El Elef Ha’Shmashot 

(The Lord of Thousand Suns)

Six people walk on a path.
Auuu Auuu Auuu.
Number One, Number Two, Number Three, Number Four, Number Five, and Number Six.
On their feet - red shoes.
Number One leads, wearing gloves, carrying a red circle.
Auuu Auuu.

Six people ride bicycles on a path.
Auuu Auuu Auuu.
Number One, Number Two, Number Three, Number Four, Number Five, and Number Six.
Number One leads, wearing gloves, carrying a red circle.
Auuu Auuu.

Six people run along the path.
Auuu Auuu Auuu.
Number One, Number Two, Number Three, Number Four, Number Five, and Number Six.
Number One leads, wearing gloves, carrying a red circle.
Auuu Auuu.

At night, in the desert, six people rest beside six tents.
Next to the camp, a bonfire. Above the fire, the red circle hangs.
Inflamed in the flames, it emits a sound:
Aoooooo – Aoooooo – Aoooooo – Aoooooo...

By the fire, Numbers Two and Three examine a map.
Number One stares into the flames.
Next to the tent, Number Four looks at the night sky.
Number Five sits far from the camp, watching the camp.
In the tent, Number Six sleeps.

In the morning, Number Four lifts the glowing red circle toward the rising sun.
Numbers One, Two, Three, Five, and Six dance in a circle around it.

Six people leap over hills.
Auuu Auuu Auuu.
Number One, Number Two, Number Three, Number Four, Number Five, and Number Six.
Number One leads, wearing gloves, carrying the red circle.
Auuu Auuu.

Between the hills, scattered bones.
The six stop, gazing.
Numbers Two and Three exchange glances.
Number Five curses, and the six continue leaping.

Six people skip along.
Auuu Auuu Auuu.
Number One, Number Two, Number Three, Number Four, Number Five, and Number Six.
Number One leads, carrying the red circle.
Auuu Auuu.

At night, by the river, six people rest beside six tents.
Next to the camp, a bonfire. Above the fire, the red circle hangs.
Enflamed in the flames, it emits a sound:
Hoooooo – Hoooooo – Hoooooo – Hoooooo...

By the fire, Numbers Two and Three examine a map.
Number One stares into the flames.
Next to the tent, Number Four looks at the night sky.
Number Five sits far from the camp, watching the camp.
In the tent, Number Six sleeps.

In the morning, as the sun rises, Number Four lifts the glowing red circle toward the sky.
Numbers One, Two, Three, Five, and Six dance in a circle around it.

Six people swim in the river.
Auuu Auuu Auuu.
Number One, Number Two, Number Three, Number Four, Number Five, and Number Six.
Number One leads, carrying the red circle.
Auuu Auuu.

Six people row in a boat.
Auuu Auuu Auuu.
Number One, Number Two, Number Three, Number Four, Number Five, and Number Six.
Number One leads, the red circle at the bow of the boat.
Auuu Auuu.

The boat passes an overturned boat.
The six stop and gaze.
Number Five curses.

And by the sea – a cave. Above it, a cliff.
The six bow.

Six people crawl inside the cave.
Auuu Auuu Auuu.
Number One, Number Two, Number Three, Number Four, Number Five, and Number Six.
Number One leads, pushing the red circle ahead with his head.
Auuu Auuu.

Numbers Two and Three exchange glances.

Six people climb a mountain.
Climb climb climb.
Number One, Number Two, Number Three, Number Four, Number Five, and Number Six.
Number One leads, carrying the glowing red circle.

The six reach the summit.
Auuu Auuu.
Number One hands the red circle to Number Two.
Hoooooo
Number Two passes it to Number Three.
Hoooooo
Number Three passes it to Number Four.
Hoooooo
Number Four passes it to Number Five.
Hoooooo
Number Five passes it to Number Six.
Hoooooo

Number Six plants the circle at the peak.
Hoooooo!

Silence.

Hoooooo!

Silence.

Hoooooo

Silence!

Silence.

-

An overturned boat in the river.
The six upon it, drifting. Number Two rows. Number Three beside him.
Numbers One, Four, Five, and Six lie slumped on the boat.

A great wave washes over the boat.
The six are swept into the sea and washed ashore, bare feet.

At night – a camp.
One tent. At a distance – another. A personal fire for each. Perhaps two or three fires in total
By one of the fires, Number Two throws the map into the flames.
Number Three, standing by the tent, watches the map burn.
Number One, by his own fire, throws the gloves into the flames.
Near another tent, Number Four looks at the sky.
Number Five sits far from the camp, watching the camp.
In the tent, Number Six sleeps.

In the morning, as the sun rises, Number Four looks at the sea.
In distant, the red shoes are floating, flickering in the sun. A tear falls.
Number One approaches, resting his head on Number Four’s shoulder.
Numbers Two and Three join, standing close, huddling together.
Number Six arrives slowly. Number Five watches from afar – and finally joins.

Number Four begins to move his feet slowly. The others gradually join in a circle dance.

A seventh figure joins them. Its head – the red circle.
They do not see it. But it is dancing with them.

The End