Home is the Hunter (19 page)

ULYSSES

Then offer Homer a drink. He needs to catch up on his sleep. You are sure that stuff won’t harm him?

(He points to the small flask that
CLIA
is using very carefully on the wine vases.)

CLIA

Harm?

(She laughs.)

It’s helped Penelope through many a bad night. I used to—

(She breaks off as
HOMER
and
TELEMACHUS
enter the Hall.)

HOMER

(To
TELEMACHUS
)

I
know
the evening dew is treacherous, but I don’t think it is liable to fall for a few more hours. The sun isn’t even down yet!

(To
CLIA
)

I believe this young man is afraid I’ll meet with an accident, out there.

ULYSSES

Could be.

(He wanders around, restlessly.)

HOMER

But Eryx and his friends are much too busy carrying water down to the Bay to worry about me. Now why should they be doing that?

ULYSSES

Perhaps they think the tide’s too low.

(He laughs uproariously.)

HOMER

And if I tell you that Melas and his friends are almost here, will you laugh that off, too? And do you know what that extra horse is carrying? A dead man.

ULYSSES

Then I’d say they had run into a spot of trouble. Perhaps met one of your friends, up in that forest.

(He sits on the bench by the table, and faces outward, his back against the table’s edge, to watch the door.)

HOMER

One of
my
friends?

ULYSSES

One of those boars you keep talking about.

HOMER

(Losing his impatience, suddenly interested)

Ah, that reminds me—I wanted to tell you my version of a boar hunt. You’re a hunter, so you could set me right if I’ve some details wrong. But what a pity!

ULYSSES

What’s the pity?

HOMER

We haven’t time!

ULYSSES

What’s a better time than this? Eumaeus—leave that door, now. Come in! Relax!

HOMER

You mean—waiting here, we could—perhaps you are right. Noman, I believe I owe you an apology.

(He starts moving to the fireplace.
ULYSSES
yawns and stretches;
TELEMACHUS
,
glumly, comes forward to the table;
EUMAEUS
follows him.)

Or perhaps I don’t... Anyway, while we wait, we can concentrate on something more pleasant than a mob of squabbling savages.

ULYSSES

Go ahead, go ahead!

HOMER

Now, that’s hardly the frame of mind for listening—

ULYSSES

I said I’d hear you out, didn’t I?

HOMER

(Taking a seat by the fireplace, and facing the table)

Well, don’t interrupt me—let me finish the poem before you start criticising. Now, you must imagine my harp on my knee. But at the moment, I shan’t sing: I must keep my voice fresh for this evening.

ULYSSES

(Genuinely angry)

You mean to sing at the banquet? For that bunch of cutthroats?

HOMER

I shall sing for Penelope. It may be the last song I shall sing, the last she will hear.

(
ULYSSES
is silenced.
HOMER
’s voice loses its emotion and becomes practical again.)

I strike a few chords in a minor key; then I slide into a major chord—the Odysseus motif, which reappears throughout the poem.

ULYSSES

(Impatiently, his eyes watching the door)

Yes, yes...

HOMER

(Begins his narration. He is impressive and noble. His audience, who have been watching the door, gradually turn their eyes toward the poet. They sit or stand quite motionless, in the gathering dusk.)

As soon as early dawn appeared,

The rosy-fingered dawn, touching earth into life,

They all set out for the hunt—the hounds and the men.

And with them went the young Odysseus.

Up the green hill they climbed, steeply to wind-swept ridges

Furred with trees.

Then the baying of hounds, the trampling of men’s feet

Came to the boar as he slept in still shadow,

And he sprang from his lair, his crest bristling,

His cunning eyes aflame; and he stood, waiting, motionless,

But Odysseus saw him, and moved in swiftly, his spear upraised.

CLIA

(Quickly)

It was a
knife
he held.

HOMER

It was a
spear
! Nobody could hunt a wild boar with a knife!

(
ULYSSES
smiles and shakes his head. And then looks at the door as he hears the sounds of horses, coming nearer.
HOMER
resumes, and
TELEMACHUS
,
EUMAEUS
,
and
CLIA
watch him.)

Then the boar twisted sideways, ripped deep with his tusk, driving a gash above the hunter’s knee.

CLIA

(In quiet exasperation)

Below
his knee.

HOMER

(Gives her an angry look)

But Odysseus aimed well, and struck with all his force—

(Now there are sounds from the courtyard, outside, of men and horses.)

And the shining point of the bright spear went gleaming through.

(
MELAS
,
dishevelled somewhat, appears silently in the doorway. Behind him, the yard is bathed in a golden sunset.)

And the boar fell— melas

(Angrily, as he takes a step into the Hall, drawing his sword, looking around searchingly)

Where’s Eryx? Where is he?

