Scene 9

The commandos

FRANCIS:

We're gettin' in through the underground heating system here, up through into the main audience chamber here, and Pilate's wife's bedroom is here. Having grabbed his wife, we inform Pilate that she is in our custody and forthwith issue our demands. Any questions?

COMMANDO XERXES:

What exactly are the demands?

REG:

We're giving Pilate two days to dismantle the entire apparatus of the Roman Imperialist State, and if he doesn't agree immediately, we execute her.

MATTHIAS:

Cut her head off?

FRANCIS:

Cut all her bits off. Send 'em back on the hour every hour. Show them we're not to be trifled with.

REG:

And of course, we point out that they bear full responsibility when we chop her up, and that we shall not submit to blackmail!

COMMANDOS:

No blackmail!

REG:

They've bled us white, the bastards. They've taken everything we had, and not just from us, from our fathers, and from our fathers' fathers.

LORETTA:

And from our fathers' fathers' fathers.

REG:

Yeah.

LORETTA:

And from our fathers' fathers' fathers' fathers.

REG:

Yeah. All right, Stan. Don't labour the point. And what have they ever given us in return?!

XERXES:

The aqueduct?

REG:

What?

XERXES:

The aqueduct.

REG:

Oh. Yeah, yeah. They did give us that. Uh, that's true. Yeah.

COMMANDO #3:

And the sanitation.

LORETTA:

Oh, yeah, the sanitation, Reg. Remember what the city used to be like?

REG:

Yeah. All right. I'll grant you the aqueduct and the sanitation are two things that the Romans have done.

MATTHIAS:

And the roads.

REG:

Well, yeah. Obviously the roads. I mean, the roads go without saying, don't they? But apart from the sanitation, the aqueduct, and the roads--

COMMANDO:

Irrigation.

XERXES:

Medicine.

COMMANDOS:

Huh? Heh? Huh...

COMMANDO #2:

Education.

COMMANDOS:

Ohh...

REG:

Yeah, yeah. All right. Fair enough.

COMMANDO #1:

And the wine.

COMMANDOS:

Oh, yes. Yeah...

FRANCIS:

Yeah. Yeah, that's something we'd really miss, Reg, if the Romans left. Huh.

COMMANDO:

Public baths.

LORETTA:

And it's safe to walk in the streets at night now, Reg.

FRANCIS:

Yeah, they certainly know how to keep order. Let's face it. They're the only ones who could in a place like this.

COMMANDOS:

Hehh, heh. Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh.

REG:

All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?

XERXES:

Brought peace.

REG:

Oh. Peace? Shut up!

[bam bam bam bam bam bam bam]

[bam bam bam bam bam]

MATTHIAS:

I am a poor man. My sight is poor. My legs are old and bent, and--

JUDITH:

It's all right, Matthias.

MATTHIAS:

It's all clear.

JUDITH:

Well, where's Reg?

FRANCIS:

Oh, Reg. Reg, it's Judith.

REG:

What went wrong?

JUDITH:

The first blow has been struck!

REG:

Did he finish the slogan?

JUDITH:

A hundred times, in letters ten foot high, all the way around the palace!

REG:

Oh, great. Great. We-- we need doers in our movement, Brian, but... before you join us, know this: there is not one of us here who would not gladly suffer death to rid this country of the Romans once and for all.

COMMANDO:

Uhh. Well, one.

REG:

Oh, yeah. Yeah, there's one, but otherwise, we're solid. Are you with us?

BRIAN:

Yes!

REG:

From now on, you shall be called 'Brian that is called Brian'. Tell him about the raid on Pilate's palace, Francis.

FRANCIS:

Right. This is the plan...

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