A More Perfect Heaven (21 page)

COPERNICUS. I don’t know what made me think I could …

RHETICUS. (
going to him, taking his shoulders to encourage him
) You mustn’t lose heart. You’ve got to leave a few stones unturned. Something for others who come after you to do. You’ve given us so much to build on. Your work is … It’s like that cathedral out there. Do you think anyone who laid the stones for the foundation was still around when the cross went up on top? Trust me, Father. A hundred years from now, astronomers will still be reading your book.

COPERNICUS. And you, Joachim?

RHETICUS. I will have read it a hundred times.

COPERNICUS. What will you do after we finish here?

RHETICUS. After? I will take your book to Nuremberg. I’ll watch over the printer, to keep him on his toes. I’ll proofread every page, I’ll …

COPERNICUS.
After
that.

RHETICUS. I don’t have to worry about anything after that.

COPERNICUS. You’ll go back to Wittenberg? To your teaching?

RHETICUS. No, Father. By that time … By then I’ll be …

COPERNICUS. What?

RHETICUS. There is no “after” for me, after that. Don’t you remember? By this time next year, when Jupiter and Saturn enter their Great Conjunction, my time will be …

COPERNICUS. You can’t still believe that.

RHETICUS. Nothing in your theory gives me a way out.

COPERNICUS. You can’t just resign from life. Acquiesce to some benighted …

RHETICUS. I have accomplished my mission. That’s something. Not many old men can say as much. I found you. I pulled your work out of the rubbish heap. And once I see it published, I’m done. It will no longer matter what happens to me.

COPERNICUS. You don’t know what will happen.

RHETICUS. But I do.

COPERNICUS. You could live a hundred years. You have no idea what the future holds for you.

RHETICUS. You’ve done everything you could do for me. The time with you has been …

COPERNICUS. Wait and see what happens to your career when Schöner and the rest of them read my acknowledgments to you.

RHETICUS. To me?

COPERNICUS. Of course to you.

RHETICUS. Oh, no. You mustn’t disclose my role in this.

COPERNICUS. You think I wouldn’t thank you, publicly, for all you did to …

RHETICUS. My name must not appear in your book. It would taint the whole thing.

COPERNICUS. I don’t care. I owe you …

RHETICUS. No. You have others you can thank, without inflaming the leaders of your Church.

COPERNICUS. Even the bishop knows how much you have …

RHETICUS. It’s not the bishop I’m worried about.

COPERNICUS. Luther?

RHETICUS. I have a new plan, for a dedication that you will write. To the real power.

COPERNICUS. You mean Duke Albert?

RHETICUS. No!

COPERNICUS. The king?

RHETICUS. No, no one from the government. The dedication must acknowledge higher powers. Someone in the Church.

COPERNICUS. Not the bishop?

RHETICUS. No! It’s bad enough we’re stuck with his doggerel verses.

COPERNICUS. Tiedemann?

RHETICUS. Not nearly powerful enough.

COPERNICUS. Who then, the pope?

RHETICUS. Yes!

COPERNICUS. I was joking, Joachim.

RHETICUS. I am perfectly serious.

Beat.

RHETICUS. He’s really the only one.

COPERNICUS. His Holiness?

RHETICUS. Paul Pontifex Maximus himself. To protect you. From those backbiters who will bend chapter and verse to evil purposes, and try to condemn your theory. Even though, we both know, there is nothing irreverent in your book, nevertheless there is the danger that someone will …

COPERNICUS. But … His Holiness.

RHETICUS. The mere mention of his name will lend the book the air of papal authority. It might even give people the impression that he had commissioned you to write it.

COPERNICUS. He would never do that.

RHETICUS. Still, it might appear that he had.

COPERNICUS. What could he possibly have to say about astronomy?

RHETICUS. He doesn’t have to say anything. You simply dedicate the book to him.

COPERNICUS. I couldn’t even do that without his express permission.

RHETICUS. Then we must get his permission.

COPERNICUS. He has the troubles of the world on his shoulders. He’s gone and excommunicated the King of England.

RHETICUS. Your bishop must have representatives in Rome. Ambassadors to the Vatican? Someone who can get to him?

COPERNICUS. Even if we could get to him … He is consumed with a final solution to the Lutheran problem! I’m sorry, Joachim. Forgive me for …

RHETICUS. I have no love for him either. To me, he’s the Antichrist. But for your book … Trust me, Father. If you dedicate your studies to him, then you prove to everyone that you do not run away from judgment, even by the highest authority.

COPERNICUS
considers this, smiles, then laughs. It’s the first good laugh he’s had in a long time, and he enjoys it.

RHETICUS,
not sure of the joke, nevertheless joins in the laughter.

COPERNICUS
hugs him, thumps his back, finally recovers enough breath to speak.

COPERNICUS. I’m just picturing the bishop’s face when I ask him to …

They both dissolve again.
COPERNICUS
gives
RHETICUS
a fatherly hug and goes to the door. They share one more laugh, nodding at each other, serious again.

Blackout.

SCENE xiv. BISHOP’S PARLOR
HERETICUS

BISHOP. That’s all he does?

FRANZ. Yes, Your Reverence.

BISHOP. Just … writes?

FRANZ. Sometimes he walks around, thinking. Often the doctor is there, too, and they talk. But most of the time he writes.

