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• Blood and Ash : PART ONE Scene One , PART ONE Scene Four , PART TWO Scene Two , PART THREE Scene Three

Blood and Ash, translated by Gwynneth Dowling

PART ONE Scene One

Context:

Miguel has arrived in Lyon at the house of Monsieur Frellon. At first, Frellon was reluctant to welcome the stranger into his home, fearing that he might be an Inquisition spy. In this excerpt, Frellon has overcome his initial suspicion of Miguel and the two men are beginning to talk more cordially.

Sample text

FRELLON:

Let's change the subject, how about a nice glass of wine?

MIGUEL:

I’m a drinker, for lack of any other vice. I can’t indulge in much, given my poor state of health.

FRELLON: (Pouring wine.)

To look at you, you wouldn’t think you’d much wrong with you. Although you’re a little pale.

MIGUEL:

As you can see, I walk with a limp. That’s because of my hernia. It stops me getting up to much … sadly, alas, including up women and things of that nature …

FRELLON: (Taking a drink.)

What a strange scene, my friend! And what a strange conversation! You would hardly think a modern author had written our words. And how is it that we're on such friendly terms now, as if we'd known each other all our lives? Where has all this goodwill come from? Who’s responsible? It’s not down to me. My bad moods are well known. But since you’ve been so open about things that many men – myself included – would take pains to hide, I'll admit that, even though you had no right to make fun of my recent proclamations of faith and patriotism, my words were somewhat exaggerated.

MIGUEL:

Nothing would upset me more than to be mistaken for an informer, a rat, a snitch, policeman, or a member of the Holy Inquisition – may God curse it. I’m not in the habit of telling tales. And those who do are, in my opinion, real sons of bitches.

FRELLON:

Stop talking like that. Please. Your words worry me. We’re in the provinces here, not the capital, where perhaps such statements are more common.

MIGUEL:

Nobody else can hear us! We’re the only ones here!

FRELLON:

You know nothing about it. Out here in the provinces the walls have ears. There are microphones everywhere. There is persecution everywhere. Everything is in a state of unrest. They’re burning completely innocent people as witches. Don’t get me wrong, I am a Catholic. But I don’t support such violence. Not at all. Is that what you mean by my liberal reputation? The reputation that I didn’t even know I had? The reputation that has both surprised and worried me?

MIGUEL:

The very same. But don’t worry any more about it. To your health, Master Frellon.

FRELLON:

And to yours. (They drink.)

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation Blood and Ash by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

PART ONE Scene Four

Context:

In this excerpt, taken from early in the play, Miguel is baptised into the community of Anabaptists. He shivers in his striped bathing suit as John the Anabaptist lists the number of organisations that terrorise Anabaptists. Just after this excerpt Miguel will be arrested and thrown into jail for the first time.

Sample text

Light falls on the figure of Miguel, wrapped in a white robe that looks like a bath towel. Underneath he is wearing a striped bathing suit. His hair is wet and he is wiping his face with a towel. The Pastor blesses him in the company of other disciples. Below is the conversation that took place.

JOHN THE ANABAPTIST:

The voice of a man crying in the wilderness! You have just been baptised, by full immersion, and having taken the decision by your own sovereign free will, with the grace of the Lord God our master. You join a community that lives in secret.

MIGUEL: (Shivering.)

I’m cold.

JOHN:

Wait a while longer, my brother, wait until the end of our chat. Then you can warm yourself at the fire and have something to eat and drink.

MIGUEL:

Humble apologies. Go on, brother.

JOHN:

The Political Police, the Religious Brigades, the Association for the Good and Proper, the Little Flower Committees for Public Salvation, the Roman Defence League, the Struggle for Dogmatic Purity. All these, among others, are run by the Holy Inquisition – which is not in the least holy, but rather diabolical, dark and depressing. And they all ceaselessly hound out our brothers, who suffer barbarous and inhumane tortures in the basements of our country’s internment camps and security centres – where they use terror to try and bring us down. You join a community that lives like this. (MIGUEL is shivering.) What’s wrong with you? You’re shivering. Perhaps what you’ve heard has scared you?

MIGUEL:

I’m cold. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Please, go on.

JOHN: (He looks at him thoughtfully.)

Move around a bit after this. Perhaps do some stretches.

MIGUEL:

I couldn’t do that. Not with my hernia. But I’ll warm up somehow. Continue, and don’t leave out anything that is an official requirement of the ceremony … although, that being said, if you could just hurry it up a little …

JOHN:

I can stop now, if you can’t go on.

MIGUEL:

Of course I can go on. It’s only that I could probably go on a bit better if I were fully dressed. And, well, I don’t think a scarf would be too much to ask, if you happen to have one? (He sneezes.) Oh no! Now I’ve caught that cold I was worried about. But don’t let such a trivial matter concern you, my brother.

JOHN:

Quick! In the name of the Lord God our master, get dressed. Let’s not drag out this conversation any longer. It’s a bad night, what with the icy rain that’s falling, even though it’s practically summer.

