A Chantar M’er

Scene 1

(Uriel’s flat. Night. Sariel sits a top an armchair with all six of her wings out and folded around her. She is perched almost birdlike. The room is dark. Enter Uriel, coming home from work. Uriel turns on the lights and is slightly surprised to see Sariel there.)

Uriel: I thought you’d be with Lucifer and Azrael tonight.

Sariel: The more years go by, the more I prefer to spend today away from people who I fought with in the first war.

(Uriel walks into the kitchen and begins to make tea. He then walks into the living room and frowns.)

Uriel: I never understood why today was reserved for those who fought in the Edenic War. I mean, I was alive and well aware of what was going on when it happened.

Sariel: It’s…(she frowns.) You wouldn’t understand, Uriel.

(Uriel glares at her.)

Uriel: Don’t talk down to me like that. For the love of God, Sariel, I fought in the Lucifian War. I know what a battlefield is like and I know what being a commander can do to your brain.

Sariel: It’s not that. I can’t put it into words, okay?

(Uriel disappears into the kitchen and comes back with two cups of tea. He hands one to Sariel. Sariel takes it and sips.)

Sariel: Thank you.

Uriel: Of course. (He sits on his sofa and looks over at her worriedly.) You know I’ve never seen you act like this before.

Sariel: Like what?

Uriel: Like you actually feel sorry for killing your enemies.

(Sariel laughs slightly.)

Uriel: What?

Sariel: Of course I don’t feel sorry for killing those who oppose me. That’s the point of war, isn’t it? No, no. It’s those who weren’t my enemies that--

(Uriel stares at her for a moment. Sariel then becomes very somber.)

Uriel: What do you--

Sariel: You know I was a spy before the Lucifian War, right?

Uriel: Yeah.

Sariel: Do you remember the Iblis hostage situation? When some of our spies were found out, Lucifer had a chance to surrender but didn’t and they were killed?

(Uriel nods.)

Sariel: Haven’t you ever wondered who had to kill them?

Uriel: I always thought it was Iblis or--- (He stares at Sariel.) It was you, wasn’t it?

Sariel: (Nods.) There was no choice in the matter, really. It was a sick test of loyalty. If I dared to disobey then my identity as a spy would have been revealed, leading to my death. (She takes another long sip of tea.)

Uriel: Sara--

(There is a long silence. Uriel puts down his cup of tea and looks at her sympathetically.)

Sariel: That’s perhaps the only thing in my existence I’ve ever regretted or have spent years dwelling on.

(Sariel leaps off the back of the chair and places her tea cup down. She then sits down on the chair. Uriel almost instinctively hugs her. She is slightly taken aback but then returns the gesture.)

Fin.