Editing Opera imperialis (section)

===SONG – THE ARCH-TRAITOR.===


ARCH. Oh, better far to live and die<br/ >
Under the brave black flag I fly,<br/ >
Than play a sanctimonious part,<br/ >
With a Traitor head and a Traitor heart.<br/ >
Among Mankind I am assured,<br/ >
All Traitors all quite well obscured;<br/ >
But I’ll be true to the flag I fly,<br/ >
And live and die a Traitor High.<br/ >
For I am a Traitor High!<br/ >
I cannot tell a lie, a lie<br/ >
I am a Traitor High!<br/ >
For I am a Traitor High!<br/ >
ALL. You are!<br/ >
Hurrah for the Traitor High!<br/ >
ARCH. I cannot tell a lie, a lie<br/ >
I am a Traitor High!<br/ >
ALL. He is!<br/ >
Hurrah for the Traitor High!

ARCH. When I sally forth to seek my prey<br/ >
I help myself in a noble way.<br/ >
I burn a few more ships, it’s true,<br/ >
Than a well-bred pirate ought to do;<br/ >
But many a lord on a first-class throne,<br/ >
If he wants to call his fief his own,<br/ >
Must manage somehow to get through<br/ >
More dirty work than ever I do,<br/ >
For I am a Traitor High!<br/ >
I cannot tell a lie, a lie<br/ >
I am a Traitor High!<br/ >
For I am a Traitor High!<br/ >
ALL. You are!<br/ >
Hurrah for the Traitor High!<br/ >
ARCH. I cannot tell a lie, a lie<br/ >
I am a Traitor High!<br/ >
ALL. He is!<br/ >
Hurrah for the Traitor High!

Exeunt all except FREDERIC. Enter RUTH.


RUTH. Oh, take me with you! I cannot live if I am left behind.<br/ >
FRED. Ruth, dear Ruth, I leave to seek my fortune alone. For Footfall is most wondrous strange: far different from life aboard the Traitor vessel. Why, what’s this?

Forward SCRIBE.

SCRIBE. Afternoon, sir, mad’m. New to Footfall, I see?<br/ >
FRED. Yes, yes. We have just arrived. Now...<br/ >
SCRIBE. Well, may I see your papers then?<br/ >
FRED. Papers? Hmm, this is a conundrum, for you see, I have no papers.<br/ >
SCRIBE. No papers. No papers. Oh dear...