The Book of Esther Page #5

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Persia will again be great.

The army stands

behind you, my lord.

It appears.

Their patience

shall be rewarded,

for soon they will dip

their spears in blood.

We strike at midnight.

I honor you, my lord.

Prepare the men.

Lord Haman,

why trouble me at this hour?

Gracious Majesty,

I have a thorn in my side.

Shall I help you remove it

along with your head?

Gracious Majesty,

have I not been a loyal servant?

Your fidelity is

unquestionable, Haman.

Since you have chosen Mordecai's

candidate as your queen,

it occurs to me that I'm less

esteemed as a result.

Your worthiness

is not diminished in my eyes.

Yes, maybe

not in His Majesty's eyes,

but in the eyes

of my peers.

What would

you have me do?

Your Majesty, if it not

be too great a request,

it would please me well

if you could make me

the king's prime minister.

Prime minister?

It is simply another

title, Lord Haman.

Yes, but one

that would require your people

to bow before me.

Very well, Lord Haman.

Is there no peace

for the king?

Who calls?!

Mordecai, Your Majesty.

Mordecai,

my friend, enter.

A thousand pardons for

the lateness of the hour,

Your Majesty.

Am I not still awake?

Your Majesty, I have a

matter of great importance to discuss.

Well then, keep us not

in suspense, Mordecai.

It is a matter

that concerns the king.

I am now

the king's prime minister;

what concerns the king

concerns me.

Merely another title.

Yes, but one that

requires that you bow before me, Jew.

There's not time,

Lord Haman.

Great Majesty, moments

ago did I hear Sardar,

the commander of your army;

and Teres, your bodyguard,

plot your assassination.

My assassination?

Your Majesty,

this man has lost his senses.

He's accusing His Majesty's two

of his most faithful servants?

Your Majesty

must act at once.

The plot

commences at midnight.

Your Majesty,

as your prime minister,

I advise you to send this

man back to his bedroom.

Obviously he has had

too much to drink.

Overruled!

We will investigate

these charges,

for Mordecai would have

no cause to deceive me.

Your Majesty.

Send for Sardar and Teres,

we will find the truth

of this matter.

What troubles

my husband now?.

Have another of his

schemes come to naught?

Taunt me no further, woman,

or I shall banish you

as I have banished

my daughter.

Yes, Husband,

banish me to the palace

where I too shall

serve Queen Esther.

Oh, silence.

Am I not the

king's prime minister?

Is not everyone required

to bow before me?

Why does this revolting Jew

Mordecai refuse to pay me honor?

I suspect he has found

favor in the king's eyes.

This Mordecai shall not live

and neither shall his people.

Propose you then... murder?

I shall arrange

for their execution.

A fine, subtle distinction,

but a difficult task,

for the Jewish people are

very loyal to their king.

Then what if they

were found to be disloyal?

An unlikely event.

I must get my hands on

as much of the Jewish writings

as I can find.

Does my husband

wish to turn Hebrew?.

Mordecai, he quotes his

people's writings selectively,

but not fully I suspect.

There's only one way

to discern this.

Will you read all

the writings, Husband?

I won't read any of them.

It shall be done for me.

And suppose

no treason is found?

Then I shall create treason!

We shall gather the

great architects of Persia

and have them design gallows

fit for Mordecai, the Jew.

Finally, my wife comes up

with a sensible idea.

Teacher!

And my dear, sweet Judith.

My darling child,

I mean, my queen.

Oh!

And what think you

of the palace, Judith?

It has so many rooms,

a person could get lost.

Yes.

Who is this

lovely young girl?

Oh, this is Zara,

Lord Haman's daughter.

I honor you, Mordecai.

This beautiful woman

is Haman's daughter?

I confess to the truth of it,

but with no gladness of heart.

My lovely girl,

I fear for your life.

Your father is a proud man,

easily angered.

I have no concern

for my life,

for Esther has promised

to take care of me.

My queen, I trust that you

have found marriage agreeable?

In truth, Teacher,

I find it bittersweet.

How so?

My husband, the king,

I so rarely see him.

Surely the queen may see

the king at her pleasure?

Nay, Judith.

A woman is not to enter

the king's presence

unless she be summoned,

even the queen.

Aye, if Jacob

had such a law,

he would spend

even more time alone.

Judith.

And likely be

grateful for the silence.

I would be put to death

were I too to disobey.

Lord Haman has lately kept

the king heavily engaged

with the affairs of state.

I doubt not the

king's love for me,

but I fear my rival is Persia

for the king's affection.

Fear not, my queen.

If the king loves you

as well as Persia,

then he loves you

well indeed.

As always, my Teacher

speaks the truth.

My queen,

you have learned well.

Come Judith,

I have much to show you.

All hail,

King Xerxes of Persia.

Hail, King Xerxes!

Lord Haman, I should have

chosen you for a consort,

for I spend more time with you

than I spend with the queen.

Your Majesty, this is

a matter of extreme urgency.

For the sake of your

neck, Lord Haman,

I require that it be

a matter of life or death.

Your Majesty,

this is a matter of treason.

Treason?

Am I surrounded by

nothing but conspirators?

If my throne is in

peril, Lord Haman,

why then are we

completely unaware?

Because, Your Majesty, the

threat comes not from without.

The threat

comes from within.

And only now you

bring this to my attention?

Your Majesty,

there is a group of people in

your kingdom who are disloyal.

And who are

these disloyal people?

The Jews, Your Majesty.

The Jews?

They support another?

Impossible!

The evidence

lies here before you.

Am I Jew, Lord Haman,

that I can read such things?

Then allow us

to translate.

"Sing praises to God.

"Sing praises to our King.

"For God is the King

of all the earth.

"It is God

who reigneth over the people.

It is God

who sitteth upon the throne. "

If this is not proof

of treason, Your Majesty,

then I cannot

produce any.

They repay my generosity

with insolence?

Your

Majesty, if it pleases you,

I have chosen the 13th day of

the 12th month, Your Majesty.

Let on this day

every traitorous Jew,

young, old, women,

children, be annihilated.

Azada...

Let it be done

as Lord Haman commands.

By your word, Your Majesty.

Who calls?

The lady Zara, Your Majesty.

Enter at once.

A visitor to see

Your Majesty?

Enter.

I honor you, my queen.

Judith, it's so

good to see you.

But the bad news I bring

will surely hurt

Your Majesty's heart.

I come at the

request of Mordecai.

Why does he

not come himself?

Because, my queen,

Mordecai sits at home

in sackcloth and ashes.

Judith, you must

tell me this news at once.

Shall I speak

freely, my queen?

Lady Zara

has my confidence.

It is the wicked

Lord Haman, my queen.

He has convinced

your husband, the king,

to destroy all the Jews.

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