An old horse in the center of a circus ring. The BARKER stands beside it, pointing at the crowd.
MARIE sits between the DRUM-MAJOR and the SERGEANT. Her eyes are gleaming.
MARIE … the lights!
DRUM-MAJOR Yes. Like black cats with burning eyes …
SERGEANT What a night!
The BARKER turns to the horse. Raises his hands up.
BARKER Observe … the astronomical horse! Show us your talents! Your brute reason! Put these humans to shame! (Beat.) Ladies and gentlemen, this beast that stands before you—four hooves on the ground and a tail besides—is of a simple nature, but watch now and be amazed, my good fellows, as this nag applies logic to what is put before him. (To the horse.) Show them, horse! Show them what you do! (Beat.) I ask you now: are there any donkeys in the house? Out in the audience, are there any asses?
The horse shakes its head vigorously. The BARKER claps.
BARKER See the reasoning! He came, he saw, he nodded!! Remarkable … This is not merely an animal, this is a human being … well, at least a human animal!
The horse defecates at this moment, into the sawdust.
BARKER However, as you can see … he’s still very natural. Not perfected, perhaps, but we can learn a lesson from him. Haven’t we been told to be natural and return to nature? Aren’t we all, each of us, risen from dust and sand and dung? We are dung, but dung that can reason! And so with this beast—ashes to ashes, dung to dung—natural but logical! Able to calculate, but with not a finger to count on. Therefore only an animal in your eyes, even as he is able to understand love, desire and all the rest … (Beat.) But how can he express himself, you ask? See for yourselves …
The BARKER cracks his whip. Snap! The animal flinches.
BARKER Tell the audience what time it is! (To the crowd.) Ladies and gents, do any of you own a watch? A watch if you please!
The SERGEANT stands and proudly pulls a gold watch from a pocket.
SERGEANT A watch? Will this do? …
Approval from the crowd; the BARKER whistles loudly. The SERGEANT moves into the circle with the BARKER as MARIE bends forward to see better. The DRUM-MAJOR places a hand on her backside.
MARIE I don’t want to miss this …
BARKER Tell us the time, beast! (Cracks his whip.) Do it now!!
SERGEANT This is my watch.
DRUM-MAJOR … what a woman.
Blackout.