THE GUARDIAN OF THE LIGHT
BY CHARLES DEEMER

CAST: GUARDIAN, played by child
TRAVELER, played by adult

(A DARK STAGE. IN THE DARKNESS WE HEAR THE VOICE OF THE GUARDIAN OF THE LIGHT, WHICH IS RECORDED.)

GUARDIAN: Once upon a time, a very long time ago, before electricity and the light bulb, before fuel and the lantern, before harnessed flame and the candlestick ... a very long time ago, after the sun set, when the moon was new, and the sky was clear of storms, it became very, very dark ... Try to imagine what it was like to live in this darkness. Stretch your arm in front of you and you can't see your hand. This is how we became afraid of the dark. ... Later clouds would gather, as dark and menacing as the pitchest black of night itself, and in the far distance the roll of thunder could be heard, and a great lightning storm would begin. A bolt from the great storm would strike a tree, and a fire would start Long after the storm had moved off, the fire would remain burning through the night, spreading, moving from tree to tree, a growing fire that pierced the dark night with light and warmth ... We learned how to harness those flames, to light torches with them, to build campfires and tend the fire through the night and on into the day, so it would never go out, and so important was this task, to keep the flame burning, that I was assigned the duty of being the Guardian of the Light ...

(LIGHTS UP FULL. The GUARDIAN enters: a ragtag figure on a broomstick horse, a Don Quixote figure. She carries a prop representing a TORCH.) (At the opposite end of the stage, the TRAVELER enters.)

GUARDIAN Woh, Thunderbolt!

TRAVELER Kind knight! Perhaps you can help me, for I am lost.

GUARDIAN Where are you going?

TRAVELER To the City of the Eternal Flame.

GUARDIAN I know of no such city.

TRAVELER It is where fire can be bought. In my village, the flame has gone out. My people are cold and frightened.

GUARDIAN Did your guardian of the light fall asleep?

TRAVELER We have no guardian.

GUARDIAN No wonder you lost your fire. My people have hired me and assistants to make sure such a thing never happens here ... it's your lucky day.

TRAVELER I hope so.

GUARDIAN I will give you some of the flame I hold here. You can use it to restart the fire in your village.

TRAVELER I have brought many gold coins-- ...

GUARDIAN Do you want some fire?

TRAVELER Of course.

GUARDIAN Then you need only a torch. I'll wait while you gather material to make one.

TRAVELER Wait a minute. Are you saying you'll give me part of your fire ... for nothing?

GUARDIAN Of course. Why should I hoard for myself what Nature gives away for free?

TRAVELER Do you often give away fire?

GUARDIAN Whenever someone like yourself has let their fire go out. You'd be surprised how often that is.

TRAVELER (LIGHTING UP WITH AN IDEA) I wonder if I could interest you in a business proposition?

GUARDIAN A ... business proposition? What is business? I don't know this word.

TRAVELER You don't have business in your village?

GUARDIAN Maybe we do. What is it?

TRAVELER You know what money is?

GUARDIAN No, but I have heard of this. I've heard it is the root of all evil, the cause of wars and strife, a force from the underworld that brings great misery to all who encounter it.

TRAVELER Really? Then I think we have a future partnership here. You provide the fire, and I'll provide the business.

GUARDIAN But what is business? What is money?

(MUSIC comes up. Traveler begins The Money Song.)

TRAVELER (SINGING) M is for the Maximizing Mantra / "Bigger's always Best, as you will learn / O is for our Overhead Expenses / You must put out, to get more in return / N is for our pledge to Never give up / Every human represents a Sale! / E is for the Equity we build up / And Y, of course, is what we get in Yield. // (Chorus) Put them all together, you get Money, Money is what makes a better life / M - O - N - E - Y, as sweet as honey / The more you have, the less anguish and strife.

(Speaking to guardian:)

TRAVELER Now you try it. (SINGING) M is for the Maximizing Mantra

GUARDIAN (SINGING) My Mind tells me that something isn't square

TRAVELER O is for our Overhead Expenses

GUARDIAN Now you see it, then it isn't there

TRAVELER N is for our pledge to Never give up

GUARDIAN Something Nasty in this fellow's tone

TRAVELER E is for the Equity we build up

GUARDIAN (SPEAKING) Why?

TRAVELER (IGNORING THIS, SINGING) Put them all together, you get Money

GUARDIAN Why? I don't understand any of this.

TRAVELER Pardon me?

GUARDIAN What you said makes no sense.

TRAVELER Let me put it another way. I, and many others like me, let their fires go out. Therefore, I come to you as a customer and you as a business sell me a torch of fire, so I can go back and relight my flame.

GUARDIAN Sell?

TRAVELER Exactly. I give you gold coin, of an amount yet to be determined, and you give me a torch of flame. The fire is sold, and you make a profit.

GUARDIAN I know fire has a soul. But what is profit?

TRAVELER Not soul! Sold! The fire is sold!

GUARDIAN This is all very confusing.

(Traveler takes gold coin from his purse.)

TRAVELER Look here. This is money! Here, touch it, hold it.

(He hands guardian a few coins. Guardian tentatively bites one.)

GUARDIAN What's it good for?

TRAVELER You buy things with it!

GUARDIAN Like what?

TRAVELER Anything. Bread.

