TRANSCRIPT
ZONA: When the time came, Kevin had me put my good foot in his hands and just “whoosh!” sent all three of us flying into the hole in the worlds!
KID1: Wow! He must be strong!
MENTL: Oh yeah. He’s … legendary in my world.
KID2: Is he as strong as Zonn?
KID1: NO-body is as strong as Zonn!
MENTL: Well, I don’t know, but he’s probably the strongest man in my world. If “man” even applies to him.
KID3: Who would win in a fight? If Zonn and him had a fight?
ZONA: Oh - I don’t …
KID2: Zonn can beat anybody!
KID3: He can lift anything! He kills the big monsters with his bare hands and stuff!
MENTL: Aren’t you forgetting something?
KID3: What?
MENTL: Well … what would they be fighting about? Zonn’s a really good guy, and so’s Kevin. I think they wouldn’t fight each other. I think they’d probably team up.
KID3: Ohh … yeah.
ZONA: I don’t know how it goes here yet, but back home we sometimes have contests and we fight for fun. But Kevin’s not an Erogenian - he’s a different sort of person. I saw him stop a fight and make it all right with everybody just by talking and calming people down. I think that shows a lot of strength, too. A different kind of strength. I think he would rather not fight at all if you gave him a choice. I think Zonn - well from what I’ve seen my father is kind of like that now, as well. He’s ...
IPOLA: “Hectoring?” Where did you even learn that word? You mean “nagging” don’t you?
ZONN: No, no, I don’t. Besides, I know you don’t like me to say the “N” word unless I’m talking about horses. But it’s just not that simple, Ipola!

TRANSCRIPT: 



IPOLA:  So - hello, Mentl.

MENTL: Ma’am.  Uhh … your Majesty.  Ma’am. (oy)

IPOLA: You did it.

TULA: Yes.

IPOLA: Of course you did.  And so much more. I could not be more proud of you right now, Tula.

TULA: A lot more was at work than just us.

IPOLA: It always is. I’m still proud of you. Both of you.  My girls!

IPOLA: (To Mentl) And you.

MENTL: Your Majesty.

IPOLA: I need to balance a few things between us.

MENTL: Wha - no ma’am, you didn’t do anything …

IPOLA: I know what I did and what I didn’t do, Mentl.  I also know what I bear responsibility for.

MENTL: You were just trying to look out for your people.  I … freaked out. That’s on me, not you.

IPOLA: Yes it is, but not completely.  I was afraid. I acted and spoke out of fear and I passed that fear on to you when there wasn’t anything to gain by it.  To act out of fear alone is always an offense to the cha, no matter the cause.   There are always consequences. And I owe you for my part in it.  

MENTL: So - what do we do?

IPOLA: It can be very simple. Ask any honorable thing of me, and if it’s within my power I will grant it.

MENTL: Wow … well, I don’t need … I mean, you don’t have to.   You -

ZONA: Yes, she does.

TULA: Yes. She does.

MENTL: Oh.  Umm …



MENTL: Well, you know, now I think of it, yeah.  There is something.

JEEVIK: The climate here is a trifle warm for such a cloak, your Majesty, May I ?

IPOLA: You may, thank you, and these as well.  

JEEVIK: Very good, Majesty. 

IPOLA: Hm. Have we ever met before?

JEEVIK: The possibility is an extremely remote one, your Majesty. 

IPOLA: Zona ...

ZONA: Mother ...

IPOLA: Oh ... you’ve been through so much. My baby ...

ZONA: Mother!  I'm so sorry!  Cha na amanh ...

IPOLA: Me too, my child. Cha na amanh.

ZONA: I ... I said awful things ...

IPOLA: Some of them were well deserved. But it’s balanced, now. At least for me.

ZONA: We just need to go home now and it will be. 

YANORA: Nevertheless, we must have your forces at home, else there may be no home to go to.

GUDIK: God, I’ll lose as many just trying to withdraw as taking the whole kingdom.  There’s already two Draconian armies on the way to raise this siege. They’ll never let me just walk away ...

