BOOK II, ACT II
Personae:
The Seven Princes:
1. Jamokar, the wise
2. Jarod, the journeyed
3. Jastubaal, the fierce
4. Jahabur, the loyal
5. Jelobar, the loving
6. Jasour, quiet
7. Jelo, the young
SCENE I. Battlefield.
ENTER Seven Princes (Jelo dead)
Jahabur
Oh victory, oh bloody victory! The city is saved, the people are free, the enemy is beaten. What could have been a day of great celebrations and festivities has turned into a day of sorrow and grief. Our youngest has left us, impaled by a Lucan spear!
Jamokar
Why did he have to join us, when we stormed out of the gates to wreak havoc among our attackers? Barely twelve years have passed, since our dear mother gifted him to this world, this terrible world. He should have staid home, among his sisters, like I told him!
Jelobar
Our mother, our ill-fated mother, who will tell her of this tragedy?
Jastubaal
I will tell her, I will tell her of the heroic death of her son, my brother. He fought like a lion, showing no fear in front of the enemy. I saw with my very own eyes how he threw an enemy knight from his mighty war horse and gave him the deathblow. It was then, when he turned his back to the battlefield for a mere moment that a rider charged from behind.
Jahabur
Struck down from behind! That is no proper way to die for a prince of royal blood. But that is how the enemy fights, for he is too much of a coward to face you eye to eye. Jelo fought with valour and courage, he died for Phoenicia and shall be remembered as a great hero!
Jarod
I for one will remember him as my brother firstly. He might have fought with valour and strength, but the battlefield is still no place for a boy like him, if he had stayed home, he would still be alive.
Jastubaal
Perhaps, if you would have fought harder, he would be still alive. Jelo proved himself in battle, he always talked about war and battle, he always wanted to prove himself. Now he did even through death.
Jamokar
Enough! Death he is, nevertheless. What has happened has happened and can not be undone. Let us pull the weapon of murder out of our brother and bring him to that tent.
They jointly pull out the spear and pick up the body.
SCENE II. Tent.
The Previous, Generals, Jelo on litter
Jamokar
Let us put him down here, for now.
General
My princes, a messenger has arrived, he claims to have most dire news from the south.
Jamokar
Bring him forward!
ENTER Messenger
Messenger
Oh Lords! Oh Princes! I bring dire news from the south!
Jarod
Calm down, calm down! You look worse then us, who have just fought the mighty Lucan army! I can see that you rode a long way, without rest. But whatever you tell us, it can hardly be more dire then what we have seen and experienced this very day, for here lays our brother, death.
Messenger
Im sorry for the death of yours noble brother! Many have died today, many more will die in the future. Bloody times have come over Phoenicia. People die everywhere, the enemy draws a line of blood behind him, he leaves only graves, not even widows.
Jelobar
You speak the truth, but soon this war will be over, and we can start to rebuild.
Messenger
For the people of Eliat and Sheba the war is already over.
Jastubaal
Speak clear! Has the Sile been breached? Have our fleets been overwhelmed?
Messenger
No my Prince! Not by the sea did our enemy arrive, he came by land, where we didnt expect him!
Jastubaal
That is indeed dire news. Well, we will free these cities and drive the enemy out through the gates, like a beaten dog.
Messenger
No, you do not understand! When the Lucans stormed the city, they slaughtered everybody! The young, the old, the women, the men, the Baalists and the Elists
Jahabur
Monsters, beasts, demons!
Messenger
Piles of heads, hands, and feet were to be seen in the streets of the city. It was necessary to pick one's way over the bodies of men and horses. But these were small matters compared to what happened at the Temples of Elo and Baal. People had sought refugee in these holy places. What they found was death and horror. What happened there? The Lucans stormed the buildings, and put everybody to the sword. They bathed in the blood of the slain, showering in fountains of the fallen.
Jarod
What terrible news to you bring? Today only misery and sorrow reaches us
Jastubaal
I have always said, that the Lucans are not human. The word Lucan is the most terrible and fatal curse of all!
Jelobar
But messenger, what about Sheba? What happened to the people there?
Messenger
My Prince, you ask what happened in Sheba, the city of the Princess[1]? When they heard news about the massacre at Eliat, they surrendered, hoping that their lifes would be saved.
But what did happen? What did to vile Lucans do when they entered the city? One eight was put to the sword on a public execution.
Jahabur
Of all people?
Messenger
Of all people! Again, children, elders, mothers, even the house of the Princess was not spared!
Jelobar
Speak clear! What do you mean? Have they touched Princess Sheba herself? They didnt touch one of her daughters, did they? Fast messenger, I can not wait!
Messenger
One eight! One eight! One eight of eight daughters!
Jelobar
No! That can not be! Who? Tell me the name!
Messenger
The most fair of all! Kybele!
Jelobar (collapsing)
Oh gods!
[1] In Phoenicia a Prince or a Princess can be a normal title as well as a royal title.