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CONQUEST TO CONQUER

BOOK 1

(THE BATTLE OF THE GODS)

DAVID L. ANDERSON IREGBU (AUTHOUR)

Edited by
ONYEANI URUM (BSC ENGLISH)

TABLE OF CONTENT
PROLOGUE
PAGE 3-4
DEDICATION
PAGE 5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
PAGE 5
DRAMATIS PERSONA
PAGE 6-7

1
ACT 1
SCENE 1 PAGE
8-12
SCENE 2 PAGE
13-40

ACT 2
SCENE I PAGE
41-86
SCENE 2 PAGE
87-92
SCENE 3 PAGE
93-103
SCENE 4 PAGE
104
SCENE 5 PAGE
105-117
SCENE 6 PAGE
118- 124
SCENE 7 PAGE
125- 137

ACT 3

2
SCENE 1 PAGE
138-139

ACT 4
SCENE 1 PAGE
140-152
SCENE 2 PAGE
153-156
SCENE 3 PAGE
157
ACTS 5
SCENE 1 PAGE
158-160
SCENE 2 PAGE
161-191
ACTS 6
SCENE 1 PAGE
192- 225
ACTS 7
SCENE 1 PAGE
226-247
ACTS 8
SCENE 1 PAGE
248 – 268
ACTS 9
3
SCENE 1 PAGE
269-276
ACTS 10
SCENE 1 PAGE
277- 291
ACTS 11
SCENE 1 PAGE
292-301
SCENE 2 PAGE
302-304
SCENE 3 PAGE
305-314
ACTS 12
SCENE 1 PAGE
315-339
EPILOGUE PAGE
340-341

PROLOGUE

This is the story of a divine conquest.


A story of light and darkness and every of their effigy.
As you will see in the scope of this book, darkness ruled
men for

4
Centuries until the entrance of light that banished it to free
men
From its strong holds and whims of personnel like Hashny
the daughter of Luneah.
As a story of conquest light showed its mastering fingers
subduing darkness and everything
It represents.

The story of this master play is a showcase of man’s faith,


and how religious and committed to
His beliefs he could be.
The practice of our faith reveals the nature of our faith
whether it is of light
Or of darkness.

In this story, you will view the sovereignty of light over the
darkness of this world, and
No matter how strong darkness seems light will always
prevail.
In it you will see the same battle raging between good and
evil that grows across the globe today.
This very dramatic play comes with a revelation that puts a
question across, should men be free to make their own
Choice of belief or is it right for them to be enslaved to the
whims of evil, under

5
The bondage of ruthless forces of darkness and to dark
belief?

The same revelations in this book are applicable to real life.


This play and its characters are the best instruments to
denote that
There are powers but, there is a power greater than all
powers.
And that power is the source of all powers.

DEDICATION

With great gratitude to the person of the Holy Spirit


For his continual guidance and inspirations.
This book is solely dedicated to him.

ACKNOWLEDGEMNT

Grateful acknowledgment to my sweet and loving wife


Esther David Anderson Iregbu
(THE LADY ANDERSON) and our son, Michael Judah
For your continuous support, understanding and patient.
You are simply the best I love you.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

6
Azariah, Nath, Jero, Puah, Mathias, Onan Zenatha =The
elders of the sect.
Ashthea= First queen and wife of king Derbe.
Hashny =Second queen and wife of king Derbe.
Derbe=king of Tyre
Hasha = Ashthea’s chief maid, but working for Hashny.
Tyree= The Patriarch of tyre
Luneah= The chief god of tyre.
Zonxi, Beliah, Zelzar and Belzar= the gods of the four kings,
subsequently the gods of tyre.
Ceramis= The Leader of the sisters’ cult.
Bukah=The god of tyree’s clan..
Emar= tyree’s only heir.
Buzu=tyree’s commander.
Messenger= messenger of the four kings.
King Maga, Afac, Stroyk, Slovok= the four kings.
Zokan and Akin= members of tyree’s clan.
Emprax, Zora, Sienna and Zophni=members of tyree’s
elders in council
Commander 1, 2,,3 & 4= Military Commanders of the four
kings.
The voice= heenu
Bentan= Hashny’s secret lover.

7
Senior and Ay= The witches.
Buba, Anathol, Pithron, = Remnant of the survivors of the
Sorek leaders from the blasts later eliminated by Hashny.
Citizen 1, 2 & 3= Citizens of tyre who listened to Ashthea
speak of heenu.
Donai= Ashthea’s Royal cook.
Lukrenea= Ashthea’s cousin.
Woman 1, 2 &3 The Three Queens and friends of Ashthea.

The guards= Ashthea’s Royal security.


SS 1, SS 2 & SS3= The three Queens’ securities.
Lukrato= The Assassin
Sulera= Ashthea’s chief guard working as Hashny’s agent
just like Hasha.
Archer= the lad that shot Ashthea.
Maid= Ashthea’s maid.
Servant= servant of the palace
The Clan- Tyree’s clan
Crowd= citizens of tyre

ACT 1

SCENE 1

8
Scene opens at Kidro River in Igaza.

Seven elderly men standing in the river with a very


beautiful woman who appears to be royalty, walking
toward them into the river, with her maids standing at the
bank watching what is happening.

As she walks on to meet the seven who are the overseers


of a religious group called the SECT.

They take her further into the river where she kneels as
they surround her, ready to immerse her into the water.

The sect is a group of brotherhood springing up from the


land of igaza.

They are the worshippers of a god known as heenu.

They are rooted in a strange belief of one god that became


man,

Died and lived again.

However, igaza is the home land of this royal personality,


queen Ashthea by name, the first queen and wife of Derbe
King of tyre.

9
For centuries there had been only little known of this
belief, because the brotherhood lived a life of seclusion.

Although, older than the tale of tyre and Sorek but


religiously secluded from the world until

They received the mandate to let the world see and


encounter the light of their belief.

Since then the world starts seeing igaza as the land of


religious light because of its success and strange life style.

For it started spreading to the four corners of the earth


with great increase in membership.

Just in the matter of 25 years they started emancipating, it


became a threat to the world wide known religious cult,
known as SOREK of tyre that already gained the heart of
the world.

Sorek is the ancestral and national religion of the kingdom


of tyre which is deep rooted in the worship of

Luneah as the father of all gods, along with the worship of


four inferior gods, Belzar, Beliah, Zelzar and Zonxi.

10
This is as a result of unification of four kingdoms with a
clan to form a sovereign nation call tyre.

Each of these gods had been worshipped by either of these


kingdoms until by unification the gods were united under
Luneah as the main god and god of gods over the United
Kingdom called tyre.

Sorek as old as tyre, rooted in its evil cults, has gained 98%
influential control of the hearts and soul of the world.

Leaving the entire world in dread of its evil powers.

Everything about tyre revolves around its religion and


cults on which it is

Founded and built.

There is a particular cult in this religion with its evil


powers made up of witches that address themselves as
sisters.

They are governed by a powerful personality known as


Ceramis, The wife of Luneah.

Though there are other cults powerful as well, but this


sisters’ is the most dreaded and most powerful because of
the personalities involve and their hierarchy in the cults.

11
Queen Hashny the second wife to king Derbe of Tyre is the
most recognized and dreaded evil personality in the whole
of Tyre, in all the cults and in the entire world as the
daughter of Luneah, and second in command to Ceramis.

It is believed that Hashny’s parents were devoted servants


of Luneah; willingly they volunteered their bodies to be
possessed by Luneah and Ceramis for a procreation of
their kind. The two taking over their bodies had sex and
the outcome of that intercourse is this living evil
personified Queen called Hashny, known as the daughter of
Luneah.

Hundreds of centuries long before now a small clan


sojourned and occupied a vast portion of land on the east
side of Mediterranean. The land they occupied was
originally called Orphir because it was extremely and
excessively rich with gold of Orphir, diamonds and crude
oil.

Orphir was a land surrounded by four most mighty,


powerful, barbaric and ruthless kings who would stop at
nothing to get what they want.

12
These kings had been waging war with each other over
ancestral claims of this land for centuries and none has
ever succeeded to defeat the others.

And none would agree to come to peaceful terms with the


others over it.

Four most powerful and strongest kings on earth,


powerful and strong in military and economy striving over
the possession of this single land of Orphir that lay
between their lands.

During 10 years period of silence, while the land rests from


the dispute and strife by those kings, then sojourns tyree
with his clan settling peacefully in this very land of Orphir,
neither aware of such wealth beneath the ground nor the
aged strife over it.

For decade none came to disturb the peace, quietness and


prosperity tyree and his people enjoyed in it.

Five years later while on the hill of Val toward the evening,
tyree is sacrificing to his god (Bukah).

A great shinning Light appears to him. The kind he has


never seen before and from it appears a young magnificent

13
handsome man in his early 30’s dressed in white robe, who
introduces himself as Luneah, the god of gods.

It is this personality that informs this Petrarch of the rich


wealth that lays beneath the ground he stands and how for
centuries kings have fought for it.

SCENE 2

Luneah

Tyree, Tyree.

Tyree

(Terribly afraid}

Who…. Who are you?

How….how do you know my name?

Luneah

I knew you before you were born, even before your


parents named you.

14
I watched over you and protected you when you rode your
first horse

and fought your first enemy.

I know you, heir of eron.

Tyree

What…?

But I don’t know you.

Who are you?

Luneah

I am the father of all light.

I am the most mighty and most powerful god of gods.

Tyree

god of gods?

Luneah

Yes, god of gods.

15
Tyree

That is unheard of;

I never heard such as….god of gods.

I serve the god of my clan the mighty Bukah.

He is well known for his mighty power and graciousness.

He is been well good to me and my people.

Are you mightier than him?

Who are you?

Luneah

I am the mighty Luneah.

The father of all gods.

(While he is saying this a mighty force weighs tyree down


on his knees}

To you I am Bukah and to another I am zephoniah the


mighty

Giver of life.

I have come to give life and light to the world.

16
Tyree

Life and Light?

What…what do you mean?

I kneel under the weight of your great power.

I am but a man, o great god, what do you want from me?

Luneah

I am everything the mortals do call upon and worship as


god.

I am all powerful and overwhelmingly gracious and


mighty.

To you I am Bukah and to another zephoniah, according to


each man’s tongue.

It doesn’t matter what I am called, I remain what I am.

The chief of all gods!

Master, lord and god of all earth!!

As you now on your knees can testify to my power, o tyree.

17
Nevertheless, I have come to reveal myself to the world for
who really I am,

the giver of life,

Wealth and power.

And I want to use you in this generation to actualize this?

Tyree

Use me?

I don’t understand.

I am only but a man of dust, not some kind of a demi god.

Only a demi god can serve the might of the gods.

Luneah

Are you aware that every demi god was once a human until
they ascended to the realm of the gods?

Every of their accomplishment was done as human, within


the circle of

Human weakness.

Yet, it didn’t deter them from their heroic


accomplishments, because

18
They believe in themselves and in their calling.

In you, o tyree! Is laid the potency to do the inconceivable


and incredible.

There is no impossibility with any man who believes in


himself, for

Impossibilities lies only in the minds of cowards and not in


the hearts of the brave.

Tyree

Lord, every brave man was once a coward.

No man was born brave; we were all born in the coward


nature so it is normal for the mortal to display cowardice.
Howbeit, it is bravery to believe the possibility to do what
only the gods in their might can do.

I am aware that it is the same cowards that become brave.

Luneah

Then you are aware that every demigod was born as


humans.

They were born in the same coward nature, but they


conquered it with determination to accomplish what only
the gods in their might can do.
19
Tyree

Then it takes cowardice to experience bravery…that


means, behind the weakness and fearfulness of every
human lies the potency to be bold to do what only the gods
can, and to become… demigod.

Luneah

You have well spoken.

Then you agree with me that there is no impossibility


because of the potency

Of braveness that lies within you, tyree.

With what lies in you there is nothing impossible with you.

You are a demigod! After today your name shall be heard


all over the world, infants and women shall sing of your
exploits, as demigod.

(Tyree wondering at his words)

Arise tyree.

(Tyree gets up)

Tell me, how much do you know about this land?


20
Tyree

(Surprise at the question)

Nothing much, except that the land is fertile and fruitful.

Ever since we settled in it, we have enjoyed excessive


prosperity.

Luneah

The land of Orphir rich in gold, diamonds and oil is a land


of generational strife between the four ruthless kings who
have fought for centuries over its ownership.

King Afac, King Stroyk, King Maga and King Slovok, whose
lands border on its four corners with orphir trapped in the
middle of their strives.

(Tyree is astounded hearing of these kings)

I am sure you have heard of them. Their valiant and fearful


deeds are spoken of all over the earth.

21
Tyree

The four most cruel and richest warlord kings?

Who doesn’t know of them?

Even infants does.

Yes, even as a youth I heard of them and of how powerful


their ancestors were.

Luneah

Good to know you know!

For 15 years the land has enjoyed peace and rest.

And as you know, you stand in their midst, occupying

The cause of their endless strives.

(The reality of this knowledge dawns on tyree)

They are the most dreaded of all the kings of the earth.

Their kingdoms surround this land of Orphir.

However, the land of Orphir, the gold,

22
the diamonds and the crude oil are all mine.

I made and put them here for a purpose.

I made the fishes in the water and I made the cows in the
field.

I give them to whoever I please.

I am pleased with you, Tyree.

Tyree

How can you be pleased with me?

I am yet to understand and know who you are.

Luneah

But I know you.

Tyree

But I don’t.

Luneah

You will.

Tyree

23
Those kings... the fame of their cruelty spreads across the
earth.

But, why do you speak to me of them?

Luneah

They shall soon come for this land.

Tyree

(Alarm at hearing that)

What?!

Luneah

Yes, they will...very soon.

Tyree

(Panicking)

What should I do?

Luneah

You will do only what I tell you.

24
If you do, then you will crush them and all their might with
just a handful of your men.

Tyree

What did you just say?

What could you probably mean by that?

Luneah

I will be your strength.

I will make you a terror that strikes fear into the minds and

Hearts of his enemies.

I will turn these handful men with you into the most
dreaded legion the world has ever known.

In the future, they will be known as the 16th Legion, death


in battlefield.

I promise that I will make you great,

greater than any king that ever walked the earth, greater
than those four kings.

25
And I will give you the entire wealth that lies beneath this
land and in its seas.

I will put the four kings and their nations into your hand

and you shall unite them as one kingdom, with you as the
king.

Tyree

(Laughs)

Hahahahah!!!

Please how can that be possible?

What can a cricket do to an elephant?

An ant so tiny is wise enough to know best its place and to


accept defeat pre the fight, so that he can live to mind his
hard work. Why would I be so stupid not know my place
by accepting the truth and save my people from extinction?

You are talking of the most powerful kings on earth – very


ruthless, barbaric, and merciless!

How could you possibly say…?

My people and I will evacuate this land immediately.

26
They are only three hundred thousand of us including
women and children.

We could never possibly stand half of their strength, let


alone fighting them.

We will be like a helpless tiny ant in their eyes.

Luneah

Even at that, I will turn tiny ants into elephants, and


elephants into dust.

I will make the memory of them to vanish from the minds


of all that sings of their greatness and replace their
greatness with the thought of tyree.

Yes, I will give them into your hands.

I will crush them before you.

Besides, are they all not my subjects?

They serve my purpose and worship my subjects in


different tongues.

Belzar, Beliah, Zelzar and Zonxi: all are my subjects.

I am choosing you as an instrument to spread my fire all


over the earth.

27
The fire shall fill every hearts with love and fear for
Luneah.

And I will make you great in all the earth, so that as your
greatness spreads

So shall the fire of Luneah spread to the four corners of the


earth.

I told you, I am Bukah!

The same your ancestor eron a descent of Bukah


worshipped and did incredible exploits.

As I was with eron, even more shall I be with you.

Look!!

(Then Luneah waves his hands in the air and a screen


appears, showing the future greatness and glories that
await the great man. In awe of what he has seen an
ambition for it overwhelms him)

Tyree

Could such glory and greatness really exist?

Can a mortal ever possess such affluence?

28
What must I do to possess these my lord?

Tell me my lord, what price must I pay?

Luneah

Serve and worship me.

I, even I alone must be your god.

Your people shall be called the Sorekites, worshippers of


Luneah,

People of the Sorek religion.

And your new kingdom shall be called Tyre.

I have already chosen this new kingdom to be

My seat here on earth, and from here I shall function on


earth.

Sorek shall be the religion of your kingdom,

Both you and your people shall worship me, your one and
only sovereign master and god, Luneah himself.

As you grow in greatness, nations will come seeking from


you

Financial and military aids.

29
Your condition shall be, they must accept your own
religion and abandon theirs.

And any king that opposes your religion or refuse to


accept your offering and condition must die by your sword

and his people shall be forced to accept your faith.

Slay them by the sword and burn down their cities, so that

others will hear and tremble before you. You will establish

Certain cults in their cities which I will instruct you of.

However, I must warn you,

The four kings that surround Orphir are already aware of


your presence here

and will unite to erase you from the earth.

Howbeit, fear not as I promised, I will help you overcome


them.

I will bestow on you all my powers so that this religion


shall

be seen with power to make men tremble before you.

However, there is one thing you must do to make this


possible,
30
But I wonder if you really desire this vast glory and power
that I have shown you.

If you don’t need it, I will look for another Tyree.

Tyree

Another? Another?!

I am the last of all that ever bear such gigantic name.

There is no other.

If another does bear this name among men or among the


gods,

Certainly he is not the destined child of this glory and


power.

For who else could, but bear such power and glory seen in
the mirror of tomorrow, if not this Tyree in person and not
only in name?

If there be another bearing such name in my time,

Then such a person is fake.

I am the original, and the true personality!

Tell me, my lord, what must I do?

31
Luneah

You must offer a sacrifice.

Tyree

A sacrifice?

(chuckles)

Is that all?

Luneah

Yes, a sacrifice is compulsorily needed to effect it.

Tyree

Tell me,

What sort of sacrifice?

Tell me and I will do it!

Who will but see this kind of future and not be moved to

Possess it at all cost.

What must I offer as the sacrifice?

32
I could offer a sacrifice of a hundred bulls, just to become
the person I saw in that vision.

Luneah

I do not need a hundred bulls, Tyree.

I own all the bulls in the entire world and I can give any
number of it to anybody I choose.

I need only one thing that is worth more to me than all the
gold and diamonds in the world.

Tyree

More than all …?

What is it then?

What could be that precious?

Luneah

First you will build me an altar here.

Second, When the four kings gather to fight you do not


engage them until you must have sacrificed, your only son
to me on that altar.

Tyree

33
What?!!

My only son?

Luneah

Yes, your only son.

Tyree

(Laughing)

Does the great Luneah delight in offering amusement?

Amusing and entertain his worshippers with impossible


thoughts?

(Continues laughing)

Luneah

It takes a life to activate such limitless power and vast


glory.

It will cost you the most precious thing in this life for you
to have the entire world in your palms.

Great men are not those that talk mightily;

rather they are those with the heart to do what it takes to


be great.

34
Behold! A great future lies in front of you.

The four kings will soon come. What are you going to do?

Tyree

(Sad and heartbroken}

How can I...?

Luneah

(Interrupts)

It takes courage to be great.

It takes a stout heart to do the unimaginable.

And it takes determination to be a king.

To be a king, you must do what a king must to protect his


kingdom,

Even if it cost him the very precious life of his son, his only
son.

O great King Tyree,

35
(Calls him king, just to arouse his interest}

Greatness comes by sacrifice.

You don’t expect others to sacrifice toward your course,

When you yourself have not sacrificed something for them.

You give away something to get something.

Something gotten with nothing ends in nothing, and there


will be nothing to write about it.

The sacrifice of the life of a son secures the lives of

Many more precious sons yet unborn.

Tyree

Should I then lose the only one I have for a thousand I do


not yet have?

Must I sacrifice an heir for unborn countless heirs?

Does being a king entail carrying such a heavy yoke?

If the noble are thus yoked before they ever become kings,

Then they must have first sold out their hearts and peace.

They are but kings in yokes and kings with no heart to love.

36
If a father could look into the eyes of his son in the night
and tell

him how much he loves him, only to cut his throat in the

morning, then he is the worst of all butchers.

Merciless! Barbaric!!

Luneah

Every prince for the throne makes sacrifices, and kings as


well makes deep sacrifices for greatness.

Because, it takes a determined heart and a strong mind to


climb to greatness. Sacrifice is the root of all greatness.

Greatness is not for the soft and weak.

The soft becomes hard, the weak becomes strong and


brave to have greatness.

They undo every weak spot in them so that it will not deter
them from climbing unto greatness.

There are sacrifices to be paid for such attainments.

They differ from man to man and from destiny to destiny.

This is the price you must pay to achieve your own destiny.

37
Tyree can always be a father to many sons.

Tyree

(Turns aside in despair)

I can never be a father again.

Though I may have other sons, the memory of this deed


shall torment me forever.

My endless and priceless love for my son can not allow me


venture into such enterprise.

Moreover, what is the guarantee I will not be compelled to


sacrifice another son?

Luneah

This shall be the one ultimate sacrifice to seal your


greatness, and

the foundation on which your future, throne, kingdom,


faith and existence of your people as sovereign and great
civilized people shall be built.

For this your people shall owe you everlasting gratitude.

Their lives will depend on it.

38
After this sacrifice, the next things to follow will be
instructions and ordinances.

Tyree

Instructions and ordinances?

Yoked of laws and restrictions.....?

This cannot be the only way to it.

Luneah

The defeat of these kings and your future depends on this


sacrifice.

Do it, and the blood of your son shall be the seal of our
everlasting covenant.

And so long as I remain the god of all your descendants and


that of your people, this covenant will forever speak in
your favour, and the throne of Tyre shall never depart from
the lineage of Tyree.

And greatness, shall forever run through your loins.

However, no one will ever serve me without getting back


more than what he gives.

Your son shall indeed return to you through your daughter.

39
(Tyree didn’t take note of the last words of Luneah. He is
still overwhelmed with

the thought of sacrificing his only son, as Luneah


continues.)

Unless Tyree does not want this glory and power.

Tyree

I want it my lord!!

Yes, I really want it...

Luneah

You don’t want it, but you need it.

Your future and life depends on it.

Tyree

But not at the expense of my only son!

Ask me for any other thing and I will gladly sacrifice it.

I will even gladly offer my blood.

Luneah

Tyree doubtless loves his people and family so much.

40
But if Tyree offered his blood for this course, who then
would inherit this great future?

For he did say,

“If another does bear this name among men or among the
gods,

he is not the destined child of this glory and power,

for who else could, bear such power and

glory seen in the mirror of tomorrow, except this Tyree in


person and not only in name?

There is no other, but if there be another bearing such


name in my time,

then such a person is fake”

What is yours cannot be given to another, o great Tyree.

