C H O R U S

Where is the King?
We have no King but Caesar!
Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's
and to Caesar the things that are God's.
No man can serve two masters;
if he loves the one, he will hate the other.
If we serve the one, we will crucify the other.
Follow your heart; lay up your treasures:
treasures of gold and ivory, incense and myrrh,
treasures of silver and diamonds, silk and plyester,
computers and space probes, atom bombs and pearls,
and glorious tracts of unspoiled wilderness.

By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down.
Yea, we wept, when we remembered--Babylon.
Weep for yourselves and for your children,
poor orphans in an affluent society,
eaten by the worm that dieth not:
the worm of greed, the worm of siphyllis,
the worm of equality and justice.
Oh, had we but known the things that are for our peace!

(An intermission, if there is one, should occur here.)

Let him carry the cross; we will look on
Don't force it on our backs; the burden is his,
and we want time to contemplate the mystery.
Can he save others, who could not save himself?
If this is how he leads us, where is our fulfillment?
Let him unbolt his arms and stretch them down to us
if he would draw all things unto himself.

We would believe, we are not stubborn;
but give us grounds for faith, not this!
We would believe, we are eager to believe.
We believe already in science, in democracy,
We will accept the truth of transcendental meditation,
transcendental flying objects, and the classless state.
Anything remotely self-assertive we will believe in;
anything that promises progress and advance.
But not this.
Not useless suffering, passive non-resistance.
Not disgrace.
Not degradation of human dignity.
Not abandonment.
Not, O Lord,
failure.

(The lights go out on the CHORUS)

A C T T H R E E

(The lights come up on the acting area, which is the hill of crucifixion. There is a rock, as high as a man, stage L, with a spotlight off R, throwing the shadow of a cross on it. A bucket of common wine with a sponge beside it is to one side of the rock. During this act, the lights gradually dim until only the spot with the cross is still on; and as the act reaches its climax, even it dims out, and the stage is in total darkness for a few seconds.)

MARCUS, SECUNDUS, and JOAB are discovered sitting in front of the rock. LONGINUS is seated stage R, staring off into the distance.

(There is a long pause. MARCUS picks up a stick, breaks it in two, idly tries to fit the pieces together, and throws it away. He sighs.)

Sec: This is the worst part, waiting after it is over. When they are finally up there, there's no more drama in it; even the rabble lose interest after an hour or so. Behold. Half of them have left already.

(Pause)

Joab: I thirst. Where is the wine? (He gets up, goes over to the bucket, and takes a drink from the ladle.) Yechh! It is even worse than usual from being in the sun. (He puts it behind the rock after taking another mouthful)

Sec: A pity we cannot accommodate you, friend Jew; but you must make allowances for the Roman military. However, remind me the next time we come out, and I will see if I can't requisition a bottle of Old Falernian for you. (JOAB looks at him as if he is going to spit his mouthful of wine over him, remembers his vow, swallows and sits down again.)

(Pause)

Sec: How long must we stay here, Marcus?

Mar: Until everyone leaves, or until we receive orders, or until night. Or until they die.

Sec: I have seen that take four days. Oh, well.

Joab: It will have to be before night. They will not be allowed to hang there on a cross during this Sabbath, because it is a festival.

Sec: Ah, yes. I give you thanks, Jew; I had forgotten the taboos of your precious religion.

Well, at least we have the anticipation of breaking their legs to beguile away the idle hours.

--but what is wrong with Longinus? I can see that he might be a little annoyed at some of us, but a fit of sulks is not exactly in his character.

Mar: He does what he does.

Sec: True. Somehow, it is a bit difficult to picture him doing what he is not doing. Still, whatever he is doing at the moment, it does not exactly advertise the solidarity and cameraderie of the Roman soldiery; and if he must do it, then maybe he should be persuaded to pick a less public place. (He goes over to LONGINUS) Longinus? Longinus, are you all right?

Long: (With a start) What?

Sec: Are you all right?

Long: It grows dark. Behold.

Sec: Dark! Are you out of your mind? There is not a cloud in the sky!

Long: Oh, yes it does; I have been watching it. Behold over there. An hour ago, you could see the roofs of Bethlehem in the distance; and now you cannot.

Sec: Is that all? It is nothing but haze, my lad. The exhalation of mother earth at this fertile season which heralds in the burgeoning of grain--or whatever burgeons in this forsaken land. I imagine something must burgeon here; thistles, perhaps. They say donkeys thrive on thistles. You scared me for a moment.

Long: It is not haze, Secundus.

