A Free Man of Color Read online

  PINCEPOUSSEFind the code breaker!

  Margery enters.

  MARGERYI want to see New Orleans. I want to eat food. I want to see that man.

  PINCEPOUSSEThe carriage! Go!

  Pincepousse drags Margery off. Morales follows.

  JACQUES CORNETA restoration of le Code Noir? Spain lets us live in the mathematics of a loose equation. But add Napoleon to the algebra? The name of my play is very clear: A Free Man of Color or The Happy Life of a Man in Power. What’s in that letter? Murmur, bring me the key to the garden of Senor Morales. Hurry! Hurry!

  MURMUR (taking out the key ring)I’m hurrying.

  Jacques Cornet goes onto the street. A masked woman appears. (DOÑA ATHENE) Jacques Cornet turns to her.

  JACQUES CORNETThey told me you were beautiful. They didn’t tell me you—

  DOÑA ATHENE (pulls off mask)It is your wife! Doña Athene! Why have you scorned me!

  JACQUES CORNETMurmur!

  MURMURI’m staying out of this one.

  DOÑA ATHENEI thought I would dwell in Paradise when you begged to marry me to celebrate your newly purchased freedom. I relented happily to the wonder of your words. You promised me Israel in your arms. You parted the Red Sea when you loved me. Now you deny me your ardor. Why would Moses turn his back on his chosen people? A Gethsemane of madness crushes in on me. Your phantom words divorce me from all sense. How can you speak, yet be devoid of consequence?

  Jacques Cornet runs off.

  DOÑA ATHENEWhat did I do to make him turn away?

  MURMURTake it as a compliment, Madam. He found such comfort in your arms that he seeks you everywhere.

  DOÑA ATHENE“The Increase of appetite had grown by what it feeds on.” Is that my crime? My love made him discover love?

  MURMURThere you go.

  Doña Athene goes. Jacques Cornet reappears.

  JACQUES CORNETMurmur, one of your few duties is to block Doña Athene.

  MURMURShe is your wife.

  JACQUES CORNETA moment’s spur. I didn’t buy myself out of one slavery to move into another. What’s in that letter?

  Murmur plays the seductive rhythm of el son on a gourd.

  MURMURThe drawing room of Supreme Intendante Juan Ventura Morales.

  DOÑA SMERALDA, the wife of Morales, sits with ACHILLE CREUX and his wife, DONA POLISSENA, who carries a microscope. A bedroom is visible.

  Morales and Pincepousse enter and proceed to take the drawing room apart.

  MORALESThe safe! It’s here—in this safe—

  DOÑA SMERALDADarlingest treasure trove! We have company!

  MORALESHave you seen the Imperial decoder—parchment— sealed with red wax—in a black leather tube?

  DOÑA SMERALDADarlingest jewel in my jewel box, your cousin has arrived from Santo Domingo!

  CREUXJuan Ventura!

  MORALES (turns, sees)Achille!

  They embrace.

  CREUXToussaint Louverture and his black beasts left Sante Domingue a desert. We once sweetened the world. Now my fertile island is a burned-out crater on a distant moon.

  DOÑA POLISSENAWe made our way through the flames of our plantation to Port Ste. Dauphine, found a ship about to sail for New Orleans. Two weeks later, voila!

  PINCEPOUSSEWe all have our problems. Could it be in the stables?

  They exit.

  DOÑA SMERALDAOur joy to offer safety. Let our slaves fetch your things.

  CREUXThings?! We who had jewels and pianofortes and portraits of ancestors such as Charlemagne, Caligula, and Pontius Pilate, sailed out of Sante Domingue carrying only identity papers.

  DOÑA POLISSENAI, taking only my microscope.

  DOÑA SMERALDAMicroscope?

  CREUXMy wife charmingly describes herself as a scientist.

  DOÑA POLISSENAI am a scientist! My dream is to find the cause of yellow fever. Could it be that grape?

  CREUXWe all know yellow fever is caused by Negroes who touch us and infect us. What is that music? That African barbarism!

  Creux exits with his gun.

  DOÑA SMERALDA (dancing seductively)Do you know this new dance? “Dansez Bamboula! Bad-oum!”

  DOÑA POLISSENA“Bad-doum-bad-DOUM!” Who is your teacher?

  DOÑA SMERALDAI go to Congo Square where all the slaves meet—“Ba-doum”

  DOÑA POLISSENA (trying to feel the rhythm)“Bad-oum Badoum!” Your husband doesn’t mind?

  DOÑA SMERALDAI’ll give you a list of the things my husband doesn’t know!

