Authors: Helen Macinnes

Home is the Hunter (22 page)

HOMER

And leave you to face these men, alone?

PENELOPE

(Comes back to centre stage)

Please
go, Clia! Get the spear in my room—Ulysses’ spear. Get it!

CLIA

(Listening, pressed against the door)

I hear a rumble of wheels. They’ve come back.

PENELOPE

Get that spear!

(As
CLIA
leaves the door and runs up the steps toward
PENELOPE
’s room,
HOMER
comes over quietly to stand beside
PENELOPE
in the centre of the Hall.)

Oh, Homer! You could save yourself. They have no quarrel with you.

HOMER

I suppose they’d leave me alive if I were to turn my
Odyssey
into a poem praising them. But—I’d rather it stayed unfinished.

(Very sadly)

It was to have been a happy story—one that ended pleasantly, encouragingly

PENELOPE

Instead—I have turned it into a tragedy.

HOMER

(Sombrely)

Then you are a true Greek, Penelope... Why do our stories always have to end in tragedy?

(He sighs.)

The fault, dear lady, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves—

(The door’s heavy bar is being raised from outside.
HOMER
takes out his knife and places his other hand on
PENELOPE
’s shoulder as they turn defiantly to face the opening door.
PENELOPE
’s hand, holding the dagger, is at her back, half hidden by her skirt.
ULYSSES
enters, and halts. Behind him are
TELEMACHUS
,
EUMAEUS
,
and
PHILETIUS
,
excited and triumphant.)

ULYSSES

(To
PENELOPE
)

And what the hell are you doing down here?

PENELOPE

(Almost faints against
HOMER
,
who holds her for a moment. She pushes him away, and runs to
ULYSSES
.)

I thought they had killed you. I thought you were dead.

ULYSSES

(Catching her into his arms)

Kill this old fox? Not likely. I knew a trick or two they hadn’t even thought of.

(He suddenly notices
CLIA
,
with the spear, at the top of the steps.)

Have you women gone crazy, or something? What chance do you think you would have had?

(Takes the dagger out of
PENELOPE
’s hand)

And who was this meant for?

(Throws the dagger aside and laughs and embraces
PENELOPE
again)

HOMER

(Coming forward)

Odysseus!

TELEMACHUS

Oh, Mother, he was wonderful! You should have seen him, Clia!—What are you staring at?

CLIA

Ghosts.

(She drops the spear and comes slowly down the steps.)

HOMER

(He and
ULYSSES
grasp hands.
ULYSSES
keeps one arm around
PENELOPE
,
never lets her go.)

This ghost feels very solid to me. Odysseus—welcome! Home is the hunter, home from the hill, and the sailor home from sea!

ULYSSES

(Looking around, still holding
penelope)

And home to stay, this time. I’d never risk another night like this one.

(He looks at
PENELOPE
.
CLIA
has started to straighten things.)

Leave that to morning, Clia. Let’s all move toward bed. Is no one tired, around here, except me?

CLIA

But is it safe to go to bed? Are they—are they all dead?

ULYSSES

(Cheerfully)

Not one left. We can sleep in peace. Now—let’s say good night—

HOMER

(Insistent)

One man against eleven! But how—?

ULYSSES

(Gestures to
TELEMACHUS
)

I had some useful help.

TELEMACHUS

(Proudly)

Oh... I didn’t do much. Eumaeus and I—we just sort of guarded the door, cut off all retreat.

ULYSSES

You stood ready. You didn’t give ground. That’s something, boy.

HOMER

(Determined)

But
how
did you—?

ULYSSES

(Brusquely)

It was a free-for-all, crazy, mixed up. Began suddenly, and then—well, it was over. That’s all.

HOMER

So that’s all, is it? I don’t believe a word you say. It must have been an epic fight. Heroic! You took your own house as you captured Troy! Come—tell me it all. I want to hear the details while they are still fresh in your mind.

ULYSSES

(Drawing
PENELOPE
toward the steps)

Tomorrow will be time enough for that. Or the day after tomorrow.

(He smiles broadly.)

