I will prove to you that they do.
MERLAIN
We couldn’t impose ourselves on you hospitality,
although you are kind to offer.
MEMET
An imposition never, I need hands to work the
camels so you’d be well rewarded for your efforts
and I’d have a ready audience for my storytelling...
UTHUR
Say yes Merlain, please....
MERLAIN
For the boy’s sake, yes....
SCENE 4 EXT DUSK
We see a long camel train loaded with goods leaving the city. MEMET leads the first camel on foot while MERLAIN and UTHUR share a small horse at the rear. Soon the dusty road disappears under a flowing sea of sand dunes as far at the eye can see. Later that day they make camp and the boy helps MEMET erect a simple tent which they tether the camels to as MERLAIN makes a fire.
MEMET
It certainly gets cold during the darkness here,
No matter how hard Ra, beats us with his rays
during the day, at night his brother Set still
chills the bones to their core.
UTHUR
Who is Ra? I’ve never heard that name before.
MEMET
In the country of my birth we have many gods
but these two are the most important. Ra, the
Sun God brings us the harvest and life itself;
We call him the teacher of men, the good shepherd.
He teaches us to respect the light; for
light-the life giver-is the essence of all ife.
If you are lucky you will see him walking on
the waves when the sun is low on the horizon.
Set is his evil brother, the bringer of darkness and all
evil. At night he steals away the life-giving sun and
replaces it with death and terror. These two brothers
fight continually and each dawn Ra wins the fight and
each dusk Set tries to beat him down again.
MERLAIN
So where does Ra go when Set is in charge? Does he
die?
MEMET
Some believe that, but I was told that each night Ra
sits aboard a golden boat which sails across the sky,
at dawn he disembarks to rise again.
UTHUR
We too have a story in our homeland about the sun and
Moon. It’s said that night is the time for the moon to rise
from the underworld to bring light in the darkness; while
the sun goes under the earth to sleep.
MERLAIN
And when the moon goes down to the underworld,
to sleep, the sun wakes to bring us a new day.
We don’t consider them gods but we know the
power they hold over the life of men...
MEMET
You see, I could tell you were from an enlightened
race. I am rarely wrong when it comes to people and
I could see this in you from the first. The people of
this land worship the golden bull, Minos. They have
women running their temples, can you believe that,
women? They are very strange lot, you’ll see...
Tell me Merlain, do you ride well, or race the horses?
MERLAIN
I can ride any beast but at my age I am too cautious
to race them really fast...
UTHUR
Where we come from I am considered the best horseman
in our land, tell him it’s true Merlain.
MERLAIN
The boy rides without caution, that is true enough,
but weather this makes him a good horseman is
debateable, why do you ask Memet?
MEMET
The steed you shared today is a pure breed Arabic.
It runs like the wind and can beat any nag in Babylon.
Unfortunately I am too fat to do the beast justice and
I am looking for a rider to enter the races in that city.
The purse is big and I could share it with you both.
MERLAIN
What purse, food, drinks; what do they give the winners
of races in these parts.
MEMET
Alum. And plenty of it. Gold is the only element that
shines brighter than bronze but unlike that hard and
sharp metal, Gold never dulls.
If you bury gold in a tar pit for twenty seasons it will
still shine like the sun when you are ready to collect it
again. Not like bronze, to get that to shine, you have
to polish it. Once the dragon has given it to man,
man must work hard to maintain its lustre.
MERLAIN
Alum eh; what course do these horses have to ride over;
my boy is good on the flat but not so if jumps are involved.
MEMET
Then we are winners before the race even begins, I tell
you now; the track at Babylon is the flattest, straightest
course in the world. All a rider needs is a horse with the
wind in its heart and nerves of stone; what you say boy?
UTHUR
That’s sound just the race for me.
MEMET
Good, than let’s drink a toast to the beast.
He hands the two wooden cups and pours wine from a goat skin before pouring himself a drink and standing.
To the Queen of Arabia; may she bring us luck and
Fortune. Let us win the race in Babylon?
MERLAIN and UTHUR
To the queen...
MEMET
Tomorrow when we reach a suitable place I will
get the boy to ride a set distance and we will time him
with the sand clock and I will know if he is as good as
he thinks he is.
UTHUR
I won’t let you down; horse riding is in my blood.
