Viridio Foreigners, I will hold your heads in my hands. With my fingers in the sockets of your eyes, I will hold up your skulls, wet with the flesh of your eyes and your blood! I will know you as a killer! As only the killer can know the thing he has killed! To hold you, the guts of you, the kidneys and he hearts of you in my fists! And you will smile, when your heads are dry bone! Over my house! My children and my grandchildren will play with your skulls! And I will tell of the meal we will have tonight! Of your! Of your brain, turned over a fire! With your guts fed to the pigs! Your arseholes gnawed by my dogs! I will hold your bloody hearts, today! Today! Up to the sun as it sets, and squeeze, and your blood will run down my throat, and I will drink you, get pissed on you! And vomit on you and drink more of you! You will be blood in my bones! You will feed me, my meat, my enemy! And your mothers, wherever those stinking sows lie, in your stinking country, will wake with a cry in their own shit, and tear their tits with the pain of how I am going to kill you!

First Soldier Jabber jabber.

Second Soldier Keep the one with the knife off.

The First Soldier walks toward Marban and feints him away from the Second and Third Soldiers, who, with their shields, calmly crowd in on Viridio, slam their shields against him and kill him. They step back.

Viridio slides to the ground with a wound in his chest and in his back.

Third Soldier What a waste of pretty arse.

A silence.

The three Soldiers and Marban – four young men standing still.

Then, relaxed, the Soldiers walk to surround Marban, each a good way from him.

With the knife ready Marban turns from one to the other. Then he relaxes.

A silence, but for Brac.

First Soldier I’m just here for a swim.

Second Soldier That (Meaning Brac.) may be heard.

Third Soldier That (Meaning Marban.) would’ve yelled, if there were more.

First Soldier I’m going to get that swim, so let’s –

The First Soldier runs at Marban, Marban side steps and slashes the knife at the First Soldier, catching his arm. Surprised, the First Soldier falls, turning with a reflex out of his training to cover himself with his shield.

Fucking little nig nog.

He staggers to his feet.

He cut me!

The Second Soldier laughs.

Third Soldier What are we waiting for?

The Soldiers run at Marban, smashing their shields against him from three sides. Marban’s knife goes flying, he stumbles away and falls. The First and Third Soldiers begin to strip.

Hold him, then.

Second Soldier I’ll do him in the neck.

Third Soldier Don’t, he’ll shit himself.

First Soldier All this trouble for a bit of a swim.

Third Soldier No, I want him to feel this. You can cut him about a bit if you want. Here!