Cai She sleeps here.

Corda But I don’t want to be married. Just to stay alive.

Cai Get back!

He lifts a blackened wooden idol from the earth.

Morgana What –

Cai Goddess of this place, girl.

Morgana A saint? It’s not a saint.

Cai Huh! Why didn’t you die when you were born?

Both of you, eh?

Why didn’t all of us die of your mother’s sickness?

Touching the idol, gently.

Because of the blood put on the ground where I buried her.

Twenty-one years ago.

Morgana Filthy! A filthy pagan thing –

Cai Right girl. She’s not like your skinny rabbit Jesus, nailed up, soaking up prayers. This one don’t soak up prayers.

He laughs, then stops.

(Low:) Get a little bowl. For blood from the Saxon’s throat.

Morgana No –

Cai She’ll see none of his kind come to this place again.

Corda and Morgana hear something. Cai does not, absorbed by the idol.

Corda What did you hear?

Morgana Don’t know. A woman cried.

Cai (to Corda) You girl! Get a rope and a knife.

Corda picks up a stone. She and Cai stare at each other.

Cai Ah. Ah.

Kind against kind.

The cow gives birth to wolves who tear her belly to bits.

Ah.

Corda brings the stone down on Cai’s head. He goes on all fours, staring at her.

Then he stands and staggers away.

Morgana Corda.

Don’t.

She tries to hold Corda back. Corda pushes her away. She holds Corda about her knees.

Corda kicks her away. She turns and runs after Cai. They disappear into the trees.

Saint Pelagius said we’re not born into the world evil. We make our own sin.

Corda! Please! We’ve not murdered our own father, on our own field!

(To herself:) Yes, we make our own sin. The Priest said they call that a heresy and they sent a Bishop from Rome, with soldiers to make us learn –

Corda comes out of the trees, the stone still in her hand and bloody.

She stops a distance from Morgana.

Learn – that we’re born in sin. Even in the cradle, bad. Filthy.

Please, we’re not murderers –

Corda, moving quickly to where the idol lies on the ground.

Corda He’s got some old coins, buried. Maybe by this thing –

Morgana He must have a mass, with a priest. Or he’ll not go to Heaven –

Corda throws the idol to one side. She starts to dig with the sword.

Corda Come on. Help me!

Morgana If we drag him into the field, they’ll think he was killed by the Saxon –

Corda What an evil thought, sister.

Morgana I loved him.

Corda I hated him. Ever since he lifted my skirt when I was only just a woman.

He did the same to you.

Morgana No.

Corda Don’t lie.

Morgana I’ve only seen the village. All my life, never out of sight.

What’s out there? Dragons? Giants?

Is there a war out there?

Corda lifts a handful of coins.