Note: the rhyme scheme for most lines is 4 beats, either
Da da, Da da, Da da, Da da; or da Da, da Da, da Da, da Da.
Short lines have 2 beats and those with stars (*) have 3.

CHARACTERS
DAEDALUS: inventor of the maze of Crete
ICARUS: his son
KING MINOS: the king of Crete
THE BISHOP: the head priest of Crete and advisor to the king.
SAILORS
GUARDS
PEOPLE OF THE COURT
THE MINOTAUR: half bull half man, monster.

SCENE ONE

ICARUS:
Dead ends, trap doors, tunnels, and caves,
What a maze father.
Natural as nature to all but our eyes
And those that don't see it, think we are gods

DAEDALUS:
Tricks and craft to be sure son, but...
Here follows the king -
And finally we're out your majesty.
Back where we began.

MINOS:
None of the party left except the Minotaur?
He'll have his acre back again.
Soldiers release the beast from his pen
(noise from the pen)
And stir him up to keep him mean
(King laughs and court joins in)

ICARUS:
The bull man runs hungry as if he's fired
With dreams of red capes taunting him at each turn.

DAEDALUS:
Glad to be here - out of harms way

MINOS:
What a majestic beast he is.

DAEDALUS:
Yes sire...
Now that the maze is done your liege
I turn over the key to the master gate
In exchange for that agreed upon boon,
Freedom for me and my son to sail home
(hands over the key and bows to the King)

MINOS:
I accept the key but not yet your departure.
Tonight we celebrate, no time to leave.
You'll sit at the head of the Royal table.
I want such as you nearer my side.

DAEDALUS:
But...

MINOS:
No more debate. Wait till tonight.

(king exits.)

ICARUS:
When will we leave father?

DAEDALUS:
I hope not too long
But a day or week waiting is easy to bear.

(aside)

Hope still shines ... though a little dimmer.

SCENE TWO

Daedalus and Icarus are on the beach. Icarus is running sprints. To one side is a small boat with sailors. To the other side is a big rock. Icarus comes running in, out of breath.

DAEDALUS:
Well done son. An Olympian time.

ICARUS:
Let's do it again

DAEDALUS:
No. Wait. That's enough.
A little each day is the best way to train.

ICARUS:
Father I can do it.

DAEDALUS:
I know you can
But I want to visit the Bishop before dark
And petition him again for our release.

ICARUS:
He's behind me father and heading this way.
I challenged him to race but he laughed it off.
He's stopping at every ship in the harbor.

DAEDALUS:
What for?

ICARUS:
I don't know.

DAEDALUS:
(... ... pause, pause)
Follow me and let's find what's up.

(They hide behind the rock as the Bishop and 2 guards enter and talk to the boatmen.)

BISHOP:
You there. Do you own this boat? *

SAILOR:
Aye yes Bishop. She's mine. *

BISHOP:
The king proclaims the following: *
You are not to give passage to Daedalus or his son
No matter what they say. No matter what they promise.
Your life is in the balance. So says the king.
Do you understand?

SAILOR:
Yes sir, but why?

BISHOP:
Do you understand?

SAILOR:
Yes sir.

BISHOP:
Enough!

(Bishop walks on)

DAEDALUS:
Icarus, there's clouds passing over the sun.

SCENE THREE

Scene: The workshop/bedroom in the middle of the night. Icarus is asleep, Daedalus is pacing. Balcony left, that looks out to sea. The room is halfway up the castle with rooms above and the sea below. Daedalus walks out onto the balcony. He's looking at the sea and sky and pondering how to escape. The Moon is high and there's the sound of the Minotaur bellowing in the background. He gets an idea as he looks from the higher up rooms in the castle to far out at sea. Then back to the lofty room, then back out to sea. Eureka! Thinking out loud he says:

DAEDALUS:
It seems that only the Moon can escape
Flying over the sea like a discus with wings.

(He goes back inside, lights a lamp and begins to draw a blueprint on a piece of parchment. If the audience can see what he's doing it looks like a mechanical drawing of wings by Da Vinci in that pen and rust ink style.

SCENE FOUR

Daedalus is guiding workmen who are carrying in boxes of supplies into his new, higher up in the castle, workshop.
It's obviously a newer, bigger workshop. Icarus is helping tote the boxes in.
The talk is like this Put it over there, those tools for the workbench, etc. Small talk in a busy atmosphere
The Bishop comes in, stepping over this, getting out of the way of that, etc.

