SCENE III.
Court of TITUS's house.
A banquet set out.
5.3.1
“Lucas, I felt insulted by these servings.” The Goth leaders voiced to their leader, but he silenced them. He wanted
to see what acts that his so named father had choose to serve. On the main table, the guests without hesitation tore
into the food as it was laid.
“Welcome, my gracious lord; welcome, dread Queen.” Titus greeted his guests and then turned to the Goths.
“Welcome, ye warlike Goths; welcome, Lucas; “
“And welcome, all: although the cheer be poor,” Titus laughed out loud at the feasting by the barons. “'Twill fill
your stomachs; please you eat of it.”
“Why art thou thus attired, Adrian?” Saturday asked of Titus. “You looked more like my mother than a warrior.”
“Because I would be sure to have all well to entertain your highness and your Queen.” Titus replied. He looked to t
the Queen. “How’s the taste of my fine young meat slabs?”
“We are beholding to you, good Adrian.” Tamara replied while she still look out for her sons. She was to asked
Titus but he had addressed the leader.
“An if your leader knew my heart, you were.” Titus sighed. “My lord the leader, resolve me this: Was it well done
of rash Virginius to slay his daughter with his own right hand, because she was enforced, stain'd, and deflower'd?”
“Ah, the Chaucer tale. What was it called? The Physician Daughter.” Saturday replied with his mouth full of the
chunk of meat. “It was, Adrian. I truly support it.”
“Your reason, mighty lord?” Titus leaned over to ask with his meat cleaver hovering near the Leader’s neck.
Saturday felt the closeness and used his fork to push the knife away.
“Why because the girl should not survive her shame, and by her presence still renew his sorrows.” Saturday replied
while he took another bite. “Darned good meat. Young and tender.”
“Aye, a reason mighty, strong, and effectual.” Titus stepped back and walked round the table. “A pattern, precedent,
and lively warrant, for me, most wretched, to perform the like.”
“Die, die, Lavinia, and thy shame with thee;” Titus stopped at Lavinia’ side and without another warning, he thrust
the knife into her chest. “And, with thy shame, thy father's sorrow die!”
“Father!’ Lucas rose from his seat but soon found his table surrounded by servants with weapons drawn. His Goths
warriors was not amused but Micheal assured them it was in their best interest not to get involved.
“What hast thou done, unnatural and unkind?” Saturday stood up from his seat to confront the older man. “You
killed your own daughter?”
“Kill'd her, for whom my tears have made me blind.” Titus replied. He looked to the blood on the knife. “I am as
woful as Virginius was, and have a thousand times more cause than he to do this outrage: and it now is done.”
“What, was she ravish'd? Tell who did the deed.” Saturday came to his senses and demanded the act be reported to
him as Leader. It was obviously, he was not informed; how could he had not known; oh, we forgotten he was not
performing his leadership duties but only his lustful ones.
“Will't please you eat? will't please your highness feed?” Titus returned to the role of the host. “It will please me to
tell while you eat.”
“Why hast thou slain thine only daughter thus?” Tamara asked while she took to his advise.
“Not I did her alone.” Titus smiled while he addressed the Queen. “There was also Chiron and Demetrius. The two
had ravish'd her, and cut away her tongue; and they, 'twas they, that did her all this wrong.”
The assembled there all stopped in their eating and looked at Titus. Such accusations on such an occasion was
uncalled. Or shall we say mad.
“Go fetch them hither to us presently.” Saturday resuming his leadership took command. His servants rushed to the
doorway but Titus stopped them.
“Hasten not. There they are both, baked in that pie.” Titus pointed to the meal served by the servant. “They are also
in the fillet and rumps. And the dessert laid with their brains whereof their mother daintily hath fed. She was eating
the flesh that she herself hath bred.”
“'Tis true, 'tis true; witness my knife's sharp point.” Titus commented and then threw the cleaver knife at the Queen.
It landed square between her held up orbs that once fed the sons with milk.
“You….” Tamara could not speak for there was the chunk of meat in her throat and the cleaver had not spared her
heart of evil. She died there clutching her throat.
“Die, frantic wretch, for this accursed deed!” Saturday reacted in anger and used his culinary knife to stab Titus. The
other did not block the move but invited the knife into his heart. It was then Micheal handed the machete to Lucas,
and bid him do the vengeance.
“Can the son's eye behold his father bleed?” Lucas called out while he rushed at the other leader. He swung the
machete into the other’ face and then drew the dead blow into the heart. “There's meed for meed, death for a deadly
deed!”
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