leverage to sway his opinion. On any subject.
RHETICUS. ( kneeling ) Please try! I implore you. If you do, I swear I will …
COPERNICUS. Come, Professor. You must leave off this genuflecting and swearing. Remember, you are not a Catholic, and I am not a priest.
RHETICUS. You’re not?
COPERNICUS. Only minor orders. Never ordained. But I do administer the cathedral’s business affairs. I’m an officer of the Church. I cannot harbor a heretic.
Beat.
COPERNICUS. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. I meant no disrespect for your beliefs.
RHETICUS. You mean … I’d be a danger to you?
COPERNICUS. You are a danger to yourself, young man. Rushing off to unknown places, knocking on strangers’ doors, shouting about missions and quests.
RHETICUS. I only meant to …
COPERNICUS. ( picking up satchel, pressing it on RHETICUS) Now you be careful on the roads, mind you. Watch out for yourself out there.
RHETICUS. You won’t let me stay after all?
COPERNICUS. I’m sorry to disappoint you.
RHETICUS. What will I do now? How will I ever … ? Oh, God!
COPERNICUS. If you really want to pursue my ideas, why don’t you write to me? After you get back to Wittenberg, you could … I don’t mean write directly. You would need to send your letters through an intermediary. Perhaps Schöner would agree to serve as a … a point of contact for us. I would like that.
COPERNICUS goes to RHETICUS, puts a friendly arm around his shoulders, to shore him up.
COPERNICUS. Now then, Professor. Gather your things. Take the books, please. I could not keep them in good conscience. I hate to send you away like this. But we are victims of these times.
RHETICUS glumly does as he’s told. Together they walk to the door. When COPERNICUS opens it, daylight floods the room.
COPERNICUS. Oh, for Heaven’s sake!
COPERNICUS shuts the door and pushes RHETICUS back into the room.
COPERNICUS. You can’t go now!
RHETICUS. Sir?
COPERNICUS. It’s too late. Look! Daylight already. I’ll have to … Where … ? I know!
COPERNICUS moves aside a bench to reveal a trapdoor, which he struggles, unsuccessfully, to open.
RHETICUS watches, dumbfounded.
COPERNICUS. Help me!
RHETICUS snaps to and pulls on the trapdoor until it opens.
COPERNICUS. Now come this way. Hurry.
They disappear through the trapdoor, closing it behind them.
The stage is empty for a moment as the dawn light continues to brighten. An all-male choir can be heard chanting Matins.
Someone knocks urgently at the front door.
ANNA enters from an interior room, dressed, tying on an apron.
ANNA. Who’s there?
She looks around the room, replaces the bench, tries to restore normal order, goes to the door.
FRANZ. ( entering ) Oh, Miss Anna! You’re still here.
FRANZ throws his arms around her, as a child to a mother, near tears.
ANNA. What is it, pet? What’s the matter?
FRANZ. You’re here. You’re still here.
ANNA. There, there, now. Where else would I be?
FRANZ. I don’t know. Oh, Miss Anna, I don’t want you to go away.
ANNA. What’s got into my brave little man? Oh, poor lamb. There, there.
FRANZ. He said you had to go away.
ANNA. Who said such a thing?
FRANZ. The bshop said.
ANNA. The bishop?
FRANZ. I heard him.
ANNA. No.
FRANZ. He did. He told the doctor to make you go away. Oh, please don’t go, Miss Anna! Please don’t go.
Blackout.
SCENE iv. THE BISHOP’S BEDROOM
TWO BBISHOPS
The BISHOP, in his bed, tosses in the throes of a nightmare.
A knock at the door exaggerates the terror of his dream, but also wakes him, and he cries out.
GIESE. ( offstage ) So sorry to disturb you …
The BISHOP slowly recognizes his surroundings, comes out of the dream.
GIESE. ( opening the door ) It’s the day of our chess game, Johann. Remember? May I come in?
BISHOP. ( throwing off the bedclothes, sitting up ) No.
GIESE. ( entering ) What’s the matter with you? Why are you still in bed?
BISHOP. Did the boy let you in?
GIESE. Are you ill?
