Excerpt from Antoinette: An Opera

by Ray Hsu and Colin McMahon

(Beginnings of ball scene)

 

du Motier: (bowing a bit too low) Your Highness.

 

Louis: Who’s this?

 

Marie: Gilbert du Motier. He is one

of your distinguished soldiers.

 

Louis: du Motier. Yes.

I think I remember you…

 

du Motier: The United States of Austria.

 

Louis: Yes. That’s it. 

Wait, what?

 

du Motier: America. I helped

you in America.

 

Louis: Yes. (a bit confused)

 

Marie: He has been a most loyal

servant to France.

 

du Motier: I stand on guard

for your Highness.

 

Marie: Rumours of his insubordination

are not to be listened to.

 

du Motier: That would be

a blanket statement.

 

Louis: Wait. What are

we talking about?

 

Nursemaid: Your Highness?

 

Marie (handing off baby): Thank you.

 

du Motier: Why, hello.

 

Nursemaid: Milord.

 

Marie: Gilbert. Don’t you have somewhere to be?

 

 

 

((Marie as consumer))

 

[Marie at the Hameau Feast following the ball]

 

All this to my table. How much

does it take.

 

What I hold before me now

has travelled untold lengths.

 

From one pair of hands

to another to another.

 

All those hands

around the world.

 

Like a chain of hands

held all around.

 

This? Or this? If I choose this,

then it passes through these hands.

 

But if I choose that, then

that chain will light up

instead.

 

My hand—the choosing hand—

will be the last. I point

and one part of the world

will spring into action.

 

My hand is last and first.

The chain ends here

and now it enters my stomach.

Published online November 04 2015.