Ulisse Page #5

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I have been waiting

for your ship, Ulysses.

And for the first time,

Echo and the winds have not lied.

What is it?

Strange.

Same proud face.

Same dark eyes

as Penelope.

It's strange.

Why is it strange?

Isn't the difference

between one woman

and another only

in the mind of a man?

No, the difference is

Penelope would never let

a stranger take her in his arms.

Not even a stranger

like Ulysses?

Hey!

Hey!

Where is your mistress?

Why don't you answer

when I speak to you? Where is Circe?

Oh, deaf and dumb.

Ideal for servants in a place like this.

Were you looking for me,

Ulysses?

I can't see you very well.

Why this mm light?

To protect your sleep.

I hate darkness.

You know, at sea I always

sleep on deck so that I--

- So that I can wake up with the sun.

- Leave us now.

The sun is high.

You have slept a long time.

It's been many years

since I've slept on so soft a bed.

Where are my men?

They are safe, never fear.

- I'd like to see them.

-You will.

There are so many things

you still have to see on this island.

I haven't time.

I must be on my way

Polites, Piodes,

Eurylochus.

Eurylochus.

What are these pigs doing here?

Get out. Get out.

Circe, get them out of here.

Get away. Get away.

Why don't you answer me?

Where are my men?

You have just been kicking them.

You witch!

While I slept you turned

a band of heroes into swine.

It was much easier to do

than you think.

You would like to do

the same to me, wouldn't you?

But you wouldn't find it

so easy.

I know you hate men.

Perhaps you even hate me.

Give me back my men.

Don't you understand

why I had to do it,

why I had to take

your men away from you?

So that you will be alone,

just as I am alone.

Give me back my men, goddess,

demon, witch- or whatever you are.

It is useless having you

if you remain as my enemy.

Return now to the form

of humans.

- Ulysses.

- Ulysses.

Where have you been, Ulysses?

How do you feel?

Are you all right?

But of course we're all right.

We've been eating.

We've slept too. But I have a pain here

as though I'd been kicked.

All right, men, get back on board.

We leave in an hour.

Yes, Ulysses is very anxious

to depart.

I will see that you get provisions

and fresh water.

- Thank you.

- Get everything ready for sailing.

We haven't much time.

Hurry. Hurry.

Come. Come.

Goodbye, Circe.

I am grateful to you for making my

island less lonely if only for one day.

- Well, I must go.

- I know.

So I say goodbye.

We must get underway

before the wind drops.

The wind has

not even come up yet.

On this island it is always calm

until sundown.

Before sunset, eh?

Well, there's no sense in putting

out to sea before the wind rises.

Breaking men's backs

at the oars.

They're fine brave fellas.

I owe them a little consideration.

They will be grateful to you.

Ulysses.

Welcome, friends.

It's been a long time.

Did you get the flagons

of wine I sent you?

We are weary of eating and drinking

and living aimlessly on this island.

We have homes and families

waiting for us in Ithaca.

So have I, Eurylochus.

So have I.

Well, as soon as we've given

the ship a new coat of pitch

- we'll set sail.

- We should sail now.

We have lost too much time already.

We've put up a new sail

and the ship is filled with provisions.

We want to leave at once.

Have you forgotten, Eurylochus?

lam your captain.

No.

But come with us now.

Now? So soon?

You say so soon

after six months?

Six months?

Has it been that long?

Seems like a single summer's evening.

Well, Ulysses,

have you made up your mind?

Yes yes, of course.

Beautiful, isn't it?

A present from Circe.

I hope you like it.

It becomes you very well.

It does, doesn't it?

Look, Eurylochus.

We ought to introduce

this kind of weaving in Ithaca, eh?

We are leaving without you.

One moment.

You must not go.

Neptune has sworn to sink

the ship of Ulysses.

This night there will be

a terrible tempest.

Don't you realize she has

never yet told you the truth?

She is treacherous.

If you listen to her,

we will never leave here.

Stop fretting, Eurylochus,

and tell the men

to start working.

We'll set sail soon enough.

May the gods give you

the strength you will need

to escape the spell

which has blinded you.

Good bye.

They won't sail without me.

They're good men, but they're completely

lost without me to lead them.

They won't sail.

Circe!

Circe!

Where are my men?

The ship is gone.

Where are they?

Look there.

They're drowning.

They are already dead...

because they refused

to listen to me.

They were my men.

And I deserted them.

It was they who deserted you.

I had promised

to lead them home.

Eurylochus, Polites, Craiton.

Do not feel too sorry for them.

They were not worth much.

They were only little men.

That's why I loved them.

As long as you live,

they will never be completely dead.

Come now.

Come with me.

Ulysses.

What are you doing, Ulysses?

Do you really think

you can leave me?

I left you a long time ago.

The day my men died

in a storm.

And do you think your journey

will last any longer than theirs?

You will not hold me here.

Listen to me.

I shall give you something that will

make you forget all your petty dreams--

your miserable kingdom,

your wife who grows old.

Remain

and this very night

Olympus shall

welcome a new god--

Ulysses.

Immortal?

This is my gift.

The greatest gift

that had ever been offered to a man.

No, there are greater gifts--

to be born and to die

and in between to live like a man.

To live like a man,

filled with petty fears?

Only the fearful

can know the value of courage.

And old age?

That poor flesh will rot one day.

And at the end,

nothing but death.

This is the terrible

heritage of man.

I accept that inheritance.

I no longer see myself

falling in battle

or in the fury of a storm.

It will take much less.

A puff of cool air,

a sudden chill one night.

But even so, this--

this vulnerable mass of fears

has dared to battle with a god

and has not yet been defeated.

If it should be that one day

men shall speak of me,

I hope they say with pride

that I was one of them.

Their pride will not serve to warm you

in the kingdom of darkness.

I offer you centuries of light.

I do not think

it will sadden me too much

to close my eyes

when the time comes.

Then let the dead

tell you how very happy they are.

Agamemnon, Ajax,

Achilles--

all my dead comrades.

Achilles,

still sour faced

and brooding.

What other face would you expect

a dead man to wear?

Can death

have any sting for you?

Achilles must surely be honored

as a mighty prince among the dead.

Spare me these consolations,

Ulysses.

I would prefer to be a slave

among wandering barbarians

rather than the king

of all the dead.

My life was

short and glorious,

but my death is long

and oppressive.

Ajax...

I grieve for having

helped kill you.

What do the living

know about grief?

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