One Night with the King Page #2

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four years before.

MAN:
Queen Vashti, Your Majesty.

Enter.

The night's festivities

hold not your interest, dear?

It is long since you summoned me here.

- Your hands have not been idle.

- Not idle,

not gifted either.

MORDECAI:
Later, Hadassah,

we'll discuss this later.

I have run out of laters.

The caravan leaves tomorrow.

Did not the priest even say

it would be good for me?

That he would look after me?

You have so much of your

mother and father in you, you know?

And perhaps

I'm just being a very selfish old man.

Do you really want to go to Jerusalem?

Truly.

Then go with my blessing.

Thank you.

Rebecca!

Yes, well,

I will be late coming back tonight.

The feasting has been extended.

All Susa is invited.

All of Susa?

A drunken brawl is no place

for a young lady of purity.

Then why is a good Jew like you going?

All the scribes have to go!

There is war in the air!

(ALL CHATTERING)

The Queen indeed

holds her own feast in protest.

All is prepared as you have asked.

You do know why the princes have asked

you to extend the feast another night.

You are too late

if you seek me to deny them.

Especially now.

Such clamoring to march upon Greece

and avenge my father's death.

How long have you dreamt

of molding Persia

into a pillar of learning and culture?

A flame to make even

the greatness of Greece but a shadow?

You know as well as I,

this is not something that is won in battle

but in the hearts of men.

You would have me do nothing, then?

You're no warrior,

no soldier.

I'd have you stay,

enhance your kingdom,

preserve your throne.

Looking for someone?

I'm fine, thank you.

You can run back to Rebecca now.

Oh, I'm sure you're fine.

Only tell me, Hadassah,

or whoever you are,

how do you intend to get into the palace?

You didn't come to take me back?

Come, or I shall call you

Hadassah the mouse.

Wait!

I appear to you by the gracious command

of the great king of kings,

the emperor of the world, Xerxes,

son of Darius.

Great king.

(ALL CHEERING)

We drink.

We drink also to my guard,

the immortal 10,000,

but I fear I would soon have to send them

out to conquer new vineyards for me.

(ALL LAUGHING)

Then let us drink to Queen Vashti,

the most beautiful in the land.

Bring forth Vashti!

Vashti!

(ALL CHANTING)

Bring forth Vashti!

They are serious? They demand

Vashti be here before all?

Already rumors circulate

as to why the Queen holds her own feast

instead of attending yours.

They sound riotous, my lord.

They fear a divided kingdom.

My lord,

you know the Queen's position on the war.

Send for her.

They go to fetch the Queen.

She must be lovely,

reigning in a place such as this.

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