ACT II
Scene Four
Robert and Malone walk about the market of the Zanga village watching the hustle and bustle of the people as the sun grows higher in the sky and more merchants arrive to sell their wares.
"Where in the devil is Roxton? Came he not home last night?" Robert asked irritably as he lifted an apple from a nearby cart, rubbing it clean on the sleeve of his shirt.
"Not to his father's; I spoke with his man." Malone responded plainly as they both took a seat on the steps of the large ceremonial hut in the middle of the village.
"Ah," Robert said taking a bite of his apple "that same pale hard-hearted wench, that Rosaline. Torments him so, that he will sure run mad."
Malone nods once acknowledging the comment as he decides whether or not to tell his friend of something else that Roxton's man told him.
Robert nudges him playfully seeing his troubled demeanor. Malone smiles slightly putting up his hand in surrender. He took a deep breath and sighed knowing what the utterance of his worry would do to his friend. He sighed deciding that he had better tell Robert now than suffer his wrath, from being told by another, later.
"Deanna, the kinsman of old Summerlee, hath sent a letter to his father's house." Malone said calmly
"A challenge, on my life!" Robert stormed angrily standing up and throwing his half eaten apple to the ground.
"Roxton will answer it." Malone said not moving from his place on the steps.
"Any man that can write may answer a letter." Robert said saucily raising his nose in the air.
"Nay, he will answer the letter's master, how he dares, being dared." Malone said logically looking up at Robert slight worry apparent on his face.
"Alas poor Roxton! He is already dead; stabbed with
a white wench's black eye; shot through the ear with a love-song; the very pin
of his heart cleft with the blind cupid's arrow: and is he a man to
encounter Deanna?"
(Deanna enters from the side a basket under her arm, her long hair down and blowing about her in the breeze as she looks through the goods in the market. She perks up hearing her name and steps over toward a large wall near the ceremonial hut so as to hear better.)
"Why, what is Deanna?" Malone asked eager to hear Robert's take on the feral woman. Because it was well known that Robert was accustomed to be easily upset and angered when the fiery woman of the Summerlee house was brought up in conversation, the same able to be said of the woman herself when his friend's name reached her ears.
"More than princess of cats, I can tell you. O, she is the courageous mistress of compliments. She fights as you sing prick-song, keeps time, distance, and proportion; rests me her minimum rest, one, two, and the third in your bosom: the very butcher of a silk button, a duelist, a duelist; a lady of the very first house, of the first and second cause: ah, the immortal passado! the punto reverso! The hai!" Robert said smoothly skipping about the steps around Malone animating his words.
(Deanna puts down her basket and rests her arms up on the short wall interested in what they are saying about her.)
"The what?!" Malone said confused standing up
"The pox of such antic, lisping, affecting fantasticoes; these new tuners of accents! By Jesu, a very good blade! A very tall woman! A very good whore!" He laughed cruelly
(Deanna's eyes widened in enraged horror)
'"Why, is not this a lamentable thing, grandsire, that we should be thus afflicted with these strange flies, these fashion-mongers, these perdona-mi's, who stand so much on the new form, that they cannot at ease on the old bench? O, their bones, their bones!" Robert continued when they heard a loud crash and both turned suddenly. Robert's face fell.
"Ah!" Malone chuckled unaware of Robert's despairing expression, as he sat down again "I fear she heard you!"
Robert watched guiltily and horror stricken as Deanna stormed angrily from the market her hands balled into fists, her long hair and cloak swishing about behind her as she disappeared from sight behind a building. He hadn't realized that she was there or the viciousness of his words, till that moment as he replayed them in his mind. 'My god what have I done!' he agonized in his head.
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Deanna turned behind the stone building pushing her back up against the wall breathing in quickly squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to suppress the stinging tears of rage and betrayal that were forming in her eyes.
'Why is this happening?! Why do I care so!' Deanna mentally screamed at herself. 'Why am I surprised he's just like any other man,' she thought.
"-Always has been," Deanna growled drawing her rapier and stabbing it into a pile of burlap bags full of flour and other dry goods. The powder swirled about as she replaced her sword in its holster. She took a deep breath and tidied herself, fluffing her hair and brushing the flower off her cloths.
"Deanna?" she heard someone call from behind her. She turned, to see Veronica before her a slightly worried and yet surprised expression on her face.
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"Here comes Roxton, here comes Roxton!" Malone cried delighted at finally catching sight of his friend.
Robert quickly regained himself and turned with a smirk to face the direction his friend was coming from.