  DOÑA POLISSENA (trying to find the rhythm)Paradise!

  DOÑA SMERALDABa-doum!

  DOÑA POLISSENAMy body has never moved this way—Badoum

  DOÑA SMERALDAIt will in New Orleans.

  Gunshots. Creux returns, followed by ORPHEE.

  ORPHEE (to Doña Smeralda)Your honored guest shot at us!

  DOÑA SMERALDAYou mustn’t shoot our slaves!

  CREUXI won’t miss the next time. The odor of pomade on his black half-kinked hair sickens me.

  Orphee barks.

  CREUXDon’t be frightened, dear.

  Orphee exits, laughing.

  CREUXSante Domingue? A perfect civilization distorted by those leprous words of liberte, fraternite, egalite, which have no right in the mouth of the Negro.

  DOÑA POLISSENAIt is the voice of history. This is a time of revolution.

  CREUXI curse all revolution. The Americans, the French gave too many people the idea of freedom.

  DOÑA POLISSENAWhat else could they have done?

  CREUXHad their revolutions, but done them in secret!

  Jacques enters the garden. Murmur follows.

  JACQUES CORNETStay at hand.

  DR. TAs Jacques Cornet enters, let me take you to Paris.

  Napoleon sits in a bathtub. Tallyrand paces studying a map of the world. Josephine does tarot cards.

  NAPOLEONI have lost the Rhine.

  TALLYRANDThat is a sign from our creator to change directions. Oh Most Blessed Angel of Military Brilliance, move from Europe to the New World! The source of infinite wealth!

  Tallyrand reveals a map of the vast Louisiana Territory.

  NAPOLEONSpain would never give us all this.

  TALLYRAND (waving a letter)It will now. Carlos Cuarto—an utter jackass—wants something from us.

  CARLOS CUARTO, King of Spain, and his daughter, the INFANTA, appear. She has one eye and eats greedily.

  CARLOS CUARTOIllustrious First Consul, I who am as great a power as has ever existed in the history of the world except for you, come bowing to the might of France. My daughter has found a husband and would like to be a queen. We don’t need a large kingdom. She only has one eye.

  INFANTAI’d like my husband to be King of—Tuscany!

  TALLYRANDTuscany is now called Etruria.

  INFANTAI want Etruria.

  NAPOLEONIn exchange for what?

  CARLOS CUARTOSpain has nothing! Our colonies bleed us dry.

  TALLYRANDThey are parasites, these colonies. Let us take a colony off your hands. We will give your son-in-law the throne of Etruria in exchange for—where? Here? Here? Here? No—Louisiana.

  Tallyrand reveals the map of the Louisiana Territory.

  JOSEPHINE (whispering)Not Louisiana! The Indies! I want my muslins washed!

  TALLYRAND (whispering)Believe me, you want Louisiana.

  JOSEPHINE (whispering)Whom do you listen to? Talleyrand or me?

  NAPOLEON (whispering)I’m trying to take a bath.

  JOSEPHINE (whispering)Your itch. Always your itch!

  NAPOLEONGet Louisiana! Let me take my fucking bath.

  Napoleon exits.

  JOSEPHINEDon’t take Louisiana! Are you insane! Money! Get money!

  Josephine follows.

  CARLOS CURATOBut France gave Louisiana to us thirty-seven years ago.

  TALLYRANDWe apologize for foisting it off on you. A colony is like having a spoiled Infanta for a child.

  INFANTADon’t let him talk like that to me!

  TA
LLYRANDPresent Infantas excluded.

  CARLOS CUARTOAmerica is a nuisance. I don’t even believe these tales of volcanoes that spew gold.

  TALLYRANDYou’ve dissuaded me. We don’t want Louisiana. Goodbye.

  INFANTANo! I’ll kill myself and then I’ll die and you’ll be sorry.

  She gorges her mouth with grapes and chokes. Carlos Cuarto performs Heimlich.

  CARLOS CUARTO (to Talleyrand)Carissima! You want Louisiana? Take Louisiana. New Orleans is no Havana.

  TALLYRANDOh, all right. Sign this treaty.

  Talleyrand produces a paper. Carlos Cuarto signs. The Infanta smiles.

  TALLEYRAND (bowing to the Infanta)The Queen of Etruria. And let us keep this treaty a secret until Napoleon is safely across the Atlantic and in view of New Orleans.

  They go.

  DR. T (to us)You now know more than the majority of people in this play.

  Jacques Cornet takes out a key and enters Doña Smeralda’s bedroom. He lies on her bed. Jacques Cornet whistles an elaborate whistle. Think of a nightingale in heat. Doña Smeralda stands.

