RAS What are you looking for? (To EMPEROR) What is he looking for?
EMPEROR His guardian angel.
TAFARI Where is he? I need him. I need him to pray. I can't pray without him! I don't want to be by myself... Father, come and help me. Father, ask Lord and his angels to guide me. I do not hear anything, father. I don't see. Help me. Talk to me. Give me a sign...
RAS What sign? What kind of sign do you need?
TAFARI Any sign.
RAS Come, I will show it to you. Follow me.
TAFARI Where are we going?
RAS Your future. My times.
TAFARI Is it good?
RAS Do you want to see it? Or you want to hear the stories?
TAFARI If I won't like it, can you change it?
RAS You can change it now, but then.
TAFARI But I haven't seen it yet! I fear.
RAS We all are and all the time. Are you ready?
TAFARI (pause) No. (pause) Can I come back?
RAS No. (To EMPEROR) We have to leave. (To TAFARI) If we are not you, we can't stay, we become ghosts. Yes, like demons...
TAFARI No, wait, please, don't leave me! Please!.. Will you come back?
RAS No. You will.
TAFARI I don't understand... Am I dying? (pause, nobody answer him) Am I?
RAS This is your last hour as a boy. Yes, you're dying.
RAS Will I be in peace. With myself...
EMPEROR I do not know about peace. What do I know about peace?
RAS Not even even after that?.. After death?
EMPEROR What is "after death"? What do you ask, man? Don't you see? Look! (Point at TAFARI). You are his "after death" -- do you have peace?
TAFARI But the very end, at the end...
EMPEROR Yes, tell me, boy, what do you see at the very end? Do you see yourself there? Which end? Do you see me there? Him? Do you see your face? Which face is it?
RAS Old man, have many questions, not answers. Too many for such an old man.[At the end of each scene he disctates the orders -- the decision is made.]
TAFARI Why don't you tell me about my future? You know it. Tell me.
EMPEROR All right, come here. I'll tell you everything, but first I want to tell you a story of talking donkey and if after hearing this story you still insist on knowing you future, then, God hel you.STORY OF THE TALKING DONKEY
There was a man in Gondar called Bebede and one sunday he went to the market and bought a cheap donkey. He was happy and said -- "I don't know what is wrong with you, donkey, but I got you dirt cheep!" "I can tell, Bbebde, what is wrong with me," said donkey, "I know people's future."
Bebede looked at his donkey and said, "You speak!"
"How else can I tell people their future?" answered donkey and farted.
"Sorry," said Bebede, "Tell me my future, please! Please!"
"Oh, no! Not again!" cried the donkey. (To TAFARI) Now you know why donkey cry.
"Bebede!" Bebede's wife screamed, "Why did you by a cheap donkey? Now we won't have a night of good sleep!"
"Hush!" Bebede said to his donkey, "Tell me will this woman die some day soon, so I can get a young good wife?"
"Do you want to know?" Donkey looked straight in Bebede's eyes, "I warned you!"
"Yes, yes," Bebede even crossed himself twice.
"First, let me point out that I'm a donkey and not a normal prophet..."
"Just tell me it, stupid animal! Tell me!"
"All right, all right. My second warning is that all my preditions are deadly."
"If you are about to tease me," cried Bebede, "I'll kill you!"...
TAFARI Tell me the rest of the donkey-prophet story...The drums.
RAS They are waiting. It's time. Your time is up, boy. You should tell his this story of the monkey who thought too much.
PRIEST There is no such a story. But there is a story of the flying chicken.
TAFARI You told me this story already. It's about this chicken which didn't understand that each must stay where God places him...
PRIEST No, this is another flying chicken, a different one. with a different name and this one from Harar, from here.
RAS Who tells you all those chicken stories, old man?
PRIEST Chicken's relatives. (TAFARI laughs) You know, they learn their lessons too. That is why chicken are chicken and stay chicken. You can see that sometimes a young chicken tries to fly and then they talk, telling their stories...
TAFARI (laughs) You are making them up! I am not a child anymore, you know?
PRIEST I know, my child.
In the last scene Emperor is looking for this angel too. (I see you! I see... Thank you.)
WOMAN is not established yet:
WOMAN keeps on singing.
@2001 index,/i.