"Without his roe, like a dried herring: flesh,
flesh, how art thou fishified! Now is he for the numbers that Petrarch flowed
in: Laura to his lady was but a kitchen-wench; marry, she had a better love to
be-rhyme her; Dido a dowdy; Cleopatra a gipsy; Helen and Hero hildings and
harlots; Thisbe a grey eye or so, but not to the purpose. Signior Roxton,
bonjour! There's a French salutation to your French slop. You gave us the
counterfeit fairly last night." Roberts said irritably, jumping two steps and
landing nimbly in front of his friend, crossing his arms and turning his nose
up in a snooty manor.
"Good morrow to you both. " Roxton laughed at his friend's silly animated manor "What counterfeit did I give you?"
"The slip, sir, the slip; can you not conceive?" Robert replied waving his hands about and then slapping them together twice as if the answer was obvious.
"Pardon, good Robert, my business was great; and in such a case as mine a man may strain courtesy." Roxton chuckled still amused by his friend's antics.
"That's as much as to say, such a case as yours constrains a man to bow in the hams." Robert said making his voice sound more nasal and dignified as he proceeded to curtsey.
"Meaning, to court'sy." Roxton tolled his eyes
"Thou hast most kindly hit it." Robert smiled standing up straight again.
"A most courteous exposition," Roxton joked lightly
"Nay, I am the very pink of courtesy." Robert smiled smugly sitting and then reclining back on the stairs a wide grin on his face.
Roxton shook his head, "Pink for flower."
"Right," Robert replied sarcastically looking around. "Ay look at this!"
They look and see Veronica (her face partially covered by a veil, starting under her eyes) accompanied by the small comical nameless boy that Roxton and Malone met on the road just the day before.
(Author's Side Note :I cut a large part out here where Roxton –ere- Romeo and Mercutio or Robert were verbally sparing in good fun, it was quite long and didn't effect the story so. .yeah I took it out. Thanks, back to the story)
"Boy!" Veronica called sweetly
"Anon," the boy replied blandly being very bored
"My fan please," she requested in the same tone
"Good boy, to hide her face; for her fan's the fairer face!!" Robert shouted from where he lay on the steps.
Veronica looked up sharply "Deanna was right he is in a rare mood today," she mumbled to herself as she walked over to them.
"Good morning, gentlemen." She said kindly
"Good afternoon, fair gentlewoman." Robert remarked looking from her up to the sky.
"Is it good afternoon?" Veronica asked attempting to stay on good terms.
"'Tis no less, I tell you, for the bawdy hand of the dial is now upon the prick of noon." Robert said calmly with a mischievous smirk on his face
"Out upon you! What a man are you!" Veronica scolded stepping back abruptly
"One, gentlewoman, which God hath made for himself to ruin." Robert smirked satisfied with his answer
"By my vow, it is well said; 'for himself to ruin,' quoth a'? " Veronica finished stopping the man short of words
"Gentlemen, can any of you tell me where I may find the young Roxton?"
"I can tell you; but young Roxton will be older when you have found him than he was when you sought him: I am the youngest of that name, for fault of a worse." Roxton said casually unaware to whom he is speaking.
"You say well." Veronica smiled under her veil
"Yea, is the worst well? Very well took, I faith; wisely, wisely." Robert muttered looking around.
Veronica just rolled her eyes looking back to Roxton.
"If you be he, sir, I desire some confidence with you." She said confidently
"She will invite him to some supper." Malone laughed
Veronica, Roxton and Robert all looked back at him surprised
"WhaAat?!" he said defensively, 'as if I can't joke' he thought
"HA-HA!!" Robert laughed out slapping his knee "A bawd, a bawd, a bawd! so ho!"
"What hast thou found?" Roxton asked confused
"No hare, sir;" He started standing again pacing up and down and across the steps "unless a hare, sir, in a lenten pie, that is something stale and hoar ere it be spent. An old hare hoar, And an old hare hoar, Is very good meat in lent But a hare that is hoar Is too much for a score, When it hoars ere it be spent. "he continued more to himself than anyone else, everyone staring at him with perplexed expressions when his head suddenly shot up and he turned " Roxton, will you come to your father's? We'll to dinner, thither."
Roxton just gave his friend a very confused look and shook his head turning to the nurse "I will follow you,"
Veronica cocked her head the side in a 'no really?' expression.
"Farewell, ancient lady; farewell, lady, lady, lady." Robert called as he danced about the steps as they began to depart.
