And the Sun Stood Still by Dava Sobel

Author:Dava Sobel [Sobel, Dava]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780802778024
Published: 2016-01-04T16:00:00+00:00

SCENE viii. INSIDE COPERNICUS’S HOUSE

Late that night, by candlelight, COPERNICUS and ANNA kneel at an old trunk, remove stacks of pages from it.

ANNA. If the bishop finds out that you are sheltering a Lutheran …

COPERNICUS. I’m housing an invalid. Ministering to the sick.

ANNA. If he finds out, he’ll banish you both.

COPERNICUS. Please, Anna. Keep looking. You’ll recognize Mercury when you get to it.

ANNA. Yes, of course. But why do you need it now? We haven’t looked at these pages in such a long time.

COPERNICUS. Something that young professor brought me inspired a new idea.

ANNA. Oh? What are you thinking?

COPERNICUS. Remember how we could never …

RHETICUS staggers in, wrapped in a blanket.

RHETICUS. What happened?

ANNA. Oh!

COPERNICUS. You startled us.

RHETICUS. Why didn’t you tell me?

RHETICUS stumbles, starts to fall.

COPERNICUS catches him.

COPERNICUS. You shouldn’t be wandering about.

RHETICUS. It’s dark now. It’s dark!

COPERNICUS and ANNA sit him down.

RHETICUS. (continued) You promised you’d tell me when it got dark.

COPERNICUS. You’re ill. Do you remember? Anna, bring some of that broth.

ANNA exits.

RHETICUS. Where are my clothes?

COPERNICUS. (taking off his cassock, putting it around RHETICUS) You won’t be going anywhere tonight. You’re still weak. In another day or two, you’ll be stronger. Then you can do as you please. But for now you are in my care.

RHETICUS. This is your house. We were in this room.

ANNA returns with the broth.

COPERNICUS. Here, drink some of this.

RHETICUS. But this isn’t where we … We went somewhere else to …

COPERNICUS. Go on, drink. It’s good for you.

RHETICUS. (taking the cup of broth) You put me in that … machine.

ANNA. The Machine?

RHETICUS. Oh, NO!

ANNA. You showed him the Machine?

COPERNICUS. (to ANNA) It’s all right.

RHETICUS. (dropping the cup) Now I remember. Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no.

ANNA exits.

COPERNICUS. You must have been dreaming. Anna!

RHETICUS. I thought you would save me.

COPERNICUS. Sometimes fever causes very vivid, frightening dreams.

RHETICUS. I thought you could help me. Now what will I do?

COPERNICUS. You’ll be fine.

RHETICUS. What will become of me?

COPERNICUS. Good as new, you’ll see.

RHETICUS. I came here in good faith …

COPERNICUS. Yes, yes. I know.

RHETICUS. And what do I find? A lunatic! A deluded old … A … A recluse! Obsessed with an insane idea.

COPERNICUS. Get hold of yourself.

RHETICUS. I must go. Where are my clothes? Where’s my satchel?

COPERNICUS. You don’t need any of that now.

RHETICUS. My horoscopes are in there.

COPERNICUS. I know how to treat your symptoms without looking at a horoscope.

RHETICUS. You don’t understand. Where is that satchel?

COPERNICUS. Calm yourself.

RHETICUS. (despairing) I can recite it all by heart.

COPERNICUS. What can you recite?

RHETICUS. Every house, every aspect, every conjunction and opposition. Every indicator of doom.

COPERNICUS. Don’t tell me you believe in that … that …?

RHETICUS. It’s not as though I have a choice.

COPERNICUS. You should know better.

RHETICUS. If only I could forget what I know.

COPERNICUS. Why don’t you change it, then? If you don’t like what your horoscope portends, you can reconfigure it. Isn’t that right? Reapportion the houses, or adjust the presumed time of birth, and … make it say something else. Something better. Whatever you like.

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