pacing up an down
pacing up an down
Enzi: “Kioni, please stop pacing around like that! You're making me nervous!”
Kioni: ” By mother earth, Enzi, what have I done wrong? No matter what I try, Nakisisa just won't do what I tell him. And if he does for once, he messes it up!”
Enzi: “That's how boys are when they grow up. If you don't give them enough freedom, they'll go and get it by themselves.”
Kioni: “As a male, and especially as the queen's son, he can't just do whatever he pleases! The eyes of the entire tribe are on him! And on me, too!”
Enzi: “Aren't you at least a little bit worried about him, too?”
Kioni: “*sigh* Oh Enzi, I love him so dearly that I'm almost worried to death! But as the queen, I have to observe the traditions of the tribe more than anybody else. I can't help it.”
Enzi: “And which tradition exactly keeps you from sending someone after him?”
Kioni: “None. It's simply not the right thing to do. At least not yet.”
Enzi: “How so?”
Kioni: “Well, the fact that Nakisisa was kidnapped, and not killed right here, leaves only two possibilities. It's either a trap - with Nakisisa as the bait - or an attempt to extort me. In both cases, premature rescue attempts would do more harm than good. If anybody out there wants anything from me, they'll have to make contact in one way or another. So we'll wait and see who comes knocking.”
Enzi: “Don't get me wrong, Kioni. You are the queen, and I'll accept your decision. But do you really believe Naki was overwhelmed and dragged away by a red fox half his size, without leaving any evidence of a fight? I think you're way underestimating your son's abilities.”
Kioni: “He's just a boy, Enzi. Just my poor, little boy.”
Curtain - open
08 - Savanna Day
Lights on
A little rabbit appears on top of the middle rock, cautiously looking left and right.
0601 - plopp
The rabbit climbs off its rock to the left, explores the stage a bit, nibbles a bit here and there.
A large colorful bird comes flying in from section [7] flapping his wings.
0602 - wings flapping
Bird lands on the left rock looking at the little rabbit.
The rabbit looks back at the bird.
The birds opens its beak, and sings a sample from the opening of “the lion king”.
0603 - Bird (very loud!): “Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba !!!!!”
Rabbit: “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!”
The Rabbit flees back behind his rock in terror.
The bird shrugs, looking at the audience.
0604 - Bird : *SHRUG*
0604 - Bird : “Naaaaants! Naaaaaaaants! Naaaaaants!” (Truncated sample of the same line as above)
0604 - Wings flapping, bird flying away
Bird flaps its wings, and flies away to section [1], continuing to chant.
A few seconds of slience
0601 - plopp
Rabbit re-appears on top of the middle rock, looks left and right, and sighs with relief.
Rabbit climbs down its rock, curiously approaching the rock to the right, sniffing.
Nakisisa pokes his head out from behind the right rock.
Nakisisa: “Boo!”
Rabbit: “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!”
Rabbit flees behind the left rock.
0605 - Fighting, Killing
pieces of fur fly from behind the rock.
Mbali appears from behind the rock, with bloody (but tasty) pieces of jackrabbit in her fangs.
Mbali and Nakisisa walks to the middle of the stage,
Mbali puts the rabbit down
Mbali: “Lori! Come here! I finally caught something of your size! Breakfast is ready!”
Lori reluctantly appears from behind the right rock.
Lori: “Urgh! Oh my god … please tell me you didn't actually …”
Mbali: “Yeah, I'm sorry. I would have let you catch it yourself, but Nakisisa is still afraid you might run away from him! What are you waiting for? Dig in!”
Lori (sick): “Uhmmmrmbl … eeeh … Oh! What a nice and fresh … little … cuuuuuuuute (sniff) … bunny! (sniff)”
Nakisisa: “What's wrong with you? Aren't foxes supposed to be carnivores?”
Lori shakes herself, trying to regain her composure.