Yours it is, and yours alone it will ever be.

And with it comes this sacrifice.

Only Tyree in person and not in name only can bear such
power and glory.

He alone is the original, indeed the true personality.

41
Tyree

I can’t do this thing. I can’t. I can’t sacrifice my flesh and


blood, my only son, just for greatness....

Luneah

Just?

Is what I shown you that common to you?

Sacrifice your only son, Tyree.

Afterward, you must sleep with your only daughter.

She will give you another son, and afterwards she will be
the first priestess of Sorek religion.

For that, is the will of the father of the gods.

Tyree

No, No! No!! I can’t do it!!!

(He runs off shouting)

I can’t do it!

42
SCENE FADES

ACTS 2

SCENE 1

(12 days later, a messenger walks into the camp with a


message from the four kings. He meets BUZU)

BUZU

Who are you?

Who do you seek?

Messenger

I seek the audience of your chief.

43
BUZU

Who seeks the chief?

Messenger

A messenger from the four mighty kings whose great


kingdoms and mighty forces stand at the breadths and
lengths of this land,

The owners of the land you have occupied without


permission all these years.

I am sure you are not the man I seek.

I seek for the great Tyree, who is indeed the tallest among
his people.

(As he mentions Tyree’s name, the whole clan is surprised


at how he knew it)

Are you wondering how I knew your chief’s name?

We have been monitoring your coming in and your going


out.

And we are aware of how well you have thrived in this land
without paying

Dues to the owners of it.

44
We took time to know as well the names of his council
members and warriors Emprax, sienna, you buzu...

(Enters Tyree)

Here is the man I seek!

Tyree

I am Tyree. What do you seek me for?

Messenger

Indeed the tallest among his people.

I am the messenger of the four mighty kings on whose


ancestral land you are occupying:

King Afac, King Stroyk, King Maga and King Slovok.

The four joined hands together to send me to you with this


message.

Tyree

Then join me in my tenth and I will be all ears.

Messenger

No.

45
I am commanded thus to read it in the hearing of your
people.

Tyree

My people do not understand your language and are not


well educated.

MESSENGER

Of all we took time to learn about you we never learnt


tyree can easily lie.

For we are aware 95% of your people are educated.

You have scholars, engineers, tutors, physicians,


mechanics, priests, warriors, farmers, cobblers and traders
among you. From the moment you arrived you
intermingled and transact with other clans and nations,
and with that you have thrived greatly, beyond words.

So how could such educated elite chosen to hail from one


womb be uneducated?

However not to worry, my masters are indeed wiser.

For they bid me to write and read their words in your own
Pontiac tongue.

(Indistinct chat and panic in the camp)


46
As I said, we watched you from afar and took time to study
your ways.

Now hear the words of my masters!

(Opens a scroll to read)

Thus the four kings have written with one pen on one
scroll and with one voice, saying,

“Who is he that has entered into the cave of lions?

Who is he so brave to come lay beside sleeping lions?

Is he wise or stupid?

Whatever god he prays to, let him pray harder because the
lions are awake.

The priests were asked to make a sacrifice. They went to

store room of the gods of the kings Belzar’s, Beliah’s,


Zelzar’s and Zonxi’s and found no pigeon.

However, looking through the window,

They found a white ram trapped between four mountains


and the gods said to the priests,

“Here is the ram for the sacrifice”

47
A big ram to replace a simple pigeon!

Oh! Indeed a mortal has just blessed and enriched the belly
of the gods.

Whoever you are, your gods must be so blind to direct your


footsteps to den of lions.

Does he hate you so much to bring and abandon you here


to the sword of death?

Pray to him, for death descends on you!

(Finishes the reading and looks up)

Those are the words of would be, new masters after today.

He that has wisdom should know when a stitch in time


says nine!

You can still save your lives by surrendering to them.

March out stark naked to meet them, prostrate and kiss


their feet.

Perhaps my lords will be merciful and, against their


ruthless nature,

Might spare your lives and take you in as slaves.


48
Slavery will be better than horrors of death in the hands of
my kings.

Or you can decide to wait here while they visit you with
death.

(Messenger exits. The camp is in great turmoil and panic.


They begin to cry.)

The Clan

Tyree! Help us!! We don’t want to die! What shall we do?

Is it not better to submit to slavery than wait for death to


descend on us?

Zokan

We will not submit to their threat.

I will not watch my wife expose her sacred body to be


sexually ravaged by beasts.

Neither will I allow the dignity of the virginity of my


daughters to be tampered with.

I will rather die than see my family work as slaves in a


strange land.

49
Akin

Zokan we don’t really have a choice here.

The entire clan is ready to go into slavery rather than to die


here.

Zokan

Shut up boy! You don’t talk for others.

The whole clan is confused; they don’t know what they


really want.

A noble man stands to fight and protect his family, even if


he has to die doing so.

That is what nobility does; they give their lives to protect


their loved ones and what they believe in.

Our people will never go into slavery!

It is better to die than to live to see your sons and


daughters

Live like pigs to the fun and pleasure of their master.

But cowards would for fear of death prefer life in penury,


shame and slavery, because they love their lives so much.

There is no honour in cowardice!


50
Yes, warriors may die but warriors’ gains honour,
immortality and freedom from humiliation by dying in the
same field of battle every warrior falls.

It is the glory of every warrior when his blood count along


with every other warrior’s in the field of battle.

Our fathers though educated and elites were first fearless


warriors and sons of eron!

We may have hid our true identity from other clans and
may have lost or forgotten it.

Though our hands may have been softened by books and


learning, yet behind our learning lies our swords, the
warrior’s heart and our fighting skills.

Better to die in honour for the course that no man should


be a slave to another. (Looks at akin with disgust)

than to live with men that know no shame.

The gods made a mistake here, putting cowards in the


midst of men of honour, in the midst of warriors!

Cowards that can not protect their father’s name, nor the
legends they

Live behind.

51
Akin

Honourable Zokan! Full of inspiring and heroic words.

(Laughs scornfully)

As matter of facts, you speak exactly like our fathers.

Listening to you all I could hear are the fairies from the
fairy and folk tales they told us of the legendaries of their
own fathers taken better part of your mind. It has even
given you a castle in the air mindset.

Wake up from it before it’s too late!

(Turns to the panicking crowd surrounding and listening


to them)

Tell me; where is the wisdom in fighting,

When at the end you will be killed, and the same family
you fought to protect still goes into the slavery?

Where is the honour in such death? It is a useless death!

All men may not be brave, however all men are not
cowards.

And all men should apply the common sense of wisdom.

What I am proposing isn’t cowardice but a common sense.


52
But honourable Zokan here may not admit my common
sense is a simple wisdom, because he lacks it. Moreover,
common sense is not after all common among the likes of
Zokan.

My people, wisdom is mightier than the strength of the


mighty, stronger and braver than the heart of the brave
and sharper than the sword of every warrior.

the warrior that lives to tell the story of the fallen ones is
better than the warrior that lies beneath his feet and lay
forever silent and inactive in the bosom of death.

I am no coward and so is none who are agitating with me


for this right decision.

Wisdom is what we need here to make the right decision.

It is better to live and see your children and your children’s


children.

For with life there is hope for freedom from slavery!

Zokan, of what use is it to die for nothing?

Zokan

53
There is no atom of nobility in you, yet your father and his
father were all noble patriarchs, brave men that took the
lions by the jaws.

They fought, even to die first than to see shame as this,


come upon the clan.

Akin

You talk like my father.

He once said, a man is better lay dead on his own sword,


than to be a

Coward that lives at the mercies of his enemies.

Zokan

He was right.

Better to be dead than to be slave,

Cleaning the anus of your conquerors with your tongue.

Death is an honourable thing compared to that!

Akin

No, that is senseless instead.

54
Is it not better to live to see a day of freedom than to lay
hopeless,

Helpless, breathless and senseless and eaten by moth


beneath the earth?

There is hope for the living than the dead.

Zokan, you boast of bravery and the heroic strength of my


fathers.

Dose the dead live to see the present and future of those
they live behind?

Can they rise from the grave were in we left them to fight
for us?

No! I will rather live than to be so stupid and senseless.

Hear me all of you! I say, that we surrender to them and


live to see tomorrow.

If there is tomorrow for us, then there is hope for us.

There is no shame in surrendering stark naked and to live


as slaves for a time. Believe me, death is far worst.

You can’t tell what manner of torture and the whips of


death they will bring.

55
However we decide, out of two one will happen today, if
we surrender we will be their slaves, naked and devoured,
yet live in hope which by the god will not fail us. But if we
refused, we will

Forever be slaves to death, exposing our bodies naked to


be devoured by vultures and the hyenas that roams in the
field, and our decay bodies turned manure to make more
fertile this very land for another to harvest the fertility it
gives it.

Hence we will only bleed to enrich the more this very land.

So I say! Better to live and see tomorrow than to die


without tomorrow.

Zokan

You fool!

Worst than an infidel, lower than the dust!!

Why are you a disgrace to the honourable names of your


fathers?

Akin

56
The honours of my fathers and their names so honourable
won’t bring me an hair of salvation in this predicament,
Zokan.

Neither would they rise from their ancient graves to


protect us.

We must decide wisely to protect ourselves and our future!

I am simply protecting myself and what tomorrow has for


me and my family, that I tell you my friend is honour, and
honourable!

This logic is simply a common sense of wisdom; surely it is


acceptable by all.

But I know you wouldn’t accept it, would you?

Zokan

You.....

(Zokan tries engaging akin in a fight. The crowd separates


them.

The entire clan rises more in tumult, fear and confusion.

In the midst of all this, a boy runs in from the mountains to


tell Tyree

57
in the hearing of the people that the four kings are
marching with their armies in countless numbers from the
north, south, east and west to attack them.

While they themselves are only 300,000 in number men,


women and children.

Pressure comes on Tyree. He is torn between his duty to


the people and his love for his only son.

Emprax

Shall we stand and watch our families perish, without


doing anything?

If we must fight, how many of us can stand the strength of


their

Countless armies?

Tyree is dumbfounded he cannot help or save us now.

I say we should run as far as we can.

Buzu

Run to where?

Tyree, tell us what to do.


58
Emprax

What must we do?

We must do something!

Tyree

You will do nothing, my brethren.

(Tyree takes a seat at the entrance of his tent. His council


of elders draws closer to sit around him)

Emprax

What do you mean, do nothing?

You mean do nothing and die?

Buzu

If Tyree says we should do nothing, then that is exactly


what we shall do.

Zora

Better to do nothing than to do something absurd and


stupid.

Tyree

59
What I mean is that there is nothing any of you can do
about this situation.

But I can; I can turn this situation around.

Buzu

What do you mean chief?

Tyree

Buzu, I am in deep waters of dilemma,

In a deep blue sea! Am torn between duty and love.

If I fail in my duty, then calamity will befall my sheep

And, posterity will hold me responsible, but if I break the


heart of love, I break myself.

And if I don’t do the only option then I break my staff.

Buzu

May our ancestors forbid! The staff of the head of the clan
can not be broken.

Tyree

Then what must I do, my brother?

60
Should I preserve my heart and watch an entire generation
being wiped off?

Emprax

Generation, wiped off? Chief, what are you saying?

(While they are discussing, Emar, Tyree’s son draws closer,


listening to their conversation.

Then Tyree confides in his men and chiefs about his


encounter and challenge.)

Tyree

That is my dilemma.

Emprax

So what do you intend doing?

Something has to be done.

Zora

Of course Emprax, something has to be done.

For the love for Tyree and for the clan, you can volunteer

to offer your son in place of the young Emar.

Emprax

61
Zora, we are trying to find solution to our present
predicament, and you are joking about it?

Zora

And who says I am joking?

You have five boys; Tyree has only one, far younger than
your five grownups.

If he loses Emar, he will have none left.

But you have five. If you lose one you will still have four.

Emprax

I am neither tyree nor the chief.

When our god, Bukah chose him to lead us, the

Responsibility to make this sacrifice fell on him.

The Luneah or whatever that appeared to him knows

him too well, and doesn’t know me.

Sienna

Emprax, Emprax.

62
Unease lies the head that wears the crown.

Do you have the slightest idea of what Tyree is going


through?

No, you don’t, that is why you are talking without


reasoning.

So you better shut up or get out!

Emprax

Ok, I will shut up. But what are we going to do?

Something has to be done!

Zora

Tyree, we do understand the dilemma you face now.

I assure you, we will appreciate and accept whatever you


decide.

We cannot force you to do what is not in your will.

However, something must be done for we face extinction.

(Tyree sighs deeply and bows his head)

Emar

(Speaks up)

63
Just as the deity said it would happen, the four kings are
here.

No doubt he has as well told how to get rid of them...

Tyree

Emar...

Emar

Then you, my father, shall be the king of the united five


lands, the kingdom of Tyre, the land of Tyree.

I would rather die my father, than to watch you and my


sister go into slavery and penury.

Tyree

(Stands and goes to him)

Son, be quiet. Don’t talk any more.

Emar

64
Father, they could enslave my sister and send her to
prostitution to enrich themselves.

I cannot stand it and you cannot stand it either.

I will not live to see that happen.

Tyree

I know and I am not going to let it happen.

Emar

What are you going to do, father?

There is nothing else to do but to accept this only option


left.

(Indistinct conversation among the elders)

Our people must survive.

There is still a future for us, father.

And thank the god who has revealed it.

Tyree

Shut up Emar! You don’t know what you are saying.

Emar

65
I do father.

I saw it in my dream last night.

I saw what I must do to save my people, which is what you


must carry out.

(Indistinct conversation among the elders)

This morning I woke up, knowing what awaits me today.


So I prepared my heart and mind for it.

Tyree

(Unease hearing that)

What?

No! I forbid it!

Emar

No man can forbid the will of the gods.

What is purposed is purposed and what is revealed is


revealed.

Reality is reality, face it father.

What you were asked to do was equally revealed to me in


my dream, and

66
I have accepted it.

Zora

He revealed it to you?

Emar

Yes

Tyree

Luneah appeared to you

Emar

Yes father, he also appeared in my dream.

The coming of the kings simply proved his words are true.

Look at the people father; look at the people, your children


father!

(Tyree turns to look at the faces of the people. He is


helpless and falls on his knees, weeping as sorrow pierce
deeply his heart)

Look at their faces, my father. The tears and the agony they
are going through.

67
Is it the agonizing fear of death piercing their hearts and
bones like fiery dagger?

Or the fact they may not see this world again, if we don’t do
this?

They stagger in confusion like sheep without shepherd.

Let my death unite them all under one throne, under you,
father.

Is it better to spare a life and loose thousands?

Knowing very well that one life could be sacrificed to save


thousands?

It is better I die for the sake of these thousands, so that


they and their children can live.

If I die there will be future for our clan, a future of absolute


glorious greatness, wealth and prosperity beyond words.

Then this small clan shall become the mightiest and


greatest of all nations.

Then let it be said that I, Emar lived to die for my people,


for that is what I came into the world to do,

to die that people and a clan may become a great and


mighty nation.
68
This is my destiny: when I die, my destiny shall be fulfilled.

By this I shall die a glorious death,

The lips of posterity shall ever sing of it, and the gods shall
crown me a deity among their numbers.

For as it is said in the ancient ballad, the soul of every


righteous person is immortal and divine.

Tyree

(Falls at the feet of Emar sobbing)

Son, don’t do this to me Please...

Emar

Father, don’t you get it?

This is what you must do to save these children of yours!

Look at the children crying and the women shivering and


pleading to be allowed to live.

Why would they beg mortal men for their lives?

The very mortal that can neither mould life nor has power
to give it; yet, why would they be begged to spare lives?

69
It is the gods that have the power to give it and to take it
away, not men!

Can’t you see, father, they want to live?

Your people want and needs to live!

Father, I will willingly give my life for theirs and my blood


for their future.

(Walks to the people)

I will be the sacrifice, the bleeding ram that will save you!

I, Emar Bar Tyree shall be the reason why you, your


children

And their descendants shall live as a free and independent


people.

I shall be the reason you will live without the yoke of

Masters around your necks and taskmasters’ burden on


your shoulders.

Let my blood give you the great future promised you and
your children.

However, I do this for love, keep the same love among you
and remember this day as the day of Lupridoth.

70
This means, the day of the greatest sacrifice and the day we
found our nation.

I do this because I love you all so much!

(The people draw closer surrounding him, weeping at his


feet and amazed at his great love for them)

I love you all.

Tyree

(Sobbing)

My son! O my son!!

Emar

(Comes to his father, who kneels weeping)

Father, why do you cry?

Tyree

I should be the one to die, while you live and take care of
your sister.

Emar

The gods did not will it so.

71
Have you forgotten our faith, father?

A purposeful death is an honourable thing in the sight of


the gods.

They gracefully and purposefully purposed this death.

If I die this way, the gods will be pleased with my soul and
welcome me in paradise.

Tyree

Then I am not going to see you again.

Emar

Father, have you lost your faith?

We will meet again, remember?

I am not going to be alone there. Mother will be there with


me.

She is waiting for me.

Come, father.

(Helps his father up)

While the people strategize to fight, let us go to that hill of

72
Val and do what we must so that the great god can be
faithful to his promises.

Our fate now depends on this sacrifice.

Tyree

(Stares at his son. his body trembles in awe)

I can’t believe this is happening.

Son, are you sure about this?

Because I don’t want to do it.

I can’t lay my dagger on my son.

(Sobs)

Emar

This is of my own free will.

Father, I am already prepared in my soul for this.

(Someone enters into the scene to whisper into Buzu’s ear)

Buzu

Tyree, the armies have been sighted from the top of the
mountains!

73
Whatever has to be done should be done now.

(Tyree hugs his son and gives him many kisses)

Tyree

Go to death with the many kisses of your father.

And may they remain on you till we meet again.

Emar

There is a better hope for the dead than for the living.

The dead has hope of seeing their loved ones again.

Tyree

You are a better man than I am.

You would have been a better, greater and stronger leader.

You have the heart Luneah seeks for, which I do not.

I love you my son, my son!

Emar

I love you too, father.

74
(They hug)

Tyree

Buzu, you will command the men, while my son and I head
for the hill;

You will not engage until the sacrifice is done.

Those were the words of Luneah.

Buzu

How do we know when it is done?

Tyree

When you see me return with a bloody hand.

Buzu

So be it.

(Buzu stares at Emar a while and hugs him)

For your words today I feel like I can prevail upon any
mountain and devour any beast.

For your love I feel like a king today.

75
And for your courage, I will forever worship your name
engrave boldly on the plates of my heart.

For this sacrifice, I am ready to sacrifice my life in the field


of battle, and while I fight all I will see is the face of the
bleeding ram, Emar’s

Emar

Then march on fearlessly Buzu.

Move like a storm and strike them with terror.

I, even I shall be with you there and my blood will spew


fires of death into your sword.

Remember, deep inside of you lies the spirit of Eron.

Buzu

So be it.

(Salutes Emar)

Long live Emar!

The clan

Long live Emar!!

76
Buzu

All the men come with me!

(Buzu exits with all the men of the clan. Three of the elders,
led by Zophni, approach Tyree with three young men)

Zophni

The great Tyree!

Tyree

Zophni, Zophni my grief is too much for me to bear; yet, for


the love of the people, I must bear it.

I am sacrificing my only heir for the people.

I now journey to the hill to shed the blood of my only son


for the liberation of our people from fear, death and terror.

My grief is so much heavy that I cannot speak with any.

Let me focus on the deed I must do.

Zophni

Tyree, Tyree.

We bear your grief with you.

77
Zora, Sienna and I cannot watch you bear this burden of
grief alone.

We will sorrow and bear the loss with you and enjoy its
glory with you.

(Presents the young men)

We give our own sons,

Of their own free will, they came to us, demanding and

Insisting on our blessing to go along with their

best friend Emar to the land of the gods,

For so they said that there is no better blessing, glory and


honour than

to die with a friend that would die for his friends.

Best friends in this life and in the world beyond.

Together, they said, they will sojourn to paradise.

Let them be added to the sacrifice.

Tyree

78
Surely, I cannot accept that, great and noble elders of my
council.

What mean you by this?

What are you thinking? Do you want to add more blood in


my hands?

This is untold and unheard of!

The sky looks cloudy yet it will see this in a cloudy


mysterious

View and will accuse me of their death if I accept such


pledge.

Let this be far from me for

I cannot accept you doing this, killing your own sons.

Why?

This will be seen as bloody covenant and generations will


call me “the bloody chief”

This deed requires only the blood of one and not four.

I understand your love for tyree thus persuades you unto


this, but this is the kind of love I can’t repay.

For there is no kindness worthy enough to repay it.


79
Only the gods can!

Lo, I am but a man burdened to do that which is very


difficult.

I will not accept this

Zophni

After today, Tyree shall no longer be a man but a god,

For only the gods can do that which he must.

Each of us can do giving out one of our sons.

Tyree has none other but the one successor he must


sacrifice for the love of the people,

Tyree

Zora, Sienna, Zophni,

Indeed you are the noblest of all the men in my council.

I equally take you as noble friends and kinsmen.

But, what fault of mine is the cause for you to love me thus,
as to put me into everlasting debt?

Zora

This is what our love and duty to you demands of us,

80
The same it demands of you to the people.

This is the time to show love and commitment,

Sacrifice is what it demands and sacrifice is what we will


give,

Whether blood, sweat or water.

Sienna

Besides, this responsibility should rest on the shoulders of


all elders in the council.

One shoulder shouldn’t have to bear the burden alone,


paying the price for the liberty and greatness of entire
generations, while we all sit back to enjoy its fruits
afterward, which will be so unfair.

That is why we are doing this; because in this great price


we see, greater glory, greater people and greater future
and a vast empire.

If we should share in its glory we have to first, share in the


pains of its price.

May our forefathers strike us down if we don’t do this.

81
Tyree

Great elders, indeed age has not depreciate your


determination, inspiration and aspiration, but I must
decline because you have no idea of what you are saying.

These boys are going to die; they won’t come back to you
again.

Zophni

Of course, we know.

Though it pains, yet, we will feel fulfilled to have done this.

Tyree

Please let me talk you out of this, the instruction says only
Emar my son, is the sacrifice.

Your sons are not, so let that suffice and take them back
home.

Their death will be useless, and this whole enterprise


turned bloody.

Zora

Let their blood, then, escort that of the sacrifice.


82
Let that be the need for them.

Let them be added.

Boy 1

Sir, we will rather die with our best friend than anywhere
else.

Emar

Then it is going to be a sweet death and honourable one.

It will surely be a fragrance to the perception of the gods.

Boy 2

Emar, you will not die alone and leave us in this forsaken
world.

Boy 3

We will burn, die and ascend, sit in glory;

and play with you, in the garden of the gods.

