CH. CIT. Send word to him; I cannot be denied. I have to see him; it concerns the State Urgently, too, I tell you. SENTRY. It can wait. CH. CIT. It may mean bloodshed. SENTRY. Bloodshed is my trade. A sentry's orders have to be obeyed The same as God's, that you were talking of. CH. CIT. I tell you, I must see him. SENTRY. That's enough. You cannot now. MADMAN. The soldier's words are true. CH. CIT. Could you send word? SENTRY. Sir, I have answered you. CH. CIT. Those words that Pilate wrote, the Hebrew screed, May cause a riot. MADMAN. Yes? CH. CIT. And death. SENTRY. Indeed. You got the poor man's life, what would you more? CH. CIT. Means to see Pilate. SENTRY. As I said before, You cannot. Stand away. A man like you Ought to know better than to lead a crew To yell for a man's blood. God stop my breath, What does a man like you with blood and death? Go to. CH. CIT. You will not send? SENTRY. I will not send. CH. CIT. [_going_]. You shall regret this. SENTRY. Right. Goodbye, my friend. CH. CIT. Means will be found. [_Exit._ SENTRY. These priests, these preaching folk. [_Pause. Sings._] "Upon a summer morning, I bade my love goodbye, In the old green glen so far away, To go to be a soldier on biscuits made of rye." It is darker than it was. MADMAN. It is falling dark. SENTRY. It feels like earthquake weather. Listen. MADMAN. Hark. SENTRY. It sounded like a shock inside the walls. MADMAN. God celebrates the madman's funerals. SENTRY. The shouts came from the Temple. MADMAN. Yes, they sing Glory to God there, having killed their King. SENTRY. You knew that man they are hanging? MADMAN. Yes. Did you? SENTRY. Not till I saw him scourged. Was he a Jew? MADMAN. No. Wisdom comes from God, and he was wise. I have touched wisdom since they took my eyes. SENTRY. So you were blinded? Why? MADMAN. Thinking aloud, One Passover. SENTRY. How so? MADMAN. I told the crowd That only a bloody God would care for blood. The crowd kill kids and smear the lintel wood, To honor God, who lives in the pure stars. SENTRY. You must have suffered; they are angry scars. MADMAN. There is no scar inside. SENTRY. That may be so; Still, it was mad; men do not wish to know The truth about their customs, nor aught else. [_Cries off._] MADMAN. They have nailed the teacher Jesus by those yells. SENTRY. It is darker. There'll be earthquake before night. What sort of man was he? MADMAN. He knew the right And followed her, a stony road, to this. SENTRY. I find sufficient trouble in what is Without my seeking what is right or wrong. MADMAN. All have to seek her, and the search is long. SENTRY. Maybe. MADMAN. And hard. SENTRY. Maybe. [_Pause. Sings._]