Samson and Delilah Page #5

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WORDS.

SUCH NEWS DESERVES REWARD.

WITHDRAW.

THAT WAS:

A VERY COSTLY JEWEL.

WHAT WILL YOU DO

WITH SAMSON, MY LORD?

WELL, WE MIGHT HANG HIM

BY HIS HEELS FROM YOUR BALCONY.

OR WHAT WOULD:

YOUR SUGGESTION BE, DELILAH?

MAKE HIM TURN:

THE GRISTMILL,

WHIPPED AND DRIVEN

LIKE AN ANIMAL,

WHERE ALL GAZA CAN MOCK HIM

AND LAUGH AT HIM.

HUMBLE HIM.

BRING HIM TO HIS KNEES.

BUT I THOUGH YOU ONCE ADMIRED THIS DANITE.

AS I ADMIRE:

THE GUTTER-RATS OF GAZA.

I'M JEALOUS

OF YOUR HATRED.

DON'T SHARE EVEN THA WITH ANYONE ELSE.

WE'LL CHAIN THIS LION KILLER

TO THE MILLSTONE,

IF THAT IS YOUR WISH,

AND PERHAPS ARRANGE A FEW OTHER

LITTLE SPORTS FOR HIM.

ANYTHING...

ONLY LET ME BE THERE

TO WATCH IT.

UNCONQUERABLE LEADER

OF DANITES,

DEFENDER:

OF THE INVISIBLE GOD.

YOU'RE VERY SILENT,

SAMSON.

I THOUGHT YOU LIKED THE COMPANY

OF PHILISTINES.

HE PREFERS THE COMPANY

OF AN ASS, LORD GENERAL.

THEY HAVE MUCH IN COMMON.

AN ASS IS WISE ENOUGH

TO OBEY HIS MASTER.

YOUR FEET MUST BE TIRED,

SAMSON.

WHY DON'T YOU TRY

WALKING ON YOUR KNEES?

[ WHIP CRACKS ]

[ LAUGHTER ]

STAND, ALL.

STAND, ALL!

WATER BEARERS,

TO THE RANKS.

[ LAUGHTER CONTINUES ]

HEE-HAW!

HEE-HAW!

LET US HEAR YOU PRAY,

SAMSON.

HEE-HAW!

I DOUBT IF PRAYERS

WOULD BE MUCH HELP TO HIM NOW.

HIS REAL STRENGTH

LIES IN RIDDLES.

EXCELLENT,

YOUR EXCELLENCE.

RIDDLES:

ARE THE SPORT OF FOOLS.

THEN ANSWER THIS ONE,

SAMSON.

OUT OF DAN:

CAME A KILLER OF BEASTS.

WHOSE HEAD WILL PAY

FOR HIS WEDDING FEAST?

[ LAUGHTER ]

HAS THE PLEDGE OF MY PEOPLE

BEEN FULFILLED?

YES, BUT THAT'S NOT THE ANSWER

TO THE RIDDLE.

AM I TRULY DELIVERED

INTO YOUR HANDS?

TRULY:

AS YOU'RE BOUND BY ROPE.

YOU SEEM TO HAVE LOS YOUR SKILL FOR RIDDLES.

THIS IS THE PLACE OF LEHI.

[ THUNDER RUMBLES ]

EVEN THE SKY:

SPEAKS AGAINST HIM.

O LORD, MY GOD, HEAR ME.

GIRD ME FOR BATTLE AGAINS THE SWORDS OF MY ENEMIES.

FORSAKE ME NOT, O LORD,

BUT STRENGTHEN MY ARM

TO DESTROY THE LIONS

WHO'VE SCATTERED THY FLOCKS.

OH, GREAT SKULL,

HEAR ME.

HEE-HAW!

HEE-HAW!

LET THEM SEE THY POWER,

O GOD.

[ THUNDER CRASHING ]

[ WIND WHISTLING ]

THEY PAR LIKE BURNING FLAX!

HIS GOD HAS FREED HIM!

QUICK! TAKE HIM!

ALIVE IF YOU CAN!

USE CHAINS!

[ HORSES NEIGHING ]

LIFT IT, YOU FOOLS.

MY ARM'S PINNED.

