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Back The Darker Face of the Earth Save as PDF
Chapters (27)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Half-Title Page
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. Dedication
  7. Cast
  8. Prologue
  9. Act One
  10. Scene 2
  11. Scene 3
  12. Scene 4
  13. Scene 5
  14. Scene 6
  15. Scene 7
  16. Scene 8
  17. Act Two
  18. Scene 2
  19. Scene 3
  20. Scene 4
  21. Scene 5
  22. Scene 6
  23. Scene 7
  24. Scene 8
  25. An Interview with Rita Dove
  26. Biographical Note
  27. Back Cover
DOCTOR

How long do you think it will take

before your slaves begin to speak back?

To botch the work and fall ill

with mysterious ailments? Then

who will help you—Louis?

An overseer who knows his mistress

is tainted with slave funk? In a bad year,

how much will you have to beg

to get a tab at the store?

Who will you invite to tea, Amalia—

your dashing blackamoor?
AMALIA What a convenient morality, Doctor.
DOCTOR

I’m just trying to save

your daddy’s good name.

As for your precious little bundle—

how long do you think he’ll last

with Louis feeling as he does?

How long before your child

accidentally drowns or stumbles under a horse’s hooves?

You can’t keep him, Amalia;

if you truly love him,

you cannot keep him.

AMALIA buries her face in the pillow and begins to weep.

DOCTOR

I know a family who handles

these . . . delicate matters.

They’ll raise him and arrange for sale

when it’s time.

AMALIA clutches the baby to her.

He’ll be treated well. I’ll make sure of that.

Silence. AMALIA stares at the baby.

AMALIA Give me a little more time!
DOCTOR You had nine months.

The baby makes a noise; she lays him on her breast.

AMALIA There’s no way back, is there?

HECTOR falls to his knees and cries out; SCYLLA tries to restrain him.

HECTOR Eshu Elewa ogo gbogbo!
SCYLLA No, Hector.
ALEXANDER Lord help him.
PSYCHE Lord help us all.

Lights up on AMALIA’s bedroom; there’s a knock at the door.

DOCTOR

There he is. Now:

I’ll take the baby to Charleston tonight.

You must play the wronged wife.

No matter the truth—whatever the truth—

this affair was an act of revenge,

your retaliation to Louis’s philandering.

But you won’t keep the child

to taunt him, oh, no! Instead,

you’ll forgive and forget . . . and show him

how to turn a profit besides.

AMALIA stares at the DOCTOR with disgust. The DOCTOR opens the door.

Come in, sir.

LOUIS enters, glaring.

This is a damned tricky situation,

but I think I’ve sorted it out.

Warming up to his role as the arbiter of responsibility and morality; pacing self-importantly.

Out of rage and sorrow over

your philandering behavior, Louis,

Amalia has responded in kind.

An extreme vindication, true,

and utterly reprehensible—unless

we remember what prompted it

in the first place. Are we agreed?

Both LOUIS and AMALIA are silent.

As for the bastard child . . .

Pauses for effect.