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Rada A Drama of War in One Act By: Alfred Noyes (1880-1958) |
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A DRAMA OF WAR IN ONE ACT
BY
ALFRED NOYES Author of "The Wine Press," "Tales of the Mermaid Tavern," Etc. 1913 PERSONS OF THE PLAY RADA, wife of the village doctor .
SUBKA, her daughter, aged twelve .
ARRAM } two hostile soldiers quartered
MICHAEL } in her house, in time of war .
NANKO, a half witted schoolmaster . Several soldiers. THE SCENE is in the Balkans, in a village which has just been taken by the
enemy, on Christmas Eve.
RADA
SCENE A guest chamber, the typical living room of a prosperous village
doctor in the Balkans. On the left, a small window and an entrance door.
On the right, a door leading into a bedroom. At the back, an open fire of
logs is burning brightly. Over the fireplace is the eikonostasis, with
three richly coloured and gilded eikons, the central one of the Madonna.
The light, which is never allowed to go out, is burning before it. The
room is lit at present only by this, the fire light, and two candles in
brass candlesticks on a black wooden table under the window. Rows of
porcelain plates round the walls gleam fitfully. On either side of the
eikonostasis is a large chibouk, with inlaid bowl and amber mouth piece.
There is a divan with scarlet rugs flung across it to the right of the
fire; and there are several skins and rugs on the floor. Two Roumanian soldiers , ARRAM and MICHAEL, are seated at the table,
drinking . RADA, a dark handsome woman, sits weeping with her head bowed in her
hands, on the divan . NANKO, the idiot, sits on the floor, rubbing his hands, snapping his
fingers, chuckling to himself, and staring into the fire .
ARRAM
Look here, my girl, where's the use of snivelling? You ought to think
yourself damned lucky to be alive. RADA
O my God! My God! MICHAEL
This is war, this is! And you can't expect war to be all cakes and cream. [ They laugh and drink .] ARRAM
You ought to think yourself damned lucky to be alive, and have two men
quartered on you instead of one. If your husband and the rest of the
villagers hadn't made such a disturbance, they might have been alive,
too. NANKO
Exactly! Exactly! I used to be a schoolmaster, you know, in the old days;
and, if you knew what I know, you'd understand, my dear, it's entirely a
question of the survival of the fittest! The survival of the fittest!
That's what it is. ARRAM
Wouldn't they have done the same to us, if they'd had the chance? We've
got women and children at home snivelling and saying, "O my God, O my
God," just like you. Don't you trouble about God. What can He do when
both sides go down on their marrow bones? He can't make both sides win,
can He? RADA
O God! God! God! MICHAEL
[ Getting up and standing in front of her .]
Look here. We've had enough of this music. We've been cutting throats all
day, and now we want to unbuckle a bit. There'll be hell to pay when the
other boys come back. A pretty wild goose chase you've sent them on, too,
with your tale about the old Jew's money bags. What was the game? You
seemed mighty anxious to wheedle us all out of the house; and you'd never
get out of the village alive to night. Listen to that! [ There is an uproar outside, a shot, and a woman's scream, followed by
the terrified cry of a child : "Ah! Ah! Father!"] ARRAM
The men are mad with zaki and blood and other things. There's no holding
them in, even from the children. What chance would there be for a
fine looking wench like yourself? MICHAEL
Don't tell me you were going out into that?
[ He points in the direction of the uproar .]
Something to hide on the spot, eh? Well, now you've got the others out of
the way, we're going to have a look. What's in there?
[ He points to the little door on the left .] RADA
[ Rising to her feet slowly, steadying herself with one hand against the
wall, and fixing her eyes on his face .]
This is war, isn't it? If I choose to revenge myself on those I hate
listen to me. I suppose you want money. And I can tell you where to find
it. ARRAM
Another wild goose chase to the other end of the valley? RADA
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