CHARACTER SIDES FOR ÔSTEWARDÕ AND ÔQUEEN LEPIDOPTERAÕ

©2009 Angus Kittler Reid

 

The boys go up the trail. At the top of the hill, it reaches a flat clearing, and a gated path into the forest. At the entrance of the path sits the STEWARD, an old man with a spiral nose, antennae peeking through his ceremonial cap, and tattered old butterfly wings on his back. He looks up with a warm but tired look as the children come near.

 

                                    STEWARD

Oh, are you two of ChariÕs little friends? IÕm afraid sheÕs still not back. We are all quite worried.

 

                                    JAMEY

                        Um, no, we came to see someone called LepiÉ Lepidoptera?

 

                                    STEWARD

                        Ah, her Royal Highness, the Queen, you mean.

 

                                    JAMEY

Yes, sorry. WeÕre from planet Earth, and weÕre trying to find our way home.

 

                                    STEWARD

Then do please come this way.

 

He leads them up the path. It gets darker as they go into the forest, but to their amazement, the path is lit by colorful glowing orbs, from which a faint tinkling sound like distant chimes seems to come.

 

            STEWARD

Perhaps you can cheer her. Ordinarily the arrival of young guests would be a glad affair. The little princess is always in want of playmates. But since she went missing, the queen has been quite morose, and has not slept or eaten in days. I fear only princess ChariÕs return will bring her back to us.

 

They have reached the queenÕs throne area. An elegant chair sits atop a self-standing staircase. It is lit all around with the shining globes of light. In the chair is LEPIDOPTERA, a beautiful, tragic-looking butterfly-woman. Everything about her droops. She rests her face on her hand and looks off into space, not seeming to notice the arrival of the boys.

 

                                    WERT (awed)

                        Wow! SheÕs prettyÉ.

 

                                    JAMEY

                        Shhh!

 

The Steward deferentially approaches her.

 

                                    STEWARD

                        My lady, may I present two children of the planet ÔEarthÕ.

 

The Queen doesnÕt seem to hear.

 

                                    STEWARD

AhemÉ Word of your great wisdom and kindness has reached even to their faraway planet.

 

Nothing.

 

                                    STEWARD

                        Perhaps they should make their request in their own words.

 

He gestures to the boys to come up.

 

                                    JAMEY

                        Us?

 

The Steward steps to the side, and the boys approach. Jamey bows his head in respect, which Wert takes to be very funny. Jamey shoots him a look.

 

                                    JAMEY

MaÕamÉ um, your highnessÉ uhÉweÕve been flying around for a few days and, well, sort of gotten lost out here, and we were hoping you could help us get back to our home. 

 

He looks around for support. Wert gives him a thumbs-up.

           

            JAMEY

ItÕs called ÔEarthÕ, andÉitÕsÉ blue and green, and it has like 6 billion people on it, and our motherÕs probably looking for us, andÉ thatÕs all.

 

Something he said seems to have caught the queenÕs interest. She looks up at him, slowly, coming out of her daze.

 

                                    LEPIDOPTERA

                        Brave children, to be traveling in this wide, wide universe, all alone.

 

JAMEY (mumbling)

                        Well, it was sort of an accidentÉ

 

                                    LEPIDOPTERA

I wonderÉ what you have seen on your travels. We once flew among the stars like you do. But that magic is all but lost to us now. 

 

            WERT

Magic?  

 

                                    LEPIDOPTERA

                        Have you visited many planets, children?

 

                                    JAMEY

                        Umm, just a few.

 

                                    LEPIDOPTERA

I see. And on those few, did you perchance meet a child of our people, in the keeping of an old crone?

 

                                    JAMEY

                        Crone? Like a witch?

 

                                    LEPIDOPTERA

She may appear so. Hespera has many forms. For some childish disgrace, I sent my daughter to her, but it has been some weeks and she has not come back. Perhaps Hespera has simply forgotten. Her sanity is less than it should be, and she has unnatural hungers. Too many strange creatures has she grafted onto her body.

 

            JAMEY

IÕm sorry, no. WeÕll, uh, keep our eyes open.

 

            LEPIDOPTERA

The portrait, Steward.

 

The Steward rushes off, and returns momentarily carrying a large, framed painting.

 

                                    LEPIDOPTERA

                        My sweet daughter.

 

She unveils the picture to the boys. It is a very classically done, royal portrait ofÉ a disgusting little caterpillar. On the caterpillarÕs head is a little tiara.

 

                                    WERT

                        Ewww!

 

JAMEY glares at him.

 

                                    WERT

                        I mean, Awww!

 

                                    LEPIDOPTERA

HesperaÕs domain is far from here. But if you should go there, and find my daughter, please tell her her mother misses her. Tell her to come home.

 

                                    WERT

                        How can we find it?

 

                                    LEPIDOPTERA

                        Ah, yes, you are wanderers here.

 

She beckons to the two servants who have been waiting to the side, and the servants bring up a round space compass with a flat pan and a moving arrow, and a ceramic jug with the words ÔAlsa NarasimÕ on it.

 

Reaching into the jug, the queen takes out a pinchful of dirt, which she sprinkles on the flat plate of the compass. Instantly, the arrow swings and rotates up, to point fixedly at a single star in the night sky.

 

                                    STEWARD

                        There. The planet Narasim, in the high wing of Alsa, the Sphinx.

 

Wert looks from him, back to the point in space.

 

                                    WERT

                        We can reach that star!

 

Jamey frowns at his implied offer, then looks at the device.

 

                                    JAMEY

                        Magic compass?

 

                                    LEPIDOPTERA

                        A scattering of dirt is all it needs to find any planet in the cosmos.

 

                                    WERT

                        Can it find the Earth?

 

                                    LEPIDOPTERA

                        Certainly. Return Chari to us and itÕs yours!

 

Jamey and Wert exchange a look. Wert is excited – Jamey, worried. But he manages a weak smile to the queen.