The Goddess

Cast

Goddess
Lord Farrandel (Father to Mortimer Farrandel)
Lady Farrandel (Mother to Mortimer Farrandel)
Mortimer Farrandel
Book shop Assistant

Scene One
The Farrandel home
Exeter

Scene Two
The British Library
London

Scene Three
Old bookshop
Derby

Scene four
The River Derwent
Derby

Scene One
Act One

The Year 2000
Mortimer Farandel tossing and turning in bed at night
He is awakened by an apparition of the Goddess in his room.

Mortimer Farrandel
(Speaking disturbed and slightly confused)

Who
What is this
What the blazes are you doing in my bedroom
Leave now before I summon a police officer

Apparition moves closer until her face is level with his

Goddess
(In an eerie whispering that echo's around the room)

You must follow

Mortimer Farrandel
(Confused and half-asleep)
Follow
Follow whom
Follow what

Apparition points to the clock on the wall

Goddess
(In an eerie whispering that echo's around the room)

At three
Follow me
Follow me
At three

(Apparition moves towards the bedroom door turns as though to open the door and disappears)

(Mortimer Farrandel rushes out of bed hurriedly puts light on and dressing gown
Flings open the door and heads down stairs into the kitchen)

Mortimer Farrandel
(Anxiously)

Mother

Mother come quickly something has happened

Lady Farrandel
(Entering the kitchen rather alarmed)

What is it Mortimer what's wrong

Mortimer Farrandel
(Sitting at the kitchen table shaking slightly and (speaking with nervous excitement)
)

Mother I've just had a vision in my bedroom

Lady Farrandel
(Putting the kettle on and showing signs of concern)

A Vision Mortimer
Of what

Mortimer Farrandel
(Speaking with nervous excitement)

Of the Goddess mother

Lady Farrandel
(Finishes making the tea and sits down next to her son placing the tea in front of him)

Oh dear Mortimer you've had far to much brandy at the golf club again
Have a cup of herbal tea and go back to bed
You will feel much better in the morning and besides
You do not have the time to worry about such things
The Christmas holidays begin tomorrow and we are all off up to London to stay with Nana for the week

Mortimer Farrandel
(Angrily getting up from the table)

Do not patronize me mother I know what I saw
She kept saying she wants me to follow her at three

Lady Farrandel
(Still sitting at the kitchen table)

Follow her
Follow her where
How on Earth are you supposed to follow an apparition
At three
Three when
Three in the morning or three in the afternoon
Really Mortimer you are taking this far too seriously
The best thing to do is to calm down and wait to see what happens
Maybe she will appear again before morning
On the other hand
She may send some sign to guide you who knows

Mortimer Farrandel
(Starting to calm down as he walks around the kitchen pondering on what has happened)

Yes that's it mother
I shall look for a sign as I go about my ordinary day
Lady Farrandel gets up and walks towards the kitchen door as though to leave
She turns around and speaks in earnest to her son

Lady Farrandel

What is it she wants with you Mortimer
For I am given to understand of such beings
That they bring warning to those they descend upon

Mortimer Farrandel
(Deep in thought)

I do not know mother
But I have the feeling there is something she wants me to know
Moreover, that a journey is about to begin from which a truth shall be revealed
A truth I have searched for all my life

Lady Farrandel
(Leaving the room)

Try not to be too hard on yourself darling
What ever it is
Let it wait until morning
Goodnight Mortimer
Sleep well
And don't forget to switch the kitchen light off

Mortimer Farrandel
(Stood at the table looking down resting his head in his hand)
Yes
Thank you mother
Goodnight

(Mortimer Farrandel stands for a while by the table after his mother has left the room pondering the situation he then turns and leaves the room switching the light off

End of act one

Scene Two
Act Two

Lord Farrandel has entered the British Library in London with his son Mortimer Farrandel
Both of them covered in snow of which they shake off as they enter

Lord Farrandel
(Rather put out by his sons request to accompany him to the library)

I cannot imagine why you would so desire to spend the Christmas holidays searching the British library for goodness knows what Mortimer
Have you lost your senses

Mortimer Farrandel
(Agitated and walking in front of his Father)

I told you Father
Since the apparition my mind has been taken up with a need to search for information
Of what
I know not
Only that I have to do this
So please
(Turns to Father abruptly)
Humor me would you