Life here is not worth living without any of you, my friends.

And there will be no comfort for any of us when one of us


is gone.

83
Hence, if the four of us will not live together in this world,
then we will die together and live together

in the world of the gods.

So thrilled shall our death be to them!

This sacrifice, though it would appear bloody to men, shall


be a pleasant and perfumed one to the gods.

For the love of the people, Tyree is sacrificing his only


beloved son.

For the same love, we, the friends of the only beloved son
will die with him.

Do not mourn for us, o great Tyree, for in death we will live
together in eternity.

This is but a passage to a transcendent life, a life much


better than the life we live here.

So shall the gods institute this love as a law to all men,

a perfect model of love for all, and so shall we be


immortalized

in the hearts of all men.

84
Today, we will make a perfect history of genuine love
between friends.

Tyree

I can’t believe this is happening.

What a god! He asked for one, he got four!

If anybody had told me this day would come, I would doubt


it till eternity.

Boy 2

Sir, we believe in you.

We believe in whatever course the great god has entrusted


to you.

Do whatever he told you and then our death will not be in


vain.

Emar

Then let’s go on into eternity where the gods awaits us


with glories past human words.

85
(The boys holds hands walking together ahead to the hill,
as Tyree stands, watching them amazed at such courage.)

Zophni

We shall go with you, and help in anyway we can.

Tyree

Uh! Go with me and do what?

What more do you want to do? Watch your sons die?

Or ask me to sacrifice you as well?

Did today dawned to make a blood butcher of me?

Was I destined for this sorrowful day, to make river of


blood to gush from eron’s loin, just to make a golden nation
of it?

No! Go back to your tents.

Zora

Tyree is no butcher, but a loving father who will sacrifice


the only he has just to save us.

We will eternally owe him our lives.

86
Zophni

The voice of Tyree is the voice of a great king.

We believe in his course and we will graciously give our


aged lives to him if needs be.

However, if need be that we steady the heads of our sons


as your sharp blade efficaciously finds the apple of their
throat, that we will do up there.

Tyree

(Overwhelm by their show of love and commitment)

Henceforth, by the god Luneah, whose I am

And whose feet I will forever kiss.

I promise you this day,

That your names will be printed boldly and exclusively on


every page of the book of Sorek,

as the eyes that lent eyes to its existence.

87
Your descendants shall be custodians of this religion and
the heads of its branches.

Generations will forever be grateful and indebted to this


deed of yours.

The Lupridoth will not only be a celebration of the birth of


a new kingdom,

But in Lupridoth, you shall be remembered for this deed.

And I will never forget this deed.

(Then together they climb the hill and the sacrifice takes
place.}

SCENE FADES

SCENE 2

At the battle line Tyree returns with bloody hands holding


bloody dagger and his face painted with the blood of his
son to the admiration of his men.

The sight inspires and flames up his men to fight till death
and they chant accordingly.)

88
Men

Yeeee!!!

Tyree

(Standing on top of a hill, lifts his dagger stained with the


blood of his son and a banner at the other hand)

Brothers, listen to me!

You speak the Pontiah language, the tongue of the god,


Bukah.

You are of the tribe of Eron, the descendant of the god,


Bukah.

Remember who you are!

Remember Eron!!

Men

Eron!!

Tyree

Remember Emar!

89
Men

Emar!!

Tyree

I stand before you as a man, but deep inside I feel like a


god, for no one

Could have the heart to do what I just did, except a god.

They

(Point towards the enemies’ lines)

Are countless in number,

In thousands and in hundreds of thousands.

They are strong and powerful; even the earth shakes at the
sight of their

Overwhelming might and presence.

Nonetheless, we are few and looks weak.

We won’t deny that our feet are shaking and our joints are
losing their place for fear.

We won’t deny they are powerful.

90
But they are also humans!

And we are the sons of Eron!!

(His men shout in support)

Men

Yes!!

Tyree

They are also weak!

(His men respond by beating their shields with their


swords)

They also fear death!

(His men respond by beating their shields with their


swords)

Their confidence is only in their numbers and in their


arms,

But our confidence is in a weapon far greater than their


arms,

far greater than their numbers,

and far greater than their might.

91
Our confidence is in the blood of the sacrifice!

(Lifts high the bloody long dagger)

The blood that we were promised would bring us victory


and

Unite this land and the four nations into one kingdom.

The kingdom of the descendants of Eron!

The kingdom of Luneah and the kingdom of Tyre!!

Men

Tyre! Tyre!! Tyre!!!

Tyree

This entire region shall become Tyre, and you are the
Tyreans!

This land, those kingdoms and these enemies,

(Pointing to the enemies)

Are yours!!

I promise you, that after today you shall be immortalize!

92
Your names engrave in every book, of the kingdom of tyre!!

We fight under the umbrella of this sacrifice made with


Emar’s blood.

We fight under the banner of Luneah!

(Lifts a banner bearing the sign of a dragon, claims to be


the mark of Luneah.)

We are his worshippers; hence he is our one and only god!

Luneah is Bukah!

And Bukah is Luneah!!

Luneah, please be with us and guide us as we fight under


your protection!

Men

Ye!! Ye!!!

Luneah! Luneah!! Luneah!!!

Tyree

Now attack!

Buzu

For the glory of Luneah and of the kingdom of Tyre!!

93
Men

Yeeee!!!

(The few men of Tyre rush into the battlefield to face and
defeat

The innumerable army of the four kings)

SCENE FADES

SCENE 3

(On the other side of the kings. The kings positioned on top
of a hill sitting on their horses’ back. While their armies are
positioned innumerable at the foot of the hill)

King Stroyk

Here they come like tinny ants to fight battalions of


elephants.

I have never seen such a stupid race!

King Afac

They are not only stupid, but headless as well, without


reasoning.

94
King Maga

Of course, they are headless.

If not, they wouldn’t have been so stupid to decide to fight


us.

Wisdom would have told them to choose slavery instead.

All I see is a bunch of headless fools coming to fight against


an army.

King Slovok

Why would they listen to wisdom?

Didn’t you just call them fools?

King Maga

Commanders!

(Enters fours commanders}

Commanders

Your majesties.

95
King Slovok

Let us teach these fools how foolish they are.

Treat them like nothing less than fools, be merciless!

We don’t want to meet a head on its neck.

Behead every one of them.

But bring us tyree alive, in chains, to serve as slave

To the amusement of we kings.

Are we understood?

Commander 1

Yes sire

King Stroyk

I thought we would contend as well some allies helping


them.

I thought they have many associates.

As it is they are all alone in this world.

96
King Afac

Who would dare join them to fight the indisputable


warlord kings?

Look, they are but a pity sight, too small for many of us.

Why stress our might for ants?

I think we should send two smallest units of our infantries


to whip and pursue them into the mountains or into some
desert.

King Maga

Then two smallest units of the infantries,

Commanders over to you.

Commanders

At once sires.

King Afac

This won’t take time.

I can’t wait to get back to my bed.

97
King Stroyk

Bed?

King Afac

Yes, I left this lovely deer lying on the bed waiting for me.

(Amusing himself with the thought of it}

There are yet sweet parts of her sexy and sumptuous body
I haven’t enjoyed. I left them untouched last night.

So sweet in bed, she is so good at easing pains and stress.

I can’t wait to get back home, to my bed.

King Maga

Well, it will soon be over

And you will have too many deer to attend to you.

Because I learnt their women and girls are blessed with


unimaginable beauties.

When you have enslaved them you will have more than
enough deer for your sexual fantasies.

98
King Afac

What is this I see happening in the field?

Could it be my eyes deceiving me?

Why are our infantries falling?

King Maga

Your eyes are not deceiving you my friend.

What is happening?

Someone get me the commanders.

(Enters commander 2}

King Maga

Commander, what is going on?

Why are our men falling?

Commander 2

99
Sire, the enemy’s allies has joined them to fight us and they
are too many, and so fierce.

King Maga

(The kings steps down from their horses to take a better


view of the fight}

Fierce?

What allies?

Who is so foolish enough to form a

League with dead bodies, against the mighty war lord


kings?

King Afac

Do dead bodies have allies?

Where are the allies?

I see no allies, man.

King Slovok

There are no allies with them.

100
It is just the

Handful of them beating down our men.

Maga king

Commander, what kind of stupid joke

Are you fools playing down there?

Why are we falling before an handful of them?

There are no allies there!

What is happening down there commander?

Commander 2

But…. But sires there were allies with them fighting with
swords in both hands, too many to be counted.

King Afac

What do you mean by there were?

I thought you said …?

101
I think this fellow is drunk.

I think they went down there staggering drunk because of


over confidence, that could be why they are stupidly
falling.

King Slovok

Maga, that doesn’t explain what we are looking at.

Why are our men falling before the handful of them?

Commander 2

Sire, the men marched out sober than the wakening of the
day.

But….

I don’t get it; I don’t know why we are not seeing those
allies from here.

Sire if you get down there you will see them, fighting
bravely.

102
King Maga

Get down where, you imbecile?

You are stupid!

Say it!

Commander 2

Say what sire?

King Maga

Say you are stupid!

Commander 2

You are stupid!

King Maga

What?!!

(The king slaps him}

Say you, you, you commander is stupid.

Commander 2

I am stupid.

103
King Maga

Good,

Now get down there and crush them, unleash the whole
force on them!

And strike down every one of them!!

Commander 2

Yes sire

(Commander exits}

King Maga

Allies indeed.

King Afac

King Maga, are you sure your man is not drunk?

Where did he see the allies?

It is just the handful of them fighting.

King Maga

I believe he is and has grown poor in strategy.

104
Though, he is a good commander.

King Slovok

Is it only this handful beating down our men?

(The kings stare at each other at hearing king Slovok}

SCENE 4

(At the battle field}

Tyree

Take that!

(Slain an enemy}

Enemy

Ahhhhh!

(Slain}

105
Tyree

You too, this is for the blood of my son I had to shed.

(Slays another}

Enemy

No, Noooo! Ahhhhh yiiiiii!!

SCENE 5

(Back to the kings at the top of the hill)

King Afac

Have you noticed our lines are still depreciating?

King Stroyk

What is happening down there?

Someone tell the commanders to send down more men!

King Afac

More men?

All of them are down there o king, have you forgotten maga
ordered for the whole army to be unleashed?

106
King Stroyk

What?!

That’s not possible!

How could….? What is this…..?

No, no! this can not be possible.

This has got to be a joke or am I dreaming?

I need to wake up from it.

The gods wont let this happen.

How could the strongest forces on earth combined, fall


before… a handful of worms?

King Slovok

The greatest and most powerful, undisputed armies on


earth, defeated by a small insignificant clan.

How many are they…..less than 300,000?

How possible….uh!

How did it come to this?

107
(Enters Commanders 3 and 4}

Commanders

Sires!

King Maga

What is happening down there?

King Afac

How is it going commanders?

Tell us our eye deceives us.

(The commanders are shamefully silent}

King Maga

Where are the other commanders?

Commander3

Slain sire, fallen by the hand of tyree himself.

King Afac

Tyree, their chief?

King Stroyk

108
The commanders fallen?

Commander 4

Yes sire, tyree fights like a god.

He swings his sword and a thousand of it descends on us


with death.

They fight with him like cruel beasts.

I have never seen a people so fierce with the use of the


spears and swords.

The strength of one man seems like that of a thousand.

When you strike down one he takes a thousand of us with


him before he finally falls.

These are no ordinary people sires.

They are gods in a field of battle.

They look weak and few, but they are far stronger and
abler in the battle field.

Behind each man are hundreds of unseen men fighting


through him.

109
My eyes have never seen such a mystery before.

As we speak tyree fights his way to confront you here.

Commander 4

So we advise that you leave this place right now and flee to
your allies.

King Afac

Allies?

Who would want to be an ally with mighty kings, so


shamefully whipped by infants?

What they saw earlier to be friends with us, are gone


commander.

King Stroyk

How many of our men remain?

Commander 3

Not more than two thousand

King Stroyk

Two thous…. What?!

110
Out of eight million men?

King Maga

That cannot be possible.

Commander 3

Sire,

That is the truth.

If you doubt you can go down and see things for yourself.

King Maga

Go down where?

Commander 4

Sires, I learnt the people are descendants of the legendary


eron.

A ferocious, invincible and indisputable warrior and a


demigod in battle that ever walked the earth.

111
It was he that’s so acclaimed and proven to have
singlehandedly taken down legions on different occasions,
in his time.

No sword could ever pierce through his skin and none


could kill him.

Legend says he was taken by the gods and sits beside them
as the god of war.

Moreover, he was a direct descendant of his legendary god


Bukah.

We all know about the deity Bukah.

King Slovok

You mean they worship Bukah?

Commander 4

Not only they worship him sire, but they are descendants
of this awesome and powerful deity.

The blood of Bukah through Eron genetically runs in them.

You wonder why the battle turns out this way.

King Afac
112
Eron, Bukah?

Worms turns in my belly and advice to flee.

I am in the midst of two feelings, fear and disorder which


further suggest to flee while there is still time for it, and no
doubt both spells me a coward.

But it doesn’t matter, when it comes to, eron and Bukah?

The feelings are well accepted by me.

Eron and Bukah?

Who will not flee?

I agree that I am a warlord king, but we are talking about


the legendary god who is fearful and most powerful, not
even any known of the gods can withstand his might, the
same he embedded in the arms of a demigod, eron who as
we know was truly the legendary god of war.

King Stroyk

I thought the legend was unfounded and impossible to be


true.

Here it is, staring before my face, and I am compelled to


avoid encountering it, for truly I share the same feelings
with my brother, Afac.
113
King Maga

Afac, Afac be still. Still your heart my brothers.

King Afac

Still you said?

You seem relaxed; I wonder how that could be possible for


you, knowing what we are facing here.

King Maga

Of course I share your fears, but we have to control our


emotions.

Worst comes we flee, but we must remember that we are


the kings here.

We shouldn’t only rule over men, but we must as well rule


over our fears!

King Afac

114
What could be worst than this doom staring at us now?

Maga, you are the king in charge of this fallen enterprise,


do you have any cure to this impending doom?

(King Maga is dumbfounded)

He doesn’t, worms turns in my belly.

King Slovok

Of all we learnt about them, how come no one told us of


this?

How come commander?

Commander 4

Your majesty I just learnt of it in the battle field.

They carry with them the stature of Bukah, the standard of


eron and… a banner bearing an image.

I heard one of them referring to it as the banner of Luneah.

King Maga

Luneah, who is Luneah?

Another god?

115
Commander 4

I don’t think so my king, for I heard another thus shout as


he charged, that Luneah is Bukah and Bukah is Luneah.

(The kings are frightened the more hearing this)

King Maga

Are you saying….

Commander 4

Luneah is the same Bukah.

Sorry sire, we presumed to have learnt everything about


them, but actually we didn’t learn the most important
things, their history and their god.

King Maga

Never presumed about a man my dear, always be certain.

A man is nothing without his god, in every history of a man


there is primarily his relationship with his god.

His god makes mostly his history,

116
And that is what makes his history outstanding.

(Silence and fear fills the air)

King Afac

(Breaks the silence)

Someone should have learnt of this before the battle.

King Stroyk

What of our gods?

They can……

King Afac

Do you talk of gods when it is obvious that the gods

Are familiar with each other and bows to their superiors?

They are but one family, and do recognize seniority among


themselves.

If the gods you talk of has any chance of helping us, now
would have been the right time, and the event would have
been otherwise.

117
But no, they sit in luxuries, amusing themselves gaming
and playing chase with our follies and ignorance and at the
end, the

Senior among them prevails.

This they tag our destiny.

They gave us the privilege to learn only what they feel we


should about this clan, but denied us the thought of
learning these most important things about them.

Why? So that the senior among will prevail?!

King Maga

King Afac that’s enough….!

King Afac

This whole thing is a game to them!

We… we in all our might are their pawns, amusing them


with our ignorance thus displaying our follies and at the
end they say, the gods are wiser than men.

118
Why wouldn’t they be? They write their own scripts and
we are simply playing the role they give us, and from the
above they determine the outcome of our actions.

They will always win! And the senior amongst them will
always take the praise!!

King Stroyk

Blaspheming the gods won’t help us now.

Blaspheme and fight the gods tomorrow if you are alive to


do so.

What do we do now?

Should we take off to fight another day?

Or should we stay and die?

What say you my kings?

(Silence}

SCENE FADES

SCENE 6

(At the foot of the hill)

119
Tyree

(With Buzu and handful of men on horses back. His face,


armor and swords are blood-stained)

Buzu!

Buzu

Sir!

Tyree

I desire not to look upon the faces of those kings.

They are the cowards, sent their multitudes of men to die


for them while

By the outcome of the battle no doubt they have taken to


their heels.

Buzu

What do you want chief?

The god that appeared to you has kept his word.

120
Tyree

The great god Luneah is been indeed faithful to his


promise.

I have seen that indeed the nation of greatness he


promised is been given.

Though we have accomplished what is far most impossible,

But we shall see to it to remain so.

Surround the hill, let none of them escape and

Bring me the heads that wears the crowns of those four


kingdoms.

We shall forge them into one crown for one head.

Buzu

Right away sire.

All hail tyree!

(Buzu exits)

Tyree

(Aside)

121
Who would have believed this venture with Luneah could
be possible.

A handful of ants and crickets fought with the strength of


thousands and have surmounted the mightiest strengths of
our time.

Only a god can do it.

(Flashback)

Tyree

The four most cruel and richest warlord kings?

Who doesn’t know of them?

Even infants does.

Yes, even as a youth I heard of them and of how powerful


their ancestors were.

Luneah

Good to know you know!

For 15 years the land has enjoyed peace and rest.

And as you know, you stand in their midst, occupying

The cause of their endless strives.

122
(The reality of this knowledge dawns on tyree)

They are the most dreaded of all the kings of the earth.

Their kingdoms surround this land of Orphir.

However, the land of Orphir, the gold,

the diamonds and the crude oil are all mine.

I made and put them here for a purpose.

I made the fishes in the water and I made the cows in the
field.

I give them to whoever I please.

I am pleased with you, Tyree.

(Flashback cuts, but tyree recalls the following words of


Luneah voicing inside his head as he looks around the field
watching with delight his men advancing more succesfully)

Luneah

I will be your strength.

I will make you a terror that strikes fear into the minds and

hearts of his enemies.

123
I will turn this handful of men with you into the most
dreaded legion the world has ever known.

In the future, they will be known as the 16th Legion, death


in battlefield.

I promise that I will make you great,

greater than any king that ever walked the earth, greater
than those four kings.

And I will give you the entire wealth that lies beneath this
land and in its seas.

I will put the four kings and their nations into your hand

and you shall unite them as one kingdom, with you as the
king.

(The voice cease in his head)

Truly, nothing is impossible when you believe the gods.

Emar! It is done!!

You didn’t die for nothing.

(With tears in his eyes and weeping in his voice)

124
I didn’t cut you once only to cut you again a thousand
times.

Just once, just once sufficed, and the reward is eternal.

Your sacrifice is indeed the root of greatness that is today


born, for my eyes have seen it making impossibility so
possible.

Look down from the seat of the gods above and behold the
strength of your blood as it ignites the blood of eron in
every one of the infants you so much loved and died for.

I see your blood alive in them, today.

(Pulls his horse to ride away)

For your blood that was shed and for the love I loved you
my throne shall be named, Emar, because you will always
live in my heart.

(Points his sword toward the enemy’s position)

For Emar!!

(His men with him on horses respond)

Men

125
For men!!!

(They drive off)

SCENE FADES

SCENE 7

(Back to the kings at the top of the hill}

King Afac

Noble rulers and great fellow kings.

Silence is neither a decision nor a way forward, but a sign


of confusion,

What do we do?

King Slovok

(Laments)

Is this the end of the greatest kingdoms the world ever


seen?

How did our greatness suddenly come to this end without


a divination warning?
126
Why the gods didn’t warn us of this?

(Looking up to the sky and shaking his head in sorrow}

Why? Why?

King Afac

King Slovok, you can see that the sky bear no answer to
that

Question, not that they bear any grudge against us, but
because the

gods have disappointed and abandoned us to the mercy of


Bukah.

Why look up?

Look down and decide what to do.

King Stroyk

Then what are we going to do?!

Indeed I am not going to lose my vast kingdom to some……

King Slovok

127
I wonder why I listened to you fools to embark on this
fruitless battle!

King Stroyk

Besides, we were never the best of friends.

We were the enemies fighting over this portion of land,


until

You two, Maga and Afac came up with this idea of

Fighting this innocent few as escape goat to make peace


between us.

So….so….

King Slovok

Tell me why the gods will not abandon us to favor them?

Or is this your evil masterminded plan to get at us for the


past injuries?

Is this your way of destroying us so that the both of you


can

128
Take possession of orphir?

King Maga

What foolish talk emerging from a fragile mind, crippled


with

Fear and so concern with living yet, not thinking of fleeing

To live.

You are casting false accusations.

King Afac

Slovok, Slovok you are a noble king, but you are


disappointing the high esteem I hold you among kings, by
this wrong accusation.

Stroyk what do you imply by so… so… swallow that your so


false accusation and don’t ignite my temper toward you!

(Sigh)

Good kings what you said is not true about Maga and I.

We are in this dilemma with you, remember?

129
If we stay here and cast blames we won’t live to amend.

However if we leave to live we can amend and re


strategize…..

Commander 3

Sires!

Sires!!

King Maga

What commander?!

Commander3
Flee!
Flee sires!!
Flee!!!

Commander 4
There is no safe place for you here anymore.
The lines are finally broken.
And the enemies are almost at the top and surrounding the
hill.

130
We will see how long we can hold them at the top so you
can
Flee to a distance.
(Suddenly a fiery light blaze across the sky)
King Maga
What was that?!

King Slovok
It flashed like a blazing shooting star!
Where from it came or went, I don’t know.
Suddenly it appeared and suddenly it vanished.

King Maga
That’s strange. It’s a bad omen….
King Stroyk
What was it then?!
Why did such omen appear on such day as this, uh,
commander?

Commander
Your majesty I do not know, but are you going to stand
here and wonder about a mystery that appeared in the sky,
shouldn’t you be saving your own lives?
131
Let the mystery alone and save your own lives first, only
then you can wonder about the omen.
Flee my lords, flee!
(Mounting on top of their horses)
King Slovok
Look! Smoke, king Stroyk is that not…..?

King Stroyk
That is my kingdom burning!
My children, my wives.
Look, king Slovok, your kingdom is also on fire.

King Slovok
O Noooo!!
What is this?
How can only few armed men be so disastrous?
Look! King Maga, your land is in flames as well.

King Maga
I can hear my children burning, crying to me for help.
My kingdom, my vast glory! all destroyed.
There is nowhere to flee to.