BISHOP:
Daedalus a moment

DAEDALUS:
Yes your bishop.

BISHOP:
The king asked me to call on you
And find out what, by the gods, this is for?

DAEDALUS:
Some , to be honest, are to make our stay nicer
For me and my boy. That's why the high view.
But as for the rest. Ah, all last night
And the night before that, and the night before that
I couldn't sleep dreaming up schemes;
Things that will delight the king and the court.
I dare not reveal them. It'll ruin the surprise.

BISHOP:
Nothing like catapults, or weapons of destruction?

DAEDALUS:
No. No. Not that, though I could do that as well.

BISHOP:
The king commands you to stay away from such things.
He is for peace, no rumors of war.
Or war inventions or fire elixirs.

DAEDALUS:
No. No. Bishop. None of that sort.
(Bishop looks around)
But Bishop, if I may, I'd like to request
Two more things not on my list.

BISHOP:
What could you want not in these boxes?

DAEDALUS:
Odds and ends that to some may seem strange
By being so silly like feathers or snake oil,
And 2 dumb sentries to guard our door
And keep out eyes who spoil surprises.

BISHOP:
Done. (aside) And better to protect the kingdom!

SCENE FIVE

2 Guards outside the workshop door.
Workshop noises in background.

GUARD 1:
Pounding! Pounding! And then more requests
For even more tar, even more feathers.

GUARD 2:
What could they make of such a mess?

GUARD 1:
I think they curse us with spells and brews.

GUARD 2:
I'll not drink WATER till my watch is up!

GUARD 1:
The old rag woman claims that last night
She saw the shadow of a giant bat
Half man and half bird
Leaning over the sill *

GUARD 2:
Who are we guarding? Them or ourselves?

SCENE SIX

Daedalus is putting the finishing touches
on the pair of wings that Icarus is wearing.

DAEDALUS:
Son let's test it. Are you ready?

ICARUS:
I am.

DAEDALUS:
Now should the wings fail, fall like at home
When you jumped off the cliffs showing me your dives.
Don't worry about the wings. Let them sink
You're an athlete that dives farther with no problems.
Fly if you can, or swim if you have to.
(He sails out the window and by watching Daedalus's face we see that the wings are working.
He circles around.' Quickly, quickly, before someone sees you' mutters Daedalus. Icarus flies back
through the window with real bravado and says:

ICARUS:
Now father it's time I take the lead
And get you into shape to fly the seas

SCENE SEVEN

Scene: a small elegant chapel. The bishop is finishing the service.
Throughout the scene the others shun Daedalus and Icarus as if they're evil. The liturgy is sung. A line by the Bishop, then an answering line by the worshipers. Music:

BISHOP:
We bow to God , born in our king.

CROWD:
All - hail - the all powerful - King

BISHOP:
We bow to God, born in our king

CROWD:
All - praise thee - forever . Amen.

(Music continues as the bishop goes down the line
anointing each head with either a smoking chalice or a smoking incense burner,
or with smoking sticks of incense. As he touches the heads of Daedalus and Icarus he whispers sotto voce, "stay".
As others file out one by one, they walk wide of Daedalus and Icarus.)

DAEDALUS:
Yes Bishop?

BISHOP:
Daily I take long walks on the beach
To stretch my legs but also to mingle
And talk to my people as shepherd of the flock.
And it's clear as day that rumors are flying:
The noises in your workshop, the guards, the mystery,
Lend themselves to whispering... wondering.
In short the people believe it's witchcraft
And evil that you're hammering out up there

DAEDALUS:
Go Icarus, I'll see you later. (the boy exits)
Well Bis....

BISHOP:
Now I know that you want to please the king
With something that'll top even the maze
But there's danger to you and your very lives
If rumors continue to conjure up fear.
This flock will turn rabble and shear you and your boy.
Save yourself and tell me the truth.
I'll NOT tell the king, your secret is safe.
But what is it for the tar, feathers,
String, wood, metal, and wax?

DAEDALUS:
How things grow! A seed of silliness
Leads to an oak of speculation.
I'm not a warlock. I'm an open book.
(He counts them off his fingers)
The feathers and tar are for a mechanical bird
That, when kissed by dawn, awakes and whistles.
The string and wood is for an armless lute
That, when wound by a hidden key,
Plays as if strummed by a passing breeze.
The metal - for a bird cage for the mechanical bird
And wax and gears for mechanics and oil.
This and no more.

(The Bishop says nothing and scene ends as he
ponders what Daedalus has just said.)