Lori (playing self-confident, making stuff up on the go): “Eh, uh, yeah! Sure! But I can't eat anything that has been freshly killed, because, uhhh, I'm a shaman you know! If I eat that rabbit before its soul has found peace, it will terribly upset my stomach!”
Nakisisa pokes the dead rabbit with his spear.
0606 - poke poke
Nakisisa: “Hmm. It looks pretty much at peace to *me* …”
Lori: “Well, don't get me wrong! I'm really grateful you guys caught this for me, but … I think, I'll be fine just feeding on …. astral energy. Yep. I think astral energy will do fine, thank you very much.”
Mbali: “Astral what? I've never heard of anything like that before.”
Nakisisa: “Well, whatever it means, if you don't want it, I'm not going to let this go to waste.”
Nakisisa starts eating the Rabbit. (MAKE NOISES!)
0607 - Eating 1 (Breaking bones and squishy noises)
Lori looks at Nakisisa horrified, then turns around to Mbali
Lori: “Aaaanyways …”
Mbali: “Yes?”
Lori (sighs): “I'm just wondering where to go from here.”
Mbali: “Aren't YOU supposed to tell US where to go?”
Nakisisa (with his mouth full): “Yeah! So where do we meet the lords of the sky? On the top of a mountain, like the one in the drawing on the amulet?”
Nakisisa digs into the Rabbit again. (MAKE NOISES!)
0608 - Eating 2 (Breaking bones and squishy noises)
Lori (taking the lead): “Oh … yeah! You're right! No place is closer to the lords of the sky than the top of a mountain!”
Lori looks around.
Lori: “Like THAT one! What's that one called?”
Mbali: “That's Mount Ogwambi. It has been there for as long as the earth exists. Hard to believe a shaman like you has never heard about it.”
Lori: “Oh, I have! Fox shamans just have different names for things than regular shamans.”
Mbali (not convinced): “Aha.”
Nakisisa: “It's about a full day's journey from here to the foot of the mountain. And then at least another day to get even NEAR the top. We shouldn't waste our time. Let's go.”
Lori: “Can we please rest a little more before we go? We've already been up all night, and we're not in a rush are we?”
Nakisisa: “Well, I'm the son of a queen and Mbali is the daughter of a king. Our tribes have been at the brink of war for a long time. You can imagine the turmoil it's going to cause when they realize we're missing. So we'd better hurry.”
Lori (outraged): “What? There might be war because I took you here? Why didn't you tell me! Seriously! If I had known that, I would never …”
Nakisisa: “No, Lori! It'll be exactly the other way round! All you have to do is show us the secret way of the shamans, then we'll meet the lords of the sky, and they will bring peace back to our tribes! We're going to return as heroes!”
Lori (desperate): “Holy crap, no!”
Mbali, Nakisisa: “WHAT?”
Lori (nervous): “I mean, holy crap, yeah! We really need to get going! But … uhm … if we go too fast, my friends won't be able to keep up.”
Mbali: “Who?”
Lori: “I mean, *I* won't be able to keep up, my friends!”
Mbali just looks at Lori for a second.
Mbali: “You're not really a shaman, are you?”
Nakisisa: “Mbali! What are you talking about? Of course she's a shaman! She could read the inscriptions on the amulet!”
Mbali: “Did she? Or didn't she rather just state the obvious, and you filled in the blanks with your own wishful thinking because it's your life's dream to become a hero and impress your mom?”
Nakisisa: “Mbali! How dare you say something like this!”
Mbali: “Naki, wake up! You're blindly following a stranger who doesn't even know Mount Ogwambi!”
Nakisisa: “You told me you loved me. Then why don't you trust me?”
Mbali (bitter): “Yes, I love you, and that's precisely why I'm telling you the truth even though it's not what you want to hear!”
Nakisisa: “And I thought I had finally found someone who doesn't hate me!”
Lori: “Uhm … guys …”
Mbali: “OH MY GOD, WHY DON'T YOU GET IT! I DON'T HATE YOU! I CARE ABOUT YOU MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE! THAT'S WHY I'M STILL TALKING TO YOU!”