132
King Afac
Then let us flee to my kingdom while we still have the
chance.

King Maga
Are you sure they don’t have allies fighting with them?
How many of them are fighting?
How and when did they get into our kingdoms?
If they can get to our lands, afac’s kingdom is not safe for
us.
They will as well get there.

King Slovok
What do you suggest?

Commander 3
You do not have the time sires.
Flee to wherever you can.
The men are abandoning the ranks and surrendering to the
enemies.
We will allow our men here to surrender once we are sure
you are safely out of sight.

133
King Stroyk

Then each king to his allies and friends.

I flee!

(They flee}

(Tyree’s men at the top of the hill}

Zokan

Buzu! The kings flee!!

Buzu

These are the commands of tyree!

Bring me the heads that wears the crowns of those four

Kingdoms and we shall forge them into one crown for one
head.

Go after them! And bring their heads and crowns!!

(Zokan exit}

Akin

134
(Looking bloody Calling from a point}

Buzu!

The enemies’ kingdoms are on fire!

Buzu

How come?!

But we never sent our men there.

Akin

Some said they saw fire fell from the sky to set them
ablaze!

Buzu

Then it is Luneah’s fire in order to break the spirits of the


kings!

135
Surely the kings are not fleeing to their lands!!

Luneah be praised!

(The commander4 and the few men with him engage with
tyree’s men in a fierce fight so that the kings can flee to a
distance)

Commander3

(Viewing the kings from a side of the hill to be sure they


have escaped safely to a distance)

Flee my kings!

Don’t turn back, keep flying!

Keep flying my kings!!

Don’t …..!

O Noooo!! King Afac and king Slovok have fallen, slain and
beheaded.

These seeming weak appearing people are definitely brutal


beast.

They show no regard to a head that wears crown of gold


and diamonds.

Over there, runs king Stroyk on foot, what of his horse?


136
O no, his horse failed him.

The enemy runs after him very close.

He will surely catch up with him, the weight of his body

Surely will hinder him run faster.

His pursuer is faster, he cuts him down.

Oh! He is slain, beheaded.

What is that the young man holds the other hand?

That is the head of my lord king Maga.

(Sighs deeply in pains with sorrow in his heart}

It is needless to keep fighting.

(Commander 3 enters the scene of fighting and whispers to


commander 4}

Commander 4

Men hold your ground!

Hold your ground!!

Withdrew!

(His men withdraws}

137
(Commanders draw closer to Buzu}

Commander 3

(Commanders kneels, the men join them}

We are servants with you to your master.

The heads of our masters are on the way to your master.

(So the war end as tyree’s men cheers and escorts the
commanders and their men down to

Tyree at the foot of the hill.

The heads of the kings are brought to him.

He stuck their heads into a pole at the entrance of their


kingdoms.

He grants amnesty to everyone of the enemy who wish to


belong to the United Kingdom.

He includes the commanders and his men into the army of


the new kingdom.

Tyree becomes the king of the four united nations with his
clan and named it the

138
Kingdom of tyre, as was agreed they become the Sorekites,
worshippers of Luneah.

As he was instructed, he had intercourse with his daughter


who him a son.

His daughter become sorek’s priestess)

SCENE FADES

ACTS 3

SCENE 1

(Presenting the boy at the hill of Val before the altar of


Luneah while the people

Watch him dedicating the boy to the deity}

Tyree

(Wearing the crowns of the former kings forged into a


single magnificent crown. Holding the baby before the
people}

139
Behold!

See with your eyes and testify that I say the truth and
Luneah

Indeed is a god of truth.

For indeed he promised Emar shall return to me.

Look, the boy bears the same tribal mark I gave my Emar.

See it

(Showing them the mark on the baby.

When the people see it, in awe and wonder they bow on
their knees praising Luneah}

Behold!

I present to you dedicated to the god Luneah,

The reincarnated Emar bar tyree returned back to us as


the prince of tyre.

The heir apparent to the United Kingdom!

The Clan

Emar has reincarnated!

Emar has reincarnated!!

140
Hail Emar!
Hail Emar!!

SCENE FADES

ACTS 4

SCENE 1

Scene returns many centuries to the occasion in igaza at


the river Kidro.

Ashthea with the seven elders of the sect.

AZARIA

(The eldest}

Dear niece, are you certain


this is what you want?

141
To enter into covenant with
our god heenu and to belong to the
brotherhood of the sect?

You do know what lies ahead


of you when you do this.

Tyre is a land of darkness


ruled and governed by the dark
prince Luneah.

And there in the palace with


you is the wicked daughter of
Luneah, Hashny.

This is going to be a
declaration of war between light
and darkness.

Ashthea

Uncle, you know well that


even before now I never bowed
my knees to the dark gods of the
soul of tyre.

I never kissed their feet nor


worship their statues, because in

142
me burns a hunger, a hunger for a
great light.

I sought the entire world for


the true light of life, the light of
freedom and peace. The light that
lightens the eternal mind, yet I
couldn’t find it.

Among the great scholars,


powers and mystery readers of
tyre I could not find it uncle.

All I ever found was deep


darkness that seems to be light but
looking deeply it only gives
darkness and affliction.

In the light of Luneah I saw


pains of yoke of bondage.

Yet a burning fire in my


heart led and pressed me to look
further for a reality of the true
light that gives life, eternal peace,
fulfillment and sure security,

143
beyond the shores of the land of
Luneah.

So, I came home to find solitude


from all the royal ceremonies,
duties and galleries and to seek
peace and quietness to hear my
heart ministering to my mind and
to understand the burning hunger
in my heart for the light of truth,
and where exactly it will lead me.

AZARIAH

Have you found it then?

ASHTHEA

In every of those pure words


that came through your lips
yesterday.

Those teachings came purer


than the purest and settled in my
heart.

The moment I heard those words,


a fiery star set over my heart the

144
same east star that set over a
stable identifying where the truth
was born.

It came like flowing from a


flawless thought unveiling right
before my very eyes my nakedness
and the truth about my true
person and whom I am meant to
be.

I saw the truth, the


authenticity, believability and
credibility of your god who is
hence my god.

I saw the light that I sought,


the freedom that I longed for and
the peace that I desired, I saw
them in the light of your god.

He is the light of light and


the life of life.

Finally, I found it at home, in


the sect.

145
So I accept to become a sect
and a worshipper of eloheenu.

AZARIA

So be it.

Queen Ashthea of tyre, by the power bestowed on

Us we initiate you into covenant with our god heenu, the


greatest of all gods.

The king of all gods, and the ruler of the kingdoms of men.

And by this medium initiate you into the Sect.

(Immerse her into water and pulls her up)

ASHTHEA

The river became a pool of dazzling light.

I was immersed into the most glorious and beautiful light


that surpass all other lights.

There is no light in comparison to it.

In the immersion I found solace, was fulfilled and freed.

146
I felt…. This strong surge of energy going through every
fiber of my being.

In all that, I saw myself lifted high above the earth to the
sky of brilliance light and rainbows.

And a figure stood before me, from whom all glory and the
glorious light emanate.

I felt drawn to him, I reached out and he touched my hands


and my heart.

He spoke unforgettable words to me.

Azariah

What did he say, niece?

Ashthea

(Speaks with passion}

He said; “fear not my daughter, for I love you more than


love itself could ever

Love you”

Then he said…that I shall have a child uncle.

147
Azariah

A child?

A blow on the jaw of Hashny and the sisters.

Ashthea

What do you mean uncle?

Azariah

What happened next?

Ashthea

And then, my body vibrated with the strong surge of


energy.

Then I was pulled out of the experience the moment I was


pulled out of the water.

NATH

My queen, you encountered heenu the God of the sect.

148
He revealed himself to you so that you will have proof of
his reality.

In him we have found comfort, freedom, love and peace.

And the power to do his will was what you experienced


going through your whole being.

In him we dwell in all the capacity of the definition of the


word power even beyond.

And through this medium you have declared before the


world that you belong to heenu, body, soul and ++spirit.

And you are hence a true sect where our god inhabits.

JERO

By this practice you have covenanted and buried your


body, soul and spirit in him.

This is a practical symbol of what transpired the moment


you confessed faith to him.

PUAH

149
We are mandated by the divine and holy one to embark on
a quest for the conversion of tyre into a land of the illumine
light that frees men from bondage of darkness.

Hence, you are going back as an agent of the light of heenu


to tyre.

And see to it that the message of the light of knowledge of


our god prevails in that dark land.

Tyre shall be conquered for the glory of heenu!

And we must press on hard until the light illuminates the


land.

However, do not be afraid of anything.

He shall be with you.

MATHIAS

For wars and persecutions shall arise!

Pains shall come upon you, like in child birth.

150
The kingdom of their gods, with all the might of the cults of
Sorek and the very dark power that grips it in darkness
shall tumble down their weight on you.

They will go a million and extra miles to try stopping you, if


possible, eliminate you.

You shall face such great troubles coming from the forces
that hold that land captive.

It shall indeed become your times of pains and agonies just


as your great

Ancestor yako the patriarch of igaza had before he became


king.

But after the storms then shall come the victory, for light
must conquer darkness.

The fear of Luneah shall be banished from the heart and


soul of the world.

Men shall experience the joy of knowing the truth; the


truth shall set them free!

Nonetheless, there are those who worship the gods out of


fear, but

151
In their hearts is the burning hunger for the truth that
comes from the teachings of the sect.

Heenu have seen those hearts and has vowed to save them.

That is why you must not keep silent; speak the gospel of
heenu.

However know this, they shall come after you.

ONAN

But cheer up, you have already overcome them.

And the joy of victory shall be yours.

Your victory over them has already been declared and you
are made certain to succeed.

For each step they take will only announce your victory
and glory, and proved you untouchable and indestructible.

ZENATHA

For heenu himself shall be your protection and shall make


you indispensable in that kingdom.

152
AZARIA

Hahahahah!! Fear not about the oppositions and troubles


that surely await you.

It shall indeed come; however, it is through these trials you


shall gain your glory in tyre,

And our god shall be enthroned in the heart and spirit of


tyre.

You will become an incurable pain in the neck of the


enemies.

A light too impossible to be quenched.

Our god heenu will protect and fight for you, himself.

Your name will forever be written on the sands of time


because of your sacrifices.

Even though a sword shall pierce your heart at the end but
you shall ascend to him.

Though they call you barren, a child from your womb shall
solidify the hand of sect upon the world.

153
Freedom shall be born into the world, and the free gift and
blessings of heenu shall spread

To the ends of the earth.

(Hearing these words, she demonstrates a great


excitement)

SCENE FADES

SCENE 2

In a room with the seven and other people like twenty in


number.

She kneels as this seven laid hands on her to commission


and ordain her a minister of heenu for the transformation
and conquest of tyre and to establish the sect in it.

AZARIAH

154
Queen Ashthea by the favor of our god we commission you
a minister of our god to go make a way for the entrance of
the light of our god into the land of tyre.

And may all his strength and powers support and


strengthen you in this mission.

Though the root of tyre is Luneah yet,

The conquest is already settled.

Sorek must fall.

Heenu has already gone ahead and has touched their


powers high and low and set events and prophecies on
motion for taking over the land.

He is in full control of the course of the spiritual

Events of the land of the Sorekites and their covens.

He shall prove himself to be Lord of all,

Indisputable, indispensable and unstoppable.

No walls of barrier can ever stop him from carrying out


any

Course he set to accomplish, not even the Luneah.

155
May his power go with you and may he go with you in
person………

(Suddenly there is the sound of a strong mighty wind


descending gradually from above. The sound stilled the
room and the minds of everyone, as they stand wondering
what it was that descends. Closer it gets filling and
surrounding the room.

Suddenly they start feeling a powerful force and awesome


presence filling the room.

The ground vibrates making it impossible for any to be


standing.

A dazzling light appears engulfing the room until it


becomes too bright for the optical eyes to behold. Everyone
prostrates shouting}

All

Great is our god!

His eternal light is beyond the mind and the heart can
comprehend.

156
Great is our god!

His light is the eternal light of freedom, peace, joy and love!

His light is the truth that brings eternal life into our eternal
soul and spirit.

And his presence is so awesomely powerful to behold and


none, can stand before him.

No mortal eyes can ever behold the light of his presence


and person!

Eloheenu is our god!!

VOICE

I am the light of the whole world.

I am the light that banishes darkness.

Go back to tyre!

I send you there as my agent of light to banish the darkness


that

Web the minds of its people.

With you, I shall accomplish the purpose of my will for the


land of tyre.

157
Do not fear I will be with you.

I will deal with all those evil powers of Sorek and bring
them on their knees.

Go back home, but as a sect!

And make sure you remain in the covenant you have


entered into with me.

SCENE FADES

SCENE 3

At the same time of the event in the room, right in the


kingdom of Tyre a particular shrine starts experiencing a
terrible earthquake and destruction.

158
Terrible thunder blasts invades a set of Sorekites in their
sacred grounds. 15 most powerful leaders of this set were
killed by the blasts while the rest scatters as they run for
their lives. The next thing that follows was the destruction
of everything in that ground by the blasts. Certain tombs
are wrecked apart by the blasts, souls imprisoned are
freed.

A particular cell is opened up by an unseen force and a


spirit walks free out of it.

The forces that stand watching over the cell are struck
dead by the blasts.

SCENE FADES

ACTS 5

SCENE 1

159
In the course of the same incidences.

The scene now is opened at the royal palace in queen


Hashny’s royal chamber where she lay asleep. Hashny
wakes up from sleep with a loud scream.

Hashny

Nooooooooo!!!

No, no!

(Grip with fear and horror as though she encountered a


monster in her dream.

Panting and trying to control her breath.

Searching her body to see if she has any wound, touching


her face. Still couldn’t believe she made it alive out of
whatever she is waking up from.

With trembling hands pours herself wine, gulps the drink,


and sits back on her bed.

160
Hashny

What?!

(Her heart beats fast)

What happened?

What was that?

Where did it come from?

I barely escaped ….Luneah my father!

(Sobs)

Some of the leaders…. fell.

I … I … I … barely made it alive.

I, Hashny almost …..Strucked?

I….I… saw bashta! Basheria, vanpera, slain by the blasts.

Bentan bent….an

(Sobbing)

Struck too.

Where did that havoc and blasts come from?!

161
Oh! Lune…ah!

Whooo….?

(Tears and weeping could not let her finish her statement)

Bentan My love.

Bentaaaan!

SCENE FADES

SCENE 2

FLASHBACK

A flash back opens on a scene.

162
Hashny in a garden with Bentan. A Sorek and a commander
of the army of tyre.

Bentan is also Hashny’s secret lover.

They clinch to each other in love.

Bentan

I am afraid my love; the king may discover us.

You know that will mean death for me

Hashny

No mortal king can lift a finger on any Sorekite, you know


that.

Bentan

I know, but he is still the king and the supreme head.

He will have a good and righteous ground to lift his finger


and remove my head.

You are his wife and what we are doing is sin before law
and the gods.

Hashny

(Chuckles as she looks at his face}

163
The gods?

Who are the gods and who is Hashny?

The gods and I are one and the same,

Have you forgotten?

Nobody is as dear to the gods as I am, not even the ceramis.

Whoever that is dear to me is as well, dear to the gods.

And you are dear to me, my love.

There is nothing I wish from them that could be denied me.

I love them so much as they love me too!

That is why I hold without measure their powers in my


hands.

Talk of the king; he has no righteous ground to frown at


our affair or harm you.

He doesn’t even look at me, the sight of me detest him.

He doesn’t even care if I exist. All he thinks of is his


righteous barren witch of a first wife.

Bentan, am a woman, I have emotional longings and needs.

164
A flame of natural need burns in my body and soul and he
shots me out to burn to ashes.

Oh, but the gods sent you to my rescue, and I fell deep in
love with you.

Hence he is the architect of our affair.

Bentan

Yes I know, still I should fear besides, he is tyree.

Me, what am I?

A soldier obligated to the military, servant of the state and


a slave to the monarchy.

My head can never be as precious as that of the king’s cup


bearer.

The king will not hesitate to take it.

Hashny

He is only a king under our master luneah’s weight.

He does only what we tell him the master says.

165
Bentan

Hashny......

Hashny

Shihhhh.

(Places her finger on his lips}

Say and fear no more.

Besides, we only meet here outside our bodies.

He cannot discover us in this realm.

Bentan

Not all the time, remember?

So many times we flouted our love in the palace and the


maids and guards am sure are ware of it, not to talk of your
son, presly.

Hashny

166
And who cares about that? Presly is my son, he has no
issue with us. As a matter of fact he has given us his
blessings.

Bentan

What of the king? Have you thought of what his reaction


might be?

Hashny

If it is possible for him he would have gotten rid of me and


my son.

I am sure this will simply give him a ground to get rid of


me.

So, he will simply bless us with all gratitude to you, my


dear.

Bentan

The king is not a fool my love, he is the wisest and smartest


man I have

Ever seen.

He could know and yet decide to show no concern.

167
As you said, which I know, he has this indifference attitude
toward you.

Notwithstanding, the situation here is different especially,


when you have a lover under his nose, right in his court.

You can’t deny that he once loved you. Once there is that
love it will always be there, no matter what Love is eternal.

Love sparks jealousy and the jealousy ignites the worst of


cruelty in every good king, whose wife sleeps with his
slave.

Besides, I fear that emnon has been spying us and sojorna


whispering to the king’s ears that we are lovers.

Each time I enter the court I feel the danger, as if my life


hangs in the balance.

And each time he looks at me, I am always paralyzed with


conscience, and the consciousness that

He is aware.

Hashny

168
He is aware of nothing.

It is just your fears feeding your mind with lies.

Luneah approves and protects our relationship.

Do I not speak the mind of my father Luneah?

Bentan

I …. I fear something might go wrong

Hashny

Nothing will go wrong my love.

Yes my love, if anything should happen I will rather die


than any harm come to you.

Not even emnon and his regular gossips can stop us.

He uses his gossips for a favor from the king, but I can
handle him.

Sojorna, sojorna is a soldier that cares nothing more than


watching the

King’s back.

He has no time for such affairs.

There is nothing to fear.

169
Am I not Hashny?

Bentan

(Reassured and smiles)

Yes, you are indeed Hashny, the most dreaded, most


powerful and most beautiful of all.

The love of my life.

Your words sound like the love of Luneah himself

Hashny

But I am Luneah.

I am my father’s blood and my words are his intentions


and purposes

(Hugging)

Bentan

Not even death can separate us

170
Hashny

No, no, death can never come close.

Death does my bids, where I send it is where it goes.

Bentan

Hashny, your kind comes only once in every century and


I’m…….

(Struck by the blast which tears them apart bringing the


act back to the scene at Hashny’s chamber)

Hashny

Noooo! Not my Bentan.

Bentan, Bentan!!
(Sobbing)

O Luneah! Bentan I will avenge you!!

Whatever that has done this shall …..

(Sobbing)

Feel the sting of my wrath.

171
(Sobbing continues as she buries her face inside the pillow
weeping .suddenly sobbing ceased she starts lifting
gradually veiled with her long hairs)

Hashny

The cell was opened. Her cell, her cell

(Crazy demonstration swallows a deep spit)

It was opened, it was opened!

(Breathing fast, her heart pounding fast as well)

What is happening?

What does that mean?

Could it be… she is… freed?

But that is impossible.

Free by who?

Not by Luneah, that I know.

But ….what power would dare free her from my grip

172
(Moves herself backward to figure out the implication of
the event}

Wait a minute, does it mean she is no longer under my


powers?

What of my spells over her?

Are they all broken?

This can’t be happening.

(She tries hurrying out of the bed)

I must go and Ahhhhh!

(She screams. a sharp pain cut across her tummy. Blood is


coming from a wound in her tummy)

What is this?

Blooooood!!

My, my

(Sobbing)

Own, Blooooood!

Ahhhhh!!

173
(Crying in pains)

Who did this to me?

(Falls to the ground from her bed, wriggling in pains


speaking up loud in pains, anger and agony)

Who is it that dares the devouring dragon in her own


cave?!

Oh Luneah my father, hear and help your precious seed.

Pay attention to my cry for I am cruelly invaded….and


wounded……

(Pain increases)

Ahhhhh!

I have been struck; my precious dark blood has been shed.

I will, I will now fly to you.

Come now all you winds of darkness and carry me on the


wings of zos to him.

This place is not safe for me.

{She tries her powers nothing happens she searches


herself}

174
What?

{Search herself again}

My powers are all gone, my powers are gone!

What is happening to me?

Am not safe here.

Someone..!

{Tries to shout for help but the pain increases. gripped by


that pain her shout was very weak}

Helppp meee.

Guaaardds!!!

{Silent for a minute waiting and hoping for the pain to


subside}

I have to get out of here.

If I stay here whoever that has done this will come and

Finish me up, seeing am now powerless and vulnerable.

{Someone knocks}

At last someone has come, a rescue from the gods,

175
Indeed they have seen my predicaments and sent me help.

{Tries to get up the pain becomes more and more


unbearable she falls down flat groaning in pains. Her lips
couldn’t move, her voice is ceased because of the pain.

Though she is seeing the shadow of the person behind the


door but she could not speak out for she was paralyzed by
the intensity of the pain).

(The knock comes again and again but there is no


response)

Hashny

Help me.

(Very weak)

Help me.

(The person’s shadow fades off. Once the person exits she
starts regaining strength. Sits up, looking at herself and can
not believe what is happening to her}.

Hashny, Hashny is this it?

Could this be your end?

176
Shall I go to the world below without a fight, without
seeing the face of my butcher?

Shall I end like a beggar?

Am l expected to beg for my life?

(Looks up to speak}

Then better advice yourself because you are doing a


wrong calculation

For l, the daughter of Luneah will never and does not bow
to any man,

spirit or any god, and I do not beg any for my life.

My life is in my own hand graciously granted to me

by Luneah himself to do with it as I so wisely wish.

I am the seed of Luneah!

(Perceives someone pass in front and behind her. The


atmosphere grows with a strong presence of a personality
and tension rest on Hashny)

Someone passed.

177
Uh…! Someone passed again.

Who is it?

Who are you?

(falling shriek voices responds like that of ghosts}


your ruin Hashny, your ruin!

Run and flee!!

Hashny

Away! Away you fowl fallen creatures, under my feet!!

How dare you to tell your queen to run and flee?

There is nothing in this world that could threaten or meet


me in fear.

Silent! Away!!

You inferior souls to my superior soul.

You are but the voices of damned souls falling into


damnation.

How dare you attempt to think you can frighten me

With your fallen tones?

178
You are only but lost souls while I am the daughter of
Luneah.

Yet I do not think it is you that has thus attacked me


because you dare not

And you possess no such strength.

I sit at the right hand of Luneah in the council of the gods!

At the right hand of the god of gods and master of lords of


this world,

And I drink from his goblet in communion.

