Dramatis Personae:
SCENE I. The Queen's Council Chamber.
[Enter QUEEN MARGARET, LORD AUSTIN, and LORD BASTIAN.]
QUEEN MARGARET:
The coastal city of Fairhaven is threatened.
The Northern King, with ships of mighty build,
Doth plot invasion and our realm's demise.
We need a defence, swift and resolute!
LORD BASTIAN:
My Queen, raise an army! Build great walls!
Send forth the navy with our strongest arms!
The only way to face a threat is with
A greater force of iron and of will!
LORD AUSTIN:
(Stepping forward calmly)
My liege, a wall may fall to cannon shot,
An army routed by a clever general.
I have a vision, not of strength of arms,
But strength of mind: a maze of mirrors bright,
To blind and confuse the enemy fleet.
A trick of light and sound, to make them fear
A power they cannot comprehend nor fight.
LORD BASTIAN:
(Laughing with derision)
Mirrors? A child's toy against a mighty navy?
You speak of dreams while the wolf is at the door!
We need a warrior's hand, not a scholar's trick!
This folly shall be our undoing!
QUEEN MARGARET:
(Considering this)
Lord Austin, your mind is sharp and keen.
We shall trust your vision. Build your maze with haste.
Lord Bastian, provide the funds and men.
The fate of Fairhaven rests upon this plan.
[Exit all with urgency and varied expressions.]
SCENE II. The Cliffs of Fairhaven. Weeks later. Night.
[Enter LORD AUSTIN and workers, positioning large, reflective surfaces.]
LORD AUSTIN:
Quickly now, the tide is high and running fast!
The mirrors must be angled just so,
To catch the moon and spread a blinding light.
The fog is rising; all proceeds as planned!
WORKER:
Captain, the enemy fleet is spotted now!
A hundred ships upon the dark horizon!
LORD AUSTIN:
Then light the signals! We are ready for them!
[Lights flash. Austin adjusts the final mirror. The moonlight is caught and reflected across the sea, causing a bright, confusing glare across the water.]
SCENE III. The Cliffs. Moments later.
[The sound of confusion, shouting, and crashing ships is heard offstage.]
[Enter QUEEN MARGARET and LORD BASTIAN, rushing to see.]
LORD BASTIAN:
What noise is this? What chaos on the waves?
QUEEN MARGARET:
Look! The enemy ships are in confusion!
The mirrors blind them, they see ghosts and light!
They turn upon themselves, they crash and sink!
[Loud crashes are heard. Shouts of panic from the enemy.]
LORD BASTIAN:
(In stunned silence)
A miracle! A true and wondrous sight!
The scholar's trick hath saved the day!
[Enter LORD AUSTIN, triumphant.]
LORD AUSTIN:
The Northern King's navy is no more, my Queen!
They feared the magic of the light and fled,
Or crashed upon the rocks in blind despair!
Fairhaven is safe!
QUEEN MARGARET:
(Embracing Austin)
You are a genius, Austin! A hero of the realm!
Not with the sword, but with a mighty mind,
You saved us all from certain, dark defeat!
LORD AUSTIAN:
Wisdom and ingenuity won the day!
QUEEN MARGARET:
Let trumpets sound a loud and joyous tune!
This glorious end shall stand for all the ages!
The Architect's vision gave us victory!
[A mighty fanfare of trumpets sounds. All cheer wildly, celebrating the triumph of the mind over brute force, a truly glorious end.]
[CURTAIN]
No comments:
Post a Comment