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The Wild Knight (play)
by
OLIVE [feverishly].
Hush! He is just behind
There in the house–see how the great house glares,
Glares like an ogre’s mask–the whole dead house
Possessed with bestial meaning….
[Screams]
Ah! the face!
The whole great grinning house–his face! his face!
His face!
REDFEATHER [in a voice of thunder, pointing away from the house].
Look there–look there!
OLIVE.
What is it? What?
REDFEATHER.
I think it was a bird.
OLIVE.
What thought you, truly?
REDFEATHER.
I think a mighty thought is drawing near.
[Enter THE WILD KNIGHT.]
THE WILD KNIGHT.
That house….
[Points.]
OLIVE.
Ah Christ! [Shudders.] I had forgotten it.
THE WILD KNIGHT [still pointing].
That house! the house at last, the house of God,
Wherein God makes an evening feast for me.
The house at last: I know the twisted path
Under the twisted pear-tree: this I saw
In the first dream I had ere I was born.
It is the house of God. He welcomes me.
[Strides forward.]
REDFEATHER.
That house. God’s blood!
OLIVE [hysterically].
Is not this hell’s own wit?
THE WILD KNIGHT.
God grows impatient, and His wine is poured,
His bread is broken.
[Rushes forward.]
REDFEATHER [leaps between].
Stand away, great fool,
There is a devil there!
THE WILD KNIGHT [draws his sword, and waves it as he rushes].
God’s house!–God’s house!
REDFEATHER [plucks out his own sword].
Better my hand than his.
[The blades clash.]
God alone knows
What That within might do to you, poor fool,
I can but kill you.
[They fight. OLIVE tries to part them.]
REDFEATHER.
Olive, stand away!
OLIVE.
I will not stand away!
[Steps between the swords.]
Stranger, a word,
Yes–you are right–God is within that house.
REDFEATHER.
Olive!
OLIVE.
But He is all too beautiful
For us who only know of stars and flowers.
The thing within is all too pure and fair,
[Shudders.]
Too awful in its ancient innocence,
For men to look upon it and not die;
Ourselves would fade into those still white fires
Of peace and mercy.
[Struggles with her voice.]
There … enough … the law–
No flesh shall look upon the Lord and live.
REDFEATHER [sticking his sword in the ground].
You are the bravest lady in the world.
THE WILD KNIGHT [dazed].
May I not go within?
REDFEATHER.
Keep you the law–
No flesh shall look upon the Lord and live.
THE WILD KNIGHT [sadly].
Then I will go and lay me in the flowers,
For He may haply, as in ancient time,
Walk in the garden in the cool of day.
[He goes out.]
[OLIVE reels. REDFEATHER catches her.]
You are the strongest woman upon earth.
The weakest woman than the strongest man
Is stronger in her hour: this is the law.
When the hour passes–then may we be strong.
OLIVE [wildly.]
The House … the Face.
REDFEATHER [fiercely].
I love you. Look at me!
OLIVE [turns her face to him.]
I hear six birds sing in that little tree,
Say, is the old earth laughing at my fears?
I think I love you also….
REDFEATHER.
What I am
You know. But I will never curse a man,
Even in a mirror.
OLIVE [smiling at him].
And the Devil’s dance?
REDFEATHER.
The Devil plotted since the world was young
With alchemies of fire and witches’ oils
And magic. But he never made a man.
OLIVE.
No; not a man.
REDFEATHER.
Not even my Lord Orm.
Look at the house now–
[She starts and looks.]
Honest brick and tiles.
OLIVE.
You have a strange strength in this hour.
REDFEATHER.
This hour
I see with mortal eye as in one flash
The whole divine democracy of things,
And dare the stars to scorn a scavenge-heap.
Olive, I tell you every soul is great.
Weave we green crowns–how noble and how high;
Fling we white flowers–how radiant and how pure
Is he, whoe’er he be, who next shall cross
This scrap of grass….
[Enter LORD ORM. ]
OLIVE [screams].
Ah!
REDFEATHER [pointing to the chapel].
Olive, go and pray
for a man soon to die. Good-day, my Lord.
[She goes in.]
LORD ORM.
Good-day.
REDFEATHER.
I am a friend to Lady Olive.
LORD ORM.
Sir, you are fortunate.
REDFEATHER.
Most fortunate
In finding, sword on thigh and ready, one
Who is a villain and a gentleman.