Death Takes a Holiday Page #6

What do you mean? His Majesty,

Death, amusing himself on a holiday.

No, no, Lambert! Amusing

himself with love.

Now, you take one step

to save her and she's lost.

If you won't think

of yourselves, think of her.

Perhaps you can tell me

what I have been doing.

I think I can, almost. Tell me.

I think you've been

holding life in your hands,

as I do

sometimes.

I think you've been a

little afraid of its beauty.

Oh, you do know.

Child.

Child, something new

has been born in me,

and I know the meaning

of this life men lead here.

A moment ago I knew only that men

were dust, and their end was dust.

And now suddenly

I know for the first time...

that men bear a dream

within them...

a dream that lifts them

above their dust...

and their little days.

And you have brought

this to me.

I look at the stars in the water,

Grazia, and you have given them a meaning.

I feel the earth under me.

It's no longer the earth

which men become,

but a world which you have made

for me which we share together.

And yet,

I am alone too.

Still alone.

I think we'll never

be alone again.

It comes easily

to you, Grazia.

But for me,

I shall hear your laughter

in every wind that passes.

I shall hear your footsteps

wherever you are,

when our two worlds

hold us apart.

Why should we

ever be apart?

Oh, what is this that's

happened? Who are you?

- Sirki.

- I don't mean that.

You seem to come

from a distant place.

When I'm with you,

I see depths in your eyes that are

like the worlds I visit in sleep,

and beneath your words is a

sound I've heard in dreams.

And when you leave me,

the light goes from the sky.

You're like the mystery that's

just beyond sight and sound,

always just beyond

my reach.

Something that

draws and...

and frightens me. Oh, Grazia,

Grazia, don't be afraid of me.

I am Sirki who loves you, more

than any man could love you.

I am Sirki who needs

your warmth and your beauty...

more than any man

could need it.

I say your name

over and over,

until the music

runs through my soul.

Listen to me, Grazia.

I am a great power,

and I am humble

before you.

And tonight

I must go back to my...

my distant kingdom.

Will you take me

with you?

Take you?

I should be

so unhappy...

alone.

Take you?

Oh, no, no.

Don't tempt me.

But Grazia,

give me one hour of you.

Let me hold you once

and feel your life.

You are the meaning of beauty

that I must know.

Oh, Grazia,

let me hold you,

let me feel

that last ecstasy...

and know that I have lived.

Oh, my love!

My love!

Do you think he'll surely come? Oh, yes.

I think he'll come back

and say goodbye to his friends.

But Grazia...

I don't know.

Perhaps he will be kind.

He may take Grazia, or...

all of us.

We have courage

for that, sir.

I think you're all wrong

to be afraid.

I talked to him

about dying,

and he said,

"Has it ever occurred to you that

death may be simpler than life,

"and infinitely more kind?"

He said that?

Yes.

And when he spoke,

I had a curious feeling

that somehow he knew.

So, you have

broken your promise.

Yes. I was

desperate, sir.

It was my son's life against

my promise. I had no choice.

I am not used to

these distinctions!

I thought we should part as

friends, with kindly remembrances,

but now my shadow

has come between us.

Surely not already.

No. I am a mortal,

still, for a few minutes.

No longer as Prince Sirki

of Vitalba Alexandri,

but as myself,

with my own feelings.

In a few moments,

I shall be what I was,

and for me, too,

there will be an end.

But you're above pain and loss. Am I?

I thought tonight I had reached

the end of my experiment.

I had found love.

But it was not

the end.

Beyond that, I have found

the pain of losing love...

if I must lose it.

But it must be lost to you! Why?

Because you are...

Death!

Death!

My dear duke, thank you

for defining the problem.

Your Highness, won't

you give her back to me?

You who have been cruel

often, will be again.

But must you be cruel

to me this one time?

It's your pain against mine. But I

gave her to life! To life, not to...

Why should I deny myself

because of your childish fear?

You know nothing

of the meaning of death.

You're speaking of

your own need, not hers.

I'm asking

for her life.

A life which I must

sometime take.

But she's so young! I tell

you, to go with me now, in love,

would be triumph, not

death as it is known to you.

Oh, in God's name!

Lambert!

Give her

back to me.

One lover must

always lose.

But not like this,

not with death.

There are worlds between us,

and I cannot reach your minds.

Why do men fear my coming?

You have

ten minutes more of life.

After that,

what can you give her?

Sleep, perhaps,

and the release of dreams.

And beyond that...

There are no words

by which to tell you.

But that is death to us,

and to her.

A word you have been

taught to fear.

A symbol of the unknown,

and because of that word,

you would keep her from me.

I would only lead her

through the gateway...

to the life

that lies beyond.

Your Highness, we are not

answered. Are we to keep Grazia?

- Is she yours even now?

- But she doesn't know who you are.

Now, if she knew, what

would she choose? Yes,

even Grazia was born

to fear the face of death.

She would die with me now,

as Sirki.

- I cannot tell her!

- You gave me your word.

And you think me bound by that? I

do. An honorable man would be bound.

Because I assume your flesh,

must I assume your weakness, too?

Then pity

our weakness.

I've seen pity

struggling in you.

We beg

the life of Grazia.

I bound myself

to life,

and with it to the little

rules by which it is lived.

And now I must

bow to it.

What a monstrous comedy!

Where's he going?

To fetch Grazia.

Oh, what will he do?

What will he do?

Oh, now, now.

Wait, Maria. Wait.

She will come. You will give her back?

No! It is for you

to call her back.

For us?

She is coming.

Your Highness,

did you call?

Grazia! Oh, Grazia, darling,

I've been so frightened!

So frightened!

Grazia, don't run away like

that again, not in the night.

But I was quite safe

with him, Mother.

I love to be with him.

I must stay with him always.

I know he seems a little

terrifying to you,

but I'm happy with him,

and safe.

He's kind, Mother, and more tender

than anyone I've ever known...

even more tender

than you.

Don't, Grazia. You don't

know what you're saying.

Why are you all

so strange?

Why are you

suffering so?

I've found my love. There

ought to be lights and music.

Save her! Tell her what you will.

What is there

to tell?

Do you think there's

anything I don't understand?

I love His Highness,

and I must go with him.

Your Highness, you

must. Say what you like.

It will make no difference.

You must! It's nearly twelve!

I know. Grazia, I came

to this house as a jest,

made love to you

as a jest.

You're trying to destroy my

love because they wish it.

- It was not a jest. - Someone tell

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