Kings, spirits and other gods bows to me.

If you are a spirit or a god that has thus dared me,

be sure you will have luneah‘s judgment to fall on you.

You will have his judgment fall on you!

I am the greatest evil and force of darkness that ever walk


the earth

I am the evil!

The wind and the sun do my biddings because I am the


queen of both the sun and the moon.

179
I am the only wolf that walks under the dazzling shade of
the moon in the most silent and dreaded forest of
darkness.

If you be a god oh, you went too far to take what is most
precious to me.

Something most sacred to my soul and emotion, Bentan!

I will surely get out of this net of pains and agonies,

And when I do, where in this universe will you hide from
me?

I live and reign supreme as a goddess in all the nine


planets, both in the physical and in the spiritual!

This wound and agonizing pains which you have inflicted is


just for a moment but l promise that yours will know no
end.

I will……

(Interrupted by the renewal of the pains, mustering


strength to speak

Further with loud harsh voice)

Drink your blood and smoke your soul with your skull!!
180
Who is it that will not fear the night when it comes?

The darkest of it and dares to step into its jungle to declare


a fight?

Think not that Hashny will fear you that has no face to
show.

Even fear knows too well to fear me.

Death and I were born of the same mother and I its senior.

Fear sees me and greets in fear and reverence.

I am the danger you hear of.

Graves and Hades trembles at my sight.

You hide behind the shadow of the invisible to strike


because you are a coward.

Coward, and afraid enough to confront me!

If you are a spirit or a god,

Then behave like one and face this Titan.

Who are you?

What quarrel do you have with me?

181
(Silence)

No mortal or immortal dares to challenge the daughter of


Luneah,

For in the mortal I am most powerful and among the


immortal I am but one most invincible and invisible.

I am both mortal and immortal demi goddess.

I am beyond your widest imagination and beyond


comprehension, in evil and cruelty.

I hold the secret of all powers!

Voice

You hold nothing.

Hashny

(Responds back immediately into the air angrily without


thinking)

I hold all powers!

I hold all powers!!

Hashny holds…all powers.

182
(Pause for a while. Stands up with the moral to speak)

Finally, so you can talk.

At least now I know that you are an enemy with a voice.

Whether you are a spirit or a god that chose to hide in the


invisible at least you do speak.

The gods that hide behind the unseen to fight are called the
coward gods.

Every god has a face, why do you hide yours?

Is it that ugly that you hide it from fine looking creatures


like me, eh?

Tell me you unknown god or spirit,

Why? Why struck me? What conflict do you seek with me?

(Silence)

Speak! Didn’t you just speak? What do you……?

Voice

Do not lay hands any more on my handmaid or I will inflict


you more with horrible than you can bear .

183
Hashny

Your… your handmaid?

What are you saying?

I have dealt and maimed countless persons.

Who is this you speak of?

(Silence)

Who is this person?! Uh…….. Answer!!

(Silence)

Who is this person for whose reason I have been struck?

Do you know you are talking to a queen of tyre and the

Daughter of Luneah and that I can banish you to Ahhhhh!

(The pains returns again more painful than ever. She falls
to the ground agonizing, groaning, wriggling and sobbing)

Someone help me.

184
Voice

Your co wife.

Hashny

Ashshshshshs...theaaa?

Voice

Now you know

Hashny

I have been struck because of…..

She is my captive!

Voice

No more.

I have liberated her from your grips.

She is now free, free from your evil web and chains.

185
Hence, she bears my seal of covenant which makes her,
untouchable.

Furthermore, she is my own precious daughter,

Just as you are to your Luneah.

Hashny

Never, Never!! Nobody dares take a captive from my hand,


dead or alive.

(Slaps her chest twice proudly and confidently)

No one! I said no one!!

When I take captives I locked them up in an everlasting


cell, and I am its key.

You will have to kill me first before that can happen.

But as it is, it is so impractical to kill me, because I am


immortal.

So she cannot be free until I say so!

186
Voice

Then I will strike you

In the morning, in the noon and in the night, over and over
until you learn two things: 1. that no mortal has such right
to break the spirit of others to enslave them.

Every man is created by me and born to be free to enjoy


light and all the goodness of life and liberty.

Apart from me there is no other god, and I created no man


to be slave.

2. That all power belongs to me, and I will strike further


until you learn of my power.

Hashny

Your power?!!

How dare you talk to me of power?

I said I hold all powers!

There is no power greater than Luneah’s.

Oh, you lied in your claims, Luneah is the creator of


mankind and he alone is the light of life.

187
He alone is supreme!

Voice

And where is he at this moment?

Why hasn’t he come to rescue you from me?

Where is he now or shall I say, where is he hiding?

Hashny

Hiding?

You have guts.

I don’t know who you are but,

I pity you, because your insults will later become your


death sentence.

Luneah can keep silent, but his action could be


immeasurable and unimaginable.

In his silence lies all his words, so fiery and destructive.

You just stepped into the threshing floor of death,

188
When Luneah plays, be ready to dance the music of the
gods.

(No response)

I will fight her till death!

Do you hear me?

I said I will fight till death!

Voice

So be it

Hashny

(Gnash her teeth in fury)

Who on earth are you?

Voice

I am who I am.

The all in all, through all, with all and for all.

(The voice leaves her. The atmosphere returns normal}


189
(She sits up breathing heavily in rage, recovering from the
pains she Jumps up from the floor and search about the
chamber to find the invisible person that spoke to her, but
she didn’t)

Where are you?! I said where are you!!

Show yourself to me! Titan against a titan, that’s if you are


indeed a titan as you have claimed.

How could you run now Hashny is fit to face you?

What kind of god that hides to fight and runs when the
fight starts?

Ashtheaaa! Ashteaaaa!!

You are the reason for this; I will make life miserable for
you in this land.

I will give you coals of flames to drink in place of water.

You went and hired a strange god to challenge me, in my


domain!

Not even the highest gods can dare such thing.

190
I will….

(Guard forcing the door open and enters)

Guard

Your majesty!

Are you alright?

I heard your voice I thought you are in danger.

Hashny

When did you hear it?

Guard

Now your majesty.

Hashny

Now?

My voice has been high all night, and it is now you just
heard it?

How long have you been guarding?

Guard

191
Since the first cock crow my queen.

Hashny

Then it was your shadow I saw at the door while I wriggled


in pains.

The gods sent you to help me, but you simply walked away.

Or are you in this with Ashthea?

Guard

Your majesty… I, I don’t understand what you are saying.

(Staring on the guard the old man start strangling to death)

Arrrrrrgh!! Arrrrrrgh!!!

Pleassssse… your majesty.

(He dies)

Hashny

Lousy, lousy old foolish guard.

You didn’t come when I needed help; you only came after I
have helped myself.

Ashthea, Ashthea!!

192
Your cock just crow, but expect my owl to hoot.

SCENE FADES

ACTS 6

SCENE 1

(At a gathering of ugly looking men and women sitting


round an altar.

The altar is round and smooth like a table inside a dark


cave, though there are touches.

Their presence gives an impression of evil with ominous


sound playing.

These are the remains of the leaders, overseers and heads


of every arm of the Sorek cults that survived the blasts
except that of the sisters who are absent here.

193
Enters Hashny in a black gown that has a scalp with which
she covers her head. Following her behind are five huge
strong looking weird and armed inhuman creatures}

Buba

Welcome, daughter of the lord of darkness, peace to you.

Hashny

(Removing the scalp)

Peace?

What peace do you miserable failure speak of?

Do you see any peace in this coven?

Take a look around!

Show me the sign of peace in the air or in the Land.

The earth weeps and the soil on which we stand wriggles

in pains, and our realm and essence of existence as cults

and lords of darkness are been invaded and threatened.

194
Even the peace we buried our ancestors with within their

tombs are being denied of them, and their souls hovers in

the air crying “Let not a soul rest, eat or drink until peace is

restored to the ways of your fathers.

For its peace is stolen from your hearts and from the

resting place

Of your ancestors.

You will have no peace until that peace is restored back to

the ways of your fathers and to the grave of tyree”

So my dear my friend, what peace are you speaking of?

From where does it come?

Buba

Yet, even at that I wish you peace of Luneah.

You have come to talk about the attack yesterday, and the
voice that you encountered.

Haven’t you?
195
Hashny

Of course am aware you already knew.

I gave you specific instruction and assignment to eliminate


her.

I warned you keeping her soul further in that cell made no


sense any more.

But you thought to know better.

I did all the sacrifices you requested.

How come I saw her cell flown open and her soul
liberated.

As we speak now, she is in the palace just returned from


her home land, full of joy, life and vitality.

The worst that angers me most is that she never stops


singing with joy ever since she came back. The undeniable
joy and hope that shines from her face makes me

(Speaking angrily, clinching her teeth and fist)

Angry and envious and I can’t help it.

It’s all you fault!

196
If you had not failed I would not have been feeling this
way.

Seeing her alive and free is a complete slap on my face and


on that of the gods. All because of you bunch of failures.

Buba

We did our ………

Hashny

Yes, yes I know, of course you did your best.

Your best indeed.

What you call your best was not good enough!

It yielded only failure and disappointment you fool!

Buba

Guard your tongue my queen!

Don’t take too much pride in the fact you are the daughter
of Luneah to insult and address this authority any how.

For we as well are offspring of Luneah, overseers of all


other cults of Sorek, except that of your sisters’.

197
However, you should respect the fact that each of us
represents heads of families of our ancestors who
voluntarily gave their sons as sacrifice that laid the
foundation for all the cults, of which you go about flouting
yourself as the daughter of Luneah.

We are true descendants of our fore fathers.

The great price they paid with king Tyree is the privilege
you enjoy insulting us.

Be careful of what you say in this place.

Here is immune to your powers.

Hashny

(Draws closer to his face)

Shut that fruitless mouth in that your ugly face.

I am the princess of all powers and of all the shrines of


Sorek!

(The rest gets up in anger to challenge her but Buba signals


them not to)

198
Now tell me why you failed me else, I promise that I will
shut down this coven and turn it into a square for fox and
jackals.

For you are all failures to Luneah’s name!

Buba you know me, am just trying hard to control my


temper.

Buba

Maybe you should have asked your sisters to help you


instead?

Hashny

Aren’t you the Luneah’s master executioner?

The sisters are exceptional and superior in rank, why? do


you expect your seniors to do your butchers work for you ?

It is your work. What happened?

Buba

We have lost her

Hashny

In a plain language, what do you mean?

199
Buba

She has joined the sects.

Hashny

You know it too well that no seed of tyre can worship any
other god except Luneah.

Why do you intend to use miserable lies to excuse


yourself?

Buba

Don’t forget that she is not really of tyre.

She is an igazanee and never worship our god,

Which is the reason she is declared an enemy of Sorek.

Truly she travelled to her home town and encountered the


sect and their teaching.

Hashny

She did and so?

Buba

She has joined them.

200
Hashny

(Shock, lost of words and silent for a while)

That’s impossible, not even the tiniest worm could escape


the cage of Luneah.

Not even the smallest ant can ever dig sand hole out of
Luneah’s prison for he never let his prisoners taste the ray
light of freedom!

No citizen of this sovereign and mighty kingdom is freed to


make such decision and choice.

Buba

The reverse is the case here.

Hashny

It wouldn’t have if you had done what you should.

You didn’t do what you should.

Buba

I’m sure you have heard of them, the sect.

201
Hashny

Some fools, mostly dirty old fools that worships a dead god.

So dead that his followers are wretched and indeed starved


poor.

Buba

That dead god is the reason why we are at this junction.

He was once a man until he died and in death resides in the


realm of the divine as god in light and in truth as they said.

His power was immeasurable when he lived.

In death he became more glorious than glory and more


powerful than the word power.

And when he ascends to the height of the divinity…………

Hashny

Shihhhh… shut up!

202
That’s what they want people to believe that he ascended
exectra and exectra.

And you, you are sounding like already convinced by those


myths, are you?

Buba

If you don’t believe it, how come they possesses such


undeniable power to do the miraculous and to set free the
captives we have kept in bondage and under the watch
eyes of our ruthless demonic task masters?

They even deal ruthlessly with our own ruthless demonic


task masters.

The task masters runs at their sight.

They are setting our captives free.

Why are we at this junction?

Hashny

If I should listen to your words one more time, I will be


compelled to ask, are you losing faith in Luneah?

(He didn’t respond to that question)

203
Hashny

Silence, silence is a language with a meaning encoded.

I will leave it that way, best for your soul.

But I must warn you to desist from talking like that;

You know you can die for it.

Remember the order from Luneah is to “kill every Sorek


who joins those fools” we have all been commissioned by
Luneah, in every possible way to stop those fools from
stepping foot into this kingdom because If they do, they
will contaminate our land with their pollutions.

The exact word of Luneah is “terminate them thoroughly”.

Buba

She has already joined them and has been commissioned


by the seven elders and leaders of the group to establish
their faith in this land, starting from the palace.

Hashny

In the land of Sorek?

(chuckles)

204
To establish such an insult in the domain of Luneah?

We can’t allow that to happen.

That is why you must kill her

Buba

She is in your domain.

Right in your palm and under your nose.

You can easily kill her, Can’t you?

Hashny

What does that suppose to mean?

Are you giving me an order?

Who are you to tell me what to do?

I am your superior and I am ordering you to kill her now!

Buba

You don’t get it my queen, do you?

I cannot kill her

205
Hashny

What do you mean? You can not or will not?

Are you refusing a direct order?

Buba

Not that I will not, but I can’t I...I do not have the power to
do it.

Neither do you. In fact no one can.

Hashny

What do you mean by, you can’t and no one can?

And that you do not have the power for it?

Buba

Their god….

Hashny

What god!!

What god are you talking of?

I sit beside Luneah my father among the gods both high


and low, and they do obeisance to me.

206
So which of the gods that am not familiar and that do not
fear and do my wish?

Buba

Am talking about the god of the sects. You and I know he is


an enemy of Sorek and definitely do not sit among the gods
where Luneah is Lord of all.

This is the one they profess to be greater than our Luneah.

Hashny

I seek to kill that so called god that defies the Luneah, the
father of all gods.

Any who does not accept to come under the fatherhood of


Luneah shall perish by my sword. Just as Luneah
instructed tyree to do unto opposing kingdoms, so shall I
do unto any god that opposes Sorek or Luneah.

Buba

My dear queen, how do you suppose to do that?

How do you fight the invisibility and the invincibility itself?

The power of their god is great………

207
Hashny

Shut up! Shut up!!

(Angrily she breaks something)

Don’t say that again. No power is greater than luneah’s. I


mean no power!

And you know that very well not to say rubbish.

Buba

I have served Luneah all my life.

I have seen and tasted power high and low.

But the force of power that struck us yesterday is


something I have never seen before in my entire life.

Even the spirit that guarded me fled from me at that


minute, my powers melted away, just as you experienced
when you encountered his voice.

Hashny

His voice?

208
Whose voice are you talking about?

Buba

The voice of heenu!

(The memory of her incidence with the voice flashback to


her and almost crippled her with fear)

Yes, it was their god that struck us.

You encountered his voice speaking.

Hashny

(Discards the memory)

I don’t care, I don’t give a dam of whatever it is we have


encountered.

What I see here is an invasion on our existence and


dominion.

We can’t afford to go soft or be intimidated.

In fact, we can’t be intimidated. Who will dare try to. We


will simply crush the fools.

No power has ever challenged us and lived to tell what


happened next.

209
Luneah commands we stand against this assault!

Never take lightly the fact that we are under attack.

But we must fight back and eliminate the source of it.

Buba

(Aside)

How can you eliminate something greater than you? How


do you strike the wind or apprehend it in your hand?

How do you fight one who is beyond your powers?

Alas, there is no hope.

(Cuts off from Aside)We all know the source of it, but how
do you fight it?

Because I don’t know how to.

Hashny

You have served Luneah all your life as you said, yet you
are talking rubbish.

I will pretend I didn’t hear what you have been saying.

210
I won’t report you to either ceramis or Luneah, but I hope
you behave like the eron you are.

No seed of eron is ever a weakling; they are all warriors by


origin, governed by the throne and the blood of the
sacrifice, Emar.

Your fathers gave the blood of their sons to actualize this


sacred ground so that you can occupy this lofty sacred
office.

Buba

(Soliloquy)

Why can’t she handle her by herself she is within her grasp,
in the palace?

I feel she is more afraid than I am, and doesn’t want to go


over her ordeal again.

I think that that Ashthea’s god is greater.

Hashny

Now behave like the true sons of your fathers and


remember Emar and the young ancestors that gave their
lives for Lupridoth, and fight against whatever that wants

211
to destroy the sacrifice that have made tyre and Sorek
great for hundreds of years.

Now I stand before you on behalf of Luneah and I……

Anathol

(Seeing a vision}

She is going to be with a child

Pithron

A male child

Hashny

What nonsense just came off your tongue?

Buba

We could see her future!

She will have a son, a thorn in our flesh.

Hashny

(Grab him by the neck}

You ugly looking foolish old man with no complete spirit of


Luneah.

212
I can cut off your tongue for the rubbish you voiced out.

She cannot be pregnant.

She can’t, have you forgotten?

Buba

I haven’t, but the truth remains that our spell over her is
been broken,

And she is now under the protection of another god.

Hashny

Then reach out by the powers of Luneah which is superior


to all, and crush her along with the so call god.

Buba

In your experience with the voice, didn’t you learn a thing?

She is now far reach from our spells and powers.

There is nothing we can do to her there.

Understand, this is not a matter of being a seed of eron or


that of the young men that were sacrificed with Emar. A
warrior weather spiritual or physical is a warrior, but I see

213
that some gods are more of warriors and more powerful
than others.

This is a matter of reality which, we must face.

She is highly protected and none of us can break the very


shield that protects her,

That is why I said we have lost her.

Hashny

(Released him}

Kill her though.

Pithron

Your majesty listen to us………..

Hashny

No!! You looking imps should rather listen to me.

Do it! Kill her!! Or you will be killed.

Pithron

Your majesty!

Anathol

214
The queen of tyre should not threaten

The descendants of the king makers and of the three

elders for such will be misdeed.

For every page of the laws of Sorek protects and sets us

above your threats.

For Luneah sake we have quietly respected you enough.

If other branches of Sorek can’t defend themselves from

you then know this, the laws of Sorek empowers us to

defend ourselves against all threats, especially from you!

Hashny

Now that sounds like a warning, ugly maid of darkness.

May I remind you that Luneah is supreme to the laws of


Sorek, and I am Luneah in material form?

Anathol

You could be the mighty daughter of Luneah all I care,

215
But you must realize and respect the fact that we too are
equally the powers and forces of the night and right now
you are in our domain.

In our sacred ground.

Hashny

Really?

Oh, how terrified I am.

Am sure you know that I am the princess of those same


powers.

And I hold the power of the very land on which you stand
and I can squash you in my hand.

Hashny

(Turns to Buba}

You must kill her:

Buba

216
How?! How am I going to do that?

She is hidden away from all eyes and no matter how deep I
look I can’t find her.

She is gone!

Hashny

Have you lost as well along with your powers all your
wisdom and senses?

I thought wisdom and ideas about execution abounds


endless with you?

Pithron

This matter is far beyond us.

We do not have the power to kill her.

She is heavily guarded and protected by her new found


god.

That is what you are refusing to understand with us.

This god is stronger than metal, hotter than fire and brings
death.

217
He is totally all around her, leaving no trace for a space to
get closer to touch her.

My own brother, vacu the best executioner amongst us,


lost his life attempting to get close to her.

What do you want us to do?

Hashny

Enough of all this rubbish!

Don’t want to hear it anymore out of your mouth.

Your tongue is becoming a curse to Luneah and a


disappointment to our realm.

All you have to do is to snap your finger and life will just be
snatched of a soul.

Ashthea is completely defenseless and empty.

There is no force, power or being behind her.

I see her and there is nothing protecting her.

Do it and stop crawling like cowards.

Cowards has no place in the service of Luneah.

218
You are all leaders of Sorek, aren’t you?

perhaps you may have forgotten that,

In luneah’s kingdom leadership is not all about occupying


the seat.

It is all about accomplishments and creating the ideas that


would carry along your subordinates, motivate and
influence them to charge unto success, persistence against
all odds even if it means death. It is all about taking the
front line when death beckons.

Be the leader you are. Cowards do not survive in luneah’s


service.

They end up being the sacrifices that appease the gods!

Buba.

You are wrong my queen.

You are indeed wrong.

We tried; we tried the best of our best to eliminate her.

We attempted further hours before you arrived here, but


we encountered a power far greater than you and I.

219
Power that clothes her like fire.

This power broke all our spells, witchcraft, sorceries,


manipulations and projections that held her captive.

When we tried taking her back, our attempt was rendered


to ashes and our lives barely made it out though we lost
many comrades

Hashny

That is no excuse.

Fear, fear, fear!

You are becoming too weak and too easy to give up!

You are just afraid; fear has taken over your senses and
replaces those luneah’s stuff that was in you with female
weaknesses.

For that cause you now complain like children afraid of the
dark and making excuses like failures.

Why do you fear shadows and the imaginations in your


mind?

Who could better understand that darkness and shadows


are of the same origin?
220
You should know and understand better.

You are the darkness and free from the threats of


shadows.

Shadows are of no threat to us, because it is in alliance


with us.

We are the only waters that moves in the air wading

Through the strength of the stormy wind.

We are the only air that moves in the waters wading


through its

Clashing seas triumphantly.

We are whom we say we are, and the world knows it, all
the powers in the

World knows and shiver.

So stop frightening yourselves with the unrealized


imaginations

Shadow is placing before you.

For we have seen powers and oppositions and

221
None has ever survived the wrath of our god and master
Luneah,

Who indeed is powerful, the god of all gods.

Anathol

This is different. This is more than what you think.

Everything changed the moment they laid hands on her.

Hashny

Who, who laid hands on her?

Buba

The seven overseers of the sect.

Hashny

(Very angry, desperate and frustrated)

I am sick of these excuses.

What of the charms planted in her chambers?

222
Buba

Ashes, they were turned to ashes and useless.

Hashny

There must be a way to break the protection you speak of.

Buba

No one can, except she herself.

Hashny

How do you mean?

Pithron

By denouncing her faith in this god

Hashny

In other words, there is nothing you can do because you


are inferior to this power.

Yet you said you are descendants of the three elders.

We have faced the powers of all the religions in the world


and defeated.

223
We have taken gods, alters, shrines, covens and temples
captive.

Now we stand tall as lord over all other religions, temples,


altars and shrines in the whole world.

This one cannot be exceptional.

Buba

This one is a bringer of death to our existence.

If this is invasion as you said, then death brings death and


we are doomed.

Hashny

No, you will be doomed if you keep talking like this.

