Thanks so much for all the reviews. And now for the unveiling of the pharaoh.
dodger-chan: Moses and Aaron went to see the new, yet not at all improved pharaoh.
[enter Amiboshi and Yui; the two approach a chair next to which are seated Tomo and Miboshi; in the chair sits Nakago]
Nakago: It's been years since I've seen you, my brother. For what are you back at the palace?
Yui: [speaking for Amiboshi] He asks that you let his people go free.
Nakago: His people? You're of the slave race, Moses? Funny, you don't look Jewish.
dodger-chan: Watch your mouth, Nazi boy.
Nakago: I'm not a Nazi!
dodger-chan: I've got a picture of you in an S.S. uniform.
Nakago: That was not my idea. Don't blame the character when the author has bad dreams.
dodger-chan: Doesn't matter. Just watch your mouth.
Amiboshi: If you're the author, can't you make him shut-up?
dodger-chan: Yeah, but that would destroy the improvisational tone of the story. And I wouldn't get to call him a Nazi.
Yui: Can we get back to the story now?
All: Of course. Sure. (etc.)
Yui: Will you let us go?
Nakago: No.
[Amiboshi throws staff onto the ground and it turns into a snake.]
Nakago: Big deal, my magicians can do that.
[Tomo and Miboshi do the staff to snake trick; Amiboshi's snake eats their snakes]
Yui: And people say the Bible isn't full of symbolism.
dodger-chan: No one says that.
Yui: Never mind.
Nakago: The point being, my many gods, of whom I am descended, beat out your one god.
Yui: You are just asking for it.
dodger-chan: None of the suggested demonstrations convinced the pharaoh and so a series of plagues was visited upon the Egyptians. With each plague, the pharaoh promised to free the Hebrews if the plague would go away, but as soon as God lifted the plague, he changed his mind. The first nine plagues are, in the order listed in my copy of the Haggadah are: Blood,
Suboshi: All the water in Egypt was turned to blood. [dumps a bucket of blood onto Nakago's head and exits]
dodger-chan: Frogs,
Chichiri: Literally millions of frogs came out of the river and kinda invaded everywhere no da. [releases many tiny frogs near Nakago's throne]
dodger-chan: Lice,
Hotohori: The very dust of the earth became these bothersome insects. [Nothing is dumped on Nakago, since lice would get into everyone's hair and no one wants to pick them out]
dodger-chan: Beasts,
Ashitare: Lots of wild animals came to the cities and created a nuisance. [growls menacingly at Nakago]
dodger-chan: Sickness,
Mitsukake: The animals became sick and died.
dodger-chan: Boils,
Nuriko: People got the most awful blisters and they hurt all over.
dodger-chan: Hail,
Tasuki: Flaming hail! [lobs ice cubes at Nakago and pretty much everyone else as well]
dodger-chan: Locusts,
Miaka: They ate all the plants that survived the flaming hail and there was no food left. [stomach growls]
dodger-chan: and Darkness.
Soi: The darkness was so thick the people could actually feel it.
dodger-chan: But since none of those plagues worked a tenth plague had to be inflicted upon the Egyptians.
Amiboshi: The Death of the Firstborn Son.
Return next time for: The Tenth Plague
There actually is a pic of Nakago in an S.S. uniform. It's based on a dream Yu Watase had, according to the notes next to it. That picture amuses me. The confrontation of snake-staffs was in a Passover coloring book I had as a child. It always seemed a little Freudian to me, but I'm widely recognized as crazy. Oh, and please don't teach Tasuki to make actual flaming hail. He seemed to like it a bit too much.