The Death of Vanserie Vlaardoen XI
by anonymousAct II
Scene I
Inside Linden
enters from a door in the left of the stage Juliana and Anton. Juliana is weeping
ANTON (Trying to consol her): It was a simple funeral, isn't it?
JULIANA (her voice broken by the sighs and the tears): Mum would has ever
wanted that her funeral would be simple and informal. She doesn't like
ceremonies and similars....(and after looking nervously around) Where's dad?
Wasn't he present to the funeral?
ANTON: Vanserie wasn't present. He told me he had most important duties
elsewhere
JULIANA:(now rage takes place instead of tears) Also at the end he
continues to hurt my poor mother: first he killed her, for having prohibited
her to receive priestly healing, and now this...he has dishonoured her...he
killed her twice...I hate him...
ANTON: he's working hard to find a cure...
JULIANA(interrupting him): these are only a bulk of lies. He's mad!
totally
mad! perhaps the rotting decay has taken also his brain...he's totally
without feelings, a painful monster who hungers for a senseless
power...where his madness at the end will lead him? I hate him...but that
awful figure once was my father and I loved him...
VANSERIE(enters from a door in the right of the stage, this is the first
time during the drama that Vanserie appears on the stage, he's covered with
large robes that almost mask him, but sometimes it could happen to see some
zones of rotting flesh): I don't care if you hate or love me, Juliana...I
don't care...since in few days you will revere me!!! you and those stupid
fools outside!!! you and those fools clerics! you and all the other
wizards!!! Yes, all the wizards will revere me, Vanserie...the most powerful
wizard on Mystara...the one who has defeated the plague...who has won upon
those bastard Alphatians...the one who has erased the line between life and
death...the one who has discovered the secret of immortality!!! Yes,
daughter! Hate me!!! I'm not going to care, but you will crawl at my foot
when I'll have the absolute power!!!
JULIANA(really shocked): this is not my father...it cannot be it...oh...I
cannot suffer...such a...visi...on (and she lost her senses falling on the
ground)
ANTON (kneeling down to Juliana and tending to her): you were right Juliana,
your father totally went mad. Only a cruel mad could tell such things to his
daughter...
VANSERIE: No Anton, you are the mad...like all the others. Wait Anton!
And
bring Juliana to bed. She must be ready for the upcoming day when I'll have
the ultimate power. Then I'm going to sit on the throne of immortality and I
want Juliana at my right side...she's my only heir, after all.
(Anton exits with the body of Juliana from the door in the left of the
stage)
(Vanserie is now alone in the stage but suddenly appears from the door in
the right a very pale-green woman with torn dresses, scars all around her
body, hair that goes in every direction. She vaguely resembles the wife of
Vanserie, she makes a couple of paces in the direction of Vanserie, then she
stops and after few seconds she runs away from the same door)
VANSERIE: Who's she? none. I think there were someone over there, near the door...someone that was walking towards me. But I don't see anyone, but instead I feel a strange chill sensation... what could it be? Damn it! It must be this damned plague, it makes me seeing unreal things...I think in few days it is going to kill me...but it doesn't matter...for that time I will already ready...I will prevail...I must prevail...(then yelling loudly): Joop! Joop! Bring me a sheet and a quill, I have in mind how to solve another piece of he experiment. I must put it on paper NOW!!!
(enters Joop)
Act II
scene II
a room inside Linden
Vanserie is seated down to a desk, writing something strange on some paper
sheets. Joop, a servant is near him
VANSERIE: Thanks Joop, for having bring to me these sheets and the ink.
JOOP: It's an honour for me to serve a man like his Lordship
VANSERIE (sighing in relief): Ah Joop, you're one of the few that still
loves me. Most of the servants serve me only because they've got fear.
Fear
of my wrath, of my...madness and of my plague. Even my family has turned
against me...
JOOP: Juliana loves you, my Lord.
VANSERIE: Once perhaps...once; but now...(then Vanserie stops his speech.
The woman that appeared in the previous scene is again on the stage.
She's
walking towards Vanserie and she's screaming very loudly. She also has two
chains in her hands and she's battering them on the ground, making still a
lot of loud more) Who are you, mad woman? Why do you dare to interrupt my
sacred studies?
(The woman doesn't reply, continuing his loudly and wildly screams)
JOOP: er...sorry my Lord, but where's this mad woman? Tell me and I'll bring
her outside here...maybe in the jail
VANSERIE (a little panicked): But she's here! She's in front of me! And
she's screaming loudly...too much loudly! Stop this damned woman! Tell me
want you want! I'm starting to feel, a strange emotion, that I've never felt
before. My legs are trembling, my heart is running fast, and even I'm unable
to raise a single hand. Was is this? maybe fear? Fear! so, the mighty
Vanserie, for the first time has fear... but fear of what? Of this woman?
She will not hurt me...I defeated tougher enemies before. But if she would
stop screaming for a while, then I'll be able to concentrate myself...
JOOP (astonished): there's none in front of you, my Lord (then he begins to
departing from Vanserie and he tells to himself) He's totally going mad, his
end must be near...It's better to leave from here
VANSERIE (seeing Joop's leaving): Oh Joop! you're not better than the
others...(then turned again to the woman he yells) Who are you!?!? You are a
monster, aren't you? A monster sent by some enemies of mine to kill me,
aren't you? Joop! Joop! help me defeating this monster! I order this to you!
WOMAN (suddenly stopping to scream, with an awful voice): The time of orders
for you is finished, Vanserie! (then she return to scream)
VANSERIE (Outraged): What insolence! Who are you to say these things to me?
I'm not scared by you, monster! Instead you must fear me!
(then he starts casting spells to the woman. Obviously the spells don't hurt
her)
VANSERIE: Die! Die! All in this manner shall finish Vanserie's enemies.
DIE!
(then enters Anton attracted by the loudly sounds, who approaches Joop)
ANTON: What's happening here?
JOOP (totally scared): He's gone crazy! He's talking about a mysterious
woman who's menacing him. But no women are here! Let me leave sir, please
ANTON (to Joop): Depart, and don't tell to anyone what you saw (then telling
himself): maybe this is Vanserie's last hour, maybe not. Let's see how far
his madness is arrived (and he goes to the right side of the stage)
(The woman departs, exiting from the stage through the left side, always
screaming)
VANSERIE (exhausted): She ran away but surely she'll return...I didn't hurt
her...Who's she?