Adventure Story

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Sir?

Sir, this is Perdiccas. Can you hear me?

This is Perdiccas, sir.

Make a sign if you understand.

Will you name your successor?

Well?

Try again.

Sir, the time has come

for you to name your successor.

Who is it to be?

Alexander, you are dying.

Dying? Alexander dying?

-In a bed.

-PERDICCAS:
Sir?

Alexander dying of a chill at 33?

Sir?

Yes, Ptolemy?

Name your successor.

Who shall I condemn to death?

PERDICCAS:
He's feverish.

Pythia, mouthpiece of Apollo.

Get the physician.

Right at the beginning,

why didn't you tell me

it would end like this?

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

Pythia, where did I go wrong?

Pythia of Delphi. Delphi... Delphi...

Madam.

You have no right in this place, sir.

This is forbidden ground.

-I'm here under orders.

-No one gives orders in Delphi,

save the God Apollo

through his chosen mouthpiece, myself.

My, master has come to Delphi

to consult the Oracle

and he demands an audience at once.

The mystery of the Oracle is a holy boon

to be craved of the God,

not demanded as a favour

from a hired fortune teller.

-But, Madam, I...

-What's the delay?

I thought I told you to stay outside.

So this is the holiest spot in Greece,

is it?

Ah! It's rather impressive,

I must admit.

-Are you this man's master?

-If you mean am I King Alexander?

I am not.

My name is Philotas and he, if he hasn't

told you already, is Hephaestion.

We're both of us, as you've no doubt

already recognised from our armour,

officers of his majesty's personal

bodyguard, the companion cavalry.

Your armour, sir, is unknown to me

but your manners

are unmistakably Macedonian.

This Alexander

is the new King of Macedon?

He is.

And elected Captain General

of all Greece.

-May I escort you to him, madam?

-No, sir.

But I thank you for the offer.

Have the outer doors opened,

these gentlemen's are leaving.

(SCOFFING) You know, it surprises me

that so obviously sensible a lady

should be prepared

to run so drastic a risk.

The only risk I run, sir,

is of condoning a blasphemy.

And the longer you two gentlemen

remain in this holy place

the greater is my peril.

I must apologise for my friend.

You may tell your king

I mean him no discourtesy.

I shall be pleased to pay my respects

to him at a more appropriate time

in a more appropriate place.

He won't like it.

This is the first time

I've let him down.

-You are afraid of him?

-Afraid of Alexander?

He's my best friend.

I see. You are proud to have

a king as a best friend.

No, I'm very proud to have Alexander

for my best friend.

Bolt and bar the doors.

You are the Pythia?

Oh, please don't ring that,

there's no need.

-You are Pythia?

-Yes, I am.

I'm Alexander of Macedon.

King Alexander, you have

desecrated this temple.

I must ask you to leave at once.

Oh, yes, all right. I'll go in a moment

when I've got what I came for.

I was told to submit

my question in writing,

so I have scribbled it out for you here.

There.

Is this seriously the question you wish

to put to the God Apollo?

Yes.

Very well,

I shall put it before the council.

-But why can't you answer it now?

-Because it is impossible.

I see.

Well, if you're not going

to answer my question,

I'd like it back please.

I don't want this

falling into the wrong hands.

Do you think I keep the King of Persia's

agents in this temple?

-Darius's spies are everywhere.

-Poor Darius.

How he would tremble

if he could read that threat of war.

Now you're making fun of me.

But you'll see.

-How many men will you have?

-With luck about 35,000.

-And Darius?

-Quarter of a million.

It could be two million but I shall

never give him time to raise so many.

-Or perhaps the necessity.

-Yes, you laugh at me. Everyone does.

But perhaps you won't

when Persia crumbles into dust.

-The strongest empire in the world.

-Giants cannot move as fast as pygmies.

I shall meet Darius in the field,

beat him and kill him.

And after you have killed Darius,

what will you do?

I shall found a new order in Asia.

With yourself at the head.

Oh, yes, I suppose. I hadn't thought.

(LAUGHING) It's not important.

-Do you think I'm mad?

-No, no, just very young.

Are you sure

you can't give me your answer?

I can give you it, if you like,

King Alexander,

but not the God Apollo.

If you answered it alone,

it would be no.

Everyone in the world

would agree with you.

Why must you do this madness?

At the wedding banquet,

when my father married again

after divorcing my mother...

He made me attend, of course,

he wouldn't miss a chance like that.

His new father in law made a speech

in which he said,

"All King Philip's loyal subjects

could at last hope

"for a legitimate heir to the throne."

There were 300 people there

and I was alone,

none of my friends

had been allowed to come.

So, I stood up and said,

"Indeed!

And what does that make me, a bastard?"

I threw my wine in his face.

My father was rather annoyed.

He got to his feet

and staggered towards me

with his sword raised...

His foot slipped

and he fell in a drunken heap.

But your father is dead now.

But I must still prove to him that

I am the legitimate heir, dead or not.

Are you still determined

not to answer my question?

-I have given you my answer.

-But the God's answer?

Oh, if only I had enough money

to build Apollo another new temple.

But, the truth is, I even had to borrow

money to finance my campaign.

My army has swallowed up

my royal revenue.

-Have you nothing left?

-Only my hopes.

I shall remember that.

-Pythia, please give me your answer.

-(LAUGHING) No. No.

You must. You must.

And if you do, I shall remember you

in my prayers forever. I promise.

I'll lead the virtuous life,

I'll sacrifice to Apollo every night.

Alexander, you're invincible.

I shall pray to the God

to let me give you his answer.

Thank you. There's no need now.

The Oracle has already spoken.

-Invincible.

-Goodbye, Pythia.

-But that was not the God.

-The God spoke. Goodbye and thank you.

Remember, Alexander,

there's always the last battle.

But I shall win it.

I'm invincible

and I'll build you a temple in Babylon.

(LAUGHING)

You know, this boy has

the most wonderful insolence.

-I begin to admire him.

-What's he done now?

It's a story in this dispatch

from Asia Minor. True, I gather.

No, Darius, don't tell us.

Find something more pleasant

to talk about

than the antics of a lunatic school boy.

But this is amusing, Mother.

I must read it to Bessus,

he'll enjoy it.

Bessus. Bessus, wake up!

Your Majesty is mistaken.

I was not asleep, I was thinking.

-What of?

-The coming campaign against Alexander.

Nonsense, dear cousin.

You were dreaming of the girls

you're going to meet in Syria.

-Darius!

-(DARIUS LAUGHING)

There, you see,

you've shocked the queen, Bessus.

This dispatch comes

from a spy in Gordium

where Alexander is in winter quarters.

It's rather charming.

There's a local superstition

concerning the ancient farm wagon

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