Scene excerpt from MERLIN:

(Suddenly, there is a sound in the forest. ARTHUR turns.)

ARTHUR
Father!

HECTOR
Are you tired of shooting birds, Arthur? Now you’re going to shoot your father?

(Not looking back, ARTHUR holds up his hand to stop MERLIN.)

ARTHUR
Hold, Merlin, it’s only my father.

HECTOR
(Hector looks confused.) Merlin? Who is Merlin?

ARTHUR
(Pointing over his shoulder) He helped me…sort of helped me… I could have done it myself…

HECTOR
Done what?

ARTHUR
Oh, father, it was terrible. There were… four or five of them, armed to the teeth. I thought they were dragons. They jumped me, and I fought them off. After I had them on the run, and begging for mercy. Merlin showed up. Well, at first there was one Merlin, then there were three.

HECTOR
And now, there seems to be none.

ARTHUR
What? (He turns and sees MERLIN is gone.) He was here. They were all here. Five villains, three Merlins…

HECTOR
(Laughing) …and a dragon! Are you sure they weren’t all blackbirds?

ARTHUR
You don’t believe me!

HECTOR
I believe that you believe it. Now come along. Your mother is waiting for you.

ARTHUR
That’s right! My birthday! My fifteenth! The promise!

HECTOR
What?

ARTHUR
Have you forgotten the promise?

HECTOR
No, I haven’t forgotten. Now, come. (HECTOR starts off but ARTHUR does not move.) COME!

(THEY exit. Ominous music. The stage left tree revolves and becomes a spiral staircase. Even as the staircase is moving, MORGAN LE FAY is walking up the stairs. She is a striking woman, her deep green gown setting off her bright red hair. She wears a wide leather pouch, from which hang various pouches and fetishes. As she reaches her balcony, GRIFLET and ACCOLON kneel before her. As the lights come up, she whirls on them.)

MORGAN
He lives! HE LIVES!

ACCOLON
(Subdued) Yes.

(She glares at them for a moment. Then she points her finger toward the heavens. We hear a low rumble of thunder as she intensely speaks a few sentences in Welsh.)

MORGAN
LLARPIWCH, DIARDDELWCH, A DINISTRIWCH HWYNT [Tear, expel and raze them]
LLADDWCH, A DISTRIWCH HWYNT. [Kill and ruin them.]
CWN GWERYN, COCHELWCH! [Dogs of Gweryn beware!]

(Thunder crashes and lightening rips the sky. ACCOLON and GRIFLET cower with fear. She lowers her hand and the heavens become silent.)

ACCOLON
Sorry.

MORGAN
How did this happen?

ACCOLON
Well… you see… I had him. My knife at his throat. If it hadn’t been for the cowardice of this toad, Griflet…

GRIFLET
What? Me?

MORGAN
Shut up, TOAD!

(She gestures. Thunder. GRIFLET acts like a toad.)

ACCOLON
Excellent. You’re amazing. Brilliant. And lovely. Have I ever told you how lovely…

MORGAN
Silence! Or I’ll make you his twin. Now tell me all. Tell me how the two of you were defeated by one scrawny boy.

ACCOLON
There was another.

MORGAN
Another!

ACCOLON
A sorcerer! He used magic. We saw three of him!

MORGAN
You fool! You saw what he wanted you to see! Your minds are weak! You have no more will power than a dog!

(When MORGAN says “dog” she gestures toward GRIFLET. There is a clap of thunder and he instantly becomes a dog. He runs off barking.)

ACCOLON
Give me another chance.

MORGAN
Hah! I should have known better than to send two men to do a woman’s job.

ACCOLON
(Falls to his knees) Please! I won’t fail you again.

MORGAN
You are no match for Merlin.

ACCOLON
Merlin!

MORGAN
Who else? I will have to do this myself. Bring Griflet and fetch my horse.

ACCOLON
Griflet! (GRIFLET. the “dog” runs on barking and snarling.) Heel, Griflet, heel! (GRIFLET whimpers.)

MORGAN
You shall see. This land is mine. It rightfully belongs to me, Morgan Le Fay. Come, swine!
(She snaps her fingers. Thunder. GRIFLET turns into a pig.)

ACCOLON
Excellent. Wonderful piggy. Good! Very good.

(They exit. The staircase again becomes a tree as the stage right rock revolves. As this happens, we hear a blood-curdling scream. As the interior of ARTHUR’S home comes into view we see ARTHUR brandishing a sword. AGNES, ARTHUR’S mother, the source of the scream,  is crouched behind the table as ARTHUR tells his story.  HECTOR looks on.)

ARTHUR …And he swung his sword again, (He swings the sword) but I leapt out of the way!  Then the other two came at me, one with a lance, the other with a broadaxe.  I dispatched them with no trouble. Then I noticed three of the villains had poor Merlin. Again, I swung the sword! ((AGNES screams)