1 BUCEPHALUS SETTING: Light from the full moon filters through open rafters to illuminate a figure writing at a simple

table; straw is scattered on the floor around him. BUCEPHALUS writes in his journal. In this iteration, he is portrayed by a tall, physically-imposing black man, wearing nothing but a pair of black dungarees; his long braids cascade down his back; there is a smear of white ash on his forehead, suggestive of a star. The cloud that was obscuring the moon drifts off, flooding the space with light; all design elements are simple and timeless: it could be Ancient Greece, it could be Fargo last week; two young stablehands ARCHIPPOS and KORINA enter with a bowl and drinking vessel on a tray; they approach BUCEPHALUS in awe. ARCHIPPOS Is it really him? KORINA Hush, Archippos. We are not to disturb him. He needs his time and we must not distract. You wait here. (She places the tray as quietly as possible as close as she dares; turns to go.) BUCEPHALUS Stay, children. My pen seems out of ink, though it could as easily be that I am out of writing. Visit with me; perhaps I will find my muse again if I cease looking quite so hard for her. (They approach reverently.) Hello. KORINA My name is Korina, and this is my brother Ar/

AT RISE:

2 BUCEPHALUS Archippos, you said. The master of horses. Did your parents name you well, son? Or are you old enough yet to know? (Fearlessly, ARCHIPPOS walks up to him; looks him over carefully; BUCEPHALUS offers a hand; the boy examines it closely, seems to approve, and releases it; looks up at BUCEPHALUS and grins; BUCEPHALUS rubs his head fondly.) Your parents are indeed wise, young horseman. Korina's smarter. ARCHIPPOS She's teaching me.

BUCEPHALUS Then I am doubly-blessed: to entertain both master and mistress of horses is a gift from Olympus I rarely enjoy. Come, be comfortable. My home is yours, humble as it is. (They sit on the floor at his feet.) ARCHIPPOS Have you always been Alexander's horse? Archy! Do not be rude. KORINA We are guests.

BUCEPHALUS (laughs) It is all right. A common mistake made by many that only stings if the asker is old enough to know better. Son, I have never been Alexander's horse. ARCHIPPOS But I thought/ BUCEPHALUS Alexander has always been my boy. Even as he has grown into the emperor of the world, he has stayed my boy. KORINA How did he become your boy? The old women in the market say he given to us by the gods; did they give him to you first? ARCHIPPOS I want to be your boy, too. I'm a boy.

3 BUCEPHALUS Yes, you are, Archippos, a fine boy. But Alexander saved me from a demon, that's how he became my boy. Unluckily for you, there are no demons here, so I do not need saving tonight. (The eyes of ARCHIPPOS as well as KORINA get very wide.) ARCHIPPOS A demon? KORINA How did he save you? (Laughing again, he lifts ARCHIPPOS over his head, then sets him in his lap.) BUCEPHALUS He was just about your age when we met, Korina, and not much bigger. I was nearly twice his size already, but I knew when I saw him that he was my equal, and that we would do great, great things together. But there was a demon... (shudders at the memory) ... a nightmare as black as night that pursued me in brightest day. It clung to my forelegs and hind, and no matter how hard I tried to escape it, I could not run fast enough, I could not jump high enough, I could not pound my feet against the earth hard enough to break its hold. There was no way to free myself from its horrifying clutches; I was doomed. (ARCHIPPOS buries his head in BUCEPHALUS' chest; BUCEPHALUS holds him reassuringly.) What happened? I? the and and KORINA What did you do?

BUCEPHALUS I did nothing. I could do nothing. I was powerless in demon's grip. No man could approach me to sooth me, I could approach no man for succor: they called me mad planned my death. (ARCHIPPOS cries out; KORINA gets up and puts her arms around him and BUCEPHALUS both.)

KORINA But Alexander saved him, Archy!

He saved Bucephalus.

4 BUCEPHALUS This true, young master, so very true. He came right up to me, just like you would: unarmed, unflinching, unafraid. He spoke softly to me of figs and oats as he rubbed my star with olive flowers, then turned me gently toward the sun. (Holds ARCHIPPOS up so they are eye-to-eye.) He turned my face to the sun, and the demon vanished. Poof! No more demon, ever again! Ha! ARCHIPPOS Ha! BUCEPHALUS (to KORINA) Ha! KORINA Ha! (The children are so filled with relief they cavort and dance and clap their hands; BUCEPHALUS sings an accompaniment; his dance steps resemble clogging, with a lot of foot-stamping and kicking.) BUCEPHALUS THE HORSE CAME DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAINTOP HE RAN SO FAST THAT HE COULD NOT STOP HE RAN SO FAR THAT HE CROSSED THE SEA NOW AREN'T YOU GLAD THAT IT WASN'T ME? ALL HE RAN AND HE RAN BOTH NIGHT AND DAY BUT WHY HE RAN NO ONE COULD SAY HE RAN RIGHT THROUGH THE SKY OF BLUE AND I'M SO GLAD THAT IT WASN'T YOU. (They all collapse in a heap, laughing; ARCHIPPOS' laugh turns into a huge yawn; he curls up in BUCEPHALUS' lap; KORINA tries very hard not to yawn, but does not do a very good job of it.) BUCEPHALUS Alexander became my boy when he saved me from the demon. And now we have conquered the world and all the demons it contained and have sent them into the sun. You have nothing to fear, little ones; he and I have made you safe,

5 just as he made me safe all those years ago. Be at peace. (The children sleep in his arms; he smiles; looks toward his journal.) And so my muse returns when I am helpless to respond. It can only be Thalia who takes such delight in tormenting me so. (Nods toward the table.) I honor you, goddess, as you honor me. My thanks. (Holds the children a little tighter; gazes into the sky.) My thanks to you all, for having given me my Alexander, and allowing me to help him fulfill the bidding of the Fates. I have dedicated my life to being as good and honorable a companion to him as he is to me. (A shaft of moonlight finds him.) I would pray, my lords, if you would forgive my arrogance. I pray that you would have pity on a vain and foolish horse, and when the time comes for my boy and I to join you, please let me come first, if only to prepare the way for him. I could not live in a world without Alexander; without him on my shoulders, becoming part of me like the wind is part of the sky. A world without my boy would be so fearsomely dark it would swallow Helios' Sun and Selene's Moon and all the stars between. Such is my hope. Such is my wish. Such is my prayer. (A cloud begins to cover the moon; the light fades.) Be at peace, Korina; be at peace, master Archippos. Tonight I watch over you as if you were Alexander himself. As if my own boy were here with me. LIGHTS OUT