HELIOGABALUS
[Crawling from the bed quietly and idiotically] Did I hear you call? What's the trouble? Have you dropped something?
LUCIA
[At the top of her lungs] These filthy creatures are trying to kill me!
PAULA
[Under the pile of clothes] She bit me!
[The other wives unearth PAULA and stand her on her feet. It is seen that she has a black eye. LUCIA retreats to the door at the left and stands there at bay. The other wives haul PAULA toward the centre of the stage. HELIOGABALUS crosses to a place between LUCIA and the others]
LUCIA
[Hysterically] That old washtub tried to stab me.
PAULA