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Act Four
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Scene
Twenty-Eight:
Bang
that Thing!
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As the intermission after Act Three ends, ENSEMBLE
moves the Temple Pylon back to the wall and drums
and bells are set on the floor of the Space, as
though left there by a child who has not picked
up his toys. From OFF we hear the sounds of BOY
HORUS banging his drum and shouting. He runs in,
followed by NEPHTHYS. The boy is about six.
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| NEPHTHYS:
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And what will this young man do when he's big?
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| HORUS:
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I'm going to hit big
things, bam! and hear how
they sound.
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| NEPHTHYS:
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Gently. What about beauty? And
music?
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| HORUS:
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What? I can't hear you.
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| NEPHTHYS:
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I wonder why. You're breaking
your drum.
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| HORUS:
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You sound just like my mother. I choose the right
thing to hit. When it's time to strike
that resonance, I hit it. Make it go bongongongong! And Boom!
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HORUS plays with his bells and drums. ISIS enters. She and
NEPHTHYS withdraw and talk. Their voices become audible when
HORUS stops playing.
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| ISIS:
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I've
heard rockslides softer than this. But the longer we can keep him banging on those things
. . .
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| NEPTHYS:
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We wish. But sooner or later someone will tell
him.
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| ISIS:
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Not yet.
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| BOTH:
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Let him be a boy.
(Simultaneous. Then pause.)
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| NEPHTHYS:
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I keep the secrets. But if he ever asks Ma'at
--
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| ISIS:
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(Shaking
her head:) Bronze hats. Iron pants. I dislike this part. I will
be back later. After my son and his uncle Bladehead deal each
other some disrespect. (To HORUS:) Hey! How'd you like to play
a big stone box?
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HORUS:
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Really? Where?
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| With a sweep of
her head, ISIS beckons BOY HORUS to follow. He exits, clanging a cymbal, followed by NEPHTHYS. Percussion blends into I'm Looking Forward to You MUSIC. Across the Space adult HORUS enters. He is now a youth in his late teens. He goes to center Space, lifts his arms and looks up, praying. MA'AT KHU appears at first as a cloud of blue-white light, then resolves into her Goddess image above and in front of HORUS..
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| MA'AT:
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I've been expecting you.
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| HORUS:
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You are more beautiful than any
eye might dream.
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| MA'AT:
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Thank you. To a lover of truth like you, this is so.
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| HORUS:
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Lady, I have questions.
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MA'AT:
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I'm sure you do.
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| HORUS:
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Lady,
there's something about my father that my
mother and my aunt will not reveal to me. When I even start
to think about asking, they seem to
know what's coming and they dart off
like birds.
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| MA'AT:
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Ask the question.
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HORUS:
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Truest
One, how did my father die?
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| MA'AT:
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I can tell you this under two conditions.
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HORUS:
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Yes?
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| MA'AT:
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Do you agree that you will take no action
against any Neter unless your mother, Thoth and
Anubis are aligned with your purpose?
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HORUS:
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Yes.
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| MA'AT:
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From now on, you must recognize that your father Osiris,
and you, are part of a very famous, and very public story. Do
you accept this?
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| HORUS:
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(After a pause:) Yes.
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| HORUS immediately,
and for the first time, becomes aware of the CELEBRANTS.
He nearly jumps with surprise.
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HORUS:
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Who are
these beings?
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| MA'AT:
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Horus, these are the ones who may
be invisible at first because they haven't claimed their
divinity yet. These are the humans.
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| HORUS:
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What a wave
this is. Ahh, a pleasure to meet you. I believe. Astounding.
Welcome. Ahhh, do you speak our language?
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| MA'AT:
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It is up to us to speak their language.
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| HORUS:
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How beautiful! And all of these--what did you call
them?
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| MA'AT:
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Humans. People.
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| HORUS:
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Really? "People"? (Laughs.) People. All
of you have been here all this time, and I've been completely
unaware of you?
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| MA'AT and CELEBRANTS:
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Yes.
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| HORUS:
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Ahaah. (To CELEBRANTS:) I'm honored. (To MAAT):
I'm also supposed to be the Vision Man, the Falcon's Eye. What
else is there right in front of my face that I don't see?
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| MA'AT:
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All in good time.
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| HORUS:
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(To CELEBRANTS:) Since you could see me before I was
aware of you, maybe you can tell me. Did you know my father?
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| HORUS, MA'AT and
ENSEMBLE invite CELEBRANTS to tell the
story. Horus learns for the first time SET's role
in the murder of OSIRIS.
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| HORUS:
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That's why he likes to (throat slashing gesture).
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| MA'AT:
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It's time for you to walk in the desert.
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| HORUS:
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(To CELEBRANTS:) Please excuse me. This will
take a little time to--
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| HORUS exits quickly
as I'm
Looking Forward to You MUSIC picks up. As HORUS KHU flies over the Space and vanishes, SET enters. In the following
scene SET's territory is defined in red and orange light, HORUS'
realm in gold and blue.
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| SET:
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It's time to shake some leather. Any announcements
or warnings before we move on? Ma'at? (Pause.) Thoth?
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THOTH:
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(OFF:) Oh, no.
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SET:
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You're turning down a chance to talk?
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THOTH:
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The air smells hot. (THOTH KHU appears.)
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| SET:
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(To CELEBRANTS:) Why do we have to be kind to our subtle
friend here? Because he writes the story. If he forgets you,
you don't exist. Right?
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| THOTH:
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Not quite.
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| SET:
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But close enough. (To CELEBRANTS:) After
we'd played this story the first fifty thousand times, Thoth was
called Hermes Trismegistus: Hermes the Triple Great in writing,
star lore and prophecy, all of which he invented. He talks to you
with such modesty, like some kindly old uncle. But this Neter
is mightier than you know. Without him there's no language,
no story.
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| THOTH:
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Horus comes.
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THOTH KHU vanishes as HORUS KHU appears in
the distance, then swoops into the Space and disappears.
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