DACIA
But my frock! This old thing!
HELIOGABALUS
It's perfect! Those old rats never look at the clothes; they look at the girl. [He takes his laurel wreath from his head and puts it on DACIA'S head] There! The last touch!
[DACIA is still doubtful and hangs back to steal a glance at herself in a pocket-mirror, but HELIOGABALUS takes her arm and they turn toward the entrance to the banquet hall. RUFINIUS claps his hands, trumpets ring out; the two centurions step forward and draw back the hangings. A scene of gaudy splendour is revealed. The banquet hall reaches to the back of the stage, with a floor three steps higher than that of the corridor. A superb flash of colour. There is a huge horse-shoe of a table, very low, and it is surrounded by the low couches on which the Romans reclined at meals. Around the horse-shoe are grouped the guests—senators, generals, ambassadors, judges and other magnificoes—chiefly elderly and grizzled men. CAIUS is to the left, and is quickly seen to be far gone in liquor. HELIOGABALUS' place is in front and to the right, so that when he rises to speak his profile is toward the audience in the theatre. In the centre of the horse-shoe is a small dancing floor, and exactly in the middle of it a tall fountain, with coloured lights playing upon it. The walls of the hall are richly decorated, and various barbaric banners show brilliant patches of colour. All the guests are in white togas, but on the shoulder of every one there is some coloured badge of rank. The musicians are far to the rear and their music is heard constantly, save when HELIOGABALUS speaks. They play strange, levantine tunes, sometimes in the old Greek modes. Translated into modern tones, their music sounds as if made by two violins, a 'cello, a zither, an oboe and a snare-drum.
As the hangings go back, and HELIOGABALUS, with DACIA on his arm, is revealed to the banqueters, there is a sudden silence. Then CAIUS springs to his feet and shouts "Vivat Imperator!" and the whole assemblage rises. The old boys stand unsteadily as he mounts the three steps and moves toward his place—it is evident that they have been dining very well. There is no cheer, but the chord of C major is sounded loudly by the musicians. This cuts off the dance that has been in progress. The dancer, half-naked, pauses irresolutely for a second, and then, full of stage-fright, leaps off the dancing floor, plunges through the standing guests to the left, and disappears. The guests all crane their necks to see DACIA]
CAIUS
[Turning tipsily as the dancer makes off] Hey, there!
HELIOGABALUS
[Taking his place, with DACIA beside him] Let us sit.
[The guests settle down, some gracefully enough, but others with much difficulty. They all continue to steal stares at DACIA]