Mina and the Showman - Third Spin of the Top
THIRD SPIN OF THE TOP
MINA PUTS DOWN HER PAINTBRUSH, PICKS UP A GUN AND SHOOTS AND THE VOICES SCATTER, LAUGHING, ‘JULIA’ (SHOWMAN IN DRAG) ENTERS AND GOES TO THE CAMERA EQUIPMENT SHOWMANJULIA Mina! Dearest! In the sun and no hat! Oh! Don’t, don’t, don’t move! SHE SETS UP HER TRIPOD You are painting the Datura metel. Ominous white beast. MINA(SOFTLY) Julia. (SHOUTS BACK) Why do you say so? It’s just Thorn Apple. SHOWMANJULIA Plaguey fruit. The Rajpoot mothers smear it on their breasts when they have baby girls to poison them. MINAYou are very unconventional, Julia….. SHOWMANJULIA (WRESTLING WITH HER EQUIPMENT) I’m not responsible for the infanticidal tendencies of local matrons. MINA….to mention the bosom en plein air. SHOWMANJULIA Breasts. They must be called breasts, Mina. Fruit of our mothers. We must raise our daughters natural and proud. Ask Mister Ruskin. And don’t pout. You must be a sensualist yourself. MINAWhy do you think so? SHOWMANJULIA To paint like that. MINAJust flowers. SHOWMAN/JULIA All those questing male structures and palpitating petals. THE VOICES LAUGH SHRILLY. MINA RISES ABRUPTLY SHOWMANJULIA Where are you going? MINAI must walk. I get… SHOWMANJULIA You cannot move. The light is right. The composition elegant. The artist stupendously gifted. MINAThe subject is too commonplace. SHOWMANJULIA You’re right. Wait. I shall fetch costumes. Don’t go away. Dearest. A SNAKE APPEARS IN THE TEMPLE AND SLITHERS TO HER CHAIR SHOWMANJULIA Aboo Simbel, Abyssinia, Amberawa, Assooan, Aurangabad, Boro-Bodo, Syra, Tanjor, Sasamengo, Shrenk. MINAIt’s been raining below the mountain. Mules smothered by mud. A woman killed in it. SHE MOVES TOWARDS HER CHAIR I see something. I see a beautiful bright green thing on my sketching chair, waving in the wind. I think someone’s been so kind as to put down some plant or grass for me to paint. Sometimes, you see, the children will…. VOICES Aboo Simbel, Abyssinia, Amberawa, Assooan, Aurangabad, Boro-Bodo, Syra, Tanjor, Sasamengo, Shrenk. If all the world were paper And all the sea was ink If all the trees were bread and cheese…SSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssssssss MINAMy spectacles not being on. I put out my hand to touch it….. SHE TOUCHES A SNAKE AND FREEZES.