ULYSSES

How should we know? We’re listening to Homer.

MELAS

The perfect audience—a pig-keeper, a boy, and a beggar— listening at sunset to an old wife’s tale! Get the torches lit!

CLIA

It’s too early—it’s a waste—

MELAS

Light them!

(
CLIA
,
at a small sign from
ULYSSES
,
goes over to the fire, to ignite a long taper and start lighting the nearest torches on the fireplace wall. Meanwhile,
MELAS
goes on speaking. He has taken a step toward the dais, looks up toward the door to
PENELOPE
’s room.
ULYSSES
rises, as
MELAS
moves. At that moment,
ATHENA
appears from downstage right and stands very still, behind
ULYSSES
.
MELAS
points with his sword.)

Is he up there, with Penelope?

ATHENA

(As
ULYSSES
reaches for his knife)

Wait, Ulysses, wait!

TELEMACHUS

(Rushing forward, his knife out)

Keep away from there, or I’ll—

MELAS

(Swings round to meet
TELEMACHUS
,
catches his upraised wrist, twists the knife out of his hand, shoves him back, and picks up the knife to slip into his belt)

You’ll what, sonny?

(
TELEMACHUS
,
still defiant but watching the sword, is moving along the wall to the left of the door, in order to reach the steps to
PENELOPE
’s room.
EUMAEUS
is moving too, quietly, keeping close to the right wall to try to reach
MELAS
from that side of the Hall. By the hearth,
HOMER
sits, watchful and ready, while
CLIA
seems frozen as she stands, taper in hand.
ATHENA
has one arm held out, as if restraining
ULYSSES
,
who has taken a step forward.
MELAS
,
unaware of all this as he turns his back on them to keep his eyes on
TELEMACHUS
,
suddenly notices the Great Bow, which is now behind the boy as he moves toward the steps to the dais.)

Who has touched that bow? It has been moved. Eryx—

(He slashes with his sword at it, as
TELEMACHUS
dodges toward the steps, and the bow falls to the ground.)

Yes, Eryx tried that bow, didn’t he?

(
ULYSSES
drops back onto the bench.
ATHENA
’s arm falls. All movement stops as
MELAS
whirls round to face them again.)

Didn’t he?

ULYSSES

(Unconcerned, bored)

Stop shouting. We can hear you.

(His calm voice acts as a signal to the others.
CLIA
lights the taper and goes on with her job. The rest remain where they are, silent.)

MELAS

So he did try that bow! And then?

ULYSSES

He didn’t tell us much. Secretive kind of fellow. Oh, he did say you nearly got smashed to pulp, up on the mountain. A crag fell.

MELAS

And why didn’t you bring help?

ULYSSES

Help? Did someone get hurt?

MELAS

(Grimly)

A man is dead, because no help—See here, I’m asking the questions.

ULYSSES

(Smiling)

Then you’d better start asking who gave that crag a push. It was meant for you, wasn’t it? Kind of lucky you jumped aside.

MELAS

(Quite still, staring at
ulysses)

Stay here, all of you... Clia, get their knives! Gather them in your apron! Bring them here!

(
CLIA
hesitates, taper in hand.)

Or else—!

(He threatens
telemachus
with his sword, for a moment.
ULYSSES
pulls his cloak back, just enough to let him take his knife out. He places it on the table behind him.
CLIA
drops the taper, and moves quickly across the Hall to the table, to collect the knife.
EUMAEUS
,
grumbling, comes forward to hand over his knife.)

That’s what I call reasonable. And remember, anyone found wandering outside is liable to get hurt.

(The sun has set. The yard is darkening.
PHILETIUS
enters quietly, slipping around the side of the big door, his hand going to his knife in his belt.)

Like this one, here!

(
MELAS
whips round, as he speaks, to strike
PHILETIUS
on the right arm with his sword, and the knife falls to the ground.
MELAS
laughs as he puts his foot on it, and
PHILETIUS
,
his right arm badly wounded, stumbles toward
TELEMACHUS
.)

Don’t forget
your
knives, Clia!

CLIA

(Turns back to the table to pick up two kitchen knives to add to her apron)

How can I cook for you, without a knife to cut?

MELAS

That’s your problem.

(He grins as she comes toward him with her apron bundled around the knives. He points to the knife at his feet.)

And this one, too.

(She picks it up, adds it to the apron.)

Drop that bundle down the well! Then come back here.

ULYSSES

(As
CLIA
hesitates)

Why argue with a sword? Do as he says, old woman.

(
CLIA
goes out.)

MELAS

(Almost genial, now)

That’s what I like—co-operation.

(The three men who had come down the mountain with
MELAS
appear at the door.)