Lord Farrandel
(Pausing upon his walking stick and speaking with frustration)

Oh very well Mortimer
Nevertheless
I am due at the club in an hour
Moreover
I am not prepared to keep the order waiting

Both men proceed to walk the long lanes of the library
Lord Farrandel looking totally put out by the whole experience
As the clock on the library wall reads five minutes to three o'clock Lord Farrandel spies an old friend on the other side of the library and goes over to have a word

Lord Farrandel
(Excited)

Oh my God
There is Pilkington Portesque
An old friend from Oxford University
I say Mortimer I must go over and have a word
I have not seen him in an age
I shall come and find you when I am done

Lord Farrandel dashes off leaving Mortimer to walk the library alone
As he moves into a secluded part of the building
The clock is showing three o'clock
The light changes and there in front of him appears the Goddess
She beckons to him to follow her
He does so without question
She points to a book on the shelf
Then disappears
Mortimer takes the book she was pointing to from the shelf and gazes at it confusedly
Just as Lord Farrandel returns to his son

Lord Farrandel
(Urgently)

Well I really must be getting a move on Mortimer
I shall never cross London in time at this rate
Are you done here
What is that you have found

Mortimer Farrandel
(Mockingly)

It is a book father
What else do you suppose I would be holding in a Library

Lord Farrandel
(Bemused)

I am well aware that it is a book Mortimer
What in Heavens name is its title

Mortimer Farrandel
(Confusedly)

It says Derby Father

Lord Farrandel
(Surprised /exasperated /annoyed)

Derby
Is that all
You mean to tell me we have come half way across London in the snow
To find a book on Derby of all places
How preposterous

Mortimer Farrandel
(Frustrated)

Calm down Father we are in a library
It must mean that the Goddess wants me to go
there

Lord Farrandel
(Laughing)

What to Derby you mean
Really Mortimer don't you think your taking this a bit to far
You cannot go trekking off in the middle of winter
What on Earth will your mother say

Mortimer Farrandel
(Seriously /angrily)

Listen to me Father
I do not understand what all this is about
Nevertheless
I do know that I am going to see this through to the end
It is obvious to me that this is leading somewhere
And if that somewhere is important enough for a Goddess to leave her dwelling place of rest
To contact me and lead me here to this place
Then the least I can do is be courteous enough to comply with her wish
Now let's be going shall we

Mortimer angrily marches out of the library having replaced the book on the shelf
Lord Farrandel startled for a moment by his sons reaction follows out of the library after him

End of Act Two

Scene Three
Act Three

Mortimer has arrived in Derby and has no clue what to do next
He decides to go to the oldest part of the city to search for a clue
As he wonders the streets in the snow he comes across an old book shop on Abbey Street
As he walks in the door an old bell tinkles his arrival
From behind a dusty curtain an old man appears
The light in the shop is old and strange
All the books seem dusty and cluttered around the shop in an untidy and unusual manner
Mortimer feels as though he has been transported back to the late Victorian era

Mortimer Farrandel
(Exasperated)

Ah hello

Before he has time to say anymore the old man interrupts him

Book Shop Assistant
(In a curious manner)

Ive been expecting you

Mortimer Farrandel
(Surprised)

How so

Book Shop Assistant
(In a curious manner)

The Goddess told me you were coming
You've been crying a lot over the years she tells me
Wanting to know what happened to our Lord Jesus Christ
Come through to the back and have a cup of tea with me
Then I will take you to his resting place

Mortimer follows the old man through to the back
He is unable to speak
For shock of what he has heard

Book Shop Assistant
(In a curious manner)

She only sends them whose heart seeks in earnest
No gold diggers ever come here
Died painfully he did
Betrayed he was
By those closest to him
Hope they rot in Derby's' Prison
Ghosts forever more
Condemned to walk the tunnels below
For all eternity I tell you

The Book Shop Assistant spat on the ground
Cursing the villains responsible for the death of his Lord

Many think he died on the cross
However, King Arthur who was over there fighting the holy wars was asked by Pilot to bring him home to England

Mortimer Farrandel
(Truly alarmed)

I have never heard such rubbish in my life
I shall not stay a moment longer to listen to this make believe tale of fantasy and fiction
About our Lord Jesus Christ
How dare you