IPOLA: They actually may want to join you.

GUDIK: Fat chance of that!

IPOLA: Yet, they may.  Because you know something that the Draconian Church would very much like to know, and that may make all the difference in the world to them.  

GUDIK: Oh, Really,

IPOLA: Something that fulfills their own prophecies.

GUDIK:  And what is that?

IPOLA: Shuach has awakened the Dragons.

GUDIK: (pause) Pull the other one!

A LITTLE BIT LATER …

CU on GUDIK, his brows knitting.

GUDIK: So … the Urtts.


TETHIK: Yes.

GUDIK: Maldik.

YANORA: Yes.

GUDIK: Bloody Deeps … I mean I knew he was an ass, but this is an absolute masterpiece of idiocy.

TETHIK: To say the very least.

IPOLA: Will you leave this war now, and come home, my lord?

YANORA: Proceed, darling. I’m going to sit and have a drink, if no one minds.

THERIK: Your Majesty - I must protest! This … this illusion may be some Draconian trick.

GUDIK: Therik.


THERIK: The Church does not approve of this magick, I am sure. Some power may be trying to deceive you ...

GUDIK: Therik.

THERIK: My lord, I must -

GUDIK: And you just did. Well done. Now kindly shut up.

GUDIK: Believe me, no one can counterfeit my mother, not like this. This is her, in all her insufferable glory.

YANORA: Oh, I love you too, sweet boy.

GUDIK: (pours a wine for himself.) All right, Tethik. Let us hear it. And for your sake this had better be absolutely everything you say it is.

YANORA: You would already know that if you’d taken the ring I offered you when you left, darling.

GUDIK: I travelled two thousand miles to get away from you, Mother. I wasn’t about to take a trinket along with me that lets you nag me from Normos, criticizing every bloody little mistake I make, driving me insane ...

YANORA: And would it be “nagging” to point out that that was, itself, a mistake that could bring down the whole kingdom?

GUDIK: Oh Thrasu’s arsehole, Mother!

THERIK: Your Majesty!

GUDIK: I’ll confess later.

YANORA: As if anything makes a dent in your brain, anyway. You’re solid as a rock, completely direct and literal. Anything bothers you, you just chop it out of your way.

GUDIK: I suppose you’d have me weave webs and deceits like you, then? If I have an enemy I deal with them in the open!

YANORA: Yes, just like your father. And you have all his other faults, as well.

GUDIK: Oh, so now we’re cataloging faults, are we? Shall we open the Tome-sized book of your faults and start reciting, Mother?


YANORA: I’m sure it would be amusing, but we haven’t the time.

GUDIK: It would take an age to get through, wouldn’t it?

TETHIK: Gudik, your Majesties! If I may, perhaps I could answer Gudik’s quite reasonable question and explain the reason for all this time, effort and use of magick.

IPOLA: Of us all I think you can probably explain it best, my friend.

YANORA: Ipola? What is it?

IPOLA: Tethik’s finally got there, Yanora.

YANORA: I see. Best finish dressing, then. Don’t want to scandalize the children.
Ah, Gudik, my little cherub.

GUDIK: Mother.

YANORA: My how sour you look, sweeting. What, siege engines not up to snuff? I do wish you’d listened to Mummy about that.

YANORA: (Sees Thann) Oh, and just *look* who’s here. So this is the one they chose to murder Gudik?

IPOLA: Indeed, I wonder whose idea it was?

YANORA: How very ironic.

THANN: What does that mean? How do you know who I am?

YANORA: (dismissively) The same way I know a great many things, lamb. But never mind.

GUDIK: Will someone tell me what this whole shit show is about? What’s so important that all three of you have to come here, interrupt my perfectly enjoyable little war -

THERIK: “Holy crusade,” your Majesty …

GUDIK: Damn right! It’s a goddamn holy war with the blessing of the goddamn church! And I need to be getting on with it, so what is this magickal hernia for?