Sec: Longinus, it is probably not my place to reopen a friendship that I lost temporarily by an excess--I admit it--of my over-exuberant nature, but you have need to be spoken to. You really do. If it makes you angry, then even that is better than this. No one expects anybody to go into transports of joy on such an occasion, but there is such a thing as decorum. Keep on this way, and you will give crucifixion a bad name.

Now come over with the rest of us, and act like a human being.

Long: (Pulls himself together.) You are right. (They go back and sit down.)

(Pause)

Sec: Well, at least now we are all moping together.

(Pause)

Long: Do you know what he said to me?

Mar: Who?

Long: My man. The King. Do you know what he said?

Mar: No, what?

Long: I was hammering the nail through his left wrist, and he looked straight into my eyes, and said, "Father, forgive them; they know not what they do."

Sec: So? What of that?

Long: What of that! When was the last time you were forgiven by someone you were nailing to a cross?

Mar: That is strange, when one thinks of it.

Sec: Listen to them! You knew he was a fanatic. He had probably worked himself into a state where he could not even feel it. I have seen men walk on live coals and sing.

Long: Oh, he felt it, truly enough.

Sec: Then he was probably trying to make you feel guilty and stop. It is a novel approach, I must admit, but from the look of things, it almost worked. I will have to remember it if they ever try to crucify me.

Long: With one hand already nailed down?

Sec: I told you he had a bad sense of timing. Now with me, as soon as the nail touches the delicate flesh of the first wrist, I will look soulfully into the executioner's eye, and say, "Dear chap, I forgive you. It is not your fault that I am as innocent as the merest turtle-dove, or as the butterfly winging its way from rose to tulip." And then, as the tears start forth in his eyes, I will continue, "Nay, sir, do your duty. Men step unthinkingly upon the lilies of the field, and little wit what damage they do to their proud beauty. Men uproot the young sapling even before its prime--I seem to be burgeoning again.

Long: (Laughs) By Pollux, I believe you would! The day you do not turn everything into a joke will be the day they cut out your tongue.

Mar: Well that is what I would do to him if he tried something like that with me.

Sec: Remind me to have someone else assigned to me on that happy occasion, then. Someone who reads the odes of Catullus in his spare moments.

Joab: I know who I will ask to be assigned.

Long: (Warningly) Joab.

Joab: Yes, Master. You did not say I could not think.

(Pause)

Sec: Well, I tried.

(Pause)

Long: Joab?

Joab: Yes, Master?

Long: Joab, who is this god of yours?

Joab: Not he, sir, if that is what is bothering you.

Long: How do you know? How do you know what the gods are like?

Sec: In the name of sanity, Longinus! Just because you crucified a crazy man--

Long: That is what I want to know. That all I crucified was a crazy man.

Sec: First he is King of the Jews, and now he is a god! I wish I had on my side the one who is responsible for his reputation! Hear me, Longinus. Suppose there are such things as gods. Are they rational or not?

Long: How should I know? I am no god.

Sec: And neither is anyone else. All I'm asking is for you to use your head. A soldier has to think.

Long: Very well, yes; the gods are rational.

Sec: Then can you give me one good reason--one bad reason, anything with the slightest breath of reason in it--why a god would allow himself to be crucified?

Long: No.

Sec: Well, then.

Long: Just because I cannot give a reason, it does not mean there is none.

Sec: What shall we do with him? The King has addled his brain! Even the Jew here has more sense than to believe this!

Long: Oh, yes? Well, look up at the sun (They look at the spot making the shadow of the cross)

Sec: So? There it is, right where it is supposed to be.

Long: And have you ever been able to look directly at it before, in broad daylight?

Mar: (Horrorstruck) He has reason! Something truly strange is happening! The sun is losing its light!

Sec: Will you stop that! It's just a haze!

Long: Secundus, when there is a haze, the sky turns white, not deep blue as it is now.

Mar: What have you done, Master?

Long: I wish I knew, Marcus. I wish I knew!

Sec: Stop that! Anyone who could turn off the sun would not be up there on that cross! What is this? You are going insane because of some freak of this crazy climate!

Joab: I never saw anything like this before.

Sec: Thank you, my, friend; I needed that bit of help. Trust a Jew. Wait a moment. I know what is happening. You people with your hanging gods have kept even me from thinking. It is an eclipse of the sun, that is what it is.

Long: No, it is not. I saw an eclipse of the sun once, Secundus, and when that happens you can see the shadow of the moon pass in front of the sun. You can see the whole disk today.

Sec: Then it is some different form of eclipse.

Long: Forget it, Secundus, it is not an eclipse. If the moon comes in front of the sun the sun, it has to be new moon; the moon has to be dark.

Sec: So it is the new moon.

Long: It is two days before the Kalends of April, Secundus. The moon is full.