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation Blood and Ash by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

PART TWO Scene Two

Context:

Miguel has arrived in Geneva after escaping from prison in Vienne. He is staying at Rosa’s inn. While there, his hostess informs him about the strict regime now in place in Geneva under Calvin’s rule.

Sample text

MIGUEL:

I’ll take a little wine or beer. Just to refresh myself.

ROSA: (Shakes her head.)

We don’t sell any.

MIGUEL:

Is there somewhere I can go to get some?

ROSA:

Prohibition. You won’t find booze in all of Geneva, unless there are some secret taverns about. But I doubt it.

MIGUEL:

Water, at least, is freely available?

ROSA:

Yes, Sir. And it is very good, of course. Drink. Drink as much as you want. We don’t normally charge for it.

MIGUEL: (He drinks some water.)

Quenching one’s thirst is truly a delightful sensation, I must say! But apart from that, what other pleasures does a Sunday hold in this area?

ROSA:

People stay indoors until it’s time for the service at Saint Peter’s. So the streets are deserted and quiet, as you will see if you go outside.

MIGUEL:

And when it’s time for the service, what happens then?

ROSA:

Saint Peter’s gets absolutely packed with people. There’s nobody left at home, apart from the sick and impaired – and even they get to hear the holy sermon of Master Calvin, retold to them afterwards by others. Of course, Calvin speaks the truth. Although his sermons are quite depressing and miserable for those with little knowledge or interest in the church. Don’t get me wrong, his sermons are very well-structured. And nobody would run the risk of forgetting to go. The risk is too high. Brigades scour the streets reminding and convincing the lazy to attend – there are always some. And should they rebel they are severely punished. Some are imprisoned, some are exiled, some have their tongues cut out, some are put in stocks, some go to the gallows – for adultery, blasphemy, idolatry. And, in the most extreme cases, some are burnt at the stake. Out at the public ground, at Champel field. Let me give you some examples – smiling at a baptism will cost you three days in prison. The same for eating foie gras for breakfast – someone was caught the other day – and they got the added punishment of just bread and water on the inside. And then there’s the four days imprisonment for refusing to christen your child with a biblical name. That’s why there are so many Abrahams, Isaacs and Rachels now in Geneva. There weren’t any before. Do you understand? In fact, any kind of celebration is best avoided, since games have been outlawed, among other things – like women’s elaborate hairstyles, which apparently are too provocative. And, of course, you can forget about going to the theatre!

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation Blood and Ash by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

PART THREE Scene Three

Context:

Miguel has been languishing in jail in Geneva for weeks. In this excerpt he is visited by the Executioner who has come to lead him to the scene of his execution. The conversation, however, is markedly trivial, as Miguel does not know that he is talking to the Executioner. Instead, he assumes that the stranger he is talking to is simply a new jailer.

Sample text

In his cell, MIGUEL is dressed in rags and surrounded by four sentries. One of them, the SERGEANT, wears a steel ‘Wehrmacht’ helmet. Each sentry carries a torch. The sentries form a rectangle around MIGUEL that might resemble the widened proportions of a coffin. The EXECUTIONER visits him, carrying a bowl of food.

MIGUEL:

Hello? And who might you be? Where’s the usual one? Is he not here today?

EXECUTIONER:

No.

MIGUEL: (He takes the bowl and tries a little.)

As I do every day, I want to formally protest about the quality of this food. It’s become a sort of habit for me to do so, my boy. Since you’ve never been here before it might be a bit of a novelty for you. It might even amuse you. No doubt this water has been taken from a public drain. (He drinks it.) Tell the cook. The other one usually tells him. Apparently. But nobody takes any notice of him. Perhaps it’ll be different for you. (He finishes his drink.) Will you tell him?

EXECUTIONER:

No.

MIGUEL:

Well, at least that’s a break in the routine. The other one used to say ‘Yes’.

EXECUTIONER:

I’m saying no.

MIGUEL:

It doesn’t matter, it never made any difference anyway. But it’s okay – it sounds different. And that at least brightens up my sorry state of affairs a bit. Thank you. (He stretches sleepily.) Is it light outside yet? I can feel the dawn cold.

EXECUTIONER:

No. It’s still dark.

MIGUEL:

Well, it mustn’t be long now.

EXECUTIONER:

No, not long.

MIGUEL:

Are you the new jailer?

EXECUTIONER:

No.

MIGUEL:

You’re just here for today?

EXECUTIONER:

Yes.

MIGUEL:

It rained last night.

EXECUTIONER:

Yes.

MIGUEL:

The noise reaches me here, even though light does not.

EXECUTIONER:

Yes.

MIGUEL:

And there’s a breeze out. Can’t you hear it?

EXECUTIONER:

Yes.

MIGUEL:

All these noises point to one thing. It’s going to be a bad day out.

EXECUTIONER:

Yes. Very bad. There storm clouds are gathering.

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation Blood and Ash by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Entry written by Gwynneth Dowling. Last updated on 5 October 2010.

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