The Tragic Fall Of Wizlaw, The Count Of Rügen

Act III, Scene VI

Some minutes later. An empty field outside the walls of Rugard. The battle shouts are now eerily faint in the background. The characters meet at the centre of the stage.

Enter WIZLAW, GUARDS, CHIEF, BRIGAND & BANDITS

CHIEF: [slightly raising arm] Glory be to Svetovit.

WIZLAW: Glory be to God. I am Wizlaw, the overseer of this very land that ye stand on.

CHIEF: They call me Motc. I am the commander of the men that stand around this settlement of thine.

WIZLAW: Thy name is of strange origin.

CHIEF: Didst thou forget thy roots? Me and thou are of th'same ancestry. Perhaps thou abandoned thine, but I did not. I advise thee to do th'same as I do.

WIZLAW: That will not be of necessity for I have been enlightened into truth.

CHIEF: If thou claims so, then let it be that way.

WIZLAW: May we begin now then?

CHIEF: What is it that thou came for?

WIZLAW: Thou knows very well.

CHIEF: Thy kin?

WIZLAW: Aye.

CHIEF: Then speak to my first man.

WIZLAW: And who is that?

BRIGAND: It be I.

WIZLAW: What do they call thee?

BRIGAND: Does that matter more than thy family?

[there is a pause]

WIZLAW: What do ye want in return for them?

BRIGAND: Empty all thine purses and coffers. Then, let us enter this fortified position in peace and allow us gather all that we desire.

WIZLAW: What will ye take from here?

BRIGAND: All we deem necessary: gems, weaponry, armour, horses... thy folk as well. To add to this, we want to personally see thee destroy all these heretical statues of thine one, true religion which thy populus follows.

CHIEF: Bring me thy crown too.

WIZLAW: I wear not a crown for such headgear is only for th'King. A circlet is what I wear ceremonially.

CHIEF: And so will I too wear it ceremonially to mark my triumph over this isle. We, the Rani, are the true people of Rȯjana. Thou is too, but thou chooses to support th'Danes more than thy fellows.

[there is a pause and WIZLAW looks at GUARDS. Another crash from the catapult is heard]

Didst thou hear that? Those are thy walls collapsing one by one. Thou either accepts this offer now or we will conquer thy keep and none of thy people will be spared.

[Enter MESSENGER

MESSENGER: [to WIZLAW:] Thou art the Count of Rügen?

WIZLAW: Aye, who sends thee here?

MESSENGER: [whispering:] I have a message straight from Ringsted. King Valdemar has heard of thy cause from one of thy folk. He ordered one of his best commanders to sail with over a half-a-thousand men. The Duke of Skåne has agreed to supply the six sailing ships too.

WIZLAW: [whispering:] When shall they arrive?

MESSENGER: [whispering:] I suspect they shall arrive by the end of this day. When I sailed from København, the men were already aboard their vessels and set to sail.

WIZLAW: [whispering:] Well, I thank thee for such pleasant news. Send the King my earnest gratitudes.

MESSENGER: Aye. [he bows]

[Exit MESSENGER

CHIEF: Who was he?

WIZLAW: Why is that of interest to thee?

CHIEF: Why would't not?

WIZLAW: He was my servant.

CHIEF: In such attire? I highly doubt so. Thou is not going to fool me so easily.

WIZLAW: And thou is not fooling me by saying ye all are Rani. [pointing to BRIGAND] I can tell that thine advisor over here is a Brandenburger. Just here him speak.

BRIGAND: What is thou trying to imply?

WIZLAW: That Mecklenburg or Stralsund either sent ye directly or they financed this attack onto us. I tell thee one thing, Motc. They are merely using ye as puppets.

[CHIEF & BRIGAND converse covertly for a brief moment]

CHIEF: Enough of this dawdling Wizlaw. [calling offstage:] Bring his kin hither.

[Exeunt some BANDITS[to WIZLAW:] I know what thee is doing. That man who spake to thee earlier was some runner for thy Duke. Wasting time will not prevent th'destruction of this fortification. I know not when his army will arrive, but it will not be before ye all capitulate.

Enter some BANDITS holding MARGARETA & LUCIA who wear hoods

This is all thou has. Thou will now decide their fate. Either surrender to my forces anon, or let them perish.

[a foul and eerie ring/sound is heard. Three faint shadows appear behind curtains]

WIZLAW: Dear Lucia and Margareta, everything will be-.

CHIEF: Make thy decision!

WIZLAW: I... this choice....

CHIEF: I demand a response at this very moment. I will not be a patient man. If thou delays even for a minute amount of time, they shall lose their lives for unlike thou, I am not a knavish craven. I have become relentless againt th'Danes, and whoe'er backs them.

WIZLAW: [aside:] O, my dearest God. Prithee, help me in this situation. Thou is aware of my thoughts and what each action shall lead to so I beg Thee to guide my tongue. Do I choose my kin, or do I choose my honour and dignity? Before this man of messages and letters arrived, I would've picked my kin but now, knowing that th'King himself, and to a matter of fact th'Duke as well, sent troops, my reputation would be stained. Are the lives of two really worth more than th'state? Maybe I should lay my own life down as an alternate.

[a crash from the catapult is heard]

[to CHIEF:] I have chosen to lay down my own life. Whether with me or without me, my men shall win this siege.

CHIEF: Ha. Thy words match to no choice which I have presented thee with. Thy death will be disgraceful, not honourable.

[CHIEF & BRIGAND begin to leave]

[to BANDITS:] Execute them at once!

[Exeunt CHIEF & BRIGAND

[Everyone slows down for a moment as distorted voices are heard. Then, a prolonged sinister, eerie tone sounds. BANDITS execute MARGARETA & LUCIA. WIZLAW is frozen in shock. GUARDS duel with BANDITS. WIZLAW rushes to their bodies and kneels]

WIZLAW: My dearest kin! [he holds their bodies] O why? My eyes cannot behold such a sight. That feral boar murder'd my fawns.

[he weeps over their bodies & a crash from the catapult is heard. The lights blackout]

[Exeunt