SCENE 5 EXT DAY
The camel train is packed and we see their tracks in the dunes going into the distance as they come to a water hole. The lead camel is led to drink and Memet prepares the horse for its rider.
MEMET
UTHUR, can you see that long dune in the distance?
UTHUR
The one almost on the horizon, yes?
MEMET
Take the beast and ride like the wind till you reach
that dune, turn as fast as she will allow and return to
us. I will fill this goat skin with sand and see how
much leaks out before your return.
MERLAIN
How will that help?
MEMET
Help, no. It’s just something I use to see how good
a rider is. My best ever rider could cover the same
distance before the skin becomes half empty, so if
the boy is quicker I should see it still over half full...
MERLAIN
Very clever...
MEMET
We people of the sand are educated people, we
know how to build great monuments, divide
huge numbers and have
a written language; we also know how to win races.....
They both laugh....
The boy climbs upon the horse while Memet fills the goatskin with sand. He inches closed one of the skins corners and once the boy nods that he is ready shouts.
Go Queen of Arabia, let’s see your worth today.
As the horse takes off Memet lets go of the corner and sand begins to leak from the skin. Both men watch the boy hunch down in a good racing position and kick up sand in their wake.
The boy knows how to handle a horse, look at his
posture, it’s perfect...
MERLAIN
&nbs
p; He was taught by his father; the boy has ridden
since he could talk....
MEMET
I can see, let’s watch how he turns, a race is won on
the turns you know...
UTHUR digs his heels in as the dune approaches and pulls the horses head about to turn in a second, Memet grabs Merlain’s arm and squeals with delight.
MEMET
The boy could do it, you know, look at his skill.
With skills like that and my horse we will be
able to take all the gold in Babylon.
The horse pulls up in a flurry of sand and Memet pinches the goatskin. As UTHUR dismounts and leads the horse to water Memet smiles broadly.
You certainly have the balls to win the races boy;
the goatskin does not lie, if it is less than half full
you were good but not that good.
UTHUR
Well, don’t keep me in suspense. Let me see inside
the skin.
The boy and Merlain join Memet as he slowly pulls open the top of the goat skin. Memet jumps for joy seeing only a small amount of sand has leaked from the skin and it is still over two thirds full.
MEMET
Look, less than a third had gone, that must be
the fastest I have ever seen my horse run. I am
truly amazed. I knew you were good but never
in my wildest thoughts, that good; like I said,
the skin does not lie...
SCENE 5a INT DAY
Back in Albion, Gwen and Ulan are forced to kneel before Erick the Boneless, pledging their allegiance to him.
ERICK
I am your new king and master. You will go and
work in the mines but I want this woman to work here
in the castle. I saw the burning of your king last
night from my window. Did he die without issue?
Ulan
He was too young to have wed and born a son.
ERICK
Good, then my right to this realm is complete.
SCENE 6 EXT NIGHT
They are sitting again beside the raised tent and an open fire as a joint of meat spins over its licking flames. The old man is smoking a hubbly-bubbly pipe and offers Merlain a puff while UTHUR sleeps on a straw mattress nearby.
MEMET
Try this; it is the pollen from a plant that grows
in the mountains around my home city.
MERLAIN
It smells sweet, like the scent of a musk ox, what
do you call this.
MEMET
We call is hashish; some use it instead of the wine to
relax. I like to smoke it when I think, especially under
the full night sky, look up at the millions of stars.
They look so pretty out here in this sea of sand.
Merlain takes a puff and coughs before taking some more. Suddenly a smile crosses his face.
It’s quite intoxicating don’t you think?
MERLAIN
Yes, beautiful. I see what you mean about the stars,
they have never looked prettier; I feel like laughing...
MEMET
Then laugh why you don’t...
They both burst into laughter....
Try some more....
Merlain puffs again and passes the pipe back.
MERLAIN
Now I am hungry, the meat smells so delicious, hmm;
I could eat all that joint...
They both laugh aloud again
Tell me Memet, my friend. This alum you say we
could win...
MEMET
The gold, yes what about it?
MERLAIN
Back in the market town we met a girl who was
selling thin slivers of this substance to decorate her hair.
Just thin foils, no thicker than a blade of grass.
Is this what the gold will look like when we win it?
MEMET
No, we will win a trunk of gold coins, as heavy as three
sheep. Those thin foils the girl was selling, you could
make a hundred of them from every coin...
