The Unicorn from the Stars

my death for it as if I was going home! Martin Father John, Father John, can you not hear? Can you not see? Are you blind? Are you deaf? Father John What is it? What is it? Martin There on the mountain, a thousand white unicorns trampling; a thousand riders with their swords drawn⁠—the swords clashing! Oh, the sound of the swords, the sound of the clashing of the swords! He goes slowly off stage. Johnny takes up a stone to throw at him. Father John Seizing his arm. Stop⁠—do you not see he is beyond the world? Biddy Keep your hand off him, Johnny Bacach. If he is gone wild and cracked, that’s natural. Those that have been wakened from a trance on a sudden are apt to go bad and light in the head. Paudeen If it is madness is on him, it is not he himself should pay the penalty. Biddy To prey on the mind it does, and rises into the head. There are some would go over any height and would have great power in their madness. It is maybe to some secret cleft he is going, to get knowledge of the great cure for all things, or of the Plough that was hidden in the old times, the Golden Plough. Paudeen It seemed as if he was talking through honey. He had the look of one that had seen great wonders. It is maybe among the old heroes of Ireland he went raising armies for our help. Father John God take him in his care and keep him from lying spirits and from all delusions! Johnny We have got candles here, Father. We had them to put around his body. Maybe they would keep away the evil things of the air. Paudeen Light them so, and he will say out a Mass for him the same as in a lime-washed church. They light the candles. Thomas comes in. Thomas Where is he? I am come to warn him. The destruction he did in the nighttime has been heard of. The soldiers are out after him and the constables⁠—there are two of the constables not far off⁠—there are others on every side⁠—they heard he was here in the mountain⁠—where is he? Father John He has gone up the path. Thomas Hurry after him! Tell him to hide himself⁠—this attack he had a hand in is a hanging crime. Tell him to hide himself, to come to me when all is quiet⁠—bad as his doings are, he is my own brother’s son; I will get him on to a ship that will be going to France. Father John That will be best, send him back to the Brothers and to the wise Bishops. They can unravel this tangle, I cannot. I cannot be sure of the truth. Thomas Here are the constables, he will see them and get away. Say no word. The Lord be praised that he is out of sight. Constables come in. Constable The man we are looking for, where is he? He was seen coming here along with you. You have to give him up into the power of the law. Johnny We will not give him up. Go back out of this or you will be sorry. Paudeen We are not in dread of you or the like of you. Biddy Throw them down over the rocks! Nanny Give them to the picking of the crows! All Down with the law! Father John Hush! He is coming back. To Constables. Stop, stop⁠—leave him to himself. He is not trying to escape, he is coming towards you. Paudeen There is a sort of a brightness about him. I misjudged him calling him a traitor. It is not to this world he belongs at all. He is over on the other side. Martin Standing beside the rock where the lighted candles are. Et calix meus inebrians quam præclarus est! Father John I must know what he has to say. It is not from himself he is speaking. Martin Father John, Heaven is not what we have believed it to be. It is not quiet, it is not singing and making music, and all strife at an end. I have seen it, I have been there. The lover still loves but with a greater passion, and the rider still rides but the horse goes like the wind and leaps the ridges, and the battle goes on always, always. That is the joy of Heaven, continual battle. I thought the battle was here, and that the joy was to be found here on earth, that all one had to do was to bring again the old wild earth of the stories⁠—but no, it is not here; we shall not come to that joy, that battle, till we have put out the senses, everything that can be seen and handled, as I put out this candle. He puts out candle. We must put out the whole world as I put out this candle. Puts out another candle. We must put out the light of the stars and the light of the sun and the light of the moon puts out the rest of the candles, till we have brought everything to nothing once again. I saw in a broken vision, but now all is clear to me. Where there is nothing, where there is nothing⁠—there is God! Constable Now we will take him! Johnny We will never give him up to the law! Paudeen Make your escape! We will not let you be followed. They struggle with Constables; the women help them; all disappear struggling. There is a shot. Martin stumbles and falls. Beggars come back with a shout. Johnny We have done for them, they will not meddle with you again. Paudeen Oh, he is down! Father John He is shot through the breast. Oh, who has dared meddle with a soul that was in the tumults on the threshold of sanctity? Johnny It was that gun went off and I striking it from the constable’s hand. Martin Looking at his hand,