5 June 2005 session notes--

names

the Day of Passion (cont’d)

scenes

Perdix finds Murry, after looking for him off and on throughout the morning. They show him the lock of Ishkin’s hair they keep, explaining that it can be used to find him, or listen to what he says, should that become necessary, and ask that, if Ishkin promises to return to the cell at the end of the day’s festivities, he be allowed to have free rein to wander about for the afternoon. Murry asks to speak to Ishkin himself, and after a moment, Perdix agrees. Murry goes to Ishkin, and asks him if he would make and keep such a promise. Ishkin does, and is so released. He keeps out of sight.

At the festival: first, there is a ceremonial mock feast. Calvus and the various people playing Stewards sit at the high table and are served small plates of food. Jerry delivers a sermon about what the Day of Passion means. Then Calvus stands and delivers a speech as the God-Emperor about filling our bellies before we meet our foes on the field. The menu is described in some detail, with the symbolism of each food touched upon.

When Calvus’ speech is done, Jerry signals the apprentices, who begin clattering their wooden swords against their shields, roaring. Well, not Cameron. He’s crying, For the maintenance of the lack of Love and Reason, let’s go! Come on, everyone! —Jerry explains that now it’s time for the battle, and we must all form up on either side.

Cameron address the audience directly with a metaphor about how the right arm can’t betray the body. Calvus explains how he’s seen the light of Love and Reason, so that’s that.

Nishoba and Cameron stand to one side, wondering what posture really says betrayal. Chin-stroking, perhaps? Yes, perhaps. Ndape’s in the thick of it, ululating what he says are traditional Picardian battle-cries. Gi’s looking for Jerry so he can wale on him.

Murry, fighting with the rebels, cuts a swath toward Calvus; Calvus, noticing the swath, cuts one of his own toward Murry. They meet in the middle of the field for a titanic battle. Calvus knocks Murry’s sword from his hands, so Murry starts grabbing passing villagers and throwing them at Calvus. One of them has a sword, so Murry takes it away and then throws the villager at Calvus. —Up by the Great Hall, the Princeling’s aide tells him now might be a good time to ride to the rescue, since the God-Emperor is faring poorly against the giant; Murry, seeing the cavalry saddling up, knocks Calvus to the ground. Ha ha! he bellows. Nothing can save you now! The cavalry sounds its horns, and rides to the rescue. Murry, defeated by three soldiers on horseback, nods and walks off the battlefield, heading for the audience. It’s not the same when you don’t kill, he thinks.

Should we go down there? says Cameron. Or make them come to us? We should go down there, says Nishoba. They won’t drag us nearly so far.

Calvus stands before the main table and delivers his “neener-neener” speech, which Cameron applauds loudly, crying Hear hear! at bits. Then Cameron stands to deliver his penitent speech. I was wrong, he says. I see the right arm can offend me! Off with it! —A small flock of birds flutters about Sonata, and when the executioner swings his axe, Cameron’s arm falls off. But there’s no blood. Sonata frowns. Cameron starts speaking of the grammar of the sentence of death (more birds, and now blood starts spurting from Cameron’s “stump”). Death is a noun; a verb; a pronoun; the punctuation of death. Sonata nudges Perdix. You really ought to object now, she says. Perdix stands and objects—Shotik reads the speech they’d written. Calvus objects to Perdix’ objection, and orders them seized. Ishta stands. I object, too, she says. As does Gi. They are hauled off and led one by one to the chopping block, where giant pumpkins (filled with fish offal) are set on their heads to be smashed by the executioner’s maul. Gi delivers his speech before his head his fixed on his shoulders.

Calvus delivers a quick speech, and turns to Sonata. She stands and sings her monologue. Though it’s more of a chant, really. With birdsong.

Then trumpets blare, and Love and Reason (and Love’s little sister) appear, surrounded by a fluttering cloud of flower petals. Here arrives Love and Reason to witness the acts that were done in their name, cries Calvus.

What have you done? says Naki.

Calvus explains that he’s destroyed the unbelievers, and those who would support those who hold to the old ways.

But in slaughtering them, you have yourself upheld the old ways! Tishkilla hands Calvus a fir branch. Go, says Naki, and consider the error of your ways!

Calvus lashes himself with the fir branch.

Then Jerry leaps out in front of Naki and says it’s time to party! Which Naki was supposed to have said. The covenant begins its Day of Passion party.

When Shammomóli gets up and heads under the bleachers to take a piss, Gieron follows him, and whacks him over the back of the head with a plank. Shammomóli, bleeding, falls to the ground. Now we’re even, says Gieron. It was a necklace! says Shammomóli. No, says Gieron, it was a board. He stomps off. Someone goes to get a wet cloth for Shammomóli.

