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The Book of Bob by Seven Pillars of Wisdom [1937]

Scene 2

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Scene 2

[unclear: tain] rises on a cheering group, laughing and applauding [unclear: Adam] Sham the [unclear: newlly] elected elder. He wears a bowler hat and [unclear: pipe] and the [unclear: usual] [unclear: robes]. A board on side stags shows the final poll. "Sham [unclear: 9999] Bob 9." A few posters indicate the election campaign - large and flamboyant for Sham - tiny and insignifi[unclear: cant] for Bob.)

(Sham is vain and pompous - the successful tory - the citizens hang on his every word.)

Sham:

brethren hearken unto me, give ear unto my sayings.

1st C:

Say on Greant Sham, say on.

Sham:

At this, the 10th hour of the 10th day of the 10th month, the tribes have truly confounded the defilers of our fair democracy.

Chorus:

True words Great Sham, we have, we have!!!

Sham:

On this great day ye have done no servile toil

it is a day of feasting and blowing of trumpets.

2nd C:

(aside) Methinks Sham doth but prepare to blow his own trumpet.

Sham:

(pompously) Casting aside the honeyed counsels of Bob lest thy feet should be led into a mine of debt, [unclear: thou] has chosen me to be thy mouthpiece in the council of the tribes. Lift up your eyes to the writing on the wall (points to poll results) but nine voices have been raised against me; the voices that have acclaimed me number nine thousand nine hundred ninety and nine.........

1st C:

Truly we hearkened not, Great Sham, to the voice of Bob.

3rd C:

He who would loosen the shackles of our very slaves and set them at our tables!! (Shouts of scorn)

Sham:

True words, oh citizen, true words. For doth not the leper Bob councel thus amongst the elders of the tribes saying: "Let no man eat who doth not toil. Let no man take unto himself menservants nor maidservants, eunuchs nor concubines."

Voices:

Shame, Shame, Shame (Shouts of horror)

Sham:

Let no man wax fat upon the labour of his servants. Let all men labour - thus saith Bob.

(Amusement)

2nd C:

(aside) Methinks he speaks with the voice of Beelzebub.

Sham:

Ye have but heard the half. According to the wolrd of Bob all your oxen, your sheep, your land, your tents, your raiment shall be taken from you (uproar) nor shall anything remain. (wild dismay)

1st C:

But to whom shall these things be given???

Chorus:

Aye, to whom??????

Sham:

List ye!! Thus saith Bob- "To each man his rent, [unclear: his] [unclear: raiment], his wife, his children: but the land shall be to [unclear: all] the tribe being owned by none and yet by all."

page break Cit:

These things cannot be--

Sham:

[unclear: Not] he would open up the wilderness and net the valleys with strange roads upon which belching chariots night bring back the fruits of the new fields that he would till.

Chorus:

Aye - Mohaka, Mohaka? Mohaka!!!

Cit:

But Sham, these roads must be vast. We have not the slaves to build them. How then would he have them builded?

Sham:

True - there be not slaves enough. But 'tis in Bob's poisoned mind that You should dig (uproar) That you should wear the vile dungaree(uproar) Brethren, 'tis my belief and the belief of my fathers before me, yea! and their fathers before them - that we the men of substance of our tribe (smacks belly) should spend our days in wealth. For if a man's wealth be taken from him and become the common lot of the tribe so that no man owns anything but each man wons all - will there be any that will toil?????

Chorus:

But Bob saith we shall all use tractors!!!

Sham:

My friends, 'tis then that Bob astride his iron [unclear: steed] would spurn and crush that sign of toil-the wheelbarrow!!

Voices:

Shame, shame. A curse on Bob!!

Sham:

Truly thou wert wise to wipe out this scourge, thus Bob. How should we continue in the inheritance of our fathers, how should we have kept our slaves For on these things doth our happiness depend Bob would have stolen them from you, but I, your chosen leader, believe that a man's wealth is a sacred thing to be kept and guarded. Listen-