The FAMILIAR hesitates.

MESCHIANE: You’ve nothing to lose. Your master doesn’t even know he’s supposed to be here. But if she’s gone when he returns…

FAMILIAR: I’ll do it! (He detaches a key from the ring at his belt.)

NOD: I swear as I hope to be linked by marriage to the family of Man, so that we giants may be called the Sons of the Father, that I will capture the succubus for you, and return her here, and hold her so that she shall not escape again, and bind myself as I am bound now.

FAMILIAR: Is that the oath?

MESCHIANE: Yes!

The FAMILIAR throws the key to NOD, then draws his sword and holds it ready to strike MESCHIANE.

FAMILIAR: Can he find her?

MESCHIANE: He must find her!

NOD: (Unlocking himself.) I will catch her. That body weakens as she said. She may whip it far, but she will never learn that whipping will not do everything.

(Exits.)

FAMILIAR: I must continue with you. I hope you understand…

The FAMILIAR tortures MESCHIANE, who screams.

FAMILIAR: (Sotto voce.) How fair she is! I wish that we were met when better things might be.

The stage darkens; JAHI’S running feet are heard. After a time, a faint light shows NOD loping through the corridors of the House Absolute. Moving images of urns, pictures, and furniture behind him show his progress. JAHI appears among them, and he exits stage right in pursuit. JAHI enters stage left, with SECOND DEMON walking in lockstep behind her.

JAHI: Where can he have gone? The gardens are burned black. You have no flesh beyond a seeming — cannot you make yourself an owl and seek him out for me?

SECOND DEMON: (Mocking.) Who-o-o?

JAHI: Meschia! Wait until the Father hears how you have treated me, and betrayed all our efforts.

SECOND DEMON: From you? It was you who left Meschia, lured away by the woman. What will you say? “The woman tempted me?” We have done with that so long ago that no one remembers it save you and I, and now you have spoiled the lie by making it come true.

JAHI: (Turning on him.) You little foul sniveler! You scrabbler at windows!

SECOND DEMON: (Jumping back.) And now you are exiled to the land of Nod, east of Paradise.

NOD’S footfalls are heard offstage. JAHI hides behind a clepsydra, and SECOND DEMON produces a pike and stands with it in the attitude of a soldier as NOD enters.

NOD: How long have you been standing there?

SECOND DEMON: (Saluting.) As long as you want, sieur.

NOD: What news is there?

SECOND DEMON: All you want, sieur. A giant as high as a steeple has killed the throne-guards, and the Autarch’s missing. We’ve searched the gardens so often that if only we’d been carrying dung instead of spears, the daisies’d be as big as umbrellas. Ducks’ clothes is down and hopes is up — so’s the turnips. Tomorrow should be fair, warm, and bright… (looks significantly toward the clepsydra) and a woman with no clothes on has been running through the halls.

NOD: What is that thing?

SECOND DEMON: A water clock, sieur. See, you, knowing what time it is, can tell by that how much water’s flowed.

NOD: (Examining the clepsydra.) There is nothing like this in my land. Do these puppets move by water?

SECOND DEMON: Not the big one, sieur.

JAHI bolts offstage, pursued by NOD, but before he is fully out of sight of the audience, she dives between his legs, reentering. He continues off, giving her time to hide in a chest. Meanwhile, SECOND DEMON has disappeared.

NOD: (Reentering.) Ho! Stop! (Runs to opposite side of stage and returns.) My fault! My fault! In the garden there — she passed close by me once. I could have reached out and crushed her like a cat — a worm — a mouse — a snake. (Turns on audience.) Don’t laugh at me! I could kill you all! The whole poisoned race of you! Oh, to strew the valleys with your white bones! But I am done — I am done! And Meschiane, who trusted in me, is undone!

NOD strikes the clepsydra, sending brass pans and water flying across the stage.

NOD: What good is this gift of speech, except that I can curse myself. Good mother of all the beasts, take it from me. I would be as I was, and shout wordless among the hills. Reason shows reason can only bring pain — how wise to forget and be happy again!

NOD seats himself on the chest in which JAHI hides, and buries his face in his hands. As the lights dim, the chest begins to splinter beneath his weight.

When the lights come up again, the scene is once more the INQUISITOR’S chamber.

MESCHIANE is on the rack. The FAMILIAR is turning the wheel. She screams.

FAMILIAR: That made you feel better, didn’t it? I told you it would. Besides, it lets the neighbors know we’re awake in here. You wouldn’t believe it, but this whole wing is full of empty rooms and sinecures. Here the master and I do our business still. We do it still, and that’s why the Commonwealth stands. And we want them to know it.

Enter the AUTARCH. His robes are torn and stained with blood.

AUTARCH: What place is this? (He sits on the floor, his head in his hands in an attitude reminiscent of NOD’S.)

FAMILIAR: What place? Why, the Chambers of Mercy, you jackass. Can you come here without knowing where you are?

AUTARCH: I have been so hunted through my house this night that I might be anywhere. Bring me some wine — or water, if you’ve no wine here — and bar the door.

FAMILIAR: We have claret, but no wine. And I can hardly bar the door, since I expect my master back.

AUTARCH: (More forcefully.) Do as I tell you.

FAMILIAR: (Very softly.) You are drunk, friend. Go out.

AUTARCH: I am — What does it matter? The end is here. I am a man neither worse nor better than you.

NOD’S heavy tread is heard in the distance.

FAMILIAR: He has failed — I know it!

MESCHIANE: He has succeeded! He would not come back so soon with empty hands. The world may yet be saved!

AUTARCH: What do you mean?

Enter NOD. The madness he prayed for is upon him, but he drags JAHI behind him.

The FAMILIAR runs forward with shackles.

MESCHIANE: Someone must hold her, or she will escape as she did before.

The FAMILIAR drapes chains on NOD and snaps closed the locks, then chains one of NOD’S arms across his body in such a way that he holds JAHI.

NOD tightens the grip.

FAMILIAR: He’s killing her! Let go, you great booby!

The FAMILIAR snatches up the bar with which he has been tightening the rack and belabors NOD with it. NOD roars, tries to grasp him, and lets the unconscious JAHI slip down. The FAMILIAR seizes her by the foot and pulls her to where the AUTARCH sits.

FAMILIAR: Here, you, you’ll do.

He jerks the AUTARCH erect and swiftly imprisons him in such a way that one hand is clamped about JAHI’S wrist, then returns to torture MESCHIANE. Unseen behind him, NOD is freeing himself of his chains.