[_The mockers cross the garden and disappear at left back. SIMON watches them motionless and transfixed by their sinister meaning as it begins to dawn upon him. PILATE appears in the upper portico at back left. He enters walking slowly backward and looking off left with evident horror. A wailing is heard off left, it grows and PROCULA enters from her doorway._] PROCULA Woe, woe, the air is bleeding, the doom has fallen. O Pilate, you have judged a world and doomed it. Your hands are bloody; wash them again, wash them. [_PILATE glances at her and then motions, looking off to the left. A slave appears with him on the portico bearing a basin of water. PILATE washes his hands and then goes off left._] PROCULA [_Going to SIMON who stands motionless._] What will you do now, now that he is condemned? [_A man enters slowly from the right. He halts just within the garden seeing SIMON. The newcomer is gaunt and haggard._] SIMON [_Suddenly seeing him._] Barabbas! [_Running to ACTE._] Look to the lad, lead him to safety. We’ll fire the city. Hide with him till I join you. The temple shall be in flames before they lead the Nazarene past it. [_ACTE leading BATTUS and her people hurries out left. SIMON rushes to BARABBAS, speaking swiftly._] Go where the arms are stored. Give the slaves weapons and torches. Rouse all, arm all, stand by me to free the Nazarene. I’ll lead his friends. Bring the slaves quickly. Strike, give all the signal. [_BARABBAS stands motionless._] Go. BARABBAS [_In a dull monotonous voice._] All’s done, all’s one, whether men live or die. Who can withstand Rome? They tortured me. My spirit is broken. I have been all night Watching this one that would have saved the world Scourged with me in the prison. He is a god but men have conquered him. They freed me in his place, the dead for the living. There are no more gods left now in the sky And on the earth nothing but dead men crawling. SIMON You stay? You hang back? BARABBAS My spirit is poisoned. I die soon. SIMON Then die for the living. BARABBAS There are none left alive. [_As he speaks the tops of three crosses and three Roman standards are seen against the sky at back, beyond the portico, as they are borne slowly in procession from left to right. As they pass, the wailing of women’s voices is heard interspersed with the angry murmur of a crowd and cries of “Crucify him!”_] BARABBAS [_Pointing to the crosses._] There goes the cross now for the god to hang on, That’s the dead tree to bear the dead world’s fruit. SIMON So we must stand alone. They yell for blood. Now they shall drown in a red sea of it. He shall pass over safely, walking on dead men. [_He draws his sword and rushes off right. BARABBAS stands unmoved. PROCULA runs to right entrance staring off after SIMON._] PROCULA