SON OF THE DEVIL!

[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]

NEVER DID MORTAL MAN

FIGHT LIKE THIS.

HIS STRENGTH WAS GREATER

THAN ANY INSTRUMENT OF WAR.

AND WHEN HE CALLED

UPON HIS GOD,

THE THUNDER AND THE WHIRLWIND

AND THE LIGHTNING

WERE IN HIS BLOWS.

A HUNDRED KILLED,

PERHAPS A THOUSAND.

THERE WAS NO COUNTING

OF THE SLAIN.

BUT WHAT WEAPON HAD HE?

MORE SHAME TO US --

THE JAWBONE OF AN ASS.

A JESTER'S TOY?

NO SWORD OF IRON

EVER STRUCK SUCH BLOWS.

MEN FELL BEFORE HIM

LIKE WHEAT BEFORE THE SCYTHE.

[ MURMURING ]

HE'S CRAZED.

BUT HAD WE NO HORSES,

NO CHARIOTS TO RIDE HIM DOWN?

HE OVERTURNED CHARIOTS

WITH A SINGLE MOVE.

HE FOUGHT WITHIN A GORGE

SO NARROW:

THAT WE TRAMPLED ON THE DYING

TO ATTACK HIM,

AND THOSE BEHIND

PRESSED FORWARD:

AND THOSE FORWARD

WERE FORCED BACK

UPON THE BLADES BEHIND THEM.

MY EYES HAVE NEVER SEEN

SUCH A STORM OF DEATH.

AND NOW VULTURES

CIRCLE OVER RAMATH LEHI.

AND SAMSON...

IS GONE UNTO THE HILLS.

TAKE THIS FOOL:

AND TEND HIS WOUNDS.

[ INDISTINCT TALKING ]

NOW, WHERE IS

THE LORD AHTUR?

I AM HERE, MIGHTY SARAN.

MIGHTY?

IN WHAT?

CERTAINLY NOT MY ARMY.

HAVE YOU COME TO TELL US

OF YOUR TRIUMPH?

YOUR MESSENGER HAS GIVEN US

A VERY THOROUGH ACCOUNT.

HE EVEN TOLD US HOW YOUR WARRIOR

ZAMATH CHARGED LIKE A LION,

ONLY TO HAVE HIS SKULL

CRUSHED LIKE AN EGG

RIGHT THROUGH HIS HELMET.

AND, UH, WITH WHAT,

HIGH PRINCE AHTUR?

TELL THIS COUNCIL

THE WEAPON USED AGAINST YOU.

WELL? TELL THEM.

SPEAK.

THE JAWBONE OF AN ASS.

[ LAUGHING ]

LORD AHTUR.

MILITARY GOVERNOR OF DAN,

PRINCE OF PHILISTIA,

EMIR OF ARMIES,

BEATEN WITH THE JAWBONE

OF AN ASS.

OUR ARMIES,

THAT SCATTERED THE HITTITES,

THAT SWEPT THE AMORITES

BEFORE THEM,

THAT CUT THROUGH CANAAN

TO CONQUER THE STARS,

THE CIRCLE OF THE EARTH,

BEATEN WITH THE JAWBONE

OF AN ASS.

ARE YOU A SOLIDER

OR A CLOWN COMMANDING FOOLS?

WHAT IS THE NUMBER OF ALL

THE FORCES AT OUR COMMAND?

OF CHARIOTS, 600 HEAVY,

1,000 LIGHT...

500 DROMEDARIES

OF THE SWIFTEST...

2,000 HORSEMEN

WITHOUT THE PALACE GUARD...

3,000 HEAVY-ARMORED SPEARMEN

OF THE ELITE...

8,000 --

YES, YES,

AND WE'RE BEATEN

BY THE JAWBONE OF AN ASS.

AM I, LORD OF THE FIVE CITIES,

TO BE LAUGHED A BEFORE THE WORLD,

BEFORE MY SUBJECT PEOPLES,

BECAUSE A DANITE HERDSMAN

ROUTS MY ARMIES?

DON'T SET THAT DOWN,

YOU FOOL.

BURNS MY CROPS,

PILLAGES CARAVANS AT WILL,

YES, EVEN CARRIES AWAY

THE GATES OF MY CITY!

