A More Perfect Heaven (14 page)

RHETICUS. You would have read a Latin translation, from the Arabic or Hebrew. This is the original Greek text.

COPERNICUS. Oh?

RHETICUS. Only recently recovered and now published for the first time.

COPERNICUS. Let me just have a look at that.

RHETICUS. And this is Euclid’s Geometry, also in Greek. And here, Regiomontanus, on triangles. I love the part at the beginning, where he says, “No one can bypass the science of triangles and reach a satisfying knowledge of the stars.”

COPERNICUS. These are magnificent volumes.

RHETICUS. I chose the ones I knew you would like, Canon sir.

COPERNICUS. I couldn’t. I … You keep them for your own library.

RHETICUS. I’ve already inscribed them to you.

COPERNICUS. (
reading
) “To N. Copernicus, my teacher …” Your teacher?

RHETICUS. I was hoping …

COPERNICUS. I have no students.

RHETICUS. I know that, sir.

COPERNICUS. No followers of any kind.

RHETICUS. That is why I have come.

COPERNICUS. I’m sorry, Professor.

RHETICUS. To be your disciple. Whatever problems have interfered, kept you from bringing your work to completion, I want to help you solve them. I showed you my letters. Even Melanchthon says I have exceptional aptitude.

COPERNICUS. Philip Melanchthon?!

RHETICUS. “The teacher of Germany,” yes.

COPERNICUS. Luther’s own chosen successor? His right hand?! RHETICUS. He said I was born to study mathematics.

COPERNICUS. Tell me, Professor: Are you on intimate terms with Luther, too?

RHETICUS. Oh, now I see what you … But I swear to you, sir, I do not share the Reverend Luther’s opinion of your ideas. No, indeed.

COPERNICUS. Martin Luther has an opinion about my … ?

RHETICUS. It’s only his opinion. Whereas, I feel, astronomy requires precisely the kind of bold new approach that you take.

COPERNICUS. What does he say about it?

RHETICUS. Oh. Things come up at faculty meetings. Lunches. At table. You know how it is.

COPERNICUS. No.

RHETICUS. Someone gave him the gist of it, and …

COPERNICUS. And?

RHETICUS. Well …

COPERNICUS. What did he say?

RHETICUS. He said, only a fool would turn the whole of astronomy upside down, merely for the sake of novelty.

Beat.

COPERNICUS. I suppose “fool” is a mild insult, coming from him.

RHETICUS. And of course he knows nothing of mathematics. He only rejected your theory because it contradicts the Bible. He quoted Joshua 10:12. You know the part, where Joshua says, “Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon.”

COPERNICUS. Yes, yes. I know it all too well.

RHETICUS. “And thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.”

COPERNICUS & RHETICUS. (
together
) “And the Sun stood still.”

RHETICUS. Exactly, sir. The Sun stood still. And that’s his point. Because, if the Sun were already standing still, as you claim, then why would Joshua have commanded it to do so?

COPERNICUS. Why do you think?

RHETICUS. I say, mathematics is for mathematicians. Scripture doesn’t enter into it.

COPERNICUS. Is that what you told him?

ANNA
enters the room, in robe, shawl, and nightcap, carrying a candle.

ANNA. Is everything all right?

COPERNICUS. (
going to her
) Anna. What are you doing up at this hour?

ANNA. Have you been hurt, Mikoj?

RHETICUS. She wouldn’t let me in when I arrived.

COPERNICUS. It’s nothing.

ANNA. What happened?

COPERNICUS. I sprained it, that’s all.

RHETICUS. I thought she was going to throw water on me.

ANNA. He came to the door after you left.

RHETICUS. I tried to tell her I was only …

ANNA. I was afraid to let him in.

COPERNICUS. You did the right thing.

While
ANNA
and
COPERNICUS
talk,
RHETICUS
fishes in his satchel for some papers.

ANNA. What does he want?

COPERNICUS. He? He’ll be leaving in just a few …

ANNA. What about the bishop?

COPERNICUS. Oh!

ANNA. Not … ?

COPERNICUS. No, no. He’s … resting. Go back to bed, dear. I’m sorry we woke you.

ANNA. I’ve been waiting up worrying the whole night, Mikoj.

COPERNICUS. Everything’s all right now.

ANNA. I don’t like the look of him.

COPERNICUS. I’ll take care of this. Don’t worry.

Reluctantly,
ANNA
exits.

COPERNICUS. I hate to be inhospitable, Professor. I wish …

RHETICUS. There’s something else I brought you, sir.

COPERNICUS. No, please. No more gifts.

RHETICUS. These are from Schöner. Some recent observations he collected, of Mercury. He insisted that I give them to you.

COPERNICUS
takes the sheets of paper, studies them.

RHETICUS. He didn’t make the observations himself. He said he got them from someone else, but he remembered that you always wanted …

COPERNICUS
shakes his head with wonder, nods in admiration, sighs.

RHETICUS. He said you’d be pleased. He was sure you would. You haven’t really given it up, have you, sir? You must still be working on it. Am I right? Sir?

COPERNICUS. Hm?

RHETICUS. I said, you haven’t quit. Have you? It’s just taking time. Isn’t that right? That’s why I thought I could …

COPERNICUS. No. I’m sorry. Even if I wanted to, I … My hands are tied. The bishop, you see, has … He, uh … I’m afraid there’s no nice way to say this, Professor. The bishop has banished Lutherans from this diocese.

RHETICUS. What has that got to do with me?

