Androcles and the Lion Page #6

and falsehood is divine truth...

I cannot do it.

Not if they put

a thousand cruel deaths on me.

If I took a pinch of incense in my hand

and stretched it out over the altar fire...

my hand would come back.

My body would be true to my faith...

even if you could corrupt my mind.

And all the time, I should believe more in Diana

than my persecutors have ever believed in anything.

Can you understand that?

Yes, Lavinia.

I can understand that.

But my hand would not come back.

The hand that holds the sword has been trained

not to come back from anything but victory.

- Not even from death?

- Least of all from death.

Then I must not come back from death either.

A woman has to be braver than a soldier.

Prouder, you mean.

"Prouder."

[Lavinia]

You call our courage pride?

[Captain]

There's no such thing as courage.

There's only pride.

You Christians are

the proudest devils on earth.

Pray God then my pride

may never become a false pride.

[Man]

Ho there!

Is all well below?

All's well!

Thank you for trying to save me.

I knew it was no use.

But one tries in spite of one's knowledge.

Something stirs even in

the iron breast of a Roman soldier?

It will soon be iron again.

I've seen many women die

and forgotten them in a week.

Remember me for a fortnight,

handsome Captain.

I shall be watching you perhaps.

From the skies?

Do not deceive yourself, Lavinia.

There's no future for you

beyond the grave.

What does that matter?

Do you think I'm only running away from

the terrors of life into the comfort of heaven?

If there were no future,

or if the future were one of torment...

I should have to go just the same.

The hand of God is upon me.

Yes.

After all is said...

we are both patricians, Lavinia...

and must die for our beliefs.

Farewell.

Farewell, handsome Captain.

[Gate Clangs]

[Chattering, Laughing]

[Weapons Clattering]

[Trumpet Fanfare]

[Weapons Clattering]

[Crowd Roaring]

Number 6!

Number 6! Number 6!

Retiarius versus Secutor!

Number 6!

Well, look sharp there.

You haven't got all day.

All right. Off you go.

[Mutters]

Will they really kill one another?

Yes, if the people

turn down their thumbs.

You know nothing about it.

The people indeed.

Do you suppose we would kill a man

worth perhaps 50 talents to please the riffraff?

I should like to catch

any of my men at it.

- I thought... -

- You thought.

Who cares what you think anymore?

You will be killed right enough.

Then is nobody ever killed

except us poor Christians?

If the vestal virgins turn down their thumbs,

that's another matter.

They are ladies of rank.

Does the emperor ever interfere?

Oh, yes. He turns his thumb up fast enough

if the vestal virgins want to have...

one of his pet fighting men killed.

But...

don't they ever just only pretend

to kill one another?

Why shouldn't you pretend to die...

then get dragged out as if you were dead...

then get up and go home?

- Like an actor.

- See here. You want to know too much.

There'll be no pretending about the new lion.

Let that be enough for you.

He's hungry.

[Spintho]

Can't you stop talking about it?

Isn't it bad enough for us without that?

See here.

Don't be obstinate. Come with me

and drop the pinch of incense on the altar.

That's all you need to do to be let off.

No. Thank you very much indeed,

but I really mustn't.

What, not to save your life?

I'd rather not.

I couldn't sacrifice to Diana.

She's a huntress, you know.

She kills animals.

Well, that doesn't matter.

Choose your own altar.

Sacrifice to Jupiter.

He likes animals.

He turns himself into an animal

when he goes off duty.

No. It's very kind of you,

but I feel I cannot save myself that way.

I'm not asking you to do it

to save yourself.

I'm asking you to do it

to oblige me personally.

Oh, please don't say that.

You mean so kindly by me

that it seems quite horrible to disoblige you.

I must go into the arena with the rest.

My honor, you know.

Honor? The honor of a tailor?

Well, perhaps honor

is too strong an expression.

Still, you know, I couldn't allow

the tailors to get a bad name through me.

How much will you remember of all that

when you smell the beast's breath...

and see him opening his jaws

to tear out your throat?

[Shouting]

I can't bear it!

[Whimpering]

I'll sacrifice! I'll sac...

Dog of an apostate.

Judas Iscariot!

l-I'll repent afterwards.

I fully mean to die in the arena.

I'll die a martyr and go to heaven.

But not this time. Not now.

Not until my nerves are better.

Besides, I'm too young.

I want to have just one more good time.

I'll sacrifice!

I'll sacrifice!

- [Soldiers Laughing]

- I'll sacrifice!

[Whimpering]

[Hyperventilating, Moaning]

[Shrieking]

I'll sacrifice!

I'll sacrifice!

Brother, I can't do that.

Not even to oblige you.

Don't ask me.

Well, if you're determined to die,

I can't help you.

But I wouldn't be put off

by a swine like that.

Peace.

Peace. Tempt him not.

Get thee behind him, Satan.

Why, for two pins,

I'd take a turn in the arena myself today...

and pay you out

for daring to talk to me like that!

Hmm.

- No, no. Please.

- Brother, you forget.

Oh, my temper. My wicked temper.

Oh, forgive me, brother.

My heart was full of wrath.

I should have been thinking

of your dear precious soul.

- Yah!

- And I forgot it all.

I thought of nothing

but offering to fight you with... -

with one hand tied behind me.

Here's a nice business.

Who let that Christian out of here

and down to the dens...

when we were changing the lion

into the cage next the arena?

No one let him. He let himself.

Well, the lion's ate him.

Poor wretch.

He won't as much as look

at another Christian for a week.

Couldn't you have saved him, brother?

Saved him?

Saved him from a lion

that I'd just got mad with hunger?

Poor Spintho.

- A martyr in spite of himself.

- [Trumpet Fanfare]

Shh!

Attention, please. The emperor.

- [Fanfare Continues]

- [Crowd Cheers]

Hail Caesar.

Those about to die salute thee.

Good morrow, friends.

Everything is in readiness, Caesar.

I'm looking forward to a great day.

So be it.

[Cheering Continues]

Blessings, Caesar, and forgiveness.

There is no forgiveness for Christianity.

Oh, I did not mean that, Caesar.

I mean that we forgive you.

An inconceivable liberty!

Do you not know, woman, that the emperor

can do no wrong and therefore cannot be forgiven?

Well, I expect the emperor knows better.

Anyhow, we forgive him.

Metellus, you see now the disadvantage

of too much severity.

These people have no hope.

Therefore there's nothing to restrain them

from saying whatever they like to me.

They're almost as impertinent

as the gladiators.

Hmm!

Which is the sorcerer?

- Me, Your Worship.

- My Worship?

Good. A new title.

Well, what miracles can you perform?

I can cure warts by rubbing them

with my tailor's chalk.

And I can live with my wife...

without beating her.

Is that all?

You don't know my wife, Caesar,

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