Where’s the Irishmen’s wine?

Brac hands Viridio the wineskin. He raises it to drink.

Three Roman Soldiers walk out of the woods. The soldiers and the brothers see each other at the same time. There is a considerable distance between them.

A silence.

First Soldier Three wogs.

A silence.

Second Soldier What are they, d’you know?

Third Soldier A wog is a wog.

First Soldier Not Trinovante. Not round here.

Third Soldier Pretty arses. Give ’em something.

The Soldiers laugh.

Viridio They – not got eagles on their shoulders ’stead of heads. We’ll see in a moment if they’ve got brass balls that clang when they walk.

Viridio laughs.

Marban Be quiet.

Viridio they don’t know what we’re saying. We don’t know what they’re saying.

Brac Kill the leader first. Which one’s the leader? Can you tell which one’s the leader?

Marban Shut up! (Low:) What weapons have we got?

Brac My knife –

Marban Where?

Brac You had it. To cut the Irishman’s throat –

Marban Yes.

A silence.

One knife. Under my clothes – don’t look at it!

Stand up

The brothers stand.

First Soldier A little wander round, and we pick a plum. Not that we don’t deserve it. Fine day? Sun? A swim? Three little wogs to play with?

Second Soldier There may be others. (He looks around.) I mean these are children. Maybe they sent ’em out to play, while they’re hiding, waiting to come down on us.

Third Soldier No, these wogs are fucked and do they know it. Success is with us, the news of success – right? So – wade right through ’em, into the river, right?

Brac Jabber jabber.

Marban They’re talking about how to kill us.

Viridio They’re between us and the trees.

Marban We’ve got one knife.

We don’t know who is best to use it.

Brac Me –

Viridio Me –

Brac With a knife? Oooh!

Brac, a knifing gesture.

Marban Be still!

A silence.

Get them to circle round. Then we can get into the trees.

The Soldiers advance toward the brothers carefully.

Second Soldier Don’t let ’em get into the trees. I’ve seen enough of wogs running into the fucking trees.

Third Soldier Beads? Pretty beads?

First Soldier For fucksake.

The First Soldier draws his sword.

Italian short sword, eh? Want to feel your fish round that? A real hard-on, eh?

He spins the sword in the air. Marban takes a step back. The Soldiers stand still.

A silence.

The Second and Third Soldiers draw their swords.

The Soldiers run at the brothers. Marban runs to his clothes and gets the knife. Viridio and Brac run in different directions.

The Second and Third Soldiers catch Brac and give him a bad stomach wound.

Brac rests, pulls himself along the ground, screams, rests – a progress that continues during most of the rest of the scene, gradually slowing.

Viridio stops, turns and stares at his brother’s agony.

Marban, with the knife, turns.

All but for the crawling Brac are still.