Death Speaks

Jeffrey Archer

There was a merchant in Baghdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, “Master, just now when I was in the market-place I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture; now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there death will not find me.”

The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went.

Then the merchant went down to the market-place and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, “Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning?”

“That was not a threatening gesture”, I said, “It was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.”

Title : You Can’t Run

Characters : Merchant, Servant, Death, Narrator

Scene 1 - In the marketplace

Narrator : A merchant and his servant arrived in the city of Baghdad. The merchant sent his servant to market to buy provisions.

Merchant : Take this money and go to the market to buy some supplies for us. I will go to look for a place for us to stay the night.

Exit Merchant. Servant looks at goods on display at stall.

Servant : Hmm, I should buy some bread and fruit.

Death enters and jostles Servant.

Servant : (turns pale; stutters) You-you-you……you’re Death!

Death makes a threatening gesture.

Servant : No! I don’t want to die yet!

Servant exits hurriedly. Death exits.

Scene 2 - Outside the inn

Narrator : The servant ran away from the market, he was so terrified. He soon found his master outside an inn in the city.

Servant : (white & trembling) Master, just now when I was in the market-place I was jostled by a woman in the crowd. When I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture! I know I will die if I do not escape now! Please, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there death will not find me.

Merchant : Are you crazy? You must be seeing things.

Servant : Please, just let me borrow your horse! I will die if I do not go to Samarra!

Narrator : The merchant saw that his servant was very frightened. Nothing he said could change his mind. And so, he let his servant take his horse.

Merchant : Very well, take the horse. I hope that you will be able to escape your fate.

Servant leaps on horse and exits hurriedly. Merchant exits.

Scene 3 - In the marketplace

Narrator : Puzzled by his servant’s behaviour, the merchant went to the marketplace. There, he saw Death standing by the stalls.

Merchant : My servant was telling the truth after all! It really is Death.

Narrator : The merchant was very frightened, but he was also very curious about why Death had approached his servant. And so, he went up to her and spoke to her.

Merchant : You are Death, aren’t you? Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning? You frightened him out of his mind!

Death : That was not a threatening gesture. It was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.

All characters but Death exit.

Death : (takes out watch) Yes, it’s almost time…..

Sound of clock ticking.

Scene 4 - Samarra

Servant : (on horse) Finally, I have arrived! I am safe here….

Death who has been in a dark corner comes out and waves at the Servant. At the same time, the clock chimes the hour. The horse is startled and panics, throwing the Servant onto the ground.