Slouching toward Zion and More Lies

Desert Duel

Desert Duel j AT RISE: Three astronomers returning from an international conference discuss the meeting they have just attended. Their servants follow offstage leading the camels. First Astronomer What did you think of the king? Second Astronomer Kind of ugly wasn’t he? Third astronomer They all look like that. First Astronomer I thought he would be bigger. Second Astronomer He did look common, didn’t he. I thought he would look more . . . princely. Third Astronomer What did you expect? Some kind of crown on his head? He didn’t even have hair. Second Astronomer I expected him to be in a better place than that. And that his folks would be . . . you know . . . have presence, bearing, nobility. First Astronomer I still think we should have gone back by the city. They have cafes and places to stay. Now we don’t even know where we’ll spend the night or what we’ll have to eat. 185 Third Astronomer You’ll be lucky if you get anything to eat. You ate all the nuts. Second Astronomer These have been the worst accommodations I have ever seen. Don’t expect me to go back unless they discover a whole new galaxy. Third Astronomer (An admission.) We went a long way. First Astronomer (A grumble.) Yeah, for nothing. Second Astronomer What did we learn that we didn’t already know? I think it was the wrong star. There are lots of stars. First Astronomer (Agreeing.) We went to the wrong place. Third Astronomer It was the brightest star. If it was the brightest, doesn’t that mean it has to be the right one? (The other two astronomers exchange knowing looks.) Second Astronomer What did you think of the mother? First Astronomer She was a child herself. They are so young these days. Second Astronomer I don’t think they’re married. There’s something wrong there. The kind of people they were. The kind of place they were in. Maybe he’s the king’s illegitimate son and the king doesn’t want anyone to know. 186 SLOUCHING TOWARD ZION AND MORE LIES First Astronomer The king wouldn’t send a man with her unless he intended the man to kill a pretender to the throne. If he had wanted the mother and child to live, he would have sent her to a better place than that. Third Astronomer Maybe they were fleeing the king to claim the baby as their own so that he would never threaten the king and could live a good and ordinary life. Second Astronomer If you were the son of a king, would you choose to live an ordinary life? First Astronomer If I were a king, I’d choose to live in Rome. Third Astronomer You are so political. Money and power, that’s all you think of. First Astronomer Right now I’m thinking a plump chicken would be good. Surrounded by peaches on a bed of couscous floating in butter. (He sighs.) We went to the wrong place. That wasn’t a pretender to the throne. Those two, and their baby, were rejected by their families and no one else would take them in. Second Astronomer Sometimes that’s the only thing you can do. When you give them every chance and they fail again and again, sometimes you just have to disown them. Third Astronomer If that’s what happened you have to admire the father for sticking with them. He could have gone someplace else and made a life for himself. DESERT DUEL 187 Second Astronomer Admire him for what? Stupidity? If she was rejected by her father then he should have left her too. Let her provide for the kid the way she knows best. Third Astronomer The father wasn’t far from swaddling clothes himself. I wonder if he even has a trade. They have no idea what they’re doing. There are a lot of heartaches ahead for all of them. That’s the way life is. First Astronomer (Agreeing.) You are a wise man. Third Astronomer The baby may have been a scandal to its parents but I think we followed the right star. He may be the new king. I think dreadful things will come to pass. Those in power will try to stop him from becoming a threat to their power. First Astronomer What kind of threat would he be? His...