JAMES. Give me back my sword! You dare! You! I’ll show you how to be King! I’ll show you!

BALVENIE. They’re running! We’ve won! We’ve won!

The rest of BIG JAMES’s forces run after him. JAMES is still slashing at the fallen man again and again.

JAMES. You dare stop me doing my work! You fucking dare stop me!

The battle is over but JAMES is still hacking. BALVENIE taps him.

BALVENIE. You’re alright, I think that one’s deid.

JAMES whirls on him, the blade right at BALVENIE’s throat.

JAMES. Did we win?

BALVENIE. Aye… Christ… aye… you annihilated them, King James…

JAMES drops the sword and releases BALVENIE, giving in to tiredness.

You could tell the ones that couldny swim, eh? The ones that died on the bank, more frightened of the dark, boiling flood than our blades.

Christ, look at me. I’m reborn. I could do that again.

JAMES. Big James Stewart?

BALVENIE. He ran.

JAMES. Not dead?

BALVENIE. No… he fled the field. But you’re the victor. You’re safe on your throne today, King James.

JAMES. No. No, that work’s not finished. But it will be. Bury the dead and follow me to Stirling…

JAMES moves through the applause of his army and the people to the throne room. MURDAC is there.

MURDAC. Your Majesty, you’ve done what you had to. I know what has to happen now. I understand.

JAMES (looking out the window). This is a good view. You can see everything. The land our great-great-grandfather won.

MURDAC. He’ll go to Ireland. He’ll go to our family in Ireland. He won’t be back unless there’s another rising here and I won’t let that happen. I promise you.

JAMES. Come and look. Look at it.

(Looking round the whole view.) The cold blue air. The great stone gateway to the high hills. The silver river. The sharp green marsh… Robert the Bruce might never have won if the ground hadn’t been wet… he drove them onto the marsh and into the river, didn’t he? If it had been a dry spring we might not be standing here, Murdac.

MURDAC. You have to take Big James’s lands, I understand that, but he’ll trouble you no more.

JAMES. How do you know that? I don’t know that. I can’t know that. That doesn’t seem likely. Does it?

A beat.

So now the next thing has to be done.

MURDAC. Yes… Yes… You’ll need to hold my boys longer. I understand. You’ve no choice.

JAMES. No, it’s not enough. I have to execute them. I have to execute every other man in your family.

A beat.

MURDAC. Oh Christ, no, listen to me.

James, now you’ve tamed them I can keep them in check. I promise you.

JAMES. No, I have to execute you too. And the leader of every family that rose with your son. You wouldn’t give me peace so I’ll need to buy it. The crown will not be poor again. And I can’t look weak. Not even for one sunny afternoon. The crown will have your lands. And theirs. And your cousins’ and your uncles’. All your lands and titles are forfeit to the crown. We’ll need the money for my ransom.