Joab: He is right. Our festival is on the full moon.

Sec: Oh, very well, very well, it is not an eclipse. But it is something.

Long: It is certainly something.

Joab: No, but I agree with him, Master. It cannot be connected with that Nazarene; it has to be a natural thing.

Long: You do not believe your god can take away the sun's light?

Joab: Our God can do everything! He created the sun!

Long: Then what makes you think he cannot have a child?

Joab: Master, you do not understand. Our God is not like Jupiter, running around the world looking for pretty girls he can lay. There is no god but our God, and he is a spirit, not an overgrown man. Unless you want to say we are all his children, because he made us; but that does not make us any more than what we are already.

But he could not have a real son that is a man, because then the man would be God, and how can a man be a spirit? It is impossible, sir; it is unthinkable. Our God is like nothing on this earth; why, we are even forbidden to make pictures of him, because he wants us to know he cannot be like anything we could imagine.

And that is why I stopped being a follower of Jesus, and that is why he deserved to die, in spite of the beauty of so much of what he taught. As soon as he began hinting that he was the Son of God, it was all over; he showed himself to be just another deluded fool, and anybody who would follow him would have to be willing to degrade God Almighty to just another dweller on Olympus!

Mar: Well you can tell your god that whether he lives on Olympus or anywhere else, he is no match for Jupiter Capitolinus, and we proved it last night! As soon as I took Jupiter out to look at him, we were in charge again.

Joab: But that is just the point! He is no match for anything, because he is not a god at all!

This is silly. There are no gods except the Lord.

Sec: There are no gods at all.

Marcus Oh, really? I can take that kind of talk from him, because he knows no better. But you are a Roman.

Sec: And therefore, I do know better. There are no gods; not his, and not Jupiter Capitolinus either. If you want to personify nature, Marcus, who am I to stop you? But we have outgrown that sort of thing.

Mar: Well so I heard, but I never really believed it until now! And it is you decadent patricians that are undermining Rome, and bringing the wrath of the gods on us! You destroyed the republic first, and now--

Sec: And now we have the Empire. Quite a comedown. Now there is no land on earth that does not bow down to Rome.

Mar: And who did it? Mars and Jupiter Capitolinus!

Sec: Come now, Marcus, you cannot have it both ways. You cannot have our atheism bringing the wrath of the gods down on us, and then turn around and explain Rome's triumph by the favor of the same gods.

Mar: Why not? They do it in spite of people like you!

Sec: We seem fated to get into religious discussions today. Very well, have it your way, Marcus; far be it from me to argue with you. All I know is that the Jewish god is not making it dark.

Long: And all I know is that it is growing darker and darker!

Sec: Well anyway, what are you worried about? Even if he does have some kind of sun-snuffer up there on the cross you are safe. He forgave you, did he not?

Long: (With sudden relief) That is true; I did not know what I was doing. (Anxious again) Or did I? Did I suspect, even then?

Sec: Great Pollux, Longinus! If he is a god, he certainly knew whether you knew what you were doing or not, and so you are forgiven. And if he is not, then you're just horrifying yourself into a frenzy for nothing. This whatever it is will pass, and the sun will come out, and you will laugh about it. Forsan et haec olim memenisse juvabit.Good old Vergil; he has a line for everything.

Long: (Pulling himself together) I suppose you are right.

Sec: Of course I am right. When have I ever been anything but right? . . . Very well, now what do we do? That little aberration of yours did have the virtue of helping pass the time. But we have three hours left--well, perhaps not. Marcus says we can go back at dark, and as things are now, that only leaves a couple of minutes.

Mar: That is not funny, Secundus.

Sec: Well, what are we to do, then? Simply sit here and fret? Whether it is funny or not, there is nothing we can do about it, so let us find something to take our minds off it. Let somebody else take over; another ten minutes and I will have run out of ideas.

Mar: What would be bad about that? It was your idea that put us into this mess.

Sec: What do you mean by that?

Mar: If you had not played that king game, they probably would have let him go.

Sec: One moment, now, do not go blaming me! Who was the one that hammered the crown down on his head, if it comes to that?

Mar: It was still your idea.

Long: Enough, you two. If it is any comfort to you, Marcus, he said, "Father, forgive them. You knew not what you were doing any more than I did.

Mar: I have no need of his forgiveness (He puts his hand up to his medallion.)

Long: Then stop worrying about it.

Mar: I am not worrying.

Long: Very well.

Joab: We must divide their clothes sometime. Why not now? There is nothing else to do.

Long: That sounds sensible, for a change. Let us go gather their clothes and see what we can do. (They all, except MARCUS, go off and each returns with a small bundle of clothes.) All right, throw them down here.