Shop Keeper Assistant
(In a curious manner)

Not me that bought you here was it

There was a long pause of silence
The shopkeeper slurped his tea
Mortimer sat in a state of confusion

Shop Keeper Assistant
(In a curious manner)

Cat got your tongue as it
I thought as much
Always takes them a while

Another Long Pause of silence

Come
I'll take you to were the Goddess first took me
Moreover, I will tell you the tale
Of how he came to end up here
In Derby

The Book Shop Assistant put on his old hat and scarf
And headed for the shop door
Mortimer walked slowly behind
Not knowing or understanding
If what was being said
Was true
The Snow was falling thick and fast outside

Book Shop Assistant
(Jovial)

Heh Heh Heh
Plenty of snow for Santa to slip his sleigh over tonight
Just have to lock up the shop
I will be heading off home after this
The misses and kids want to go carol singing
What about you Mr
How you fixed up for the night

Mortimer Farrandel
(Still in shock)

Oh
Who me
I will be fine
I shall be heading back down to London this evening

Book Shop Assistant
(Jovial)

Come on then
Let us get going before it gets too dark
Long trek across the other side of town you know
Come on
Come on

The Book Shop Assistant and Mortimer Farrandel walk off down the street toward a place called Little Chester
The snow is falling thick and fast as they disappear from view
End of Act Three
Scene Four
Act Four

The book Shop Assistant and Mortimer Farrandel arrive at the old Roman Bridge that crosses over the river Derwent in Little Chester

Book Shop Assistant
(In a curious manner)

This is where it happened
This is where they done him in
Buried him upside down in a concrete sarcophagus they did
Chucked him in the river
Then the Romans left England for good

Mortimer Farrandel
(Confused)

But surely your timing is all out

Book Shop Assistant
(In a curious manner)

Is it
You may be right
I am only telling you what the Goddess has told me
Take it or Leave it
The Goddess must think you are special if she has brought you here to find out
For not that many people know
Why Derby is such an important a place
In the big scheme of things

Both stand there gazing down at the water

Mortimer Farrandel
(Confused)

But why
How

Book Shop Assistant
(Confused)

They wanted rid of him over there
Because of the political goings on and all that
The Roman governor
What's his name
Could not bring himself to kill an innocent man
So he had this plan to get him out
Our Lord and Our Goddess
They were expecting a baby you see
So King Arthur agreed to bring them to his Kingdom where they would be safe
However
When they got into England King Arthur had to leave them with his Knights
Trouble at home and all that
Mary could not travel fast
On account of her condition
Well as it goes
They got as far as Exeter and Mary needed to stop and have the baby
That is when it happened
They took her they did and the baby
Took her to a place called Tallaca in Ireland
They Brought Jesus here to Derby
Someone found out you see
Someone grassed
They was going to cause trouble for the roman Governor
So he had to agree to let them do away with him I heard Jesus got to see his daughter before they took him
Don't know any more than that gov
Any way I have to get going now
The misses will be waiting
You sure we can't put you up for the night

Mortimer Farrandel
(Dazed / saddened)

No
No thank you
I'll just hang around here a while longer
But thank you anyway

Book Shop Assistant
(Jovial)

All right then ducks
Here's wishing you a happy Christmas
I'll be on my way
Kids will be waiting

Mortimer Farrandel
(Dazed / saddened)

Yes same to you
Here take this
Passes him some money

For your children

Book Shop Assistant
(Jovial)

That's kind of you thank you
Be seeing you

The Book shop Assistant walks away
Then turns and shouts

Don't be hard on yourself gov
After all
He aint there any more
For Our Lord Jesus Christ has risen
That's what the Goddess wanted you to know
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas

The Book shop assistant disappears from view
Leaving Mortimer Farrandel to stand alone in His knowledge of Jesus Christ
When before him the Goddess appeared
She smiles at him
And from behind her she brought forth her child into her arms
Then as if by magic the place was filled with Knights wearing the shroud of Christ
The Emblem of the Cross upon their tunics
And as quickly as they all had appeared
They disappeared
Leaving Mortimer Farrandel alone with his secret
As he turned to walk away
He could here children carol singing
In all the streets of Derby

The End