David and Bathsheba Page #2

Michal.

I did not expect to see you here.

Does my presence displease the king?

Of course not.

You are always welcome.

If the sight of me is so welcome...

...why haven't you come

to my chamber since your return?

I have much on my mind.

Yet you found time

to greet your other wives.

I was the first and now I am the last.

If you had been with the others

I would have greeted you too.

You remain aloof by your own choice.

MICHAL:
There was a time

when you thought well of my aloofness.

I make no objection to it now.

Do as you please.

How graciously...

...you give your royal approval.

And your sarcasm is wasted.

We both know that royalty is a fraud.

It was no fraud

when my father was king.

I have never denied that

Saul was every inch a king.

And his successor every inch a fraud.

I will not argue with that either.

Do you think that hanging his spear

on your wall...

...will make you royal?

- Michal, please.

I have messages to read.

Oh.

I understand.

I am dismissed.

The shepherd's son is dismissing

the daughter of Saul.

I am to go

and sit with the concubines.

They are my wives...

...and you are my wife.

Is that not enough?

Why did you marry me, David?

Why?

Because I loved you.

You lie.

You have never loved anyone

but yourself.

"David," meaning "beloved. "

- David, the beloved-of-David.

- Whatever you say...

My love was wasted.

You had no need of it.

Is your memory so short?

I had great need of it once.

I begged you on my knees,

but you deserted me.

You refused to follow me into exile.

You even dishonored your vows

and let your father marry you to another.

- Against my will.

- You can say so.

But I cannot help thinking that real

love would have fathered a stronger will.

Then why did you take me back?

You might have guessed.

Without Saul's daughter at my side...

...the northern tribes would not have

acknowledged me as king.

DAVID:

By taking you back...

...I made Israel one.

[SOBBING]

Michal...

...we're past the days of our passion...

...love or hatred or anguish,

even cruelty.

Why should we torture ourselves?

We have to go on living, Michal.

[FOOTSTEPS]

DAVID:

Abishai.

There is a house over there...

...under that big terebinth tree.

- You know it?

- Yes, sire.

- The house of Uriah the Hittite.

- Uriah the Hittite.

- He's a captain with the army.

- Yes, I know him.

Does he, by any chance,

have a sister?

No, sire. He has a wife.

A Hebrew woman of Benjamin

called Bathsheba.

Bathsheba.

During my visit to the army...

...this Uriah's gallantry was called

to my attention.

It's been in my mind to reward him.

Perhaps, in his absence,

his wife could accept the reward.

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