The Characters
Hob Elliot....A
border farmer
Meg Elliot....His wife
Marjory Elliot....Their
daughter
Janet Kerr....Meg's
sister
Sandie Scott....A
Borderer
Clem....Another
Borderer
The Setting
Hob Elliot's house in
the Liddesdale valley,
a few miles from the Anglo-Scottish Border
The Period
An autumn night in the year 1565,
during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots
(Approx
running time: 45 minutes)
Sample
Scene
1565.The Liddesdale
valley in the borders of Scotland was witness to a bitter and violent feud
between the powerful families of Scott and Elliot. Innocent lives were lost as
the murder of a Scott would be answered by the murder of an Elliot in
retaliation.
In this scene, an armed man, Sandie Scott, arrives at the house of Hob Elliot.
He finds Hob's wife, Meg, his daughter, Marjory and his sister-in-law, Janet
Kerr. Sandie is a scarred veteran of the border feuds. He will obey his orders
without question but takes no pleasure in the kill, unlike his companion, Clem.
Although still in his teens, Clem has already tasted blood, and relishes the
taste.
SANDIE Hob
Elliot. Whaur is he?
CLEM She telt me he was jist ootby.
SANDIE Then we ken she was lee'in.
MEG I did lee, I admit it. He's no here. He's awa.
SANDIE Whaur?
MEG Why are you speirin for him?
SANDIE I'm askin'. Awa whaur?
MEG Ablow the border.
CLEM (laughing) Fetchin firewuid.
SANDIE Will he no? (he moves to the fireplace) There's kail
in this pot and fresh bannocks on the hearth. And ye still say he's awa?
MEG Aye. Yon's for oor supper.
SANDIE (picking up a used dish from the table) And wha left
this? Ye're lee'in. Ye're expectin him back sune. Am I correct? (MEG does not
reply) Sneckit lips, eh? As ye wish. We'll wait. (he sits. A longish
pause)
MEG My husband....
SANDIE Aye?
MEG Why are ye seekin him?
SANDIE (very matter of fact) To kill him.
(MEG stiffens. MARJORY stifles a scream, but JANET does not
react in any way)
MARJORY (to MEG) Mither, dae they mean.... (MEG nods gravely)
What can we dae?
MEG (whispering) Warn yer faither, or try to prevent....
(She falls silent as she realises that CLEM has approached her)
CLEM See thae twa notches cairvit in the butt o' this gun? Tonicht
I'll add
a third. (he laughs)
SANDIE The winnock! I'll no tell ye again! Or Hob Elliot micht
surprise us instead o' the contrair.
CLEM Hah! Why the laird should trust an auld man. I still
say we should lay an ambush abune the stream.
SANDIE At nicht-time? Ye ken aucht. We bide here. Forbye, we hae
hostages.
MEG To be killt as weel?
SANDIE Na, we only want Hob Elliot.
MEG Why? For god's sake, why? Because o' some mindless feud,
stertit ower some stolen yowe? My husband's ta'en nae pairt in it.
SANDIE Neither haud Will Scott?
MEG Wha's Will Scott?
SANDIE Slain by an Elliot at Whithauch last Seterday while gaun
aboot his daily business.
MEG What business? Reivin or murderin?
SANDIE He was a blacksmith.
MEG Oh.... did ye ken him?
SANDIE I didna.
MEG Sae ye'd kill a stranger to avenge a stranger?
SANDIE The laird orderit me to seek oot a slay a male Elliot. It's
a maitter
o' honour.
MEG Honour! A fine word to justify sic a black deed.
SANDIE Is it no written: "An eye for an eye"?
MEG Sae is the Lord's commandment, "Thou shalt not kill".
SANDIE (unyielding) The murderer o' Will Scott didna heed
that. They say Will was a guid man. Left ahint a wife and twa bairns.
MEG What aboot me, my bairns? Look at my sister there. At this
moment, we dinna exist. She's in a warld o' her ain.
CLEM She's hauf-wittit, gin ye ask me.
SANDIE Naebody did!
MEG Could ye believe she was bonnie aince? That was before the feud
atween yersells and the Kerrs.
SANDIE That wasna yesterday. That feud endit years syne.
MEG Aye, but before it did, a pairty o' Scotts came to her hoose
ane nicht, murdert her husband Tam afore her eyes, then rapit her. Finally, they
burnt doon the hoose. Her bairns were still inside. Thank God her mind's wandert
noo.
Plays by
Alan Richardson