SCENE EIGHT

(The king is walking past and the Bishop is trying to speak to him)

MINOS:
Now what is so urgent that everything is upset?

BISHOP:
It's Daedalus
He's mad your liege, with a touch of evil.
Let him go! He's too cagey for our prison.

MINOS:
Bishop you sound like a child at bedtime.
Are you too starting to see giant bats? (The king begins to walk away)

BISHOP:
It's more than superstition. He masks real cunning.

(the king walks away shaking his head and talking to himself)

MINOS:
Such is the case of the devout *
Who live on a diet of unseen things. (exits)

BISHOP:
History is filled with such fools in danger.
I'll not rest on a pillow of snakes!
Barcey and Colder, Come here. Now!
On my edict this is your command.
Follow Daedalus and his boy Icarus
Whenever they leave the door of their workshop.
And keep up a steady report of what they do.
Not a minute are they to be left alone.
And do it without them knowing your near.
Now go. They left toward the Minotaur's gate.

(the guards exit)

SCENE NINE

Minotaur's Gate, with the bull
bellowing in the background. Icarus and Daedalus are working on the gate lock.

DAEDALUS:
Quickly Icarus. Replace the bronze
With bolts of wax.

ICARUS:
Why not the tar?

DAEDALUS
: The wax will melt under the heat of noon.
The boat pitch will hold up - the iron of glue.
Faster son, as nimble as a weaver.
Our fate is sealed if we don't fly today.

(They finish and race away. Soon the 2 guards enter and follow, but too late to see what happened. Nearby the King is walking with his court. An assistant whispers something in his ear.)

MINOS:
Come my ladies it's near high noon,
Time for the ceremonial feeding of the bull.

SCENE TEN

(Workshop: Daedalus and Icarus are
hurriedly getting into their wings)

DAEDALUS:
Fly low and glide long.

ICARUS:
Father we've practiced time and again.
This is not my first walking step.

DAEDALUS:
And why low?

ICARUS:
Then should we fall
The wings will float and buoy us till shore.

DAEDALUS:
Go my boy. It's time! It's time!

(Icarus flies out the window. Daedalus follows.
Bishop approaches the 2 spies plus the 2 guards at the door)

BISHOP:
Anything? Anything?

BARCEY They're back in their rooms.

BISHOP:
Keep a sharp vigil. I have to join the king. (he exits)

(Open sky. Daedalus and Icarus are flying.
It's hard work for the father but not for the boy)

DAEDALUS:
Look at the maze, an anthill with 1 ant.

ICARUS:
Father I want to seal our revenge
Circle down low before we leave
And watch the sheep run from the wolf. (He begins to drop)

DAEDALUS:
No it's too risky. The Bishop has bowmen.

ICARUS:
But...

DAEDALUS:
It's foolish to fall for folly's sake

SCENE ELEVEN

(The King and court at the gate. The Minotaur
bellowing louder and banging at the gate that seems to be rattling more
and more. The Bishop joins them, and they proceed...)

MINOS:
Ah my beast, can you roar no louder?

(The court laughs which enrages the bull. He breaks the tampered lock,
melted away by the noon sun, and attacks.
First the king because of his royal red robe and all the excessive sparkling jewelry etc. The king is gored and dies.
The rest of the court scatters in terror. The Minotaur chases in the direction
of the fleeing Bishop. We don't know his fate. The King's guards with spears chase
after the bull. Soon all exit. All that's left is the dying King
and the open gate clanking or creaking.)

SCENE TWELVE

(Daedalus is slowly flying. He is tired. Outside of the scene and above him is Icarus.)

ICARUS:
I site land!

(Daedalus scans the horizon. Then feels drops on his arms)

DAEDALUS:
Tears of joy?
But why are they brown and stick like sap?

(Daedalus realizes that the pitch on his wings is
beginning to melt and must be much worse for his son who is so much nearer the sun)

Icarus the heat! The tar is melting!

ICARUS:
Father, help! The sun ...aiyyy

(Icarus plummets into the sea. Daedalus , horror stricken circles around waiting ... waiting ... then turns around and leaves)

EPILOGUE

(Daedalus is in front of an altar fire
that's burning his winged contraption. He is extremely despondent.)

DAEDALUS:
Green wood burned to black
In memory of a headstrong boy
Robbed by a sea envious of us both -
Too much fortune, too good, for too long.
Now, too many years left to live.
Let this smoke, like the secret of flying
Wing its way back, to the gods on high.
I'll not teach another to fly.

The End.

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