Editing The Missing Arm (section)

=== Scene 1 ===
Place: A forest. ERVYNE is chopping trees with an axe. He pauses, sits down, and tosses the axe away.

ERVYNE. What a wretched life this is! A woodcutter like my father, and his father, and his father! I would be great in this world—I would be a fine man like Old William, and everyone would bow to me and honor me...but they don’t! They never have, they never will! It’ll always be young Ervyne—the woodcutter! I will never be greater than that! (Footsteps offstage.) Who is it? (Jumps to his feet and grabs his axe.)					

(Enter RICHMOND, carrying his own axe.)					

RICHMOND. Young Ervyne! The woodcutter. (ERVYNE grimaces, but he does not appear to notice.) Good to see you, very nice indeed. I was chopping some wood north of here. Maybe you want some help?					

ERVYNE. (Stiffly.) Thanks.

They begin to chop down limbs of trees.

RICHMOND. I thought I heard you say something about being like Old William. ERVYNE. Maybe you did.					

RICHMOND. Well, that’s funny. I used to want to be like him when I was little. The thought— chasing a bear nine feet tall, and wrestling it with one’s bare hands, and thrusting it to the ground—ah, that’s lovely. Old William’s like the king of this place. You know, I think I heard that when the king makes his visit to this region in a month, he intends to give Old William some kind of reward for being the bravest man around.					

ERVYNE. Is that so?					

RICHMOND. Anyway, I was saying when I grew up, I was no Old William. Just Richmond the woodcutter. Nothing wrong with that, though.					

ERVYNE. (Bitterly.) So you lost your ambition?


RICHMOND. Why, no. I’m actually going on a journey today. My distant great-aunt died, and I’m going to claim my inheritance from her. I leave this evening, once I’ve saddled my horse. I hope to come back a rich man.					

ERVYNE. (Very bitterly) Glorified by all in the village.					

RICHMOND. (Turns so that his back is to ERVYNE, lifts his axe in the air.) I can already see it. I come to my great-aunt’s house on a sagging horse, and leave on a stallion! I come to her house wearing a cloak, and leave in a cape! I come with a few coins, and leave with a fortune! Oh! (He tosses his axe behind him in his anticipation).					

(ERVYNE collapses, the axe in his left arm, and lets out a cry of pain. RICHMOND wheels around.)					

What’s the matter—oh! (Rushes to ERVYNE.) Oh! I’m sorry! What have I done! Can you hear me? Are you alive? (He glances around.) I’ll saddle my horse and hurry to my great-aunt’s house. I have slain a man!					

(Exit RICHMOND, dashing through the forest. After a while, ERVYNE rises and looks around.)					

ERVYNE. Oh, my arm! (Glances at it in panic.) It’s almost sawed off—that Richmond! Where is he? Must have fled the area...I shall have to walk to...the village alone. (Cries aloud.) The village! What am I to do there? They will bind up the wound, they will help me—but I have lost my livelihood...how am I to cut wood without my arm...oh, Richmond! Come back! (Paces a little, then suddenly smiles.) No...no don’t come back, Richmond. I see...I have a plan. (Begins to bind his coat around the wound with pain and grimacing, but a canny look.) The villagers will help a wounded woodcutter, but they will adore a wounded hero...what a lovely plan...			


(Curtain)



Time: The night of the same day