peek and boo discuss power

Somewhere in this land. Rising light. Faint whistle of awakening birds. Two enter.

Peek: The widow will be just beginning to stoke the fire, let's wait until she has something cooking.

Boo: My stomach is growling.

Peek: Think of this instead, who is the most powerful in the kingdom?

Boo: Must I?

Peek: Yes.

Boo: Well, the king can do what he wants, have what he wants, be what he wants.

Peek: But he has duties, responsibilities and can be overthrown.

Boo: Then maybe it is the queen, she has less responsibility than the king and yet she is the power behind the king.

Peek: But she too has duties and responsibilities and her slender neck is prone to been cut by an axe!

Boo: Ouch! Maybe it is the princess, whose beauty is admired by all and who has not a care in the world.

Peek: No cares, except that she dreads been married off to a warty old man who does not speak her language but whom the king wants her to marry for political reasons.

Boo: OK, this is more difficult than I thought, perhaps the prince.

Peek: He who idly strums on his mandolin growing old waiting for his father to die?

Boo: How about the knight then? Strong in battle admired by all because of his prowess, above the politics of the court.

Peek: The knight whose reputation is judged by his last performance with the lance or his last sword fight. Behind the helmet and shield he knows, at best, he lives to ultimately die in battle.

Boo: Who is the most powerful in the kingdom? (Pause) Perhaps the bishop who has God on his side, who is above the intrigues of court politics or the sacrifices of the battle field.

Peek: Think, Boo, Think! There is none more treacherous or deceptive than the religious man, his cleverness lies in been on the side of God, whom none will challenge. But sooner or later he is found out as men grow old and wise to his personal foibles. At worst the bishop is defrocked, at best he kneels mumbling in the corner "Ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis in nomine patres et filii et spiritus sancti".

Boo: Who then Peek? Who is the most powerful in the kingdom?

Peek: Perhaps it is the jester, whose only responsibility is to make the court laugh. He can hold up a mirror to reflect the idiocy and vanity of others. He can laugh at the bishop's finery and fallibility, he can pose like the knight with his oversized cod piece. He can prance like the prince and pose like the princess. He can imitate the queen farting whilst chewing on a chicken leg and he is the only one who can make fun of the king. His duty to make us laugh is easily carried out because he has ample material with which to work. Perhaps it is the jester who is most powerful in the kingdom.

Boo: You may be right, Peek, you may be right. I smell the widow cooking something perhaps she'll give us some. Can we go and eat now?

Peek: Yes, let's go.

Rising light. A chorus of birds now fully awake. Two exit.