Jerry, Gi, and Sonata discuss how it all went over with the villagers, and the folks from Iyyonchaba. Gi misses the parade you usually get. We need more for the audience to do, says Sonata. More call and response, says Gi. When there’s been more education. We could do more with imaginem, says Sonata. Though they’re still nervous about “dragon-magic,” says Gi.

Cameron’s asking the kitchen staff what would have made it better. A longer speech by him? —Some discussion of what a metaphor is, in the larger context of what the whole thing meant. The whole thing was about how the Sun-King was stupid? Yeah. Pretty much.

Shammomóli bumps into Tishkilla as she’s looking for Gieron, and he apologizes to her for the stupid stuff he said and did, and he knows it was stupid to have taken a Monkey-necklace, and he knows Chaloklowa was wrong to tell him to go to the dragon-wizards, though it made sense at the time, and anyway, he’s sorry. Tishkilla accepts his apology, and goes to speak with Woochi, who’s pleased that it went well. Though do you know what’s up with his head? No, says Tishkilla. —Hoopoe flies down and lands on Woochi’s shoulder. Hey! You know what happened to your guy? He got hit on the head. Your husband, he says to Tishkilla, did it. Hit him with a board while he was peeing. Tishkilla laughs. Yup. Sounds like Gieron. Hoopoe leaves. Talking bird, says Woochi, checking his shoulder for crap. —They complain about the lack of speeches for villagers and priests. I didn’t get the eggs, either, says Woochi. I think they were his testicles, says Tishkilla. Except that doesn’t make sense, says Woochi. Maybe the testicles, the fish offal—it’s a fertility festival! —It would be nice if it made sense, says Woochi. I’m kinda feeling sorry for Shammomóli, says Tishkilla. He’s a nice guy. Even if he’s a moron. Jerry squeezes through the crowd, glad-handing. Great job, great job. Thank you so much. What were the eggs about? Well, they’re not his testicles, says Jerry. The beginning of the cycle, the God-Emperor is stepping out of the egg of the seed of creation. He hatched out of an egg? says Woochi. If you want to look at it that way, says Jerry. He explains the beginning of the world, and people, and how it all connects to the egg.

Cameron walks up and says he’s encountered people who were a little confused by his speech. Perhaps next year he will speak of Death as a servant, constantly at our beck and call, rather than as a sentence? —More singing, suggests Tishkilla. And a lot more drumming. What if the audience got to throw fruits and vegetables at the condemned? Or hit them with sticks, says Woochi. Perhaps mud? suggests Cameron.

Perdix approaches, obviously drunk, congratulating everyone on their performance, though regretfully pointing out to Cameron that punctuation works differently in the written Gætani language. Sonata also appears. When Woochi and Tishkilla take their leave, Abakoshi discreetly follows, and asks Tishkilla if Toomi came up from Iyyonchaba for the Passion Play. No, says Tishkilla. Why? Abakoshi says they’d had a pleasant conversation during Tali’ Lakna’ Nani, and they’d wanted to say hi, if she was here. I could pass word along, says Tishkilla. She’s probably at another Tali’ Lakna’ Nani down-river. That’s not necessary, says Abakoshi. —Shotik, in the middle of a convoluted point about Gætani pronouns, frowns, sighs, and abruptly leaves the conversation.

Gi, who’s leaving in the morning, is checking with the various magi. —Nakfish hits on Ishta, who does not rebuff his advances, but doesn’t give in. —One of Calvus’ men tells Naki that Calvus would like to speak with him in his rooms, where he is preparing for Shame. All right, says Naki, who heads up to the Great Hall. Calvus informs Naki that he’ll be sending a man to Okla Lokchok for a variety of reasons, and also lets him know what happened in Waaka’ Tanampalhi’, and seeks Naki’s advice in what ought to be done about local militias, considering this recent turn of events. Also, taxes.

Cameron and Jerry congratulate each other; more music is suggested, specifically, a children’s chorus. Also, mud-slinging. Cameron praises Nishoba’s talent for verse, which he inexplicably keeps secret. Jerry files this tidbit away. Don’t tell him I told you, says Cameron.

Tishkilla and Gieron discuss the Shammomóli situation. —She offers to help him find assistants for the Brewery. Some discussion of flinging mud at the dragon-wizards next year. Did you get the thing with the eggs? The eggs were his balls, says Gieron, and the sausage was his dick. What’s to get? Jerry was going on about this complicated stuff, says Tishkilla. I don’t think Jerry gets it, says Gieron. He’s a smith. All this priest-stuff is new to him.

Ishkin, of course, has been checking in with Murry.

“It’s like when you pretend the potatoes are people and they’re fighting each other.”