  CREUXHad their revolutions, but done them in secret!

  DOÑA SMERALDA (beaming with joy)I don’t feel well!

  MORALESBayou fever?

  DOÑA SMERALDAA definite fever.

  She goes into the bedroom and embraces Jacques Cornet.

  PINCEPOUSSEWhat bird makes that call?

  MORALESIt’s odd. I hear it all the time.

  Jacques Cornet begins undressing her, then himself.

  JACQUES CORNETHave they found the cipher breaker?

  DOÑA SMERALDAHaven’t you come to see me?

  JACQUES CORNETOnly you.

  PINCEPOUSSELook in there!

  MORALESThe door is locked! Dearest, may I come in?

  DOÑA SMERALDA (calling)No, adored one! I don’t want you catching what I have.

  DOÑA POLISSENA (knocking)Is it yellow fever?

  DOÑA SMERALDA (calling)It’s a fever of a different color.

  Jacques Cornet embraces her.

  MORALES (calls)Dearest Orgasm of My Eyeballs, could my Imperial code breaker be in our temple of joy?

  DOÑA SMERALDA (calling)What does it look like?

  MORALESA long black tube with a red ribbon on it.

  DOÑA SMERALDA (calling)It sounds familiar. I’ll keep my eyes open.

  MORALESWill you be well enough to go to Senor Coquet’s ball?

  DOÑA POLISSENA (calling)Say you will go! I yearn to dance. Ba-doum!

  CREUXNo African dancing!

  MORALESShall I call Docteur Toubib?

  DOÑA SMERALDA (calling)I know exactly what he’ll say. Stay in bed till tomorrow.

  JACQUES CORNET (to us)A seduction doesn’t count unless it’s taking place under the husband’s nose.

  MORALESThe poor thing relies on me for everything.

  JACQUES CORNETWhere is the cipher breaker?

  DOÑA SMERALDA (whisper)What is this cipher? I am a code who needs to be broken.

  JACQUES CORNETOf course. (He turns down the lamp.) (to us) Let me solve this puzzle first. (He dims the bedroom light.)

  DOÑA SMERALDA (orgasmic)Yes! Yes! Yes!

  MORALESHear it in her voice? She’s getting better.

  Enter Margery Jolicoeur.

  MARGERYWhere are the best fields to walk in New Orleans?

  CREUX (lunging at her)Get thee behind me, Negress!

  MORALESShe is our house guest!

  CREUXIn which house?

  MORALESIn this house.

  CREUX (to Margery)I know what you’re up to.

  MARGERYI just want to take a walk.

  PINCEPOUSSEMargery! Get upstairs!

  MARGERYI just want to see New Orleans!

  Jacques Cornet, curious, peers out through the door.

  JACQUES CORNETAhh, the lovely woman Pincepousse calls a man.

  Doña Smerelda pulls him back to bed.

  CREUXYou evil black voodoo witch!

  PINCEPOUSSE (restraining Margery)She is my wife—

  MARGERY (as they go)I could have had more fun in Natchez and Natchez is no fun.

  Pincepousse drags her off.

  CREUXWife! We’re leaving.

  POLISSENATo go where? We’re homeless.

  MORALESLeda!!

  LEDA appears. Creux shrieks.

  CREUXAnother wife?

  MORALESOur slave.

  PINCEPOUSSELeda, go to the guest room and costume her as a boy. An ugly boy.

  MORALESLeda’s perfectly happy here, aren’t you? For without the blessing of slavery, she wouldn’t be a Christian.

  LEDA (to us)If I had an axe, I’d chop their heads off.

  Leda smiles and goes.

  CREUXWe will go to the ball as corpses. I shall costume myself as a ghost of what the white man used to be.

  DOÑA POLISSENAYour wife looked a sweet thing.

  JACQUES CORNET (sizing up Doña Polissena)As you look a bit of succulence. Who is she?

  Doña Smerelda pulls him back to the bed.

  CREUXSweet? She’d slash our throats and then lick the knife. I am shocked by the laxity of morals I see in New Orleans.

  MORALESWe thought if we gave the Negro some freedoms, he would be less likely to revolt.

  CREUXYou’ve gone too far. Spain must come to her senses and restore le Code Noir.

  Jacques Cornet interrupts the scene and comes down to us, wrapping his cloak around him.