BISHOP. Yes. No! But I feel addled. Like a horse kicked me
RHETICUS. ( kneeling ) Please try! I implore you. If you do, I swear I will …
COPERNICUS. Come, Professor. You must leave off this genuflecting and swearing. Remember, you are not a Catholic, and I am not a priest.
RHETICUS. You’re not?
COPERNICUS. Only minor orders. Never ordained. But I do administer the cathedral’s business affairs. I’m an officer of the Church. I cannot harbor a heretic.
Beat.
COPERNICUS. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. I meant no disrespect for your beliefs.
RHETICUS. You mean … I’d be a danger to you?
COPERNICUS. You are a danger to yourself, young man. Rushing off to unknown places, knocking on strangers’ doors, shouting about missions and quests.
RHETICUS. I only meant to …
COPERNICUS. ( picking up satchel, pressing it on RHETICUS) Now you be careful on the roads, mind you. Watch out for yourself out there.
RHETICUS. You won’t let me stay after all?
COPERNICUS. I’m sorry to disappoint you.
RHETICUS. What will I do now? How will I ever … ? Oh, God!
COPERNICUS. If you really want to pursue my ideas, why don’t you write to me? After you get back to Wittenberg, you could … I don’t mean write directly. You would need to send your letters through an intermediary. Perhaps Schöner would agree to serve as a … a point of contact for us. I would like that.
COPERNICUS goes to RHETICUS, puts a friendly arm around his shoulders, to shore him up.
COPERNICUS. Now then, Professor. Gather your things. Take the books, please. I could not keep them in good conscience. I hate to send you away like this. But we are victims of these times.
RHETICUS glumly does as he’s told. Together they walk to the door. When COPERNICUS opens it, daylight floods the room.
COPERNICUS. Oh, for Heaven’s sake!
COPERNICUS shuts the door and pushes RHETICUS back into the room.
COPERNICUS. You can’t go now!
RHETICUS. Sir?
COPERNICUS. It’s too late. Look! Daylight already. I’ll have to … Where … ? I know!
COPERNICUS moves aside a bench to reveal a trapdoor, which he struggles, unsuccessfully, to open.
RHETICUS watches, dumbfounded.
COPERNICUS. Help me!
RHETICUS snaps to and pulls on the trapdoor until it opens.
COPERNICUS. Now come this way. Hurry.
They disappear through the trapdoor, closing it behind them.
The stage is empty for a moment as the dawn light continues to brighten. An all-male choir can be heard chanting Matins.
Someone knocks urgently at the front door.
ANNA enters from an interior room, dressed, tying on an apron.
ANNA. Who’s there?
She looks around the room, replaces the bench, tries to restore normal order, goes to the door.
FRANZ. ( entering ) Oh, Miss Anna! You’re still here.
FRANZ throws his arms around her, as a child to a mother, near tears.
ANNA. What is it, pet? What’s the matter?
FRANZ. You’re here. You’re still here.
ANNA. There, there, now. Where else would I be?
FRANZ. I don’t know. Oh, Miss Anna, I don’t want you to go away.
ANNA. What’s got into my brave little man? Oh, poor lamb. There, there.
FRANZ. He said you had to go away.
ANNA. Who said such a thing?
FRANZ. The bshop said.
ANNA. The bishop?
FRANZ. I heard him.
ANNA. No.
FRANZ. He did. He told the doctor to make you go away. Oh, please don’t go, Miss Anna! Please don’t go.
Blackout.
SCENE iv. THE BISHOP’S BEDROOM
TWO BBISHOPS
The BISHOP, in his bed, tosses in the throes of a nightmare.
A knock at the door exaggerates the terror of his dream, but also wakes him, and he cries out.
GIESE. ( offstage ) So sorry to disturb you …
The BISHOP slowly recognizes his surroundings, comes out of the dream.
GIESE. ( opening the door ) It’s the day of our chess game, Johann. Remember? May I come in?
BISHOP. ( throwing off the bedclothes, sitting up ) No.
GIESE. ( entering ) What’s the matter with you? Why are you still in bed?
BISHOP. Did the boy let you in?
GIESE. Are you ill?
BISHOP. Yes. No! But I feel addled. Like a horse kicked me
Similar Books
