I cannot, Ahasuerus, I want your life, the soul out of your body. See, I come nearer and a little nearer, A little nearer still, and put out hands-- Lean, skinny hands, that used to serve your food, Thin hands to put your powerless hands aside And take you by the throat as now I do, And squeeze, and squeeze the life out of your flesh! [_He begins to strangle_ AHASUERUS.] AHASUERUS [_With effort_]. Ah, gods! He kills me! Kills me! Out, O gods! Hydaspes! Help! Hydaspes! Guards! Hydaspes! [_Exit_ THARES, _L._] HYDASPES [_R._]. Lord! AHASUERUS. The villain strangled me. It was a dream. A dreadful dream! And yet I knew his face. Who was the man? One who made plots against me, And died, from torture, as a due reward. Who was the man? Go, bring the records here, The wise Chaldeans and the record-writers, And let them read the records, for I know The man’s name will be there. [_Exit_ HYDASPES.] It was his spirit. An evil thing, a harbinger of evil, A plotter coming as the vulture comes Before the corpse. But the Chaldean scribes Will know his name, and by their magicry Tell me what evil comes. Thares it was-- Thares, the man was, who was put to death For plotting with the other, Bigdana. [_Goes Back._] Let pass the wise Chaldeans when they come. THE GUARD [_Off_]. God save the King! May the King live for ever! CURTAIN. PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY THE WHITEFRIARS PRESS, LTD., LONDON AND TONBRIDGE. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Selected Poems, by John Masefield