DRINK THOU THIS HELL-BROTH 

ACT 3

Scene 5

~ Curtain Opens ~

The forest, in the mountains of the enchanted Greek island, where the trees are dead, all save one, which appears dead as well, but has eyes that spy.

[ The evil spirits AGONIGHTUS,  KALIMAY, WACANDAMACA and FIFI  stand in a small clearing in front of a cave. Their faces are melted to the bone from the exposure to St. John's Wort flowers at Thisbe's Tavern.  ROWAN spies on them as a dead-seeming tree.]

 AGONIGHTUS

Someone watches us.  Yet behold how the Belladonna still rests upon her  bed of the sea.

[ AGONIGHTUS points off stage.]

KALIMAY

If not Belladonna, then who can it be?

FIFI

[ Points to the heavens.] 

Does Beatrice watch us with starry eyes?

 WACANDAMACA

Forgive us, Beatrice.  We could not have known.

AGONIGHTUS

 We should have known the Groach was made of lies and she and Mab already had the stone.

FIFI

Twas their plot that stripped our faces to bone.

KALIMAY

We seek to save you and make them atone.

[ They raise their arms to the skies. ]

ALL

By Groach and Queen Mab we have been betrayed!

Thus our faces taken by their device!

Faceless we are but are not to be stayed!

Double crossed we, but never so done twice! 

[ A sinister VOICE comes forth from the CAVE with a glowing green mist.] 

 VOICE FROM CAVE

Sisters, I am more here than I am there!

So by the Stone of Artemis torn twain,

My good nature imprisoned where you stare,

The rest of me cast near hell worse than slain!

[ They all walk to the mouth of the cave.]

ALL

Beatrice!

VOICE FROM THE CAVE / BEATRICE 

Aye, my greater part is here in this hold,

By Queen for her King was I stole from life!

Secrets of the battle I now unfold.

She herself did cut with the diamond knife!

Her good self now locked in same stars with mine,

Her bad side walks the isle still in body,

Whilst I, an ooze, locked in earth do confine!

Till thee drink of me to my soul embody!

Drink thou this hell broth and speak only death!

All who smell thy words shall die of thy breath!

Make haste and to thy fell purpose take seize!

There is life left yet in one of these trees! 

[ The CAVE vomits a disgusting looking, lumpy broth.  WACANDAMACA, AGONIGHTUS, FIFI and KALIMAY fall to their knees and scoop up handfuls of the hell broth and drink.  They all rise and don golden helmets exactly like the one QUEEN MAB wears.  They all exit.]

VOICE FROM THE CAVE / BEATRICE

[ Hissing out with a rolling green fog] 

Die! 

[ ROWAN exits the tree she was hiding inside. ]

ROWAN

[Sighing to herself]

O most horrible sight!

Long yet short grows this night!

[ ROWAN exits just before the deadly green fog reaches her hiding place.]

~ CURTAIN CLOSES ~

~ TO BE CONTINUED ~