Veronica turned back on last time and let her veil fall, "Farewell Good Robert," she said sweetly aware of his now shocked expression upon seeing her 'again' conversing with his friend, him for once being in the dark.
Roxton too equally shocked by who it truly was that he was speaking to.
(Robert and Malone fade out of view as Veronica and Roxton walk out of the market and into the jungle.)
"I-I beg pardon for my dear woman, he is a gentleman that loves to hear himself talk, and will speak more in a minute than he will stand to in a month." Roxton began nervously afraid his friend had offended the maiden of his mistress.
"An he speak any thing against me, I'll take him
down, an anyone lustier than he is, and twenty such Jacks; and if I cannot,
I'll find those that shall. Scurvy knave! I am none of his flirt-gills; I am
none of his skains-mates. And thou must stand by too, and suffer every knave to
use me at his pleasure?" Veronica scolded the boy next to her getting upset.
"I saw no man use you a pleasure; if I had, my weapon should quickly have been out, I warrant you: I dare draw as soon as another man, if I see occasion in a good quarrel, and the law on my side." The small boy said pulling out his tiny dagger.
Veronica smiled and just shook her head at how silly she was being, "OH! I am sorry, but away with you now " she shooed the boy away, " I am so vexed, that every part about me quivers. Scurvy knave! Pray you, sir, a word: and as I told you, my young lady bade me inquire you out; what she bade me say, I will keep to myself: but first let me tell ye, if ye should lead her into a fool's paradise, as they say, it were a very gross kind of behavior, as they say: for the gentlewoman is young; and, therefore, if you should deal double with her, truly it were an ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman, and very weak dealing!!" Veronica ranted getting upset again backing a startled Roxton up against a large tree.
"Woman, commend me to thy lady and mistress. I protest unto thee—" Roxton began regain his nerve when she interrupted him her protective demeanor gone.
"Good heart, and, I' faith, I will tell her as much: Lord, Lord, she will be a joyful woman." Veronica smiled turning away letting him step back form the tree.
"What will you tell her? Thou dost not mark me." Roxton almost pleaded
"I will tell her, sir, that you do protest; which, as I take it, is a gentlemanlike offer." Veronica said calmly turning around
"Tell her to devise some means to come to shrift this afternoon; and there she shall at Shaman Jesabar cell be shrived and married. Here is for thy pains-" Roxton said placing some coins in Veronica's hand.
Veronica laughed, "No truly sir; not a penny." She protested with another laugh handing the money back.
Roxton looked at it, "Go to; I say you shall." He said earnestly
"This afternoon, sir? Well, she shall be there." Veronica nodded with delight knowing how happy Marguerite would be.
"And stay, good nurse, behind the abbey wall:
Within this hour my man shall be with thee and bring thee cords made like a
tackled stair;
which to the high top-gallant of my joy must be my convoy in the secret night.
Farewell; be trusty, and I'll quit thy pains: Farewell; commend me to thy
mistress." Roxton said Veronica nodded knowing the drill.
"Now God in heaven bless thee!" Veronica smiled waving as he began to depart but then a thought came ot her mind
"Hark you, sir!!" she called
"What say'st thou, my dear woman?" Roxton asked stepping back to her.
"Is-is your man secret? Did you never hear it said that, two may keep counsel, putting one away?" Veronica asked concerned
"I warrant thee, my man's as true as steel." Roxton laughed
Veronica sighed, and they were silent a moment "There is a nobleman in town, one Fantain, that would fain lay knife aboard; but she, good soul, had as life see a toad, a very toad, as see him. I anger her sometimes and tell her that Paris is the more proper man; but, I'll warrant you, when I say so, she looks as pale."
Roxton looked a bit disturbed upon hearing that there was someone else attempting to court his Marguerite but he controlled himself,
"Commend me to thy lady." He said trying to make his getaway quickly not wanting to hear any more of the nobleman Fantain.
"But she wants you young Challenger," Veronica said causing him to stop and turn back to her.
"So I warn thee," she said stepping up to him he demeanor stern "Treat her well, as any good lady should be treated, nay, better! - For if not- I shall be the least of your worries. This I promise." She said resolutely
"I swear," he said looking into her eyes
She searched his face and could find no hint that he wasn't being truthful so satisfied she closed her eyes and nodded.
"Good, - A thousand times good," she smiled and walked past him back out to the market.
He turned around and watched her and seeing the boy rejoin her and then departed himself.
End of Scene Four
