Thursday

Poetry-reading

 




… Where are you now?

In the agora.

What are you doing?

Speaking to the people. I’m reading them a poem – one about them. It’s also about Cadmus, sewing the dragon’s teeth to make new men.

Do they understand you?

Well, I think so. I’ve worked quite hard on the translation with Eva. She had to learn the language when she first came here, so she understands my difficulties.

What else do you talk about with her?

Stories.

What kinds of stories?

Oh, all kinds. I tell her stories about my youth, about the big city; she tells me stories she's heard from the people around here.

Are you falling in love with her?

No. I don’t think so. She scares me too much.

Why do I scare you so much?

[ … ]

Why does she scare you so much?

I can’t say.

Do you think she’s a witch?

Yes.

Why?

I can’t say. Yes, of course she’s a witch, a wise woman. She treats the men of the village by night and the women by day. She could never live like this – outside the tribal hearth – if they didn’t fear her, too.

Do they fear you as well?

No.

Why not?

They think I’m her slave.

And are you?

No, but I drink her blood, and she drinks mine. So when she dies then I’ll be hers. For the moment I’m still my own man. I don’t think I can escape her, though.

Are you happy?

No.

Do you want to escape?

Yes, I want to go home.

To Rome?

Home

I can help you escape, if you’ll just trust me.

[ … ]

You need to trust me.

How?

I can show you the way out.

There’s no way out.

It’s all a dream. You’re trapped inside your own head!

[ … ]

You were in an accident. You were badly burned. Your eyes were affected. Ever since then you’ve been imagining you were somewhere else.

[ … ]

Can you hear me?

[ … ]

Answer me!

[ … ]

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