KANCHI. I have thought so, already: you do not quite look up to it.

"KING". In the meantime if you have any favours to ask of us

KANCHI. We have: but we would like to speak a little more in private.

"KING". [to his attendants] Retire a little from our presence.

[They retire.] Now you can express your desires without any reserve.

KANCHI. There will be no reserve on our part--our only fear is that you might think restraint necessary for yourself.

"KING". Oh no, you need have no scruples on that score.

KANCHI. Come, then, do us homage by placing your head on the ground before us.

"KING". It seems my servants have distributed the Varuni spirits too liberally in the reception camps.

KANCHI. False pretender, it is you who are suffering from an overdose of arrogant spirits. Your head will soon kiss the dust.

"KING". Princes, these heavy jokes are not worthy of a king.

KANCHI. Those who will jest properly with you are near at hand.

General!

"KING". No more, I entreat you. I can see plainly I owe homage to you all. The head is bowing down of itself--there is no need for the application of any sharp methods to lay it low. So here I do my obeisance to you all. If you kindly allow me to escape I shall not inflict my presence long on you.

KANCHI. Why should you escape? We will make you king of this place--let us carry our joke to its legitimate finish. Have you got any following?

"KING". I have. Every one who sees me in the streets flocks after me. When I had a meagre retinue at first every one regarded me with suspicion, but now with the increasing crowd their doubts are waning and dissolving. The crowd is being hypnotised by its own magnitude. I have not got to do anything now.

KANCHI. That's excellent! From this moment we all promise to help and stand by you. But you will have to do us one service in return.

"KING". Your commands and the crown you are putting on my head will be equally binding and sacred to me.

KANCHI. At present we want nothing more than a sight of the Queen Sudarshana. You will have to see to this.

"KING". I shall spare no pains for that.

KANCHI. We cannot put much faith on your pains--you will be solely directed by our instructions. But now you can go and join the festivities in the royal arbour with all possible splendour and magnificence.[They go out.]

[Enter GRANDFATHER and a band of people]

FIRST CITIZEN. Grandfather, I cannot help saying--yes, and repeating it five hundred times--that our King is a perfect fraud.

GRANDFATHER. Why only five hundred times? There is no need to practise such heroic self-control--you can say it five thousand times if that adds to your pleasure.

SECOND CITIZEN. But you cannot keep up a dead lie forever.

GRANDFATHER. It has made me alive, my friend.

THIRD CITIZEN. We shall proclaim to the whole world that our King is a lie, the merest and emptiest shadow!

FIRST CITIZEN. We shall all shout from our housetops that we have no King--let him do whatever he likes if he exists.

GRANDFATHER. He will do nothing at all.

SECOND CITIZEN. My son died untimely at twenty-five of raging fever in seven days. Could such a calamity befall me under the rule of a virtuous King?

GRANDFATHER. But you still have got two sons left: while I have lost all my five children one after another.

THIRD CITIZEN. What do you say now?

GRANDFATHER. What then? Shall I lose my King too because I have lost my children? Don't take me for such a big fool as that.

FIRST CITIZEN. It is a fine thing to argue whether there is a King or not when one is simply starving for want of food! Will the King save us?

GRANDFATHER. Brother, you are right. But why not find the King who owns all the food? You certainly will not find by your wailings at home.

SECOND CITIZEN. Look at the justice of our King! That Bhadrasen--you know what a touching sight he is when he is speaking of his King--the sentimental idiot! He is reduced to such a state of penury that even the bats that infest his house find it a too uncomfortable place.

GRANDFATHER. Why, look at me! I am toiling and slaving night and day for my King, but I have not yet received so much as a bra.s.s farthing for my pains.

THIRD CITIZEN. Now, what do you think of that?

GRANDFATHER. What should I think? Does any one reward his friends? Go, my friends, and say if you like that our King exists nowhere. That is also a part of our ceremony in celebrating this festival.

IV

[Turret of the Royal Palace. SUDARSHANA and her friend ROHINI]

SUDARSHANA. You may make mistakes, Rohini, but I cannot be mistaken: am I not the Queen? That, of course, must be my King.

ROHINI. He who has conferred such high honour upon you cannot be long in showing himself to you.

SUDARSHANA. His very form makes me restless like a caged bird.

Did you try well to ascertain who he is?

ROHINI. Yes, I did. Every one I asked said that he was the King.

SUDARSHANA. What country is he the King of?

ROHINI. Our country, King of this land.

SUDARSHANA. Are you sure that you are speaking of him who has a sunshade made of flowers held over his head?