COPERNICUS. You mean you’re not? Lutheran?

RHETICUS. I’m not looking to settle down here. I just want to talk to you, about your work.

COPERNICUS. Even that would not be … No.

RHETICUS. I’m a mathematician, not a theologian. Couldn’t you explain that to him? Perhaps he would grant us a … What do you call it? An indulgence?

COPERNICUS. A dispensation. But, no. There’s no chance of that.

RHETICUS. Oh, please try. You can promise him that our discussions will have nothing to do with faith. We’ll limit ourselves strictly to arithmetic and geometry. The wings of the human mind. On such wings as those, we can transcend our religious differences. Transcend all religious differences. Didn’t Abraham teach astronomy to the Hebrews? And Moses, another Jew? And Heaven knows, all those Islamic astronomers, praying to their Allah five times a day, then watching the stars all night. Even going back to the Egyptians, the Greeks! Prometheus and the theft of divine fire! The very crime for which he suffered an eagle to devour his liver! What does that mean, if not that Prometheus delivered the light of astronomy to mortals?

Beat.

COPERNICUS. How young you are, Professor.

RHETICUS. You’re not afraid to talk to him, are you?

COPERNICUS. I? I am the bishop’s personal physician.

RHETICUS. Well, then.

COPERNICUS. I was summoned to his side tonight, after he was “poisoned” by a Lutheran spy.

RHETICUS. No!

COPERNICUS. No. It was nothing like that. But knowing the intimate details of his digestion gives me no leverage to sway his opinion. On any subject.

RHETICUS. (
kneeling
) Please try! I implore you. If you do, I swear I will …

COPERNICUS. Come, Professor. You must leave off this genuflecting and swearing. Remember, you are not a Catholic, and I am not a priest.

RHETICUS. You’re not?

COPERNICUS. Only minor orders. Never ordained. But I do administer the cathedral’s business affairs. I’m an officer of the Church. I cannot harbor a heretic.

Beat.

COPERNICUS. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you. I meant no disrespect for your beliefs.

RHETICUS. You mean … I’d be a danger to you?

COPERNICUS. You are a danger to yourself, young man. Rushing off to unknown places, knocking on strangers’ doors, shouting about missions and quests.

RHETICUS. I only meant to …

COPERNICUS. (
picking up satchel, pressing it on
RHETICUS) Now you be careful on the roads, mind you. Watch out for yourself out there.

RHETICUS. You won’t let me stay after all?

COPERNICUS. I’m sorry to disappoint you.

RHETICUS. What will I do now? How will I ever … ? Oh, God!

COPERNICUS. If you really want to pursue my ideas, why don’t you write to me? After you get back to Wittenberg, you could … I don’t mean write directly. You would need to send your letters through an intermediary. Perhaps Schöner would agree to serve as a … a point of contact for us. I would like that.

COPERNICUS
goes to
RHETICUS,
puts a friendly arm around his shoulders, to shore him up.

COPERNICUS. Now then, Professor. Gather your things. Take the books, please. I could not keep them in good conscience. I hate to send you away like this. But we are victims of these times.

RHETICUS
glumly does as he’s told. Together they walk to the door. When
COPERNICUS
opens it, daylight floods the room.

COPERNICUS. Oh, for Heaven’s sake!

COPERNICUS
shuts the door and pushes
RHETICUS
back into the room.

COPERNICUS. You can’t go now!

RHETICUS. Sir?

COPERNICUS. It’s too late. Look! Daylight already. I’ll have to … Where … ? I know!

COPERNICUS
moves aside a bench to reveal a trapdoor, which he struggles, unsuccessfully, to open.

RHETICUS
watches, dumbfounded.

COPERNICUS. Help me!

RHETICUS
snaps to and pulls on the trapdoor until it opens.

COPERNICUS. Now come this way. Hurry.

They disappear through the trapdoor, closing it behind them.

The stage is empty for a moment as the dawn light continues to brighten. An all-male choir can be heard chanting Matins.

Someone knocks urgently at the front door.

ANNA
enters from an interior room, dressed, tying on an apron.

ANNA. Who’s there?

She looks around the room, replaces the bench, tries to restore normal order, goes to the door.

FRANZ. (
entering
) Oh, Miss Anna! You’re still here.

FRANZ
throws his arms around her, as a child to a mother, near tears.

ANNA. What is it, pet? What’s the matter?

FRANZ. You’re here. You’re still here.

ANNA. There, there, now. Where else would I be?

FRANZ. I don’t know. Oh, Miss Anna, I don’t want you to go away.

ANNA. What’s got into my brave little man? Oh, poor lamb. There, there.

FRANZ. He said you had to go away.

ANNA. Who said such a thing?

FRANZ. The bshop said.

ANNA. The bishop?

FRANZ. I heard him.

ANNA. No.

FRANZ. He did. He told the doctor to make you go away. Oh, please don’t go, Miss Anna! Please don’t go.

Blackout.

SCENE iv. THE BISHOP’S BEDROOM
TWO BBISHOPS

The
BISHOP,
in his bed, tosses in the throes of a nightmare.

A knock at the door exaggerates the terror of his dream, but also wakes him, and he cries out.

GIESE. (
offstage
) So sorry to disturb you …

The
BISHOP
slowly recognizes his surroundings, comes out of the dream.

GIESE. (
opening the door
) It’s the day of our chess game, Johann. Remember? May I come in?

BISHOP. (
throwing off the bedclothes, sitting up
) No.