Man of La Mancha (11 page)

ALDONZA
(
Seizing his hand, kisses it
) Thank you, my lord!

DON QUIXOTE
But this is not seemly, my lady. On thy knees? To me?

ALDONZA
(
In protest as he tries to rise
) My lord, you are not well!

DON QUIXOTE
(
Growing in power
) Not well? What is sickness to the body of a knight-errant? What matter wounds? For each time he falls he shall rise again—and woe to the wicked! (
A lusty bellow
) Sancho!

SANCHO
Here, Your Grace!

DON QUIXOTE
My armor! My sword!

SANCHO
(
Delightedly, clapping his hands
) More misadventures!

DON QUIXOTE
Adventures
, old friend! (
Rising from the bed, and as
ALDONZA
and
SANCHO
support him on either side, he sings
)

Oh the trumpets of glory now call me to ride,
Yes, the trumpets are calling to me,
And wherever I ride, ever staunch at my side,
My squire and my lady shall be …

I am I, Don Quixote—

DON QUIXOTE, ALDONZA
and
SANCHO

The Lord of La Mancha,

Our destiny calls and we go!

And the wild winds of fortune shall carry us onward

Oh, whithersoever …
(DON QUIXOTE
falters
)

ALDONZA
(
A cry of apprehension
) My lord—!

SANCHO
Master—!

DON QUIXOTE
(
Reassuring them, sings on
)

Whithersoever they blow,

Onward to glory—
(
A sudden cry. A whisper
)

 … I … go …
(
He crumples to the floor
)

ANTONIA
Uncle!

(DR. CARRASCO
pushes
ALDONZA
aside and kneels to
DON QUIXOTE’
s left. He bends over and places his ear to
QUIXOTE’
s heart, then rises and goes to
ANTONIA
,
who is weeping softly. The
PADRE
comes to
QUIXOTE
and kneels. He crosses himself and chants in Latin
)

PADRE

De profundis clamo ad te

Domine, Domine,
(ALDONZA
goes slowly to
SANCHO
)

Audi vocem meam

Fiant aures tuae intentae

Ad vacem obse creationis meae

Si delictarum

Memoriam

Serva neris …

SANCHO
(
Stunned, pathetically
) He is dead. My master is dead.

ALDONZA
(
Quietly
) A man died. He seemed a good man, but I did not know him.

SANCHO
But—

ALDONZA
Don Quixote is not dead. Believe, Sancho. Believe.

SANCHO
(
In confused hope
) Aldonza …?

ALDONZA
(
Gently
) My name is Dulcinea.

(
The
PADRE’S
hymn concludes as the lights dim out. In the darkness comes the snarling roll of the drums of the Inquisition; it gives way to chanting as lights fade in on the prison. The
CAPTAIN
enters at the head of the
MEN OF THE INQUISITION
.
They descend to the vault.
CERVANTES
,
kneeling, is removing the
DON QUIXOTE
beard and makeup
)

CAPTAIN
(
Unrolling a scroll
) Under authority of the Holy Office of the Inquisition! (
Reading
) “By reason of certain offenses committed against His Majesty’s Most Catholic Church, the following is summoned to give answer and submit his person for purification if it be so ordered: Don Miguel de Cervantes.”

CERVANTES
(
With wry bravado
) How popular a defendant I am. Summoned by one court before I’ve quite finished with another. Well? How says the Judge?

THE GOVERNOR
(
Musingly, weighing the package now held in his hands
) I think I know what this contains. The history of your mad knight? (
CERVANTES
nods assent. Handing him the package
) Plead as well there as you did here and you may not burn.

CERVANTES
I’ve no intention of burning. (
To his
MANSERVANT
,
buoyantly
) Well, old friend? Shall we go? (
He sees that the
SERVANT
is rigid with fear; comes to
put a reassuring arm about his shoulder
) Courage!

(
He leads him toward the stairs
)

THE GOVERNOR
Cervantes, (
CERVANTES
pauses
) I think Don Quixote is brother to Don Miguel.

CERVANTES
(
Smiling
) God help us—we are both men of La Mancha.

(
The
CAPTAIN
and the
HOODED MEN
about-face as the “Inquisition Theme” resumes. The cortège forms toward an exit, starts ascending the stairs.

The
PRISONER
playing
ALDONZA
is standing apart from the other prisoners as she always does
)

PRISONER (ALDONZA
) (
Singing, softly at first
)

To dream the impossible dream,
To fight the unbeatable foe,

(
The other
PRISONERS
join in one by one, their eyes following
CERVANTES
)

To bear with unbearable sorrow,
To run where the brave dare not go …

To run where the brave dare not go,
Though the goal be forever too far,
To try, though you’re wayworn and weary,
To reach the unreachable star …

(
And now the song, swelling in full chorus, overwhelms the “Inquisition Theme”
)

To reach the unreachable star,
Though you know it’s impossibly high,
To live with your heart striving upward
To a far, unattainable sky!