Joab: Let me see. a tunic brings about as much as a pair of sandals, and--

Sec: Leave it to a Jew to know the price of everything.

Joab: Very well, then how would you divide three men's clothes among four people?

Sec: My dear Jewish friend, I was only stating a fact. You are being most helpful, in truth, and--so far as we know--just.

Long: Enough, Secundus! Continue, Joab.

Joab: Well, I suppose I should simply parcel them out. A pair of sandals for you, one for you, one for me, and a tunic for Marcus. A tunic for you, a tunic for you, two undergarments for me, an undergarment and--let me see--the one belt for Marcus.

Now. What do we do with this? (He holds up a robe)

Mar: Split it on the seams. We can sell it for cloth.

Joab: But then it is practically worthless. Besides, it has no seams. It is a fairly good one, also; it should bring a denarius or so.

Mar: Then what should we do? There is only the one.

Sec: Let us roll dice to see who gets it. Who has dice?

Mar: Here. I go first because they are my dice. First pair wins. (Rolls) Five and two.

Sec: Give them to me; that is no way to do it, Marcus; you must talk to them and coddle them. What do you think they are, just pieces of ivory? Why, they are the mainstay and support of the whole Roman army, and they deserve respect, not just to be flung down as if they were stones to be spurned under foot.

This is how it is done. (He blows on his hands with the dice inside) Now, my pretty ones, my darlings, my loves, pregnant with twins. Show these unbelievers who their father is! (Rolls)

A curse on the bitches, with their bastard three and four! May they never roll a pair again!--until my turn comes round again, of course.

Go ahead, Jew. If they do anything for you, I'll disown dice for the rest of my life.

Joab: (Rolls) Four and two.

Sec: Good Roman dice! You know who your masters are! Longinus, my friend, not that I wish you ill, but business is business, they say, and dice are business multiplied by twelve.

Long: No, forget about me. You three play.

Sec: What is this? A Roman soldier having scruples about a friendly game of dice?

Joab: It is his robe.

Sec: Oh, no! Here we go again.

Long: Go ahead, you three. I do not want it.

Mar: Oh, no! We all play, or I quit!

Sec: Stop being infantile, Longinus.

Long: (Looks at the dice with distaste, then reconsiders.) Oh, very well; anything to keep the peace. (Rolls)

Mar: (With horror) Two! The eyes of Cerberus!

(A brief silence. All look at LONGINUS.)

Sec: Well, it is yours, Longinus. (Hands robe out to him)

Long: No! I do not want it! I will not touch it!

Sec: Now do not go telling me you believe in omens!

Long: Keep it! I did not want to play for it in the first place!

(SECUNDUS makes a move to take back the robe, then suddenly flings it at LONGINUS, who screams and backs away brushing it from him as it hits him. The robe falls at his feet.)

Sec: There! Are you dead? Panicking like an idiot! If you held onto his flesh and drove the nails into his wrists, and your hands did not burn off, what can the touch of his clothes do to you?

And all because of a stupid and inane superstition! You are as bad as the man who throws a two and claims there is a curse on him, and then when he throws a twelve on the next roll says that it is the calve's knuckle he carries that did it. You have your religions all mixed up, Longinus. If that man is the Jewish god, then it would be a little inconsistent for him to be staring up at you from the Roman hades through a pair of dice--especially when he can see you perfectly well from where he is.

Long: You can talk! Behold how dark it is! (Only the spot with the shadow of the cross is on by this time, and it is dimming fast.)

Mar: O Jupiter (clutches medallion) Father of the gods, eternal son of Neptune, remember your favor to the Roman people, and save us!

Sec: Now you have him started! What am I to do with you two?

Mar: O Jupiter, Protector of the Roman people, conqueror of the Titans, look down upon us from high Olympus, and preserve us!

Sec: I cannot bear this! The whole thing is turning into a farce!

Joab: He is right; all this is foolish. Even if the Roman gods existed, they cannot have anything to do with this. And my God's law says that he has to die for blasphemy. We have been doing his will. Why would he be punishing us for doing his will?

Long: You are so certain your God cannot have a son! What do you know of your God?

Joab: Much more than you do!

Long: Well I know little enough not to put restrictions on the immortals! God of the Hebrews, have mercy on us! He begged you to forgive us!

Sec: They are hopeless! Hopeless!

Mar: O Jupiter, Father of the gods, eternal son of Neptune, have pity on us, and vanquish this Hebrew god!

Sec: I surrender! I give up!--and the only one here whose head is not on backwards is a Jew!