GUARDIAN If I want bread, I go to the Baker and take some.

TRAVELER You give away bread, too? Well, milk then! I give you some money, and you give me some milk. That's how we do business.

GUARDIAN If I want milk, I go to a cow! You don't know about cows?

TRAVELER Of course I know about cows! Cows are called the source of production. They're like a factory.

GUARDIAN (HANDING BACK THE COINS) You can't eat this.

TRAVELER It's a unit of exchange.

GUARDIAN Ah! Exchange, I know! Sometimes I give my neighbor some of my tomatoes and he gives me a bouquet of his roses.

TRAVELER Okay, now we're getting somewhere! Instead of doing this, you give your neighbor some money, and then he gives you the roses.

GUARDIAN But he doesn't get any tomatoes in return.

TRAVELER He can buy them later! Listen, this is important. He takes the money you gave him, and he gives some of it back to you and you give him tomatoes. That's how you do business!

GUARDIAN We do the same thing without money.

TRAVELER What if you want some bread but you don't have anything the baker wants in return? You use money! It's the universal value!

GUARDIAN If I want bread, he gives me bread.

TRAVELER But you have nothing to give him back.

GUARDIAN I don't understand.

TRAVELER What's so fair about that? You take his bread for nothing, you're cheating him. You give him money in return, it's doing business! See the difference?

GUARDIAN I like his bread, and I tell him so. I give him a compliment! He feels good for the rest of the day.

TRAVELER (TRYING ANOTHER WAY) You're the guardian of the light, right? What's your salary?

GUARDIAN What's a salary?

TRAVELER It works this way: you have a job, in your case as the guardian of the light, and for this your boss gives you a salary, which is money, and then you can buy whatever you need.

GUARDIAN What's a boss?

TRAVELER I don't believe it. Well, how about this? I'll be your boss. And we'll go into business together. The Eternal Flame, Light and Heating Company, Incorporated. How's that sound?

GUARDIAN I'm sorry, I don't--...

TRAVELER Don't understand, got it. Here's how it works. I take some torches of fire on the road, and I sell them. In fact, when we know the market, we'll need to hire salesmen, more people to go out on the road with torches, and we'll provide flame in exchange for money, and that's how we'll make our profit, which is what is left after expenses. I'll put you on a salary with a share of the profit.

GUARDIAN But if someone wants fire, they can just take it.

TRAVELER No, that's your mistake. That's what I'm trying to tell you. It's how you're missing this great opportunity.

GUARDIAN Opportunity for what?

TRAVELER To do business!

GUARDIAN Why would someone buy fire from you if they can wait for a lightning storm and then go get it themselves?

TRAVELER Because they can't.

GUARDIAN Of course they can. Storms always cause fires.

TRAVELER They can't access the land.

GUARDIAN Why not?

TRAVELER Because we build a fence around it.

GUARDIAN Why?

TRAVELER To claim it. To take deed to it.

GUARDIAN To the land?

TRAVELER Of course. Then we own it.

GUARDIAN Own it?

TRAVELER No one can use it unless we give permission. As a matter of fact, that's a brilliant idea -- we'll build toll roads, and then they'll have to pay to access the land, and pay again to access the fire.

GUARDIAN But the land belongs to everyone!

TRAVELER Not where I'm from.

GUARDIAN This land is your land! This land is my land!

TRAVELER We can change that. What do you say? Since land as well as fire is involved now, I'll increase your salary, of course.

GUARDIAN Which means, you'll give me more money?

TRAVELER Exactly.

GUARDIAN But I still don't know what to do with it.

TRAVELER It will take time for your economy to develop, I suppose. But when it does, you'll be the richest person here. In the meantime you can save it.

GUARDIAN Save it?

TRAVELER You can charter a bank.

GUARDIAN A bank?

TRAVELER Where you save your money.

GUARDIAN So I don't need it -- but I save it?

TRAVELER You save what you don't need until you need it.

GUARDIAN But if I don't need it in the first place--

TRAVELER But you do, you will! Listen, before we go any farther, you need to see my lawyer and get some contracts made. I know you don't understand contract either. I'll be back in a few days. Meanwhile, don't let anyone know about our discussion. It's important to be first and get competive leverage. A deal? (TRAVELER OFFERS HIS HAND. GUARDIAN JUST LOOKS AT HIM.) Well, I'll be back soon!

(Traveler starts away.)

GUARDIAN Wait a minute! You needed some flame.

(He lights the traveler's torch with his own.)

TRAVELER No, I insist on paying. I'm your first customer!

(He hands guardian a coin, "unmasks" flame on his torch and starts out.)

TRAVELER Good doing business with you!

(Exits.) (Guardian in a reflective mood:)

GUARDIAN (SINGING) Put them all together, you get Money / Money is what makes a better life / M - O - N - E - Y, as sweet as honey / The more you have, the less anguish and strife ...

(She stops, thinking.)

GUARDIAN (SINGING AGAIN) Nature gives us air to breathe / Who can own the sky? / Oceans stretching wide and deep / Who can own the sea? / Nature gives us all the rules / Those who break them are the fools / Mother Earth and Father Sky / And Eternity

(Guardian looks at the torch; she takes a very deep breath; and she blows out the fire. BLACKOUT. THE PLAY IS OVER.)