Side for everyone to read, page 52-54 SCENE 20 UNWEAVING BY MOONLIGHT Night falls. The fabric of ropes glows in the dark. Penelope sits up in her chair, and the Maids tiptoe in, iagling sof. Melantho Good evening, na’am. Penelope Call me Penelope ~ les dispense with formalities. ‘We're amongst friends. Come, sit down! Kerthi brought us some figs. Penelope ‘My favourite! TTaais And some bread dipped in honeycomb. Tole (a ite overescied) Amidnight feast! Kiysie ve brought some wine Pence ee ‘Together they start unpicking the shroud. The Maids seg aura round. Maids ‘Weaving, grieving, ot and in, While ot angled eb we spine Moon’ above and gone the st, Pick the tends out one by one 2 Weaving, grieving, al deceiving, Night undoes whae day has done; Weaving, grieving, out and in, Night and secrecy help us win, ‘Never we'll finish what we've beguat When will dear Odysseus come? he fabric of ropes comes apart as they ing and move out and in. es - oe Penelope ‘That's enough for one nigh. What news of the Kerihia ‘The fat one is getting impatient, Melantho Antinous? Kerthia Maybe he suspects something. Penelope ‘Melantho ... need you to distract him. Melantho But how, ma’am? Penelope You'll think of something, Stick close to the suitors — that way we'll always know their plans. You can even, say rude and disrespectfl things about me, or ‘Telemachus, or even Odysseus himself ~ chat will ‘make the illusion more convincing. Melantho (practising) Queen Penelope is a very clumsy weaver! Penelope smiles. 3Penelope Tim so proud of you girls. You're my most rusted eyes ‘and ears. When Odysscus gets home he'll be so very, very pleased with you all. qq For more than thre years we picked away at my weaving at the dead of night. And though we were ‘Pemanently exhausted, these nights had a touch of Peivity amongse them. They were such pleasant girl, fall of energy lite loud and giggly sometimes, as all nails are in youth, but it cheered me up to hear them ‘hattering away, and to listen to thet singing. They had such lovely voices, all of them, We told stories as ‘we svarked away at oUF task of destruction we shared Files; we made jokes. We became like sisters. And inthe mornings, our eyes darkened by lack of ‘cep, we'd exchasige smiles of complicity, and ere and {here a quick squeeze of the hand. Theie "Yes ma'ams! fiud ‘No ma’ams’ hovered on the edge of laughtt as {neither they not Ueauld take their servile behaviour seriously. In retrospect, I an see that my actions were ill onsidered, and caused harm. But I was running out ot time, and becoming desperate, and Thad to Use ‘recy euse and stratagem at my command. SCENE 21 ‘THE UNPLEASANT BANQUET “The Maids are flirting with the Suitors. Melansho is paying special attention to Aminows, His hands keep Iuandering; she Reeps pushing them away. Telemachus eyes the Maids and the Suitors with disgust. sa ‘Telemachus ‘Mother! Why don’t you put a stop t0 this? They're disgusting! : Penelope ‘Your father isn't here. And what, ‘Now Lust get back to my weaving, oo She tes er le and gives and and oil 0 iret eae Antinous eyes this exchange suspiciously, “elemachus Sines and bloodsacker al of you. Jus wa father gets home! ce a Telemachus follows Penelope out, fring. Melantho ‘What was that about? Antinous ‘What do you mean? Astinous She looked at you funny. Melantho, ‘The old bar's got a wall eye, that’s all, Antious (0 the room at a Tas i Soe boked at you fony. ‘The other Suitors pay attention. She's taking a long time with that stupid shroud of 3! Right, boys? ss