s defamed the
King.

Olof (to his followers). And you are my witnesses before God that I have
led the people of a godless King away from him!

Marten. Listen, ye faithful! It is because of this heretic that God has
smitten us with the plague--it is the punishment of God, and it fell
first of all on his mother.

Olof. Listen, ye faithless papists! It was the punishment of the Lord on
me because I had served Sennacherib against Judah. I will atone my crime
by leading Judah against the kings of the Assyrians and the Egyptians.

(The moon has risen in the meantime. It is very red, and a fiery glare
pervades the place. The crowd is frightened.)

Olof (mounting one of the graves). Heaven is weeping blood over your
sins and your idolatry. Punishment shall be meted out, for those in
authority have fallen into wrongdoing. Can't you see that the very
graves are yawning for prey--

(Gert seizes Olof by the arm, whispers to him, and leads him down from
the mound. The crowd is panic-stricken.)

Abbess. Give us back our reliquary, so that we may abandon this home of
desolation.

Marten. It is better to let the bones of the Saint remain in this
consecrated soil than to have them touched by the vile hands of
heretics!

Olof. You are afraid of the plague, cowards that you are! Is your faith
in the sacred bones no stronger?

(Gert whispers to Olof again. The procession has in the meantime
scattered, so that only a part of it remains on the stage.)

Olof (to Marten). Now you should be satisfied, you hypocrite! Go and
tell him whom you serve that a box of silver is about to be buried here,
and he'll dig it out of the earth with his own nails. Tell him that the
moon, which is usually made of silver, has turned into gold, merely to
make your master raise his eyes toward heaven for once. Tell him that
you, by your blasphemous buffooneries, have succeeded in provoking an
honest man's wrath--

[Exeunt Marten and the members of the procession.]

Gert. Enough, Olof! (To all the conspirators except Olof and Lars.)
Leave us, please!

[Exeunt the conspirators, exchanging whispers.]

Gert (to Olof and Lars). It's too late to back down now!

Olof. What do you want, Gert--speak!

Gert (showing them a bound volume). Before you two, servants of God, a
people steps forth to make its confession. Do you acknowledge your oath?

Olof and Lars. We have sworn!

Gert. This book is the result of my silent labors. On every page you
will f