Good Knight

A conversation between two brothers, Medieval in period and human in nature.

Good Knight

a play
by
Trystin S. Bailey

CHARACTERS
Percivus
Pic

The entirety of this play occurs within a clearing of the woods in Medieval England. There is a half-rotted log. That's about it. Pic, in his mid-to-late twenties, tall, thin, windsome, crouches upstage, leafing through a book. Percivus, slightly younger than the other, nothing striking about him in any way, stands ready to address the audience.

Percivus: Greetings all, ye men and maidens...(takes a closer look at the audience) well, some of you are maidens. (looks again) Moving on...Greetings, all, my name is Percivus, son of the late Albert, and I am special. (gives a second for his words to sink in) Now, I know that I may not be much to look upon currently, wrapped in these peasant's cloths, but know that within me beats the heart of a brave knight. Slayer of dragons! Winner of a fair maiden's hand! (to the audience) That's...maiden. I will be a knight. And not just any. One of the round table. Lancelot to the left of me. Arthur the king to my right. Clanging chalices and sharing tales of courage and awe! (pause) It's hard to be special here. Now. A peasant, such as myself, does not too easily stand out in a world where griffins and faerie and things infused with magic are far more abundant than you'd think. I mean, how can I possibly...? No! No. That's not what a knight would think. Galahad would sooner...cut off his arm than fall to his own insecurities. That reminds me! (picks up a sword) I must practice. (begins swordplay) Notice the flawlessness of my form. The speed. The flow. The precision. The- (to the audience) Am I boring you? I am, aren't I? I'm- You think I'm- (stops himself. Laughs nervously) No. That's-that's impossible. Because...because I'm special. And if you're special, everybody loves you. (lost in his words for a bit, then to avert attention from his embarrassment, directs the audience attention to Pic) This is Pic, my older brother. (Pic makes a waving gesture then returns to his book) So, uh, Pic...what are you doing?

Pic: (pause) Reading?

Percivus: Ah, well done, well done. Good show. I was just telling these fine people about how I will someday be a famous knight of the Round Table! (silence) About all the magical creatures. (pause) (to the audience) The Black Knight is said to roam these woods. He's as strong as ten regular knights with enchanted onyx armor. He's- he's infused from head to toe with magic. And not just any magic. Pagan magic. (whispers) That's the kind God hates. One day I will smite him. With practice. (at a loss for words again) What're you reading, Pic?

Pic: (pause) A book. (returns to reading)

Percivus: ...about? About! What's it about?!

Pic: (pause) Finches.

Percivus: (to the audience) You'll have to excuse my brother. He knows nothing of living for something more than than this sham we call a life. All it takes is a moment, you see. One moment to shine, to be a hero, to rise up, up, up and never touch the ground again. That's where I'll be. High in the sky. (to Pic) Higher than the finches!

Pic: Huh?

Percivus: Nothing. Go back to your precious book. (becomes frustrated) (to Pic) Don't you care about anything worthwhile?! Your moment?! You're such a disgrace, you know that? Sitting around, reading about leaves and twigs and voles. I don't even know what a vole is! I don't think anyone does?! Don't you want your life to mean something?! Don't you want to find your moment?!

Pic: It'll come when it comes.

Percivus: No! No. No, that's not- You have to look for it. You have to work for it! And even if it does just come to you you have to be prepared for it or...or...(notices Pic reading his book) Nevermind. (thinks about what to say next) (to the audience) Let's talk about love, a knight's greatest reward.

Pic: (quickly) I'm in love.

Percivus: You-! Lo- (to the audience) Ladies and gentle man, the lady of which he is referring to is as large as a cabin and eats for six. And, no, that is not a euphemism for being pregnant with quintuplets as it is a fair assessment of the amount of food she consumes in the course of a day. I hear tales of beasts in the south as large as barns. My brother's cow could probably devour them in a single bite with room left over for a couple of its brothers for dessert.

Pic: Her name is Gertrude and she has an angel's soul.

Percivus: (quickly) And a planet's girth. (to the audience) My lady fair, will be as thin as a twig and white as midday snow. Her skin, smooth as porcelain. Her hair golden as the sun. I will win her from a cruel warrior who has seen it fit to lock her in a tower...or a dungeon- I'm not too picky about that part. We will ride off upon my mighty thouroughbred steed and our love making will both be heard throughout the valley and its surrounding boroughs and result in an army of sons, each one more sturdy and handsome than the last. (Pic scoffs) Don't scoff at me! The very thought of you and Gertrude making love is both nausiating in its metal depictaion and perplexing in the physics of its execution!

Pic: I am rubber and you...glue.

Percivus: Wha- What?! What does that mean? What is rubber?

Pic: Maybe you'd know if you read a book.

Percivus: GAH! I don't have time for this! I'm going to be amazing and you are going to die an old, worthless wrinkled waste with nothing of note attached to his name. (Pic notices something beyond the audience. He is frightened) Are you even listening to me? Wha- What are you looking a- (stops dead in his tracks) Oh my. Oh...dear. It's...it's...

Percivus: The Black Knight.

Percivus: It is. It's him. It's really... But not now. Not now. There's still so much I have yet to do. Before I can... NO! No. This is it. My moment. I can feel it, coursing through me. Giving me power. Look, brother. Look how he just stands there. He's not as large as they say...but he is still larger than any man I have ever seen. Wouldn't you agree, Pic? (no answer as Pic stands up) Pic? What's he doing now? I think he's...he's gesturing for us to approach him. He's...he's unsheathing his sword! And what a weapon... It's huge! Infused with magic, they say. Pagan magic. The...the kind G-God...the k-kind God hates. Why am I-? Am I shaking? No. Where's my sword? I need my sword? (clumsily grabs his sword) There. That's all I needed. The shaking has...subsided? He seems to be growing impatient. His gestures are... (shakes his head. Notices his brother beside him. Pic had been slowly approaching as Percivus spoke) Pic. Brother. The strangest thing is happening. In my mind I want to move toward him, but my legs... It's like they're stuck in place. I can't seem to move forward, though I want to! It truly do! (gasps) Do you think he's putting a spell on me? Containing me? Keeping me from my destiny? Couldn't that be it? Could that be- (Pic takes the sword from Percivus) What are you doing, brother?!

Pic: (dead serious) Seizing the moment, brother. (walks out toward the Black Knight. Exits)

Percivus: Pic. Pic! No... Wait, I... (tries to move but cannot force himself to) What is he-? He's...he's approaching the Black Knight. He's saying something I can't...The Black Knight raises his sword! Pic dodges the first attack! He swings. Gah! A miss! Another swing! (reacts speechlessly to the battle) Pic. Pic! PIC, NO! Pic, to the left, Pic! Plant! Plant! He's too fast. He's too fast... PIC! Behind you! Behind you, PIC! BEHIND, Y-! (freezes. It is clear by his expression what has happened) Pic... No... Brother... (attempts to gather himself) I must...I must go in there. I must go in there and...avenge...his... But I have no sword. I have no... (the sword is thrown back on stage) No...no armor... (some pieces of black armor are thrown on stage) I...I...I have...(delirious by this point) I CAN'T! ARE YOU HAPPY?! I CAN'T! (backs away) I CAN'T! I can't... (exits)

End.