here…here are four denarii. Now go!

CATALUNI

I can’t take your money.

CRISTELLE

But what will you do if you don’t have even a sesterce to your name?

CATALUNI

I’ll go to work.

CRISTELLE

What do you do?

CATALUNI

Invent.

CRISTELLE

I may be wrong, but I don’t believe there are many places in Rome presently looking for inventors.

CATALUNI

I’ll think of something. Just remember: I’ll be back in seventeen days,
And my eager heart will be pounding, too---
I’ll be back in seventeen days
With something quite astounding, too.


CRISTELLE

Oh, please, you must go.

                                         (CATALUNI reluctantly turns.)
 
 

LIGHTS DIM
 
 


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