  JACQUES CORNET (to us)Let me tell you about this thing called le Code Noir, promulgated by the so-called Sun King in the year 1685. A Royal Edict Touching on the State and Discipline of the Black Slaves of Louisiana, Given at Versailles in the Month of March. We have judged that it was a matter of our authority and our justice, for the conservation of this colony, to establish there a law concerning the discipline of slaves. No slaves may marry without permission of their master. No slave can sell anything without written permission of his master. Slaves of different masters who congregate in a group shall be whipped and then branded with a fleur de lys. No slaves may bear arms or large sticks. Children born of slaves belong to the master of the mother. A slave who strikes his master shall be put to death. Slaves are the master’s personal property. Oh, I’ve memorized every clause, every syllable, every letter of the notorious black code, which gave no rights to blacks, declaring them mere pieces of property.

  This stellar document shone forth from the sacred light of Louis XIV—the Sun King. What kind of sun shines this hatred? The sun that God created was made to nourish and insure life’s growth, a light as gold as a lion’s mane. But le Code Noir? The sun of this Sun King only shrivels and dries, is a sun that never rises, a sun with no dawn—a blazing sun that puts ice around your eyelids, a burning sun that gives no heat but is up there an arctic block of ice at the heart of the universe—that sun to me is dark and silent as the moon. The sun of this Sun King is a pus-filled canker of hate, a rotting cancer, a phaeton’s chariot spewing out rot at its highest point of ascent.

  But that’s all in the past. No, we now are on fire in this Age of Enlightenment—the way a magnifying glass catches the sun’s blaze and sets paper into flame—so the free and full splendoured sun shines in our day of universal liberte, egalite, fraternite. The French Revolution and the American Revolution brought the nurturing heat back to the sun, revived the sun. We stand in its heat. Le Code Noir est mort. We can never return to those principles that were so easily strewn in the gutter years of Louis Quatorze—even to say it quatorze quatorze—like the croak of a cancerous frog—no, the head of Louis XVI, his heir, rolled into the straw basket under the guillotine along with the foolish scepter that issued such proclamations. Le Code Noir is dead. This is the Age of Enlightenment. ( Jacques Cornet bows and returns to bed with Doña Smeralda.) Ouch! (He holds up a black tube with a red ribbon on it) Is this the cipher machine? This is it! Give it to him!

  DOÑA SMERALDACareful!

  MORALESDid you say something, Moon of Magnificence?

  DOÑA SME
RALDA (calling)Darlingest, Delight of My Dreams? I think I found it.

  MORALESThe cipher machine? Let me come in!

  DOÑA SMERALDADon’t let him see you.

  Jacques opens the door a crack, passes the code breaker out to Morales who kisses Jacques’ hand, then slams the door.

  MORALESI will now decipher the cryptogram. The code is “Mississippi”.

  Morales uses the chart of the code breaker as Pincepoussse prepares to take dictation. Letters of the alphabet appear overhead. Then letters beneath the alphabet spell out M.I.S.P., which take the first four slots. M is under A. I is under B. S is under C. P under D. M.I.S.P. becomes the first four letters of the alphabet. The coded alphabet continues. A is E. B is F.

  DR. TAt the same time, in Washington D.C., spies in France have delivered the same secret message to Mr. Jefferson.

  Jefferson enters followed by Meriwether who carries the cipher breaker.

  JEFFERSONThe key is “Artichoke”.

  MORALESSo A is M.

  PINCEPOUSSEB is I.

  MORALESC is S.

  MERIWETHERA is F.

  R is A.

  JEFFERSONC is E.

  MORALESD is P.

  PINCEPOUSSEV is R.

  JACQUES CORNETCan you see what they’re doing?

  JEFFERSONL is A.

  MERIWETHERP is N.

  The letters overhead spin madly until they form a message. “Spain has given Louisiana to France”.

  DR. T (to us)But you knew that already.

  JACQUES CORNETWhat does it say! I can’t see it!

  MORALESThe floor of the world trembles beneath my feet.

  DOÑA POLISSENAGood news?

  CREUXGood news died with the invention of the wheel.

  PINCEPOUSSEI’m having a delusion. I thought you said Spain has given Louisiana to a country now ruled by a Corsican dwarf!

  JACQUES CORNETDid he say Spain has given all of Louisiana to France?

  JACQUES CORNETGo out there! Learn what’s in that letter!

  DOÑA SMERALDAHe’ll be suspicious. I’m not interested in anything.

  JEFFERSONWhatever power other than ourselves holds the country west of the Mississippi becomes our natural enemy. This is an act of war!

  Jefferson exits, followed by Meriwether.

  MORALESI shall not be discarded like the skin of a mango! Yes! That day is here!

  JACQUES CORNETWhat day is here?

  MORALES (whisper)Our plan.