SLAG What should come from the desert?

AGMAR They are a foolish people.

ULF That man’s white face has seen some frightful thing.

SLAG A frightful thing?

ULF That man’s face has been near to some frightful thing.

AGMAR It is only we that have frightened them, and their fears have made them foolish. (Enter an attendant with a torch or lantern which he places in a receptacle.  Exit.)

THAHN Now we shall see the faces of the girls when they come to the banquet.

MLAN Never had beggars such a time.

AGMAR Hark!  They are coming.  I hear footsteps.

THAHN The dancing girls.  They are coming.

THIEF There is no sound of flutes; they said they would come with music.

OOGNO What heavy boots they have, they sound like feet of stone.

THAHN I do not like to hear their heavy tread; those that would dance to us must be light of foot.

AGMAR I shall not smile at them if they are not airy.

MLAN They are coming very slowly.  They should come nimbly to us.

THAHN They should dance as they come.  But the footfall is like the footfall of heavy crabs.

ULF (in a loud voice, almost chaunting) I have a fear, an old fear and a boding.  We have done ill in the sight of the seven gods; beggars we were and beggars we should have remained; we have given up our calling and come in sight of our doom:  I will no longer let my fear be silent:  it shall run about and cry:  it shall go from me crying, like a dog from out of a doomed city; for my fear has seen calamity and has known an evil thing.

SLAG (hoarsely) Master!

AGMAR (rising) Come, come! (They listen.  No one speaks.  The stony boots come on.  Enter in single file a procession of seven green men, even hands and faces are green; they wear greenstone sandals, they walk with knees extremely wide apart, as having sat cross-legged for centuries, their right arms and right forefingers point upwards, right elbows resting on left hands:  they stoop grotesquely:  halfway to the footlights they wheel left.  They pass in front of the seven beggars, now in terrified attitudes and six of them sit down in the attitude described, with their backs to the audience.  The leader stands, still stooping.  Just as they wheel left, OOGNO cries out.) The gods of the mountain!

AGMAR (hoarsely) Be still.  They are dazzled by the light, they may not see us. (The leading green thing points his forefinger at the lantern, the flame turns green.  When the six are seated the leader points one by one at each of the seven beggars, shooting out his forefinger at them.  As he does this each beggar in his turn gathers himself back on to his throne and crosses his legs, his right arm goes stiffly upwards with forefinger erect, and a staring look of horror comes into his eyes.  In this attitude the beggars sit motionless while a green light falls upon their faces.  The gods go out.