One Night with the King Page #7

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What think you, shall be done

for this man in whom the King delights

to honor?

Let a royal robe be sent for,

one his Majesty has donned in public.

And a horse

on whose head a royal crest is set.

Deliver them to

one of the noblest princes of the Fars,

so that he can array the man

in whom the King delights.

And then parade this man

through the streets, proclaiming,

"Thus shall it be done to the man

in whom the King delights to honor."

Most excellent proposal.

Go yourself now

and do all you have suggested.

My lord.

To a one Mordecai,

the scribe who

sits within the King's gates.

Mordecai?

The Jew?

My lady.

- And who is this honored man?

- A scribe.

A Jewish scribe,

who claims to have saved the King's life.

I should think you would be honored

by such a privilege given by the King.

Honored?

The prestige of Persia is at stake.

What will it be said of your husband,

the king, that he commands

his highest prince

to lead a Jew through the streets?

A Jew, my lady!

And how is a Jew

any different than you or I?

They are our enemy.

They must be destroyed.

They may be your enemy, but not mine.

From the way that you defend them,

- one might almost think...

- One might think what,

my prince?

One might think. That is all, my lady.

One might think.

HAMAN:
Make your way for Mordecai,

the Jew.

(CROWD CHEERING)

Make your way for Mordecai,

who saved the King's life.

He is the man in whom

the King delights to honor.

All hail for Mordecai, the Jew,

honored of the King.

Beloved of the Queen.

All hail for Mordecai, the Jew.

Honored of the King.

Beloved of the Queen.

(THUNDER CRASHING)

Guards...

My queen,

I bring you word from Mordecai.

You've run out of time.

When the King leaves

for Greece tomorrow,

he will appoint Haman as his regent.

It is our last chance

to stop this edict of death.

He made me vow to speak his words.

You will indeed risk your life

if you go before the King...

MORDECAI:
...but do not think

that if you keep silent

your position

will save you alone from this edict.

For if you keep silent,

deliverance for the Jews

will arise from someplace else,

but you

will surely perish.

Who knows whether

you have come to the palace

for such a time as this?

He said to give you this.

Tell Mordecai to assemble the Jews.

Ask them to fast and pray.

I will do the same.

And in the morning,

arrange for me a litter.

I will array myself as queen

and go before the King unsummoned,

even though it is against the law.

And if I perish,

I perish.

(THUNDER CRASHING)

XERXES:
People of Persia,

servants of the crown,

today we embrace our destiny

to raid and rule the world over

and stand against the Greeks

and all who would rob us of our glory.

MAID:
Her crown, quickly.

The litter will be here any moment.

- No litter is coming.

- What?

I do not know what you plan, but...

The King leaves for the outpost

within the hour.

I have not time to wait out this rain.

I am not going to allow you

to kill yourself.

No...

- Please tell me you did not.

- What possible assurance do you have

he would lower his scepter

to spare your life?

You do not go into a bedroom of a man,

you go into the hall of a king.

This is not you against him.

This is you against protocol.

You against the empire.

Then I... I go as

David did

before Goliath and the Philistines.

Those are just stories, Esther.

Do you hear me? Just stories.

Know you what I love most

about the story of David and Goliath?

David's victory

came not because he fought well

but because he believed well.

Thus I leave you on this day,

your regent, in my absence,

Lord Haman, prince of the Fars.

It is my will

that each of you obey him in every way,

exactly as you would regard your king.

Unsummoned she comes before the King.

She does.

Is protocol not broken?

- Yes, protocol has been broken.

- Guards!

(INAUDIBLE)

(INAUDIBLE)

(ALL CLAMORING)

...before the King.

(SIGHS)

- We have not time to waste.

- What did he say to your request?

The timing, the faces... I could not ask it.

Not there, not in court.

What then? Do we perish?

We have but one last chance.

You must help me prepare.

A king may lower his scepter

to whoever he wishes.

My lord,

this day your kingdom

has all but been ripped from your hands.

This Esther has dishonored you

more than Vashti ever could.

See not you now

how she has trapped you?

Inviting us to a banquet

to hear her request?

If you go,

the people will deem you to be a pawn.

If you refuse,

a coward.

(DOOR SLAMS SHUT)

There is but one way to proceed.

Is the meal to your satisfaction, my lord?

The night draws late.

Once more I ask for

your petition, my queen.

My petition,

my lord,

is that you allow me to finish a story.

One that I began many nights ago.

The story of Jacob, my lord,

does not finish with marrying Rachel.

Well, they go on to have 12 sons.

And like these 12 pillars that surround us,

they became the pillars of a people.

Surely...

Surely you do not delay an army

only to finish a children's tale?

If I still find favor in your sight,

let my life be given me, at my petition.

And my people at my request.

You demand of me your life

and that of your people?

My dear girl,

I know not of your people.

You have yet to tell me who they are.

Had we been merely sold as slaves,

I would have held my tongue.

This Haman wanted our blood,

my blood, the blood of Jacob, your Jacob.

Your Jacob was given a new name.

Israel.

As, too, was I.

You, Esther?

A Jew?

Not Esther, my lord.

Hadassah Bat-Abihail,

daughter of the tribe of Benjamin,

child of the most high God.

Never have I heard

a more pathetic story in my entire life.

She is no Jew.

She's another Vashti.

Seems it not convenient to you?

An army marches,

and suddenly she is a Jew.

Esther is a Jew.

Your Vashti but protested

the notion of war.

This queen seeks to counter

the very authority of your rule.

A Jew? If such were true,

why did she hide it till now?

Pray, do tell us.

The Almighty has indeed ordained

that my words speak not truth unto you.

At least allow my heart.

For this

which I have offered you,

my most precious in all the world,

the very identity etched within me.

Well, is something supposed

to be happening here?

The stars... Do you not see them?

Do you not see them?

A mockery.

Perhaps not how

you had hoped it would end?

Imagined you that I would beg?

Think you I will beg?

Beg for my life?

Beg like my forefather Agag

before your sword?

Would you like me to beg for you?

Oh,

please, my lady.

Please, Your Highness.

Please spare me.

Spare me my life. You are a lady of mercy.

Spare me.

I beg for forgiveness.

Spare me, spare me, you Jew!

(GRUNTS)

Would he also assault the Queen,

my wife,

while I am in my house?

Harbonah has informed me that

the gallows post stands in Haman's yard

even as we speak. Apparently

intended for one Mordecai the Jew.

Hang him on it.

No!

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