Well, I guess I must simply sit here and twiddle my thumbs while they rant--or no! By the grace of whatever gods there are or are not, Longinus, the reinforcements you ordered are arriving in the nick of time to save my sanity! At least I will be able to talk to someone!

Long: Reinforcements? I ordered no reinforcements.

Sec: Perhaps it is merely a message. It is too much to hope that he will tell us the Governor says we can go back.

Mar: Where? I see no one.

Sec: Are you blind as well as mad? (Points) There. Down the road.

Mar: There is no one down the road.

Sec: What? You are out of your mind!

Long: There is no one, Secundus. Do you see anyone, Joab?

Joab: No, Master.

Sec: What are you trying to do? Make me as crazy as the rest of you? He is just over there, with all his gear on except the . . . shield. . . . You can even . . . see . . . his . . . face.

(Silence. All look at SECUNDUS as he watches an imaginary figure pass downstage and go off to the source of the spot, which is now quite dim.)

Long: What is it, Secundus?

Sec: My brother. He went over and knelt in front of the King.

(Pause)

You do not see him, at all?

All, severally: No.

(Pause)

Sec: He is gone.

Long: Listen! He said something! What did he say?

Mar: He said he thirsted. I will get him some wine.

Long: No you will not! He is my man! But how can I get it up to him? I know! Where is my spear? I will put the sponge on the end of it, and give it to him thus!

Sec: Longinus! No!

Long: You stay away from me! I am the one who will give him his drink! Wait, King, I come! Tell your Father to turn on the sun! (Rushes off with the bucket, sponge, and spear.)

Sec: (to himself) Oh, please no! Oh please!

(Pause. Enter LONGINUS.)

Long: There! He will remember that! He is good. I heard him say to the other thief there that they would be together today in paradise. He will not forget me!

Mar: If he remembers, why is it still so dark? O Jupiter, King of all the gods--

Long: Be still, Marcus! He may not like that!

Joab: You are all fools! Fools!

Long: Is your God a god of mercy, Joab?

Joab: Fools!

Sec: Longinus, I hate to say this.

Long: What? He thirsted and I gave him to drink.

Sec: You killed him, Longinus.

Long: I gave him to drink, nothing more! I gave him to drink, as he asked!

Sec: Longinus, you know as well as I do that everyone hanging on a cross becomes mad with thirst, but if you give anyone to drink after he has been in that position a while, he chokes to death.

Long: Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, No! Oh, no!

Sec: (softly) Have mercy on us.

Mar: Well, you've done it now, Master! There is but one hope left! O great Jupiter, I vow to have your statue cast in purest gold and hanging forever about my neck! Destroy this god of theirs, and bring us back our sun!

Voice from offstage It is completed!

(A loud scream. The CHORUS joins in the scream and turns it into a prolonged wail. The spot goes completely off, and for a few seconds a spot in the shape of a cross takes its place. LONGINUS rushes up so that it falls across his face.)

Long: I knew it! I knew it! He truly was the Son of God!

Sec: Beware! The rock!

(Sound of earthquake and thunder. Complete darkness, during which the rock splits in two. The sound subsides into silence. Then the lights go on as at the beginning, revealing all fourlying on the ground or crouching,covering their heads. They remain so for a short time.)

Joab: (getting up) It was an earthquake. An earthquake, that is all. It is over.

(The others get up, severally.)

Sec: An earthquake!

Mar: The mighty Jupiter has saved us! It was a fierce struggle, but he won! I never doubted he would! O great Jupiter, you will have the most beautiful medal the hands of a craftsman can fashion, and it will never leave me! Your mercy knows no bounds!

Sec: An earthquake!

Joab: I told you the Lord had nothing to do with it.

Sec: You know, that is right. You were the only one who kept his head through this whole debacle. Even I lost my senses for a while. (grudgingly.) I suppose I must grant you this, Jew.

Congratulations.

(The two face each other, each beginning to think that the other might not be totally repulsive. There is, however, still no love lost between them Eventually JOAB reluctantly takes SECUNDUS's outstretched hand.)

(While this is going on, LONGINUS gets up. He had fallen on the robe, and now has it, absently, in his hand. He is obviously dazed. He goes downstage, looks out at the spot that throws the shadow of the cross on him, silently says to himself, with the back of his fist up to his forehead, "What have I done? What have I done?" The lights fade as he does so.

During this time, the CHORUS begins Victoria's motet, and finishes it in darkness. It would be preferable if the sound could come from speakers place above and behind the audience, so that it seems to fill the auditorium.)

Chorus

O Domine Jesu Christe

Adoro te in cruce vulneratum.

Deprecor te ut tua vulnera

Sint vita mea.