David and Bathsheba Page #3

- I'll send for the woman in the morning.

- No. Send for her now.

She shall dine with me tonight.

Yes, sire.

DAVID:

You're not eating.

I dined earlier, sire.

It is my custom when I am alone.

As a soldier's wife,

you have good reason...

...to hate the king who keeps

your husband from your side.

The king does what he must.

His needs are the kingdom's.

Not all of them.

This wine is Phoenician.

I find it mellower than ours.

It has the blandness of the sea air.

Have you ever visited the coast?

No, sire.

I lived for several years

among the Philistines.

A cold people like their sea.

We Hebrews are of the desert.

We breathe its wind

and our blood runs hot with it.

Our emotions are fierce,

like the desert wind.

We worship our God fiercely...

...we love fiercely,

we feel sorrow fiercely...

...even the lesser sorrows,

like the absence of a loved one.

Has Uriah been away for long?

We have been married seven months.

Of this time,

we have been together six days.

A poor return on the hopes

your betrothal.

DAVID:
You are generous indeed

not to hate me.

I had no hopes, sire.

I first saw Uriah on our wedding day...

...when my father brought me

to his house.

Then six days is the sum

total of your love?

Of our marriage, yes, sire.

One of the vanities of kings

is that they think virtue...

...can be rewarded with a bauble.

How God must laugh

at the spectacle of unvirtuous kings...

...hanging bits of rock

and metal on virtuous men.

That is for virtue.

Now you understand

why I sent for you.

My understanding is not necessary,

sire.

Why not?

You are the king.

Is that all?

Well, leave the king out of it.

Think if any man would be content

with such an answer.

What other answer can I give, sire?

You have sent for me

and made known to me your will.

What else is there for me to say?

In Egypt that would be enough.

There, the pharaoh has certain rights

he can command but I...

Even if I had the right I've never used

my power to take anything by force.

All that I have ever had

has been given to me.

Freely, without restraint.

Even Israel. I refused the throne

until every elder of every tribe...

...would come to me

and beg me to take it.

It's been a kind of pride.

My pride.

Never to force myself on anyone.

So I said nothing to you.

Until you told me

that there is no love in your marriage.

Yes, you told me that.

And so did Uriah.

DAVID:

His dream of glory is his wife in tears.

You better go.

Oh, no, keep that.

It's only a stone

but you lend it beauty.

Uriah's a fool.

When I looked on you

from my terrace tonight...

...I knew that every future moment

spent away from you...

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