I ASKED FOR 10,000 MEN TO CRUSH

THESE DANITES FOR ALL TIME.

INSTEAD,

YOU GAVE ME TAX COLLECTORS.

TAXES DELIVERED SAMSON

INTO YOUR HANDS, DIDN'T THEY?

IT WAS YOU:

WHO COULDN'T HOLD HIM.

THIS SAMSON:

HAS SOME UNKNOWN POWER,

SOME SECRET THAT GIVES HIM

SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH.

NO MAN:

CAN STAND AGAINST HIM.

Delilah:
PERHAPS HE'LL FALL

BEFORE A WOMAN.

EVEN SAMSON'S STRENGTH

MUST HAVE A WEAKNESS.

THERE ISN'T A MAN

IN THE WORLD:

WHO WILL NOT SHARE HIS SECRETS

WITH SOME WOMAN.

[ MEN MURMURING ]

MOST OF US HAVE SHARED OUR GOLD

WITH A WOMAN.

[ LAUGHTER ]

MORE MEN HAVE BEEN TRAPPED

BY SMILES THAN BY ROPE.

YES, YOU TRIED ROPES,

AHTUR.

PERHAPS YOU SHOULD HAVE

SMILED AT HIM.

WHAT IS YOUR PLAN,

DELILAH?

WOULD YOU DRIVE A TENT PEG

THROUGH HIS HEAD

LIKE JAEL,

THE CANAANITE?

NO, THAT WAS NOT MY PLAN,

LORD SHARIF.

DELILAH,

DO YOU KNOW A WOMAN

WHO COULD ENTICE THIS BARBARIAN,

THIS KILLER?

YES, MY LORDS,

I CAN DELIVER SAMSON TO YOU.

YOU, DELILAH?

YOU CAPTURE SAMSON?

THIS DEVIL?

HEAVEN PROTECT HER.

A DOVE:

AGAINST A BULL.

BRING IN A WOMAN,

AND SHE'LL BRING IN TROUBLE.

SUCH DEVOTION:

IS VERY TOUCHING,

BUT WHAT WOULD YOU GAIN

FROM HIS CAPTURE?

MY LORD'S FAVOR.

YOU HAVE THAT.

IS THAT ALL YOU WANT?

NO.

NAME YOUR PRICE,

AND YOU SHALL HAVE IT.

PERHAPS SOME LITTLE BAUBLE

IN THE STREET OF JEWELERS?

[ CHUCKLES ]

YOU'RE VERY GENEROUS.

TELL ME, SOHRAB,

WHAT VALUE DID YOU SE UPON YOUR LAST CARAVAN

SAMSON RAIDED NEAR GATH?

1,100 PIECES OF SILVER.

HERE IS THE RECKONING.

THEN THAT IS MY PRICE --

1,100 PIECES OF SILVER.

Sohrab:
1,100?

YOUR PRICE IS HIGH.

A PHARAOH'S RANSOM

FOR A SHEPHERD?

BETTER SILVER:

THAN BLOOD.

WE'LL PAY IT.

1,100 PIECES OF SILVER...

UH, FROM EACH OF YOU.

WHAT?

WHAT?

[ INDISTINCT SHOUTING ]

STAND ASIDE, PLEASE.

1,100 PIECES!

I KNOW,

BUT THIS MUST BE RECORDED.

SILENCE!

CALM YOURSELVES.

YOU DRIVE A SHARP BARGAIN,

DELILAH.

FROM YOU, MY LORD,

I ASK ONLY A PROMISE.

A PROMISE FOR A PROMISE?

WHAT IS YOURS?

TO BRING YOU SAMSON

BOUND AND HELPLESS.

BOUND:

BY THESE WHITE ARMS?

NO.

TOO HIGH A PRICE

FOR ME TO PAY.

MY THOUGHTS:

WILL BE ONLY OF YOU.

I SUGGES THE PRINCESS OF GAZA

FIND SOME OTHER WAY

TO CAPTURE SAMSON.

YOU'VE TRIED

ALL OTHER WAYS.

WHEN MY FATHER AND SISTER

LAY DEAD IN THE ASHES

OF OUR HOME BECAUSE OF SAMSON,

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