The Blue Bird Part 11

TYLTYL You have no right to refuse them to Man when he asks you for them....I know that....

NIGHT Who told you?...

TYLTYL Light....

NIGHT Light again! Always Light!... How dare she interfere, how dare she?...

THE DOG Shall I take them from her by force, my little G.o.d?...

TYLTYL Hold your tongue, keep quiet and try to behave.... (_To_NIGHT) Come, madam, give me your keys, please....

NIGHT Have you the sign, at least?... Where is it?...

TYLTYL (_touching his hat_) Behold the Diamond!...

NIGHT (_resigning herself to the inevitable_) Well, then... Here is the key that opens all the doors of the hall.... Look to yourself if you meet with a misfortune.... I will not be responsible....

BREAD (_very anxiously_) Is it dangerous?...

NIGHT Dangerous?... I will go so far as to say that I myself do not know what I shall do when certain of those bronze doors open upon the abyss.... All around the hall, in each of those basalt caves, are all the evils, all the plagues, all the sicknesses, all the terrors, all the catastrophes, all the mysteries that have afflicted life since the beginning of the world.... I have had trouble enough to Imprison them there with the aid of Destiny; and it is not without difficulty, I a.s.sure you, that I keep some little order among those undisciplined characters.... You have seen what happens when one of them escapes and shows itself on earth....

BREAD My great age, my experience and my devotion make me the natural protector of these two children; therefore, Mrs. Night, permit me to ask you a question....

NIGHT Certainly....

BREAD In case of danger, which is the way of escape?...

NIGHT There is no way of escape.

TYLTYL (_taking the key and climbing the first steps_) Let us begin here.... What is behind this bronze door?...

NIGHT I think it is the Ghosts.... It is long since I opened the door and since they came out....

TYLTYL (_placing the key in the lock_) I will see.... (_To_ BREAD) Have you the cage for the Blue Bird?...

BREAD (_with chattering teeth_) I'm not frightened, but don't you think it would be better not to open the door, but to peep through the keyhole?...

TYLTYL I don't want your advice....

MYTYL (_suddenly beginning to cry_) I am frightened!... Where is Sugar?... I want to go home!...

SUGAR (_eagerly, obsequiously_) Here I am, miss, here I am.... Don't cry, I will break off one of my fingers so that you may have a sugar-stick....

TYLTYL Enough of this!...

(_He turns the key and cautiously opens the door. Forthwith, five or six_ GHOSTS _of strange and different forms escape and disperse on every side_. MYTYL _gives a scream of fright_, BREAD, _terrified, throws away the cage and goes and hides at the back of the hall, while_ NIGHT, _running after the_ GHOSTS, _cries out to_ TYLTYL.)

NIGHT Quick! Quick!... Shut the door!... They will all escape and we should never be able to catch them again!... They have felt bored in there, ever since Man ceased to take them seriously....

(_She runs after the_ GHOSTS _and endeavours, with the aid of a whip formed of snakes, to drive them back to the door of their prison_.) Help me!... Here!... Here!...

TYLTYL (_to the_ DOG) Help her, Tylo, at them!...

THE DOG (_leaping up and barking_) Yes, yes, yes!...

TYLTYL And Bread, where's Bread?...

BREAD (_at the back of the hall_) Here.... I am near the door to prevent them from going out....

(_One of the_ GHOSTS _moves in that direction and he rushes away at full speed, uttering yells of terror_.)

NIGHT (_to three_ GHOSTS _whom she has seized by the neck_) This way, you!... (_To_ TYLTYL) Open the door a little.... (_She pushes the_ GHOSTS _into the cave_.) There, that's it....

(_The_ DOG _brings up two more_.) And these two.... Come, quick, in with you!... You know you're only allowed out on All-hallows....

(_She closes the door._)

TYLTYL (_going to another door_) What's behind this one?....

NIGHT What is the good?...I have already told you the Blue Bird has never been here.... However, as you please.... Open the doors if you like.... It's the Sicknesses....

TYLTYL (_with the key in the lock_.) Must I be careful in opening?...

NIGHT No, it is not worth while.... They are very quiet, the poor little things.... They are not happy.... Man, for some time, has been waging such a determined war upon them!... Especially since the discovery of the microbes.... Open, you will see....

(TYLTYL _opens the door quite wide. Nothing appears_.)

TYLTYL Don't they come out?

NIGHT I told you they are almost all poorly and very much discouraged....

The doctors are so unkind to them.... Go in for a moment and see for yourself....

(TYLTYL _enters the cavern and comes out again immediately_.)

TYLTYL The Blue Bird is not there.... They look very ill, those Sicknesses of yours.... They did not even lift their heads.... (_One little Sickness in slippers, a dressing-gown and a cotton nightcap escapes from the cavern and begins to frisk about the hall_.) Look!... There's a little one escaping.... Which one is it?...

NIGHT It's nothing, one of the smallest; it's Cold-in-the-Head.... It is one of those which are least persecuted and which enjoy the best health....

(_Calling to_ COLD-IN-THE-HEAD) Come here, dear....It's too soon yet; you must wait for the winter.... (COLD-IN-THE-HEAD, _sneezing, coughing and blowing its nose, returns to the cavern and_ TYLTYL _shuts the door_.)

TYLTYL (_going to the next door_) Let us look at this one..... What is in here?...

NIGHT Take care!... It is the Wars.... They are more terrible and powerful than ever.... Heaven knows what would happen if one of them escaped!...

Fortunately, they are rather heavy and slow-moving.... But we must stand ready to push back the door, all of us together, while you take a rapid glance into the cavern....

(TYLTYL, _with a thousand precautions, opens the door ajar so that there is only a little gap to which he can put his eye. He at once doubles his back against the door, shouting_.)

TYLTYL Quick! Quick!... Push with all your might!... They have seen me!... They are all coming!... They are breaking down the door!...

NIGHT Come, all together!... Push hard!... Bread, what are you doing?... Push, all of you!... How strong they are!... Ah, that's it!... They are giving way!... It was high time!... Did you see them?...

TYLTYL Yes, yes!... They are huge and awful!... I don't think that they have the Blue Bird....