for your silence, daughter of
darkness. A prince has no heed of purses.

TSUMU [looking at him]. A prince!

HELENA [gloriously]. My prince of poetry. My deliverer!

PARIS [divinely]. My queen of love!

[They go out, TSUMU looking after them in speechless amazement. Suddenly
she sees the papyrus on the shield, runs over and reads it and then
rushes to the door of the library.]

TSUMU [calling]. Analytikos. [She hides the purse in her bosom.
ANALYTIKOS enters, scroll in hand.]

ANALYTIKOS. Has the Queen summoned me?

TSUMU [mysteriously]. A terrible thing has happened.

ANALYTIKOS. What's the matter?

TSUMU. Where's the King?

ANALYTIKOS. In the library.

TSUMU. I have news more precious than the gold of Midas.

ANALYTIKOS [giving her a purse]. Well! What is it?

TSUMU [speaking very dramatically and watching the effect of her words].
The Queen has deserted Menelaus.

ANALYTIKOS [receiving the shock philosophically]. Swift are the ways of
Nature. The Gods have smiled upon him.

TSUMU. The Gods have forsaken the King to smile upon a prince.

ANALYTIKOS. What?

TSUMU. He was a prince.

ANALYTIKOS [apprehensively]. Why do you say that?

TSUMU [clutching her bosom]. I have a good reason to know. [There is a
sound of voices below in the courtyard. MENELAUS rushes in expectantly.
TSUMU falls prostrate before him.] Oh, King, in thy bottomless agony
blame not a blameless negress. The Queen has fled!

MENELAUS [in his delight forgetting himself and flinging her a purse].
Is it true?

TSUMU. Woe! Woe is me!

MENELAUS [storming]. Out of my sight, you eyeless Argus!

ANALYTIKOS [to TSUMU]. Quick, send a messenger. Find out who he was.
[TSUMU sticks the third purse in her bosom and runs out.]

MENELAUS [with radiant happiness, kneeling before the bust of Zeus].
Ye Gods, I thank ye. Peace and a happy life at last. [The shouts in the
courtyard grow louder.]

ANALYTIKOS. The news has spread through the palace.

MENELAUS [in trepidation, springing up]. No one would dare stop the
progress of the Queen.

TSUMU [rushes in and prostrates herself before the KING]. Woe is me!
They have gone by the road to the harbor.

MENELAUS [anxiously]. Yes! Yes!

TSUMU. By the King's orders no man has dared gaze upon Her Majesty. They
all fell prostrate before her.

MENELAUS. Good! Good! [Attempting to cover his delight.] Go! Go! You
garrulous dog. [TSUMU gets up and points to shield. ANALYTIKOS and the
KING look tow