Lori: “Guys! Hey! Stop it!”
Nakisisa: “THEN WHY WON'T YOU TRUST ME! I'M A MIGHTY WARRIOR, I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF, AND I'M GOING TO PROVE IT! TO YOU, TO MY MOTHER, TO EVERYONE!”
Lori: “WILL YOU TWO FINALLY SHUT UP, I CAN'T STAND IT ANY LONGER!”
Mbali, Nakisisa: “WHAT?”
Lori starts crying.
Lori (crying): “You're right. I'm not a shaman. I made it all up. I'm not even from this goddamn continent.”
Nakisisa (shocked, whispering): “No. NO! Please … NO!”
Mbali: “See? I told you so.”
Lori (crying): “I'm so sorry. But I didn't have a choice. I was in that cage, and I thought I was going to die, so I told you everything you wanted to hear! I didn't intend to do any harm, let alone cause a war! Please … you must go home as fast as you can! Maybe it's not too late yet!”
Mbali: “That's the first sensible thing I've heard today.”
0609 - Hyena Growling - Action Music
Nakisisa (explodes with rage): “No! NO!!!! RRAAARGH!”
Nakisisa jumps at Lori, pinning her to the ground.
Lori: “AAaaaaarhg!”
Mbali jumps forward, pushing Nakisisa away from Lori
Mbali: “Nakisisa! NAKISISA! STOP IT! LEAVE HER ALONE!”
Nakisisa (in rage): “Do you really think I'm going back and make myself the laughing stock of the entire tribe?”
Mbali: “I'm so disappointed in you.”
Nakisisa: “Why? Because I won't give up so easily? You're beginning to sound just like my mother!”
MBali: “Right now YOU are beginning to sound just like my father!”
Nakisisa: “So what! I swear, I will go up that mountain, and I will find the lords of the sky! Oh, and you little vixen … you want to be free? Well, good riddance! Let's see how long you can survive out here on nothing but thin air and “astral energy”. Just make sure I never see you again, because if I do, I'm going to KILL YOU! Now get out of my way!”
Nakisisa runs off stage to [1]
0610 - Music Fades
Mbali sighs loudly.
Lori (feeble): “I'm sorry.”
Mbali: “Never mind. If I were you, I would have done the same thing. In fact, I have to apologize for Naki. You know … among hyenas, the females are the ones in charge. So, as a male, Naki never gets the appretiation he thinks he deserves - no matter how hard he tries. And sometimes he goes a bit overboard trying to compensate for it. Mother earth knows what he'll get himself into if I don't go after him. So if you'll please excuse me …”
Lori: “Can I go with you? I promise I'll make up for everything, if I can.”
Mbali: “I'm sorry, but no. I'd rather not try what happens if Naki sees you, and let's face it: You're not fit to survive out here. You can't even hunt on your own, and I won't be able to keep up with Naki if I also have to take care of you. No. Our ways part here. You should go and follow your own tracks back to where we came from. Seriously. You don't belong here.”
Lori (contrite): “Thank you for your advice. I'm going to consider it.”
Mbali turns and begins to leave to [1].
Mbali (laughs): “You're a stubborn little thing, aren't you. Well good luck, whatever you may decide. And don't forget to get yourself some water! I've got to go now. See you, Lori! ”
Lori: “See you, Mbali!”
Mbali leaves
Lori walks the other way, slowly, talking to herself.
Lori (stubborn): “Oh my. Things would be so much easier with my friends around. Let's hope they'll find my little trail of breadcrumbs.”
0612 - Rip, Crumple, Throw
Lori pulls another page from the diary, crumples it up and tosses it behind her.
Lori: “But anyways, MBali is right. I'm not going to get far without water. So let's put those survival classes to a test …”
0611 - Ending Music
Lori starts walking to [7]
Lights out
Curtain - close