Buba

He has this crushing presence that weighs like a mountain


falling upon you.

There is nothing anyone can do, am very sorry.

Hashny

(Hashny laughs proudly and mischievously)

224
I too I am very sorry. Accept my sympathy.

Buba

Not even you. You cannot withstand his power

(Hashny angrily hits her hand on the table in a hot anger)

Hashny

You are daring my patient

Buba

I believe only Luneah

can face this situation, that’s if he can.

Hashny

If he can?

Did you really mean, if he can?

What an insult?

A blaspheme!

I could kill you for this.

225
Listen to me you old fool; you will try again and again until
she’s dead.

I give you three days to do this and when I visit again I


want to see her head on this tabled altar.

Buba, it is either hers’ or yours.

Buba

We did everything we could.

There is no more power left here to use.

The thunder and earthquake that devastated us was a


wrath and display of the power of heenu.

What else do we need to do?

Hashny

Fight again, try the more.

A general that lives through the battle while his men lies
dead in the field of slaughter lives only in shame.

The best thing for him is to use his sword to find his
entrails.

226
That wrath you speak of is no match to the anger of
Luneah if it visits you, and you know that.

Buba

We lost 15 key men in the attempt, including lord Bentan.

What do you expect further from me?

(Hearing him mention Bentan she is caught up with


emotion but she controls it)

Hashny

You know the command of Luneah.

Nobody disobeys it and you know the consequences if you


do.

She must be killed even if you have to die in the process, it


will be in the honor and glory of our master Luneah.

Buba

It will be a shameful death to keep fighting when you know


that you are in a fight with a god greater than your gods.

227
I see no glory in this death, in the battle you know you can
never win.

Take my advice daughter of Luneah, let it go.

The voice that warned you was clear and that was her god
and I heard everything he told you.

Nobody can withstand him, not you, not even Luneah.

Hashny

What?! Not even Luneah, you said.

How dare you blasphemy, you fool!!

(She draws a sword from one of her guards sheath and


beheld him and by thunder bolt coming from her palm she
kill the rest and burn down the place).

It’s really been an honor serving Luneah with you.

SCENE FADES

ACTS 7

SCENE 1

228
At the bank of the sea of suvenus, the sea raging with
waves and blasts.

The weather is dark with an atmosphere intense with the


presence of great evil and fear.

The sky is not at ease either as it releases flashes of


lightning from one end of it to another.

The lightning reveals two weird creatures walking along


the bank dressed in tattered attire.

The senior and Ay.

The senior is murmuring and muttering strange dialect


difficult to learn.

Ay stops, pose in a thinking mood.

Ay

(Soliloquy)

How could that happen?

What does it all mean?

Ceramis, the sister….all in commotion.

229
I have never seen a thing like before in my life.

Senior

Ay, ay.

(Ay is lost in thought)

Ay!!

You stupid witch, why did you stop?

We must be about our business we only have two hours


before dawn to get blood to the bank.

Ay

Senior, I …. I …

Senior

What is this?

What is this I, I all about?

For the gods’ sake when did you start stammering?

Are we going to stand here while you stammer with I ….. I


….. And the dawn meets us here?

230
If we don’t get back to our bodies before dawn we will be
trapped for ever and you know that.

So come out of this your I , I and move.

However, I wonder what is it you want to say.

Ay

The last meeting with the sisters…

Senior

What of it?

Ay

I wonder why you don’t worry about it.

It ended in disaster and in disagreement.

I …… I wonder what really could be the cause of the chaos.

Senior

(Takes a big sigh. Takes three steps aside)

I know.

231
You know I was there I saw it all.

The truth about the cause of the whole scenario tries to


replace my confidence with fear.

Ay

What?!

Replace your confidence with fear?

Are you saying...?

Senior

Oh! A terrible fear.

More terrible than the trouble itself we witnessed among


the sisters.

Ay

I ….. I don’t, I don’t understand.

Senior

Of course you don’t know yet,

That tyre could soon fall into the hands of the unknown,

Into the hands of what the cult dread so much.

232
Ay

What?

What is it?

Senior

The prophessssy

Ay

(At that pronunciation the both bents down to hiss like


poisonous serpents in pains, anger and with hatred yet
tremble with fear, looks around as if trying to hide from
being discovered).

Yes, am aware of the prophecy.

The thought of it weakens my whole body with terrible


fear.

Senior

(Both straightens up)

Yes, but did you notice that our great mother of the night,
Ceramis did not take her seat during the meeting?

Ay

233
Yes, yes and I wondered why?

Senior

I fear that it is certain we might soon lose tyre.

We might soon lose our very foundation to an enemy.

Ay

To the prophecy?

Senior

Yes, to the prophesy.

And if the foundation is destroyed then the whole building


will collapse,

And when it does we will all go down with it and there


shall be no more of us.

Definitely there shall be no more tyre, for it shall lay in


ruin without us!!!

Our mother’s land.

(Sobbing)

Ay

234
I don’t get it. I don’t get it.

We were taught and made to believe without doubt and


with all our heart we believed it, that the kingdom of tyre
have been ours and luneah’s domain from ages unknown
till now, and I have been willing to die for it.

We were taught that it is by our powers that it exists,


conquers and is become the greatest kingdom that has
ever stood on the sand of the earth, without us it stands in
ruins.

We are the breath it takes and its heart beats.

Even the least entity standing on the sand of tyre knows it


too well that there is no power in the whole universe as
strong and great as that of the great mother of all, ceramis.

The mother of all the sisters and the Sorekites, luneah’s


wife

(Said it confidently and proudly)

For that reason at least I see no case to freight at,

Ahhhhh!!!

235
(Bit her tongue with her sharp teeth and cursed herself in
pains)

You are cursed teeth!

Oh….! I cursed my own self it is the stupid teeth that


caused it senior.

Senior

(Aside) o foolish blind witch.

(Cuts off from Aside)

Alas, your confidence is consumed only in your own


knowledge and such is half knowledge to go by.

And in the view and display of your ignorance you have


failed to ask, why we ended the meeting in chaos, why the
great, mighty and most beautiful ceramis, indeed the queen
of the Sorekites did not take her seat during the occasion,
and what the particular prophesy sister tiatia read meant.

Ay

236
Oh, my ignorance and foolishness misleads me.

I did not even think of how important it is.

Senior

Fool!

How could you forget such an important thing?

How could you not even think of it important?

Why then have you wasted precious times we don’t have?

You are really a blind witch to go with.

Anyway, the worst of it all is that she couldn’t take her seat
again.

Ay

Yeees, she didn’t.

But…

Senior

No but! And no more why!!

There is no much time.

237
We must embark now on our mission to provide blood for
the next meeting.

Soon the objects will start waking up and we will miss the
supply.

Ay

Senior…..

Senior

Let us meet at the cave of anoma in omicron after we have


each gathered blood.

(She goes back to that discussion}

Did you know that at the next meeting, all the would be
appointed spiritual heads of sorek shall meet with the
sisters to discuss the prophecy tiatia read?

The fresh blood is for entertaining everyone in the


meeting.

We are expecting at the least 550 attendants of the lords


and the sisters.

So we are going to make available enough blood to feed


this number including those that will serve at the meeting.
238
Now let’s be…

Ay

So as you said, it was the prophecy that was read that


made ceramis stood up from her seat.

Senior

Oh…! This foolish witch.

(Pulling her ears}

Ay

Aw! Senior

Senior

Must we now go into that?

You daft! Poorly dressed, ugly looking unwired creature!!

Why are you being an object of setback here?

Ay

You served at the table very close to witness everything as


they really happened

239
Senior

You are now trying to be smart and intelligent; persisting


on this game you play with me.

We are wasting the time we do not have!

Anyway that was part of the contention.

What she did was a sign of respect to the same prophecy


we are mandated with every available resources to
frustrate.

All the sisters saw her action as an insult to our cult and
authority.

It was really an action that baffled us and threw our


confidence and faith in our course and claims into doubts,
for such to have come from the great mother herself.

Ay

It is unheard of that ceramis paid a respect to an enemy.

Such homage is a tribute to a conqueror.

Has she been conquered?

Senior

240
Never!

Ay

For what other reason could she have done that?

Senior

If you know the history of the ceramis, you will remember


that the first ceramis the mother of the Sorekites in the
days of the great and the mighty tyree was the very spirit
personality herself called Cleopatra.

The most beautiful creature in all existence.

As a spirit she possessed such a body that could be touched


and felt.

It was almost like she was human, but no; she was a spirit
being, make no mistake about that.

She dwelt on earth and presided over the sisters for


centuries.

241
Until she decided to change mode of operation by
possessing humans instead to function through them.

Since then the ceramis have been complete human but


possessed by this very spirit.

So has it been from generation to generations.

Ay

Do you mean that…?

Senior

Our ceramis is still human with all the human frailties.

But the worst of it all is that after everything that


happened she still could not take her seat.

Ay

But… why?

Senior

Do you want to know it now?

(Intense because of the time they are wasting)

242
Young fool!

I learnt confidently from Miranda the force from the region


of anath the reason to our ceramis action, which she nor
ceramis dare not confess openly in the meeting.

For it could ruin the faith of our junior members and even
ruin the faith of our cult.

Miranda did confided in me to have as well seen what


ceramis saw, but during this coming meeting with the
heads and the lords the great ceramis will explain her
action and tell what she saw during this meeting.

Come on I dare not say more, but if you must and you are
allowed to attend the meeting you will hear it all.

Ay

Oh, please my mother and grand teacher.

You taught me that suspense is an element that births


anxiety into a human soul while anxiety is an instrument
that spearheads curiosity for our deception to successfully
give birth to greed which misleads a man’s lovely soul.

This makes man equal to a cat, having the same curiosity


that kills a cat.
243
Please keep me not in suspense and prevent anxiety into
my soul.

Tell me, I beg you, what did Miranda say?

You know I can never step foot into that meeting if I value
my life very well.

Senior

Ooooh!

(Tense)

Did I really teach you that?

You know we will die if we don’t full bank with blood?

Ay

Senior, you don’t really have to worry about that, do you


know why?

Senior

Unless you tell me bitchy witch.

How do you mean?

(A cock crows}

244
Listen, listen, the cock crows that would be the second time
it has crowed.

The fourth time will mean the next one hour people will
start waking up.

Ay

I got the miners too drunk two hours ago with sleeping
portion,

And they are not going to wake up till the clock click seven
in the morning.

Besides, today is holiday, and

Everyone will be enjoying long sleep none is going to be in


a hurry to wake up very early for work.

We will have about hundred bodies to drain from.

That is more than enough to fill the tank.

Senior

It is a lie witch!

(Excited}

You mean you did that?

245
Ay

Yes I did

Senior

You smart fool.

I never thought you could be this wise.

I only know you to be always curious and ignorant.

Wise and smart is been out of your criteria.

Ay

At least wise and smart as you can now say, so what did
Miranda say?

(The senior takes ay by both hands to whisper a secret)

Senior

(With fear in her facial expression)

She saw a huge fire, as tall as the height of man 6 to7ft tall
descended on the great throne of ceramis. The fire was
terrible, consuming and unapproachable.

246
The fire reduced the power and authority of ceramis to
ashes.

The seat itself was no more.

Ay

(Alarm and grip with fear)

No more?

Senior

And burnt to ashes.

(Ay moves to a corner in fear with her hand on her lips)

Senior

This is why I fear we might lose tyre.

Ay

Ashes and no more?

Senior

Ashes and no more.

247
The glory of ceramis turned to ashes.

Ay

Fire?

(Whispering to herself and turned sharply to the senior)

Fire you said?

We have the gods of fire, don’t we?

This is definitely their doings

. (Breathed a sigh of relieve)

Then it is not something beyond us, beyond our control


and power.

(The senior is silent. The silence puzzles ay)

Ay

Is it?

Senior

When the gods of fire are consumed by fire or when the


gods of fire stands perplexed at the sight of fire then it is
not their own fire raging.

248
Ay

Whose fire is it then?

Senior

A million question in search of one answer.

You and I, we are humans serving the gods and those that
communes and eats with the gods.

How could I know the answer to what you just asked?

Sometimes we don’t have the answer to the question


which only the gods can answer.

Come now, let’s be gone for sooner or later we shall learn


more of this incidence, for the queen of tyre, Hashny, the
daughter of Luneah shall grace the meeting with her
presence, Hail Hashny!

Ay

Hail Hashny! Heard she slain….

Senior

Shihhhh!

Whatever you heard discuss it.

249
No one discusses her deeds.

Whatever she has done is called, the act of Luneah.

The meeting is going to be a very crucial one.

Of course her presence is going to make it, none like ever


before.

Hark, hark, the cock crow the third time.

Hence, by bat and by owl we fly to the objects.

Ay

By owl

Senior

I, By bat then.

(Turn into bat and owl and flies off)

SCENE FADES

ACTS 8

250
SCENE 1

Hashny majestically seating on a throne like in a garden.


The platform it stands is surrounded by staircase.
She is as well throwing fresh meats into a pool of
crocodiles near her seat, and the beasts fight among
themselves for it.
This is fourteen days after she has destroyed the remains
of Buba’s shrine.
Enters Hasha, Ashthea’s chief maid, in her 20’s and
extremely beautiful.
She enters trembling and bow to Hashny.
Hashny
My sweet and brave agent, how did the trip to igaza go?
Hasha
It went well your majesty.
Hashny
Uh…really?
It went well, for her or for us?

Hasha
I am sorry your majesty.
251
Hashny
Sorry?
For what are you sorry my little dove?
(Hasha with her face downward and ashame to lift it, afraid
and trembling, and would not answer)
The great sister Hasha, princess of all the maids of Sorek.
(Mocking her}
You are shaking and trembling.
I do not have any intention of harming you.
Have you done me any wrong to fear my wrath?
So, what are you sorry for?

Hasha
For… for letting you down, my queen.
Hashny
Ooooh! That, that.
Did I forget it? Of course I don’t forget failures, and I give
failures the due place they deserve, in the burning fire of
Hades!
Hasha
(Prostrates on the floor)

252
Great queen of the night, please have mercy.
I promise that it won’t happen again.
Hashny
Indeed sorry you are.
Hasha
Please give me another chance.

Hashny
What?!
Another chance?!
Haaa!!
For what?
To fail me again?
You know I don’t give second chance.
I expect you to make perfect use of the first chance,
That’s why I gave you all you required to succeed.
However, you still failed.

Hasha
Please your majesty, forgive me.
(Tears flowing}

253
I have served you as a worthy, credible and faithful agent
in her court.
I have never let you down not once.

Hashny
Yes you are a worthy agent.
Worthier than others in her court, faithful and
recommendable.
Yet that doesn’t exempt you from the penalty for failing
me.
What actually happened?

Hasha
I don’t understand….
I can’t explain what happened, at igaza.
Hashny
Oh, not to worry, I will do that for you.
What happened is that you are a great disgrace to your
rank.
Though very wise and intelligent agent, but very stupid
And useless to me at igaza.
I sent you to igaza on a mission and you went drinking
sleeping portion.

254
What a wonderful person you are.
And now are you going to tell me that it was all a mystery
to you.
Yet you said, you don’t understand? Indeed you don’t!
Who gains understanding by sleeping when others are
wide awake?

Hasha
(Trembling}
Yourrrrrr majesty…
Hashny
Silent!!
Silent before I cut off your tongue, you fool.
And feed you to my crocodiles here.
(At this point the crocodiles in the pool start wrestling
among themselves)
Say one more and you would kiss your breathe good bye.
(Hasha remain silent immediately shivering with fear}

Hashny
I have heard rumors from her loyal maids about certain
stupid

255
Folktale stories of encounter they had while there.
Do you have any idea of such thing?
Of course you don’t, why would you?
I suddenly forgot, you don’t know because you were as
sleep all through the encounter.
Hasha
Forgive me….
Hashny
Shihhhh!
I have heard enough of your sorry, would your repeating
sorry make me forgive you or do anything about the
situation at hand?
I heard she has sworn allegiance and confess faith to
heenu,
The god of those wretched and dusty sects.
How true is it?
Have you discovered anything new about her, lately?
Hasha
Yes your majesty.
Ever since we returned, the words of the sects and their
teachings has not
Cease from her mouth.
She gathers everyone around to tell them about the love,
kindness and
256
Grace of the god heenu.
She talks about him with such great passion as if she had
known him long before now
Everybody listens with such amazement, of the queen of
tyre propagating
Such blasphemous message.
An outright rebellion against the great Luneah.

Hashny
None refute her?

Hasha
Who can refute the queen of tyre?
Hashny
And the king is saying nothing while this evil beast of a
Woman wants to bring curse upon this land.
Hasha
I am sorry to say this.
The king and some of the senators find no fault in it.

Hashny

257
How do you mean?

Hasha
I was with her when she was summoned by the king,
because the priest agnezar informed the king of her
blasphemes, and its consequences.
Hashny
Agnezar is already aware?
How come I am just hearing of it?
Hasha
Everyone has been afraid to face you.
Hashny
Why?
Hasha
Because of the incidence at lord Buba’s shrine.

Hashny
That is what happens to those who disappoint our god
Luneah.
So, you said she was summoned.
Hasha
Yes my lord queen.

258
She was summoned before the king and those present
were senator malchus….

Hashny
Ahhhhh!
The old schemer …. He will simply turn every circumstance
and other’s adventure to his own end.
Was senator plublus there?

Hasha
Yes my queen

Hashny
Where you see the schemer there you will see the slayer.
The king’s two rabbits, worthy of the knife and roasting
fire.
Hasha
They were present,
Listened with keen interest…..
Hashny
Yes, yes they always do that.

259
When they listen their minds walk thro and fro.
So, what happened?
Did they rebuke or condemned her according to the laws of
Sorek?
Hasha
Sire, rebuke?
You often say she is a manipulating witch, of a truth you
are right.
They rather gave her a pat on the shoulder to keep
blaspheming the gods.
Indeed, she bewitched them.
Howbeit, in her craftiness, she didn’t utter a word against
the gods and neither did she praise them.
A very dangerous craft.
Yet in her words, she praised her new found god, the king
did not rebuke her, instead he protects and approves her.
She is indeed a witch. No wonder I slept off like that in
igaza.

Hashny
What?
I understand the two senators because I know how their
minds works.

260
They could approve only because the king does, but behind
their approval there is a scheme.
But as for the king, the tyree incarnate?
I don’t understand why he will do that knowing the
consequences. He cannot be bewitched.
The throne Emar makes him immune to such things.
If not I would have had my ways through such into his
mind.

Hashny
The gods will strike every one of them down one after the
other.

Hasha
Since the king protects her there is nothing we can do to
stop her preaching.
Except we remove the king by our means then we can stop
her.
Hashny
Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear what I said?
No one can touch the king by such means, he is the tyree.
261
The blood covenant protects him from the powers of the
cults.
He represents the patriarch of the nation, cults and religion
of tyre.
There is nothing we can do to harm or remove him.
He knows it and of course he takes advantage of it to
humble me.

Except he abandons his faith in Luneah, and the witch of a


woman abandons her god.

Hasha
He can’t abandon Luneah.
Hashny
Yes, if he does, my son will lose the throne.
The kingdom will be given to another family.
I will not live to see that day come.
Hence, best stay away from the king.
The focus is that woman.
Hasha
But she is protected by the king.
For the past days we returned she is been desecrating the
sacred

262
Courts with her messages.

Hashny
Don’t worry about her.
I have so many packages waiting for her to untie.
I will make her suffer until she begs for death.
She would wish she never go against the gods.
Where is she now?

Hasha

In the court preaching the message of heenu

To some fools who cares to listen.

Hashny

(Silently stares at Hasha)


Hasha, Hasha why did you allow her to come in contact
with

The sect?

You are her most trusted maid,

The chief of all her maids.

263
She gave you the responsibility to decide who she meets
and who she shouldn’t, because she trusts your judgment.

That singular blind choice is fashioned to favor our course.

You are not supposed to fail in making best use of it.

Why didn’t you talk her out of meeting them?

With all my powers you could have stop it from happening.

But you didn’t.

Hasha

Your majesty I tried to prevent it ….but she is a determined


and stubborn soul.

None of the charms I applied could deter her from that


rugged decision.

I was helpless, especially when they immersed her into the


water….

Hashny

They immersed her?

Hasha

Yes, your majesty.

264
Hashny

(Aside talk}

The covenant of immersion.

(Boiling with annoyance and restless}

The covenant of immersion!

Hasha, that was the covenant of immersion, you fool!

She is buried and forever hidden inside that god of hers’

Is this what Buba meant when he said, we have lost her


and she is gone from us?

(sits)

Hasha

I am sorry sire

(Shedding tears}

Hashny

If you don’t stop shedding those foul smelling tears

265
And tell me what happened next you are going to be in
Hades

The next minute.

Come on talk!!

Hasha

Sorry sire, we…we … were in a room when the elders were


commissioning her as an agent of transformation to tyre….

Hashny

Agent of what?

Hasha

Transformation sire.

She is commissioned by the authority of the sect on a quest


to

Conquer.

Hashny

(Slowly standing up from her seat at hearing of the quest to


conquer}

Quest to conquer, you said.

266
Conquer who?

Hasha

To conquer the Sorek on the soil of Luneah.

Hashny

(Laughs scornfully}

Dreamers.

They are dreamers.

Nevertheless, it is as I told the foolish Buba, that this is


simply

An invasion.

Quest to conquer Sorek….

(Aside talk} Could this be the prophecy?

Could…?

No, no, Hashny, it cannot be.

But if it be, then I am armed so strong to crush it.

Tyre and Sorek were born of the same day.

267
Born far more powerful than any prophesy, anyway, the
matter awaits me to be discussed with the sisters in the
next meeting.

I heard the last meeting was upset by the very prophesy,


because I was unavoidably absent.

Let them come with their quest, for Hashny will not

Be threatened or put to flight by mere lullaby.

I will crush it!

I will crush it into dust and tossed into the air.

(Turns to Hasha addressing her audibly)

I too have a quest Hasha.

A quest to prevail over every quest

Against the Sorek, and Luneah.

However be sure of this,

That Luneah is more powerful than all the prophecies in


this entire world.

Hasha, quest shall meet quest and in the end we shall have
the conquest.

268
What else did they commission her for?

Hasha

That is all your majesty.

The next thing that happened was a mighty sound coming

From the sky and a strong irresistible presence filling the


room and I …..

I……

Hashny

You what?

And that was the point you took the sleeping portion, isn’t
it?

Hasha

I fell unconscious, my queen.

Hashny

You fell unconscious?

Hasha

269
I can’t explain what happened to me sire.

When I woke up we were already passing through the


gates of tyre.

Your majesty

(Goes on her knees}

I beg for another chance to get things right.

Hashny

I wish someone had heard what the voice said, apart from
what the sects present were declaring.