Get some sleep, all of you. And don’t waken me for a week!

HOMER

But I’ve never been more wide awake in my life...

(Suddenly noticing
ULYSSES
’
impatience)

Sorry... Of course—tomorrow will do... I suppose.

(He looks dashed. Then he sees
TELEMACHUS
picking up the bow to replace on the wall, and goes to help him.)

This bow saw some hard service tonight, didn’t it?

TELEMACHUS

Well—

HOMER

(Taking
TELEMACHUS
’
arm)

Come, let’s walk a little in the cool, free air. It will clear our heads, and you can give me all the details. Tell me how and why and where. If I didn’t see the climax to this story, I can at least hear about it. And, listening, I’ll see it as clearly as if I had been there.

ULYSSES

(Halting at the steps, worried)

Telemachus—

TELEMACHUS

Don’t worry.

ULYSSES

(Warningly)

No embroidery!

(Laughs)

Leave that to your mother.

TELEMACHUS

(Grinning)

I’ll tell Homer exactly what he wants to know.

HOMER

Splendid. Now, the Great Bow is what interests me most. Let’s begin with that incident, and I’ll make it the grand climax of the
Odyssey.

(He walks out with
TELEMACHUS
,
talking, talking.)

EUMAEUS

(Catching
PHILETIUS
’
arm)

I wouldn’t miss this for anything. Let’s see if Telemachus can spin as good a yarn as his father. And I’ve got some details of my own to add.

(They look at
ULYSSES
with a broad grin and start moving into the courtyard.
CLIA
looks at
ULYSSES
and
PENELOPE
,
who have forgotten her. She pulls a shawl over her shoulders.)

CLIA

And what about mine? I was the first to recognise Ulysses, wasn’t I? Besides, this is the first night in three years I can walk out in the fresh, free air.

(She hurries after the others. Their laughing voices fade into the gentle night.
ATHENA
has entered as they leave, and—as she speaks—comes downstage.)

ATHENA

There’s no place for Reason, out there. They will catch cold, but what does that matter when the air
is
free, and one can laugh again?

(As
PENELOPE
breaks away from a long embrace,
ATHENA
halts downstage, right, and turns to watch them.
PENELOPE
looks toward the courtyard.)

PENELOPE

Poor Homer—they’ll confuse him, completely.

ULYSSES

(Laughing)

Not Homer. He’ll confuse them until they believe everything he says.

PENELOPE

What
is
the true story of tonight, Ulysses?

ULYSSES

(Tenderly)

You and I.

PENELOPE

You didn’t use the Great Bow, did you?

ULYSSES

(After a pause)

No. I didn’t. But does that matter?

PENELOPE

(Laughing)

Nothing matters except—you are home. And you love me.

(She throws her arms round her husband.)

And you didn’t lie to me. Oh, Ulysses, Ulysses!

(They kiss, a long long kiss.
ATHENA
has lost interest. She is walking across the stage, and a transparent curtain moves with her. She holds its edge with an upraised arm, as if she were drawing it closed. As she walks, she looks out over the audience, smiling, speaking.)

ATHENA

See? No place for Reason here, either. Nothing for me to do, now. Except, perhaps, to draw a veil... So good night, my friends. Good night, Ulysses. Good night, my sweet Penelope. Your story will last
three
thousand years and more. Was that worth waiting for, Penelope? Good night, good night...

(Her voice fades as she leaves, downstage left.)

The Great Hall is veiled. The lights dim. The veil becomes opaque and forms the

CURTAIN

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Helen MacInnes, whom the
Sunday Express
called ‘the Queen of spy writers’, was the author of many distinguished suspense novels.

Born in Scotland, she studied at the University of Glasgow and University College, London, then went to Oxford after her marriage to Gilbert Highet, the eminent critic and educator. In 1937 the Highets went to New York, and except during her husband’s war service, Helen MacInnes lived there ever since.

Since her first novel
Above Suspicion
was published in 1941 to immediate success, all her novels have been bestsellers;
The Salzburg Connection
was also a major film.

Helen MacInnes died in September 1985.

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