The King's Threshold; and On Baile's Strand

You must not weary in your work; a King
Is often weary and he needs a God
To be a comfort to him.

[The Monk plucks his habit away. Seanchan holds up his hand as if a bird perched upon it. He pretends to stroke the bird.

A little god,
With soft well-coloured feathers, and bright eyes.
Aileen.
We have listened long enough.
Essa.
Let us away,
Where we can watch the young men at the hurley.
Seanchan.
Yes, yes, go to the hurley, go to the hurley,
Go to the hurley, gather up your skirts,
Run quickly. You can remember many love songs;
I know it by the light that’s in your eyes,
But you’ll forget them. You’re fair to look on,
Your feet delight in dancing, and your mouths
In the slow smiling that awakens love.
The mothers that have borne you mated rightly,
For they had little ears as thirsty as are yours
For many love-songs. Go to the young men:
Are not the ruddy flesh and the thin flanks
And the broad shoulders worthy of desire?
Go from me. Here is nothing for your eyes,
But it is I that am singing you away,
Singing you to the young men.

[The two young Princesses Buan and Finnhua come in. While he has been speaking Aileen and Essa have shrunk back holding each others hands.

Aileen.
Be quiet;
Look who it is that has come out of the house.
Princesses, we are for the hurling field.
Will you come too?
Princess Buan.
We will go with you, Aileen,
But we must have some words with Seanchan,
For we have come to make him eat and drink.
Chamberlain.
I will hold out the dish and cup for him
While you are speaking to him of his folly,
If you desire it, Princess.

[He has taken up dish and cup.

Princess Buan.
Give me the cup.
My sister there will carry the dish of meat:
We’ll offer them ourselves.
Aileen.
They are so gracious,
The dear little princesses are so gracious.

[Princess Buan holds out her hand for Seanchan to kiss it; he does not move.

Although she is holding out her hand to him
He will not kiss it.
Princess Buan.
My father bids us say
That though he cannot have you at his table,
You may ask any other thing you like
And he will give it you. We carry you
A dish and a cup of wine, with our own hands,
To show in what great honour you are held.
Will you not drink a little? Does he not show
Every befitting honour to the poets?
Aileen.
O look, he has taken it, he has taken it!
The dear princesses, I have always said
That nobody could refuse them anything.

[Seanchan takes the cup in one hand, in the other he holds for a moment the hand of the Princess.

Seanchan.
O long soft fingers and pale finger-tips
Well worthy to be laid in a king’s hand;
O you have fair white hands, for it is certain
There is uncommon whiteness in these hands.
But there is something comes into my mind,
Princess. A little while before your birth
I saw your mother sitting by the road
In a high chair, and when a leper passed
She pointed him the way into the town,
And he lifted his hand and blessed her hand;
I saw it with my own eyes. Hold out your hands,
I will find out if they are contaminated;
For it has come into my thoughts that may be
The King has sent me food and drink by hands
That are contaminated. I would see all your hands,
You’ve eyes of dancers, but hold out your hands,
For it may be there are none sound among you —

[The Princesses have shrunk back in terror.

Princess Buan.
He has called us lepers.
Chamberlain.