(Restless and moving from one point to another)

Hasha

Voice?

Hashny

Yes, Hasha, a voice spoke.

And I will so much love to know what it said.

Unfortunately, none of the other maids understood what it


said.

270
Moreover, they reported there were an earthquake and a
brilliant light which couldn’t behold.

It was at that point they prostrate out of fear.

If only I could know what the voice said to her.

And then I will frustrate whatever hope it has given her.

Who can tell me what it says? Who knows?

Of course you don’t, because you…..o Hasha, Hasha, what


am I going to do with you.

You are starting to taste sour in my tongue.

Hasha

Tell me what I must do my queen, send me and I will do it


now.

Hashny

She must die.

I want you to kill her!

Here, take.

(Brings out a charm}

271
Put this somewhere in her room; make sure she doesn’t
see it.

This will help to subdue her spirit.

When her spirit is been subdued you will see it from your
mirror

Then you can strike her dead.

(Hasha collects it}

Make sure you don’t fail me this time.

Hasha

I won’t fail again your majesty

Hashny

Best for your soul you don’t.

(Hasha exits}

SCENE FADES

ACTS 9

SCENE 1

272
At a square where Ashthea is surrounded by crowds
listening to her with keen interest.

Ashthea

He is the giver of life and the creator of the heavens and the
earth.

(While she speaks someone is walking toward her. the


crowd seeing the personality gives way in intense fear of
the person. It is Hashny coming with some maids bearing
the statue of Luneah}

Crowd

Your majesty, your majesty

(All kneeling in fear)

Indistinct chatting

Queen Hashny, the daughter of Luneah.

Why is she here? What is she going to do?

273
She is evil and wicked.

Something not good is going to happen here.

(The atmosphere is intense with fear and uncertainty as


the people are deeply afraid at her presence}

(Hasha smiles at seeing Hashny}

Hashny

(Going round Ashthea}

(Turns to the crowd}

Are you aware of the consequence of this foolishness?

The words of Luneah are specific, let no citizen of tyre

Follow the sect or give heed to their teachings.

The penalty is death!

It is your duty to shut this barren witch up yet you

give her audience, incurring the wrath of Luneah and


signing your death warrant.

Do you all want to die!! Uh.

Do you want the wrath of the gods upon yourself and upon
your children?!

274
Go back to your homes!!

Cover your heads in shame with dust and cry, pray to the
gods to

Withhold their wrath and have mercy on you.

Ashthea

O stop frightening and bullying the people.

When will you stop intimidating these poor innocent


souls?

For how long do you think you can hold them in darkness?

Hashny

Darkness?

They are in light and you intend to drag them to your


darkness of sorrow and gloom.

Ashthea

Heenu is the light and the light became man to give men
the light of freedom.

275
And he has decided to send the very light to the people of
this land.

Hashny

(Laughs)

Yes I can see the light all over you.

Of course, the very light of bareness, is that the light you


want to plunge them into?

Luneah has already given them light of life and wealth.

So what other light are you going to give them? His light is
superior!

Excess light will not be good for their soul, the light of
Luneah suffice.

They don’t need your old gray dusty men and barren light.

Now shut up and go away from here, leave the children of


Luneah alone for he cares for them.

All of you go back to your homes!

Ashthea

Every soul in this land belongs to Heenu.

276
The land of tyre, even while it was orphir belonged to him.

The soul, Emar that was sacrificed belonged to him as well


and never to Luneah. He created all and so I stand by his
authority to declare that I am in my right to speak freely to
these souls on the one that is the Lord of their existence.

(Indistinct chatter among the crowd)

Hashny

Stop it right there.

Lord of their existence?

That is a blasphemy punishable by death, according to the


laws of Sorek.

Ashthea

I wonder why you keep forgetting that Ashthea is not a


Sorek.

I am not bound by the laws of Sorek.

I am free to express my faith wherever I so wish.

Hashny

277
You dare challenge the gods to a fight?

You dare defile this sacred ground with your blasphemies?

I will make you a damned stench soul.

A stench so horrible that nobody or god would ever want


your name to pass through his lips.

A stench of disgrace that people will see and curse this


faith of yours.

I will rain hell on you, until you realize how foolish you
have been.

However, contrary to my nature I will be lenient just once,


take my hand of friendship and I will make sure Luneah
shall be merciful.

Desist from this blasphemy.

Ashthea

As you are to your Luneah so I am to my heenu.

And I solemnly swear with every life and passion in me to


defend his course, dead or alive.

So I beseech you, take my hand instead and receive the


bountiful love and

278
Overflowing mercies of heenu.

Take my hand, for he comes in his power and shall crush


every opposition.

Take my hand for it is the hand of heenu, and you shall live.

Hashny

(Face turns red with Anger)

What an insolent….

How dare you!!

I will give you and your god a mess to clean up.

(Turns to the people with fury)

And you are still here, like chaff waiting for the fire from
the wrath of the gods?!

(Lifts her hand, fire starts falling from the sky devouring
everything at the square. the people starts running for
their lives)

Ashthea

Noooo!!

279
Hashny

Noooo?

Is that all you can do?

Noooo?

What of, o heenu! Come and show your power?!!

Just as much as I thought, your god is weakling?

Hashny

This is just a sample of what to expect when you rebel


against the gods!

Now Go home you fools and pray!

Pray to the gods and Luneah for mercy,

Because more of this will come upon your rebellion.

(Turns to Ashthea) There, just a little mess for you and


your god to clean up.

(Fire ceases many properties are destroyed, casualties and


corpses are litters)

(Hashny exits)

280
(Hasha walks up to Ashthea smiling mischievously behind
her)

Ashthea

(Ashthea attending to the wounded)

What kind of god would kill his subjects just to instill fear
and gain their respect and obedience?

That god is a terrible oppressor.

Hasha

So terrible, so terrible are the gods!

They rain their fury on these innocent folks and


catastrophe falls on their heads.

O, the gods have spoken and their words are clear!

We must not try to resist them.

For the gods are gods in their own fashion.

Their wrath too cruel and the daughter of Luneah is the


effigy and executioner of their cruelty.

She is the evil itself! My lord queen, she is the evil itself

281
(Feigning to fear)

I fear that worst than this shall come, my queen.

You should have taken her hand when she offered it….she
offers it only once.

O my lord queen, worst things shall come!

(In pretence. falls down at her feet sobbing)

O I fear worst things shall come.

You too should fear, especially fear her!

Please make peace with the daughter of Luneah.

(Feign sobbing continues)

(Aside) worst things indeed shall come upon, you earth


worm.

You are no queen of mine!

This is just a little of the terrors that shall overwhelm your


evil soul!!

And I, mounted beside you shall strike and offer your


heart to my Lord queen Hashny.

282
(Soliloquy) lo, my words must have sunk fear deep into her
soul to weak her faith in her so god and then I shall strike.

Let her just speak the fear with her mouth and the deed
shall be done, here and now.

Ashthea

Worst things and fear?

Fear is for the weak and courage for the brave.

Hasha, I am braver than my courage and stronger than my


fears.

I am a seed of the lion that swallows beast of many heads.

No Hasha, I am fearlessly decorated with such iron stuff


which increase its thickness by such sight as this.

What you just witnessed here is only the beginning of her


doom.

Go and join others to help the victims.

(Hasha gives out a feign smile and turning she frowns


walking down the staircase disappointed)

Hasha

After today there will be tomorrow.


283
And there will always be tomorrow.

Wounded

Help me, please help me.

I need a physician.

Hasha

Help you?!

I will rather roast you alive.

The fire indeed didn’t do a complete work on you.

It would have roasted your whole body.

Why were you shouting, help me!

Disturbing the rest of those that have died by the fire?

Why don’t you join them?

Aren’t you not better dying than living with half fried
body?

Call on the god heenu to save you from the injuries Luneah
inflicted on you…that is .if he can.

284
Make the noise again and I will send you to that by myself.

(The wounded dumbfounded gaping at her as she walks


away smiling mischievously)

(Hasha exits)

(SCENE FADES}

ACTS 10

SCENE 1

A Day later at the same square.


Ashthea is offering aids to the victims of the incidence.
Physicians treating the wounded and corpse taken away.
Her maids giving out packages, food and supplies to the
people.
The people are in high spirit of joy at the queen’s kindness
born out of her faith.
Hasha is at a hidden corner with a man, an assassin.

Hasha
285
You know her, don’t you?

Assassin
I sure do my lady.
The tall good hearted queen among queens.

Hasha
You were recommended to be very good at this.
Remove that good heart and then you will have
Your full payment.

Assassin
What of the guards?

Hasha
As was agreed, they are arranged away from her.
You will encounter no obstacle.

Assassin
Just get my full payment waiting for me.
Hasha

286
It is waiting for you.
(Assassin enters into the crowd as Ashthea is addressing
them.
He makes move to stab her. Her guards stand far off)
Hasha
Ashthea, I said there will always be tomorrow.
Now I send you an arrow of death to shake off your stay
here on earth.
Severally, you escaped my charms and powers; let me see
how you will escape this death.
O ye gods, this day I bring you the greatest sacrifice.
The sacrifice of the head of your enemy and along with any
who has followed her.
This day I will make a shaken that will make the world that
the gods reside in tyre.
(Hasha Exits)
Ashthea
(Stops in the middle of her address and shouts}
What shall it profit you to loose your soul?!
What shall it profit you to loose your soul?!!
(Sobs, placing her hand on her chest with pains in her
heart)

287
(Everyone is shot still and astonish, wondering at her
words and weeping. Particularly her expression capture
the attention of the assassin}
Assassin
What is she saying?
What is wrong with her? And why is she crying?
Citizen 1
(Indistinct conversation}
What did she say?
What is wrong with her?
Why is she crying?

Citizen 2
She says …. I don’t really know.
But she weeps like a baby with passion…for us.
Citizen 3
She said, “What shall it profit you to loose you soul”
(Assassins stand with these citizens}
Assassin
What does she mean by that?
Who is she referring to?
Citizen 3

288
I don’t have any idea sir
(Assassin continues on his mission}
Ashthea
Why?!
Why?!!
Would you rather perish in the fires of hell than go to
heaven and spend eternity with heenu?
Assassin
(Speaks to himself}
Heaven and fires of hell?
What is this lady rattling?
Ashthea
I am not rattling!
I am simply telling your soul the truth.
Desist from the evil which you intend doing.
(Assassin stops immediately at that point to gaze upon
Ashthea whose face is not even toward his position}
Assassin
Desist from the evil which you intend to do….
How did she even know I said she is rattling?
Ashthea
Nothing is hidden from the mighty heenu.

289
He knows every thought of men,
Everything about us is laid open before him.
(Turns toward assassin they have eye contact}
Don’t you know, that he that kills by the sword shall die by
The sword?
Assassin
(Overwhelm with fear)
By the gods! I have been discovered.
(Struck with awe and astound with the feeling he is been
discovered.
He turns to run)
Ashthea
The best decision for you now is not run away from
This opportunity to embrace the light of freedom.
This is the moment to surrender to heenu.
Come to him as you are, with your sins and filthiness.
He will not cast you away.
He loves you the way you are.
He loves you so much, that is why he came and died for
you.
He died that you may live.

290
Assassin
(Overwhelm with conviction, Comes kneeling before
Ashthea}
My dear queen the evil bird of the night comes kneeling at
the feet of light.
Mine is greater sin, for I was hired to cause sorrow to the
joy of the good
People.
And to shed the blood that is most pure in the world.
I don’t know if your god heenu will ever forgive my sins.
Do I have that chance with him?
Ashthea
My dear friend heenu is most merciful.
There is no sin no matter how deep heenu cannot forgive.
Accept and confess to him and he will forgive and
remember your sins no more.
Assassin
(Sobbing}
I am an assassin.
I have killed too many to be counted.
My sins are incredible my queen.
I was hired to eliminate you, by a lady; I don’t even know
her name.

291
(Indistinct conversation at hearing that. Everyone
expecting the queen to arrest him}
Ashthea
“He that comes to me I will not cast out.
Even if your sins were as scarlet I will wash it away”
Those are the very words of heenu.
And he also commands us to love till the light of the sun
and moon cease to
Shine.
I forgive you, my brother.
(Indistinct conversation}
Citizen 1
She forgave him?
Citizen 2
That is impossible. No human could ever forgive that,
Not even the king.
Citizen 3
That is the life of the sect.
It is an amazing life.
So amazing, isn’t it?

Citizen 2

292
This is madness.
Then all others that have killed should
Then be forgiven, is that it?
This is unacceptable.

Citizen 1
This is the power of love.
This is what love is.
I have never seen anybody shown love as she does.
If this is what the sect is all about I accept it.

Citizen 3
Me too.

Citizen 2
Of course you dare not.
I am sure woman; your husband will not be happy hearing
you say that.
Have you forgotten, the daughter of Luneah threatened
with wrath?
Citizen 1
Who is still afraid of her?

293
Open up your heart mister and see the light.
I will go and kneel once the man gets up.

Assassin
You are indeed pure in heart.
I accept your god.
Ashthea
Then we will pray together sir.
Assassin
With all my heart
(Just as they were praying an arrow from nowhere shot the
assassin at the back)
The crowd is thrown into disarray, running helter and
scatter. No one knows from where the arrow came}
Ashthea
Noooo!
Someone get me the physicians!!

Assassin
(Fall into the arms of Ashthea, struggling to say a word in
pains}

294
Great queen…

Ashthea
Speak not my brother.
What is your name?
Assassin
Lukrato, my queen.
The best….and ….highest paid assassin.
Ashthea
That was your past, but you are now a new person.
A new seed, a new breed.
Someone please heeeelp!
Assassin
(Some courageous citizens enters to help}
No, no sire, I don’t need help to get to where I am going.
Citizen 2
What are you saying sir?
You need urgent help, where are the physicians.

Citizen 1
They went to the homes of those casualties that couldn’t
make it to the square, to treat them.

295
Assassin
I need to head on to where I am going.
Don’t try to stop me.
Citizen 2
You are, badly wounded and loosing so much blood.
Where will you go with this fatal wound?

They bid me with open mouth to help seal them up.


But I am not a physician; however I can get one for you.
Assassin
If only you can see what my eyes see then you would agree
that
My wounds are but an open door to a wonderful world of
glory.

Citizen 2
Wonderful world of glory?
Citizen 3
What is he saying?
Tell us, where are you going?

Assassin

296
Oh, oh, I see myself walking into a great dazzling light
which rays with colors more beautiful than rainbows,
piercing through my being.
Leading to a land on a hill very far way.
A Land of life and light, glittering beyond the word
precious treasures.
I hear trumpets coming from golden hills calling me to
come home to him.
And sounds of joyous multitudes from this city of light and
rays,
Calling me by my native name to join them.

Ashthea
That is the land of heenu.

Citizen 2
Land of heenu?
So, it is true about this god heenu, that he is real?

Ashthea
So real my friend.
I have seen him, once.

297
Citizen 2
Great queen, do they speak our tongue in the land of
heenu?
Ashthea
Heenu is universal.
Assassin
The sound…of their joy drowns the noise of the world and
the beating of my heart. I can hardly hear my heart beat.
There, do you see?
Citizens
See what?
What do you see?

Assassin
A golden king rides on chariots of white glittering horses to
collect my soul to the city.
From here I ride with him.
Citizen 2
A golden king….
Citizen 3

298
That must be heenu the god of the sect.
Her message is true about him after all.
Citizen 2
Then it is true

Ashthea
(The assassin’s hand drops as he gives up the ghost}
Then head on my brother to the land of wonderful lights,
peace and joy until we shall meet again,
In the golden land of heenu.
(She closes his eyes. Then enters her guards}
Guards
Sire, are you alright?
Ashthea
As you can see.

Citizen 2
(Kneels with others}
Most worthy and kind hearted queen.
We pray thee give us the honor to be followers of this way.
Let us follow behind your back to learn all about this god.

299
Ashthea
Then gather the remains of this most blessed soul and
follow me.
(The citizens carries the body to follow her while the
guards watch in amazement and then follow along}
SCENE FADES

ACTS 11

SCENE 1

Three years later


Hasha hiding behind the kitchen door holding a small
bottle of substance in her hand.
She is watching to know when the cook will leave the
kitchen so that she can add the substance to Ashthea’s
meal.

Hasha
It is been three years of several attempts.
Twice have I failed this year but for this third time, I will
not fail,
Lest I kiss my breath goodbye.
The charm in her room is definitely useless as chaff.
But I will put this substance into her food.

300
She must die and the cook shall be blamed for it.
Here she leaves.
(She sneaks into the kitchen and adds the substance to the
meal and then sneaks away}

Hasha
(Standing from a distance, watching the cook carrying off
the meal}
Luneah be praised!
At last I am saved from Hashny’s wrath,
For this will be my last chance.
If I fail, may the gods forbid!
But If I fail I will be singing good bye song to my
generation.
It would be my head cooking in the boiling pot of the
daughter of Luneah.
However, I am certain against all odds, that the substance
will tear in pieces her intestines.
Today is my last chance.
(Hasha exit}
(Cook serves Ashthea the meal who is already set to eat}

Ashthea

301
(Taste the food}
Mmmm! this is the best meat soup you have ever prepared
Donai.
Donai
(Standing before her}
Thank you your majesty.
I am blessed that you are pleased with it.
Ashthea
(Taste it again}
Wow!
What special ingredients did you add to it?
I think the king should taste this.
Donai
Nothing special your majesty.
It is just the usual ingredients.
Ashthea
(Surprise at what she said}
The same?
Well, it can’t be because it is not the same taste.

Ashthea

302
(Discovers someone peeping through the curtains}
And who is that spying me eating this delicious meal?
(Donai discovers the person}
Donai
It’s Hasha, your majesty.
Ashthea
And why is she peeping?
Donai
I don’t know sire
Ashthea
(Hasha doesn’t know she is been discovered}
Why is the princess of all maids peeping?
(Dumbfound. she comes out comported}
Hasha
Your majesty
(Bows)
Ashthea
Why were you peeping at my delicious meat soup?
Hasha
No I wasn’t sire.

303
Ashthea
No you weren’t, but you were…
(Hasha is dumfounded)
Sit down and join me.

Hasha
(Flare up in response}
Noooo!! Thank, thank you your majesty.
Yiiiiii, am full I just had my dinner.
I had overeaten sire.

Ashthea
Overeaten what, Hasha?
The maids do not eat before the royalties.
So what are ….?
Hasha
I am looking for quian.

Ashthea

304
Quian?
Who is quian?

Hasha
Queen Hashny’s cat.
Ashthea
Hashny’s cat?
In my quarter?
Why would my chief maid be looking for her cat?
And why would her cat be here?

Hasha
She said she saw it enter here.
And she asked me to get it for her.

Ashthea
She saw it from her mirror entering here or what?
How could her cat find its way to my chamber distance
away from hers?
Hasha! I asked you a question.

Hasha

305
Quian, quian.
Quian, quian.
Come out boy, where are you?
(Searching}
(Ashthea and Donai looks at each other, shock at Hasha’s
strange behavior)
Your majesty, are you feeling alright?
Are you experiencing any disorder in your tummy?
Ashthea
Am I what?

Hasha
Quian, quian.
The Palace physician asked if you are alright or if you are
having
Any stomach upset?

Ashthea
Am I supposed to?
Anyway, when did he ask you?

Hasha

306
Moments ago.
Ashthea
Hasha, the physician traveled to marlan yesterday.
So which physician, are you referring to?
Hasha
You are not supposed to be talking sire.
You are supposed to be dead, or the least, very sick.

Donai
Hasha!
What are you saying?
Are you alright?

Hasha
(Comes to her senses, scratching her head}
No… no I am not alright.
I didn’t know what I was saying.
Dust has found its way into my brain.
I have been through much stress lately.
Please my noble queen, permit me to retire.
I need rest.

307
Ashthea
I understand, Hasha.
It’s alright you can go.
(Hasha turns to leave}
Hasha…
(She turns to hear what she wants to say}

Be careful and don’t fall into any ditch.


Hasha
Yes your majesty.
Thank you your majesty.
(Hasha exits. stands behind the door, ear dropping the
conversation behind her)
Donai
My queen, she is been acting strange these few days.
What she acted here proves she is becoming mentally
imbalance.
Though she is really been through lots of stress these few
days.

Ashthea

308
Really?
Indeed these few days I have experienced lots of foul play.
I want to put her on leave while another temporally takes
her place.
Let me see if our rooster would cry softly on another roof.
(Donai wonders what Ashthea could mean by that}
(Ashthea goes back to the food}
Mmmm, wonderful taste.

Hasha
(Behind the doors. Boiling, confused and going crazy}
Wonderful?
This is really wonderful.
Why shouldn’t it?
Her god arrested the assassin and here the black deadly
Substance is wonderful to her taste.
That is wonderful, isn’t it?
Isn’t it Hasha?
Hasha you are doomed.
I hope you know that.
(Restless}
She didn’t die.

309
Yes she didn’t die I know that, but what am I going to do?
If she doesn’t die today I am going to die tomorrow.
Why would I die?
What have I achieved in this miserable life to die
tomorrow?!
I must do something.
I must take the lion by its jaw.

She cannot be the path for me to fall in this service to


Luneah.
No I cannot die because of a sectian woman.
I will kill her by my hand!
I am going to do it, by my own hand!!
Or else… I die.
(Sobbing}
I don’t want to die.
(Wipe her tears}
Now it is either she dies or I die.
This night I will do it, by my own hands.
(Exits}

SCENE 2

310
In the same night.
Ashthea is as sleep in her chamber. Someone enters into
her chamber in the dark.
Ashthea wakes while the person pulls out knife to stab her.
She holds the hand with the knife, they start struggling for
it.

Ashthea
Guards!!
(Enters a guard with light that reveals the face of the
culprit, more guards enters)
Hasha!

Hasha
Yes it is I.
It is I.
An agent of the great Luneah on your trail.
You will die witch!
I cannot die while you live!!
It is your head or mine!!!
Die!!!!
(As she intends to stab Ashthea}

311
Guard
Hold it there!
(Seeing that guards were coming in numbers she turns to
flee, two wings grow from her back. As she tries to escape
the guard shot an arrow that gives her fatal wound.
She flies away with the wound}
Ashthea
(Greatly astounded at the incidence}
Hasha is…a witch?
(More guards enters}

Lieutenant
Your majesty, are you alright?
How did the culprit pass the posts?
What happened?

Guard
It was Hasha.
She tried to murder the queen.
I shot her in the chest.
The wound should be fatal; surely she will bleed to death.

312
Lieutenant
You have done well.
Now go and inform chief sulera about it.
It is his place to inform emnon and capuri, before it gets to
the king.

Guard
Right away sir.
(Salute and exits)

Lieutenant
Bring more men to heavily guard this place!
Don’t worry your majesty you are safe now.

