Solomon and Sheba Page #4

We enjoy life and pleasure.

- Don"t you? | - Yes, we do.

But we are an austere people. | We tend to be more serious.

And your king. Is he also serious?

King Solomon has a great responsibility.

He must maintain | the unity of our 12 tribes.

It is very important, this unity?

Oh, yes. Without it, | there would be no Israel.

The gods of Sheba. | Mal-Ra, the guardian of destiny.

Kol, god of the sun and stars.

Rama, who sends the rain.

We have many gods.

In Israel, we have one god.

When he fails you, | do you blame him for everything?

He never fails us.

You must find it gratifying | to be so close to your king.

Are you his sister, perhaps?

Sometimes he calls me that. | We have been very close to each other,

ever since I came to live | in the house of his father.

Do you stay long in Israel?

That depends upon your king.

You are charming. Innocent.

And you fulfil all my expectations.

For you.

From the land of Sheba.

A gift from its queen.

This Solomon the Almighty...

Almighty what?

20 men surrounding him, | and he calls it a private audience.

- He has entertained you royally... | - And those state banquets!

I at one end, he at the other.

And in between us, | a lot of sour-faced old men.

Not once have I been with him alone. | Not once.

But we have only been here five days.

This Solomon is more difficult to | approach than the Pharaoh of Egypt.

This great king has time for everything, | except the time for being a man.

Send him to me, Rha-Gon, god of love.

Make me the most desirable of women.

Make my lips sweet as honey,

my skin soft and fragrant | like the petals of a flower.

Give him to me.

I want him at my feet.

Your Majesty has a royal visitor.

Her Majesty and I have met before.

My apologies to Your Majesty.

I regret that I was unable | to be at the reception to welcome you.

Had you been there, it would have | made my welcome complete.

Your Majesty is gracious. Rather different | from the occasion of your last visit.

If I remember rightly, | Your Highness was then a king.

Yes. And as a king, I offered you | an alliance against the Pharaoh.

And my answer was not too kind.

So I remember.

This time I venture to offer you | another alliance.

Do you come as envoy | from the king of Israel?

I come as Adonijah, | rightful heir to the throne of Israel.

An alliance between us could give us | many things we both desire.

Do you want Sheban arms | to help you usurp your brother"s throne?

Solomon is the usurper.

Once I am on the throne, | our lands could encircle Egypt,

and all of the kings | would be at our mercy.

Why should I want them at my mercy?

I maintain good relations with the kings.

And King Solomon is my friend.

So how could your offer | possibly interest me?

Has the screaming eagle | been transformed into a cooing dove?

How dull the world would be | if people never changed.

I am wiser, Prince Adonijah.

I no longer do battle with a sword.

That"s why I find your visit so disturbing.

I find it difficult to believe that you come | bearing an olive branch of peace.

What else could I bring to King Solomon, | who is a man of peace?

Your Majesty, it is clear | that I waste your time as well as mine.

With Your Majesty"s permission...

I think I understood you better | as the screaming eagle.

He is still a dog.

Let the women in judgement | come forward.

Never before has an alien | sat beside our king in judgement.

Her presence profanes all Israel.

Who makes complaint?

My Lord King, this woman Leah and I | dwell within the same house.

I was delivered of a child.

On the third day after I was delivered, | she was delivered also.

There was no one in the house | but we two.

In the night, this woman"s child died | because she lay upon it,

wherefore she removed my son | from beside me while I slept

and laid her dead child against my bosom.

- She lies. | - Silence.

And when I rose in the morning | to nurse my child, he was dead.

- Not so, Lord Solomon. | - The truth, Lord King.

For when I looked at the child in my arms, | I knew it was not the son that I did bear.

- It was her own child and none other. | - The living child is mine.

- The dead is yours, the living mine. | - Bring the infant forward.

Josiah.

Place the child on the steps before me | and show him to me.

Draw your sword, Josiah.

Divide the child into two parts.

Give half to the one woman, | half to the other.

No!

If it must be,

give the child to her | that it may not be slain.

Divide it. | It should be neither hers nor mine.

Take your son, mother. He is surely yours.

May the Lord God Jehovah | praise and bless you.

You would rather have surrendered him | to another than to see him harmed.

And take this woman hence

and administer to her | punishment to fit her perjury.

She lies. She lies.

It"s not right. The child is mine.

Mine!

Now, at last, I have seen | a judgement of Solomon,

and your wisdom amazes me.

Whatever wisdom has been given me, | it was for the benefit of my people.

Continue to teach me, I beg of you,

so that I may gain a greater insight | into the wonder of your understanding.

It will enable me to become a better | and wiser ruler over my own people.

Real wisdom lies in the ability | to decide between the true and the false.

Can you believe that only four years ago, | all this was barren desert?

You have such a joy | in all you have accomplished.

It is a joy to make the desert bloom | by bringing water from the mountains.

You have made this into a paradise.

The water, the work, | the warmth of the sun have done it, not I.

In the last few days, | I have shown you much of Israel.

But you have not told me | anything of your own country.

At this moment, my own land | seems as distant as the stars.

In my youth, I used to dream of visiting | all the faraway kingdoms of the earth.

And now instead, | the rulers of those countries come to you.

You rule Sheba alone.

From the beginning of time, | only queens have ruled in Sheba.

That is our law.

I would be happy to tell Your Majesty | many things concerning my country

if I were sure it would be | of interest to you.

Why do you say that?

Because after all the times | I have visited you,

you have not returned the compliment | by visiting my encampment.

And me.

Perhaps I was waiting for an invitation.

You promise to accept?

I promise.

I am so happy | that at last you have come to visit me.

My people feel honoured.

It is your guest who feels honoured.

You are not bored | by our primitive pastimes?

No, it interests me | to learn what amuses you.

Enough, Takyan.

If I do not prevent it, | my people would stay and stare at you.

Fabled Solomon.

The way I stare at you?

This is the hour of Rha-Gon.

Every evening, I make an offering to him.

Rha-Gon, giver of life, god of love,

accept this token of my gratitude | and devotion.

The Feast of Rha-Gon | is the most sacred rite

celebrated each year in the land of Sheba.

But tonight let there be no talk of gods.

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