BISHOP. No one else comes to the room?

FRANZ. No, Your Reverence.

BISHOP. No messages from … anywhere?

FRANZ. Not that I have observed, Your Reverence.

BISHOP. And no sign of the … the, uh, the house keeper.

FRANZ
looks down, shakes his head no.

BISHOP. Very well. You needn’t watch him quite so closely any longer.

FRANZ. No?

BISHOP. It’s time you got back to some of the tasks you’ve neglected. All right, then. You may tell the doctor I will see him now.

FRANZ
exits.

COPERNICUS
enters.

BISHOP. Come in, Nicholas. How are you getting along, you and Professor … Professor Hereticus?

COPERNICUS. Rheticus, Your Reverence. His name is Rheticus. And he is most grateful to Your Reverence for tolerating his presence all this time.

BISHOP. Don’t tell me you need another extension on the time?

COPERNICUS. No. I’m here to report that our work is very nearly finished. Just a few more sections, and then …

BISHOP. Excellent!

COPERNICUS. Yes. Well. There is one more thing that we think might require Your Reverence’s assistance to …

BISHOP. You see? It’s what I told you all along. Now you have proved it to yourself. How getting rid of that hussy has freed your mind for the serious work God intended you to do.

Blackout.

SCENE xv. TOWER ROOM
DISCOVERY

FRANZ
and
RHETICUS
lie together on the cot in an embrace.

FRANZ. (
getting up, starting to dress
) I have to get back.

RHETICUS. What about your duty here? To me?

FRANZ. He’s finding a million other things for me to do now. Every day it’s something new.

RHETICUS. (
getting up, going to him
) What about the nights?

They kiss.

RHETICUS. Come back later. Promise?

They kiss again.

COPERNICUS enters, sees them, and reels.

They see him as well.
FRANZ
jumps, starts to bolt, but
RHETICUS
holds him.

FRANZ
breaks free, runs out.

RHETICUS. You’ve known all along. Haven’t you?

COPERNICUS. I wasn’t sure.

RHETICUS. But you suspected?

COPERNICUS. I prayed that my suspicions were unfounded.

RHETICUS. Now you know the truth.

COPERNICUS. Yes.

RHETICUS. And you despise me.

COPERNICUS. No, Joachim. Neither do I judge you.

RHETICUS. You needn’t pretend to understand.

COPERNICUS. But I can no longer protect you.

RHETICUS. From myself?

COPERNICUS. Do you know what will happen to you, if you are discovered?

RHETICUS. I know.

COPERNICUS. You couldn’t know, or you wouldn’t …

RHETICUS. I know!

COPERNICUS. The law condemns anyone who commits …

RHETICUS. Don’t quote me the law.

COPERNICUS. It says you forfeit your life.

RHETICUS. It doesn’t matter.

COPERNICUS. You will be burned alive!

RHETICUS. Burn alive and die! Die and burn in Hell forever! I am doomed either way.

COPERNICUS. If you’re discovered … If word of this should reach the boy’s father …

RHETICUS. He won’t dare tell his father. He won’t tell anyone.

COPERNICUS. The risk is too great, Joachim.

RHETICUS. He won’t tell.

COPERNICUS. You’ve got to get out of here. Go now, before anything else happens.

RHETICUS. Go?

COPERNICUS. Go! Yes! Now. I insist that you go.

RHETICUS. I can’t abandon you now.

COPERNICUS. I won’t have you risk your life for the sake of …

RHETICUS. I don’t care what happens to me.

COPERNICUS. Then think of the boy. Don’t ruin his chances …

RHETICUS. We’re so close to the end. Another few days is all we …

COPERNICUS. No.

RHETICUS. Just …

COPERNICUS. It’s impossible. Not another word now. Off with you, or I’ll die of fright.

RHETICUS. Let me finish what we …

COPERNICUS. I’m afraid for you, Joachim.

RHETICUS. All right, I’ll go.

COPERNICUS
puts his hand to his heart, sits down.

RHETICUS
begins gathering the piles of manuscript pages.

COPERNICUS. What are you doing?

RHETICUS. I’ll take it to Nuremberg. Do what I promised.

COPERNICUS. No. You can’t …

RHETICUS. To the printer.

COPERNICUS. No.

RHETICUS. I will keep that promise, no matter what.

RHETICUS
continues packing the manuscript.

COPERNICUS
tries to stop him, grabs the pages from him.

COPERNICUS. Stop!

RHETICUS. (
refusing to let them go
) What’s the matter with you?

COPERNICUS. It’s not ready.

RHETICUS. It is.

COPERNICUS. No.

RHETICUS. It’s …

COPERNICUS. I’m not ready.

RHETICUS. I’ll take this much with me now, and later you can send …

COPERNICUS. You cannot take my manuscript!

RHETICUS. Have you completely lost faith in me?

COPERNICUS. No.

RHETICUS. I will guard it with my life.

COPERNICUS. No.

RHETICUS. You know I will.

COPERNICUS. No.

RHETICUS. I swear it.

COPERNICUS. I never meant for you to take it away.

RHETICUS. We’ve been working toward this moment ever since we …

COPERNICUS. I need to keep it here. With me.

RHETICUS. I promised you a published book.

COPERNICUS. Keep it by me.