Ashthea
(Still amazed)
My most trusted maid wanted to kill me.
SCENE FADES

313
SCENE 3

Hashny seats in the same garden she met with Hasha.


Torches lights up the environment
Hasha drops like a fiery star from the sky badly wounded.

Hashny
Has the shooting star turned to a fallen star?
And the conqueror already conquered?
Has my pride under her wing turned into effigy of ridicule?
A mocking sight
For women of the palace to taunt me with?
What is this downfall that I see?

Hasha
(Suffering from the pain of the wound}

Great mistress of the night.


I come fallen before your throne, seeking for mercy.
I am not fallen by the hand of the enemy or at her mercy.
I fall of my own will, at the mercy of my great queen,
please
314
Forgive me, for once again I have failed you.
Hashny
(Red hot with fury)
Of your own will?
Of your own will you fail me then.

Hasha
This failure is not deliberately design; it is just an event
beyond my control.
Hashny
Ah, so there is an event beyond your control, with all my
powers deposited in you?
What happened?
Hasha
The days you gave me elapsed, and I was not able to kill
her.
I sent the assassin but she converted him to a sect.
I put the charm in her room yet her god destroyed it, twice
have I narrowly
Escaped death.
I poisoned her but the poison was wonderful to her taste.
She ate it, but instead it added flavor and energy to her life.

315
It became the best delicacy she has ever tasted.
I was so desperate to live and not to fail you.
So I went to eliminate her by myself, but I couldn’t.
Hashny
Yoooou fool!
You would have used your mirror to summon and strike
her.
Hasha
As if you don’t know my queen.
As if you didn’t hear me narrate my ordeals.
I have tried that over and over my queen but that doesn’t
work,
You know that.

Hashny
I knew and I still suggest?
How dare you fail me?
Hasha
I have tried all I could.
Her god protects her.
He is indeed powerful
(Hashny growling in fury as she talks}

316
Hashny
Shut…up!
You dare say that?
(She waves her hand and Hasha turns into a monkey,
jumping up and down)
You are better off a monkey than being a human talking
trash.

(Enters Sulera. Sulera is an extreme Sorekite and the chief


guard in charge of Ashthea’s security)

Hashny
(Sulera Bows)
Ah, noble man.
Sulera you are welcome.
Hope no one saw you coming?
Sulera
None my great queen.
May the great daughter of Luneah live forever and never
find an equal.
Hashny
Indeed, but it is obvious there is one who intends to rub
shoulder with me.

317
Sulera
Impossible!
Is such one not born of a woman, not to fear you?
Is he or she new in this world, not to have known that even
the soil on which he or she stands hears your name and
shiver?
(Takes note of the monkey}
Did your majesty buy a monkey?

Hashny
No sulera, I just turned a cat into a monkey.
(Wave her hand again the monkey turns back to Hasha
rolling dead from the stair case and into the pool of
crocodiles which feast on her body)

Sulera
(Struck with awe at the sight}
The great Hasha.

Hashny
Yes, how are the mighty fallen.

318
Sulera
The princess of all maids, your noblest agent.

Hashny
None is above the consequence of failing me.
Even the noblest of my agents will be punished in the same
way.
Sulera
You summoned me, o great daughter of Luneah?

Hashny
Have you received any news about Ashthea?

Sulera
No your majesty.
Hashny
Then you and the news must have crossed path.

Sulera
Maybe, but what could the news be?

319
Hashny
You will hear it.
I have had enough of the rat’s tongue in the ear of Hashny.
I need hand that bends circumstances to its own favor, and
forces things to happen.
Can you be that hand?

Sulera
The best of it my queen.

Hashny
Hasha failed to eliminate Ashthea.
That woman has blasphemed and defied our lord and
master Luneah for three years.
Hasha’s failure has caused us so much damage.
She wasn’t able to subdue her, that is why Ashthea keeps
winning Sorekites to her god and setting our captives free.
Now, I can no longer bear her and so can’t any of you my
agent under her wing.
Bring her down! Kill her!!
This sacred domain can no longer tolerate her.
You are in charge of her security protocol, arrange it and
see it done.

320
Do not fail me as well.
Succeed sulera, and you shall have the pleasure of enjoying
my body.
This is the very body of Luneah himself.
I am Luneah personified.
Succeed and come enjoy the fullness of Luneah which only
The daughter of Luneah has.

Sulera
(His mind blown by this offer}
It shall be done great daughter of darkness.
Since she will not listen to reason then she will listen to
death in her death.
I, sulera one of the many agent you have under her wing
vow that I shall lay down
My life to see it done, then I shall come for the offer.

Hashny
Then taste a sample of what you stand to gain, intimately
with me.
(Kisses him romantically even as sulera trembles)
Sulera
(His face glow with smiling)

321
Oh, my queen! My queen!!
(Kneels kissing her hand)

Hashny
Just arrange a shooter and inform the guards to make
space for the arrow into her heart.

Sulera
My love and my life are yours.
I kiss them into your hands, to do with them as you so
wish.
For you have offered a lowly soul like me the very eternal
blessing desired by all the great lords of the cult, yet
farfetched from their grips.
I am but a servant of servants among those serving your
purpose in the cult, and yet you find me worthy to share
your body, the very body of Luneah?
I will die first to fail to have a full of what I taste.
Hashny
You will have it all when I behold her corpse.
Sulera
I will show you her corpse my queen.
I vow with my life, that I will show you her corpse.
Then I will return to have the prize for her corpse.
322
SCENE FADES

ACTS 12

SCENE 1

In the royal court.


Ashthea receives some friends who are foreign queens,
dressed gallantry.
The guards are stationed all around and maids
entertaining the women.
Woman 1
There have been continuous intense struggle between you
and the Sorek, over your new found god, and it’s causing so
much unrest and series of attempt on your life.
Don’t you think the unbecoming is becoming the
becoming?
It’s not proper when slaves round themselves up to
challenge and make mockery their most honored queen,
and some nobles as we heard cheers them up!
As your friends, we advice you thread with caution,
because the dark viper does not appear in the hot sun for
no reason.
Ashthea

323
My dear gallant friends, I share your feelings but I am
armed so strong with truth to defend truth, and with truth
defeat lies.
Lies with its falsehood and deception will always fight to
quench the light of truth, but it can’t win.
If heenu be false Luneah wouldn’t bother to fight, because
lies will always fail and be exposed.
No matter how long you cripple the truth it will still leap
into reality and no matter how long falsehood thrive it will
one day fall, and great shall be its fall than its rising.
Howbeit, why fighting? If not that heenu is the truth and
the darkness can not stand the prevailing truth, and so it
fights but at the end, truth will always prevail.
Can’t you see that despite every attempt I still stand like a
mountain?
Truth can never be silenced, and no matter how well they
try.

Woman 2
A truth though so true is a danger to your own soul in tyre,
you know that.
Shall we loose your virtuous person because of truth?
You know tyre too well, don’t you?
Should I even ask? Are you not the queen of tyre?
You know that the likes of Hashny doesn’t allow truth exist
in this land.

324
Darkness doesn’t accommodate truth here.
So we implore you, lie low with this heenu thing let the
storm calm.
Remember the last incidence with your most trusted maid,
whom you later learnt was a member of the sisters. She
attempted your life, and no doubt she was not working
alone.
And as you know, Hashny is paramount among the sisters.
You can’t tell who else among these are with them in this
whole enterprise.
You can’t trust these maids and guards of yours.
You can’t tell who is who and who will strike again.
It is without doubt, that Hasha and either of these, had
hand in the case of that assassin.

Woman 3
Who knows, they may have eliminated him so that he will
not expose their involvement.
Knowing that he was captured by heenu and definitely he
would talk.
I heard from a good source that the assassin was very good
at his profession.

325
Woman 2
So I heard, and only one so stronger and better could
outwit and bring him on his knees and made him turn back
on his mission.
That was what heenu did.
And whoever that hired him meant death for our friend
here.

Woman 1
The same that has always hated and despise her righteous
soul, and wish to have Derbe all to herself.

Woman 2
That is the part I find so odd.

Woman 3
How?
Woman 2
What on earth will the so called princess of darkness and
daughter of Luneah be looking for in a man?
Who dines with the gods should have affair with the gods
and not humans…..

326
Woman 1
Shihhhh! No mention of her name.
Woman 2
What?! Why?

Woman 1
I heard that the birds run her errands and tells her who
gossips her name. Look, they hover over the sky, even the
walls in tyre spies for her.
They could tell on us.

Woman 2
Please stop it queen el, you fear evil too much.
How can I fear that, when Ashthea and her god are here
with us?
Right Ashthea?

Ashthea
Absolutely.

Woman 2
Besides, Ashthea’s god appears to be the charioteer while
the Sorekites seems to be the horse.

327
All
Hahahahah!!!

Woman 1
Still I am worried about her safety here.
Ashthea, come with me to Amithya and spend some
months.
Avoid these hordes of wolves for a mean time, until the
storm calms.
Moreover, the work of heenu you started in my land of
Amithya is growing, and we need you there.
Though my husband the king may not have openly
supported for fear of Luneah, but in his several words
within the inner chamber made his support known to me,
and by the hand of unnamed persons he finances the
course of heenu in Amithya.

Woman 3
I agree with queen el, for the sake of your life which we
value most.
Go to Amithya, any where, even to igaza. but leave tyre for
a while.

Ashthea
And why will I do that?
328
Run away because of the battle?
If I run in the face of the battle then my faith in Heenu is
absolutely weak.
What becomes of the converts?

Women 2
(Sitting close to Ashthea. Takes Ashthea’s hand)
Ashteaaaa, always stubborn like a bull.
(Both chuckles)
It is your life we are talking of and afraid for.
We have all known and love ourselves for so long like
sisters and that is why we have come to ask you, to leave
tyre…
(Ashthea tries to get up from her. Woman 2 draws her
back tenderly)
Ashthea, Ashthea please.
We are your friends. We love you, even more than we love
our own lives, you know that.
From the first day you spoke to us of heenu, your words
implanted this irrefutable light and confidence in my heart
about heenu.
Though I may not express it in my palace for fear of the
laws of Sorek and the decree of Luneah which has so
crippled the minds and will of everyone in my land with
fear to stand on what is the truth.

329
Yet I have been applying wisdom and caution in my little
service to him.
And I would not want to endanger my family, my people
and my husband the king.
Moreover, I do not want what happened to lukrenea and
her family to happen to you.

Ashthea
(Uneasy)
Lukrenea?

Woman 1
Oh, that was terrible and horrible.
(Looks up with tears in her eyes)

Ashthea
What happened to lukrenea and her family?
I sent her letter that I will be visiting next summer and I
have not gotten reply from her.
What happened?

330
Woman 2
You mean you have not heard?
Ashthea
Heard what?

Woman 1
(The women surprise at her question and looks at each
other with tears running from their eyes to their cheek)
I am surprise, not even the king has told you?

Woman 3
Lukrenea is dearest cousin to Ashthea the king knows that.
It won’t be easy for him to tell her such horror.

Ashthea
Tell me what?
What horror?!
(The women are silent)
Is someone going to tell me what happened to my cousin
and her family?!!

331
Woman 2
I am sure you heard of king Ariak’s decree a month ago,
seceding her land from Sorek and Luneah, declaring faith
in heenu ….and in the sect?

Ashthea
Of course, the bravest off all kings.

Woman 2
Seven days after that pronouncement.
The king and his entire household were found eaten alive

Ashthea
Please stop that fable.
What do you mean by……?
Woman 1
Their flesh were eaten while alive, their bones crushed into
pieces, their hearts were plucked out and placed on top of
their chest.
Oh, I dare not speak further….. I feel like vomiting.
The pictures stare before me again, in my mind.
Excuse me…… (Aside to vomit)

332
Woman 2
They were left that way, undead.
(Ashthea falls down sobbing)
They were undead for 7 days left for every eye to behold
enough to fear the judgment of Luneah. They were allowed
to die, in pains …..And in tears.
(Sobs)
Ashthea
What of …lukrenea?

Woman 1
She met the same end.

Ashthea
Aaah!
No, no, lukreeeneaaaa!!
Why didn’t the death come to me instead?
Why would death be so coward not to come to me?
O, lukrenea, my cousin.
(Sobs)

333
Woman 1
She tried to speak to me….

Ashthea
Speak?!

Woman 1
Yesssss!
(Sobs)
They were left in such death, yet alive to undergo such
horrible pains and torture of death.
Such heartless death, cruelly mete to a good soul like
lukrenea.
She tried speaking a word, but she managed to utter
espeedo rama un tu tes. Meaning, speed up the race and
never give up.
(Ashthea weeps)

Woman 1
Good Ashthea, good Ashthea, I know lukrenea urges to
further on heenu’s course and your devotion to heenu is
obviously quite unquestionable, but please I must
334
persuade you to consider what happened to lukrenea and
leave tyre for now. (The other women stand with el on this
that Ashthea should leave)
Women
Go to mythia for now.
Every kingdom is now much more afraid of Hashny and
Luneah.
The incidence of lukrenea terrifies everyone.

Ashthea
Leave tyre?
Did you hear yourselves?
Leave behind the works she was cruelly butchered for.
You saw her corpse, didn’t you?
Didn’t you?!

Woman 1
I did Ashthea!

335
We all saw it and we don’t want the same to happen to
you, because you are so dearest to us.
That is why we left our palaces to talk to you.
The pains Lukrenea went through was unbearable, even so
unbearable and painful for the eyes to behold.
I would prefer loosing an eye than to behold such sight the
second time.
For the love we so much bear for you, we urge you to leave
to fight another day.
Unlike you I speak not the voice of any god, but I speak the
voice of common reasoning, and of love!

Ashthea
I know you think it is your love for me that thus speaks, but
believe me it is your fear, and fear is the worst enemy in
this struggle that I can not accommodate.
Neither was it said it’s not going to be easy nor did I ever
expect it so.
For by the mouth of the elders wars, trials and
assassinations were forewarned.
So el I am not afraid.
I am well armed with the promises of heenu, to face and
defeat every gorgon beast they send.
Why will I ask others to stand till death while I flee at the
sight of it?

336
What sort of general will I be?

Woman 1
One so wise and endowed with wisdom.
Think Ashthea, think and fight wisely.
Your god heenu will understand your action is not an act of
cowardice, but as the eye of the sect in tyre you are better
off alive for them than being dead.
Please let these tears in our eyes prevail upon your
stubbornness.
Come with me, to Amithya.

Ashthea
I can’t abandon my commission.
I can’t abandon these frightening and helpless souls of tyre
I have converted to be butchered by the Sorekites.
The king …..
Woman 1
The king?
How long are you going to rely on his protection?
Have you forgotten that he is the king on the seat of Sorek
founded on Emar’s blood?
He is covenanted and obliged to Luneah by the blood, to
protect and defend the course of Sorek and Luneah.
337
He will not stand for you forever.
Sooner or later he will come to terms with reality.
My dear friend, the king, your husband can never go
contrary to the decree of Luneah, if he must remain king.
If he should lose the throne because of this struggle, you
know what that means.
Hashny’s son, presly will no longer be king after his father.
You know too well that neither presly nor his mother will
rest until they kill you for it.

Ashthea
Even if the volt of Luneah would strike me, yet I will stand
my ground…
Women
Ashtheaaa!

Ashthea
If I will die, then let me die.
But I will not leave these converts of mine to be devoured
by those brutish wolves.
My place is in tyre, and that is where my call is.
If I die, then I die fulfilling my mandate.
Mourn me not for too long, because I would have gone to a
better than world.
338
Speak no more!
You have done your best, but on the contrary I am
resolved to fight on and never give up.
That is why I am heenu’s general in sorek’s land.
(The women are short of words)

Woman 3
The world has always seen how powerful Luneah is, how
devastating and destructive his wrath can be.
Few days ago five Sorekites converted to Sect were
mysteriously killed while as sleep.
Report says, their tongues came out of their mouths five
feet long and their eyes were no where to be found.
So many other events of horrible and mysterious deaths
happening to Sorekites converted to sects.
Now that makes me wonder, why heenu didn’t protect
them.
With this the world in general still beholds Luneah as
abler, better and mightier.
For this they and all their cults are devoted to fight on,
because the blood of the covenant by which they live is
been threatened.

Ashthea
I do not argue with that my friend.
339
But I would ask a question to that effect.
Has there ever been any one raised from the dead by
Luneah?
Has the Luneah ever prospered a man without taken
something precious from him?
(Everyone is silent}
Why the silence?
Obviously silence answers the questions.
He neither gives life nor has the power over death.
I have been teaching this message among you for three
years now and you can not deny the enormity of the love
and power of my god demonstrated, in your lands.
The captives were set free, the blind received their sight,
and the dead are raised back to life.
And a number of Sorekites among you were converted to
the sect, all this happened in your lands and in the land of
Luneah.
Is that not enough proof to you that heenu is the true god
and his power can not be matched…..?

(Suddenly the sky is getting stormy and dark, strong wind


starts blowing follow by rumbling of thunder and
lightning)

340
Woman 1
What is happening?
Woman 2
Seems there is going to be a heavy down pour.
Suddenly the sun disappeared from the sky.
The wind seems to be blowing stronger and stronger.

Woman 3
No, this is no rain coming.
What sort of rain will announce its coming with cloud of
doom?
Lo, the gods comes are coming, with judgment.
(The wind gets so stronger and violent.
The atmosphere is intense with fear, thicker and darker.
So dark you can’t clearly see the face of the next person
with you except the brightness of the lightning flashes.
In great panic and fear, everyone runs helter from the
scene, some running home and others looking for where to
hide screaming).

Maid
The wrath of the great god Luneah!
The gods are angry and are reacting to her sacrilege.

341
She has doomed us with her blaspheme!
The queen has doomed us!!
We are
All going to die!!
Run! Run for your lives!!

Servant
The gods frowns!
The gods frowns!!
Oh queen Ashthea (points at Ashthea. The wind carries
away his hart exposing his bald head)
You have brought the wrath of the gods upon us.
You have brought the wrath of the gods upon us!
(Sobs)
Must we now suffer for your blasphemies?
May our blood be upon your head!
Upon your head!!
(Spits at her feet)
Where are my children?
Queen Ashthea has doomed us!

342
Ashthea
No! No!!
(The women’s three securities enters)

SS 1
Your majesties we must leave tyre at once!!

Woman 1
(Reaches her hand to Ashthea)
Ashthea, come with us now!
This land is not safe for you!!
Ashthea
(Addressing the SS1, SS2 & SS3)
Make sure you get them out of tyre!
No matter what happened, don’t turn back!!
Do you hear me?!!!

Woman 3
No, Ashthea don’t do this please.
Woman 1
Come with us, please, please.

343
Woman 2
Ashthea please we beg you.
(The women kneeling at her feet sobbing holding her by
her gown. The wind blowing and carries away their hart
and scarves around their neck)

Ashthea
I am sorry….I can’t!
What do you men stand waiting for?
Get your queens out of here before it’s too late!
Go!!
(The SS pull them apart from her)
Women
Ashthea! Ashthea!!
(Exit)
(Ashthea notice her guards keeping at a distance from her.
while wondering at that, looking at the front the lightning
reveals an archer with an arrow long stretched on its bowl
pointing at her 10 walks from where she is.
The archer just about releasing the arrow)
I forgive you, heenu loves you.
(The archer stoned by those words. His heart is cut by the
fact she forgave him after seeing the face of her killer. But
344
it was too late to stop the arrow for already he has let go
his fingers from the arrow and the string of the bowl)
Archer
Noooo!! O ye the gods!!!
(The arrow shot Ashthea who in slow motion falls to the
ground.
As she falls the weather starts calming. The atmosphere
starts turning brighter, the flowers blown around by the
storm starts dropping all around her breathless body, and
the storm fades)
(Soliloquy) What in the world could she mean by that?
What In the world could she mean by…..?
How could the world loose such a rare treasure?
Such virtuous soul as this should never be allowed to taste
death, nor meet such end as this.
This deed is an error supported by the gods themselves.
This queen, this epithet of grace and kindness, with the
beauty of her spirit did what the gods can never do,
forgiving the wrongs meted to them.
Even at the face of death she still loved her vile offender,
the one in whose hand lies her blood unjustly.
This despicable deed of error, this vile deed of men of
hatred for good, and of righteousness!
Will never be pardoned of this generation by generations
unborn.

345
When they asked, why then do we suffer like this? And
they will be alarmed to learn of this wicked and shameful
deed of their fathers, that is why they gnash their teeth.
(Sighs)
These evil men always using the young and ignorant to
achieve their end, and by the deed we ignorantly destroy
our future fortunes.
With this queen, the kingdom has a future of a world with
no fuss, but of sweet love.
In her lies our future, and ignorantly I have tampered with
it.
Oh, forgive me, you vessel that housed the queen of virtues
of good, for this evil piece I played.

I will pray to my stars that the next time you come into this
world you either be my mother or my wife.
(Enters Sulera)

Sulera
Oh, oh! Oh!!
It is done!!!
The gods have avenged themselves on her.
Did you hear that?!
The gods have finally avenged themselves on her!!

346
(Very excited and paddle the archer’s shoulder laughing)
Hahahahah!!!
The gods has so much blessed me this day!

The moment she fell their wrath subsided.


The gods are indeed alive in tyre.
They have triumphed and stand tall over her dead body.
Had she not been a queen, her body would have gone to
the abominable tombs.
Lo! Lo!!
The gods now stand tall above the corpse of their foe.
And they shall plunder her wealth to their own
satisfaction!

Archer
The gods or men?
Sulera
What do you mean?
Go get your reward; you have done a work no one could.
Archer
Sir, if I may ask,
What is your reward in this remarkable error?

347
Sulera
The kind you will never taste.
Now leave this place before someone sees you while I go
play my last part.
For I must inform the lords, the king’s ministers.
(Sulera exits}
Archer
(Standing above Ashthea’s body addressing it}
I wish I understood what you meant.
I hope I would someday
(Turns to exit)
(There is a whispering sound behind him. The archer turns
around slowly to see what it is}
SCENE FADES

END OF BOOK 1

EPILOGUE

Ashthea shot and lays flat dead and the whispering behind
the archer,
What does that mean?

348
Is that the end of the quest to conquer darkness?
What becomes of the prophecy of Ashthea bearing a child
and the prophecy the
Cults of the Sorek dread?
What would be the king’s reaction to what happened to
Ashthea?
What becomes of her commission?
Has darkness triumph over the effigy of light?
Shall there be another to carry on from where she lay flat?
Or has the hope for the light of freedom been lost?
However, one can never determine the end from the
beginning.
For what lies in this journey stands uncertain and the end
is too far to be determined.
But all this questions shall be answered by the sequence of
this book.
Get Quest To Conquer Book 2.

349

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