The Unicorn from the Stars

ourselves do it? Go on now, it is best for you to do it yourself. Father John I woke him yesterday. He was angry with me, he could not get to the heart of the command. Johnny If he did not, he got a command from myself that satisfied him, and a message. Father John He did⁠—he took it from you⁠—and how do I know what devil’s message it may have been that brought him into that devil’s work, destruction and drunkenness and burnings! That was not a message from heaven! It was I awoke him, it was I kept him from hearing what was maybe a divine message, a voice of truth, and he heard you speak and he believed the message was brought by you. You have made use of your deceit and his mistaking⁠—you have left him without house or means to support him, you are striving to destroy and to drag him to entire ruin. I will not help you, I would rather see him die in his trance and go into God’s hands than awake him and see him go into hell’s mouth with vagabonds and outcasts like you! Johnny Turning to Biddy. You should have knowledge, Biddy Lally, of the means to bring back a man that is away. Biddy The power of the earth will do it through its herbs, and the power of the air will do it kindling fire into flame. Johnny Rise up and make no delay. Stretch out and gather a handful of an herb that will bring him back from whatever place he is in. Biddy Where is the use of herbs, and his teeth clenched the way he could not use them? Johnny Take fire so in the devil’s name, and put it to the soles of his feet. Takes a lighted sod from fire. Father John Let him alone, I say! Dashes away the sod. Johnny I will not leave him alone! I will not give in to leave him swooning there and the country waiting for him to awake! Father John I tell you I awoke him! I sent him into thieves’ company! I will not have him wakened again and evil things it may be waiting to take hold of him! Back from him, back, I say! Will you dare to lay a hand on me! You cannot do it! You cannot touch him against my will! Biddy Mind yourself, do not be bringing us under the curse of the Church. Johnny steps back. Martin moves. Father John It is God has him in His care. It is He is awaking him. Martin has risen to his elbow. Do not touch him, do not speak to him, he may be hearing great secrets. Martin That music, I must go nearer⁠—sweet marvellous music⁠—louder than the trampling of the unicorns; far louder, though the mountain is shaking with their feet⁠—high joyous music. Father John Hush, he is listening to the music of Heaven! Martin Take me to you, musicians, wherever you are! I will go nearer to you; I hear you better now, more and more joyful; that is strange, it is strange. Father John He is getting some secret. Martin It is the music of Paradise, that is certain, somebody said that. It is certainly the music of Paradise. Ah, now I hear, now I understand. It is made of the continual clashing of swords! Johnny That is the best music. We will clash them sure enough. We will clash our swords and our pikes on the bayonets of the red soldiers. It is well you rose up from the dead to lead us! Come on, now, come on! Martin Who are you? Ah, I remember⁠—where are you asking me to come to? Paudeen To come on, to be sure, to the attack on the barracks at Aughanish. To carry on the work you took in hand last night. Martin What work did I take in hand last night? Oh, yes, I remember⁠—some big house⁠—we burned it down⁠—but I had not understood the vision when I did that. I had not heard the command right. That was not the work I was sent to do. Paudeen Rise up now and bid us what to do. Your great name itself will clear the road before you. It is you yourself will have freed all Ireland before the stooks will be in stacks! Martin Listen, I will explain⁠—I have misled you. It is only now I have the whole vision plain. As I lay there I saw through everything, I know all. It was but a frenzy that going out to burn and to destroy. What have I to do with the foreign army? What I have to pierce is the wild heart of time. My business is not reformation but revelation. Johnny If you are going to turn back now from leading us, you are no better than any other traitor that ever gave up the work he took in hand. Let you come and face now the two hundred men you brought out daring the power of the law last night, and give them your reason for failing them. Martin I was mistaken when I set out to destroy Church and Law. The battle we have to fight is fought out in our own mind. There is a fiery moment, perhaps once in a lifetime, and in that moment we see the only thing that matters. It is in that moment the great battles are lost and won, for in that moment we are a part of the host of heaven. Paudeen Have you betrayed us to the naked hangman with your promises and with your drink? If you brought us out here to fail us and to ridicule us, it is the last day you will live! Johnny The curse of my heart on you! It would be right to send you to your own place on the flagstone of the traitors in hell. When once I have made an end of you I will be as well satisfied to be going to