MERLAIN
Coin?
MEMET
Gold is pressed and beaten into coins. Each coin must
weigh a specific weight but some, like the girl,
will beat the gold with stone axe heads until it is the
width of a blade of grass and then she will cut small
discs from it and sell or barter them. Like I said you could get at least a hundred
foils from one coin.
MERLAIN
How many coins weigh the same as two fully grown sheep?
MEMET
Many hundreds my friend. With such wealth I could buy
several horses like my lovely queen over there.
Or build a great fortress for my family and staff it
with slaves from Nubia.
We will do very well if our boy runs as good as he did today.
MERLAIN
Then we will do well...
They both laugh again.
Memet takes a bronze dagger from a sheaf on his waistband and cuts some meat to eat. He passes the blade to Merlain who looks at it intently.
This is what we seek. The secret of this substance
here, will alum gets us its secrets?
MEMET
The people who keep the dragons are very dangerous;
they guard them well and only bring the elements
from the dragon’s heart in secret. They will barter
you bronze for gold but you will never take their
dragon, it is too valuable...
MERLAIN
We’ll see, all men have their price and if alum is as
valuable as you say, I will have to make sure I
have enough...
Memet bursts into laughter...
MEMET
Men never have enough gold my friend.....
SCENE 7 EXT DAY
The camel train approaches a high walled city in the distance with trailing vine and ivy spilling over the uppermost parapets. A central gate made from thick timbers and wooden pegs open to allow them entry and both Merlain and UTHUR are amazed by the height and beauty of the buildings. People are milling around decorated in fine gold jewellery and wearing thin cotton clothing, Merlain’s thick woollen cloak looks bulky in comparison. UTHUR notices how beautiful the young women are and how perfect their teeth look; in fact all the inhabitants look well fed and healthy.
They approach a square which is dominated by a huge, mechanical bronze bull. It snorts steam from its nostrils and its giant horns poke the air as maidens lay offerings of flowers at its giant feet.
MERLAIN
My word, what is this great beast?
MEMET
It is the god of these people, you see how it lives
and yet it is made from the same elements that make
my dagger. Their god has given it life and they lay
flowers at its feet to prevent it going mad and
destroying the city.
UTHUR
Amazing.
MEMET
See yonder in the hills there?
MERLAIN
What, those building carved into the rock
high in the mountain?
MEMET
That’s where they keep the dragons, at night you
will see it breathing fire down the mountain, you’ll see...
MERLAIN
What a truly wondrous place...
They continue through the city until they reach a huge one story house. Memet gets off his camel and beckons for Merlain and the boy to join him.
MEMET
This is the house of my good friend where I store
the carpets I have brought from the coast. Let’s go
inside while his slaves unload the camels, I will
introduce you to him....
UTHUR is shocked to see black men come from the house and begin to unload the bails that are attached to each of the camels. One takes the Queen, Memet’s horse, to a rear stable and they walk into the house to find it cool and light. The floor is covered with intricate mosaic and the walls decorated with bright frescos depicting beautiful men and women frolicking among the crops.
Adrius, my friend, please let me introduce my
companions; they are new to these parts and have
travelled far.
ADRIUS
Any friend of Memet is a friend of mine.
How go you friend?
He holds out his hand and Merlain looks confused. Memet nods to indicate that he should take the man’s hand. Merlain does so and the three men smile.
MERLAIN
I go well, how go thee?
ADRIUS
All the better for meeting you my friend. I am
Adrius Seronius and who is this, your son?
MERLAIN
No, no, I am his mentor and protector. His father
has placed the youth in my hands for his betterment...
ADRIUS
So, you are his Zeus, and he your Ganymede.
How very traditional; come brother in arms and
mentor, you and your cup bearer are welcome in
my house.
He leads them into a huge room with an open ceiling where a fountain blows a tower of cool water into the air. They recline upon soft cushions as women bring fruit and other things to eat upon wooden trays.
So Memet, have you brought some fine rugs
for me to sell for you. The last consignment sold
within days and my stall has been empty since yesterday.
MEMET
Rugs and something else?
ADRIUS
Come, you have sparked my curiosity now. What else
does your train carry for me?
MEMET
Not for you, my friend, oh the rugs and carpets are
there and many more than before. You see my helpers