The Tragedy of Mister Morn by Vladimir Nabokov, Thomas Karshan, Anastasia Tolstoy Read Free Book Online

wait, they’re bringing more wine. Let’s drink.
    FIRST GUEST:
    But it’s getting rather dull …
    MORN [ opening a bottle ]:
Here! Fly,
    you cosmic cork, into the stuccoed heavens!
    Burst forth, foam, like chaos, gushing, welling …
    whoa … between the fingers of the Creator.
    GUESTS:
    To the King! To the King!
    DANDILIO:
How about you, Morn?
    Will you not drink?
    MORN:
Certainly not. One gives
    one’s life to the King, but drink—why
    on earth drink?
    FOREIGNER:
To this happy kingdom.
    KLIAN:
    To the Milky Way!
    DANDILIO:
This wine will make
    the stars flow in our heads …
    ELLA:
Down in one,
    to the fiery parrot!
    KLIAN:
Ella, to our “tomorrow”!
    MORN:
    To the mistress of the house!
    GANUS:
I want to ask …
    It is unclear to me … Can we not toast
    the previous master of the house?
    MIDIA [ dropping her glass ]:
There.
    All over my dress.
[ Pause .]
    FIRST GUEST:
Put salt on it.
    DANDILIO:
There is
    a saying: with the tears of happiness, any stain
    immediately disappears …
    MIDIA [ to ELLA , quietly ]:
Listen, your actor
    is drunk, I think …
[ Wipes her dress .]
    MORN:
I read in a rare treatise—
    here, Dandilio, you are a man of books—
    that, while creating the world, God made a joke
    at just the wrong moment …
    DANDILIO:
In that same book,
    I remember, it is also said that a guest
    is as necessary to a house as air,
    but if the breath drawn in is not released—
    you will turn blue and die. So, Midia …
    MIDIA:
    What! So early?
    DANDILIO:
It’s time, it’s time. My cat is waiting …
    MIDIA:
Do come again …
    FIRST GUEST:
It’s also time
    for me, lovely Midia.
    MIDIA:
That’s terrible!
    You should stay …
    ELLA [ to GANUS , quietly ]:
I beg you, please
    also leave … You can visit her tomorrow
    morning … She’s tired.
    GANUS [ quietly ]:
I … don’t understand?
    ELLA [ quietly ]:
    Where is the joy in a reunion when one
    is tired?
    GANUS [ quietly ]:
No, I will stay …
    [ Moves off into semi-darkness by the round table. Meanwhile the GUESTS have been saying goodbye .]
    FOREIGNER [to MIDIA ]:
I won’t
    forget my stay in your bewitching city:
    the closer a fairy tale is to reality,
    the more magical it is. But I fear something …
    Trouble is ripening here unseen … In
    the splendour, in the mirrors, I sense it …
    KLIAN:
    Don’t listen to him, Midia! He is only
    here by chance. Quite the magician! I happen
    to know he’s just a merchant’s errand boy …
    he carries specimens of foreign goods around …
    Is that not so? He’s slipped away!
    MIDIA:
How funny
    he is …
    ELLA:
Farewell, Midia …
    MIDIA:
Why so cold?
    ELLA:
    Not at all … I’m a little tired …
    EDMIN:
I too
    shall go … Goodnight.
    MIDIA:
Foolish man!
[ She laughs .]
    SECOND GUEST:
Farewell.
    If a guest really is like a breath of air,
    then I leave here like a short, sad sigh …
[ Everyone leaves except MORN and GANUS. ]
    MIDIA [ stands in the doorway ]:
    Till next week.
[ returns to the centre of the drawing room ]
Ah, finally!
    MORN:
Shh …
    We’re not alone.
[ Points to GANUS sitting inconspicuously .]
    MIDIA [to GANUS ]:
I say, you are far kinder
    than my other guests, you’ve stayed …
[ Sits down beside him .]
Tell me,
    where have you acted? Your terrifying make-up
    is excellent … Have you known Ella long?
    A child … like wind … like a glimmer of water …
    Klian is in love with her, the one with
    the Adam’s apple and the horse’s mane—
    a bad poet … No, really, it is frightening,
    you are truly, truly an Arab … Morn, stop
    whistling through your teeth …
    MORN [ at the other end of the room ]:
You have
    a nice clock here …
    MIDIA:
Yes, it is very old …
    In its depths there plays a crystal brook …
    MORN:
    It’s good … It’s a little slow, don’t you think? …
    MIDIA:
    Yes, I do …
[ to GANUS ]
And you … Is your home
far from here?
    GANUS:
It’s close. Nearby.
    MORN [ by the window, yawning ]:
What