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knew.
    TELEMACHUS
    Then why a P.N.? He wasn’t a coward!
    PENELOPE
(Angry)
    If he had been a coward, would I tell you all this? No, I’d be hiding it from you, covering it up. Ulysses wasn’t a coward.
    But he was stubborn. And he didn’t want to go off and fight for good old Helen or any other runaway wife.
    TELEMACHUS
(Relieved, and finishing the cake with pleasure)
    He was clever, wasn’t he?
    PENELOPE
    And so was the draft board. When he wouldn’t go to them, they came to him.
    TELEMACHUS
    They travelled all the way to this island? Boy! That was something!
    PENELOPE
    When they arrived, Ulysses was working in the big field. And I was standing, with you in my arms, watching him as he ploughed. Some of the draft board he knew, but he looked at them blankly, as if he saw straight through them; no smile, no expression; and he went on ploughing, like a sleepwalker. Back and forward, back and forward, along the straight furrows. “Doesn’t he know anyone?” one of his old friends said to me. And I looked at him with tears in my eyes for an answer. But the chairman of the draft board—later, he got killed in the war; wasn’t that too bad?—anyway, he suddenly lifted you right out of my arms, carried you across the furrows, and laid you down on the earth just in front of Ulysses. Ulysses paused, and swerved, and the sharp edge of the ploughshare missed you... That is how they knew he was sane. And Ulysses knew he was beaten. He left the plough, and picked you up, and brought you back to me. He went away, that day.
(Her voice falters, and she can’t go on.)
    TELEMACHUS
(Slowly, terribly serious)
    I’m not sure if I understand that story. But one thing’s sure—he loved me. Didn’t he? He loved me, even if I wasn’t old enough to know who he was. And what’s more, he was a hero when he did start fighting. He was a hero, wasn’t he?
    PENELOPE
    They say he was the greatest of them all. So that makes him all the braver, because he did not want to fight in that war.
    TELEMACHUS
    I’m not sure I understand that, either. I’ve a lot of thinking to do...
    PENELOPE
    Then I’ve given you a good lesson, today. School’s over; class dismissed.
(Laughing, now)
    What about going down to Eumaeus’ shack and picking up the fishing rod? Catch me a speckled trout, Telemachus. I’ll eat it for supper.
(She blows a kiss as TELEMACHUS opens the door. There are sounds of men’s voices. He turns back, quickly, closing the door.)
    TELEMACHUS
    I forgot! They’re packing up.
    PENELOPE
    ... The men ? Why didn’t you tell me before this?
    TELEMACHUS
    I meant to—I just forgot—somehow. They sent off their servants this morning. Didn’t you hear them riding away?
    PENELOPE
    You forgot! Or were you too busy thinking about something else? Leaving... Or is this a trick? They could pretend to each other that they were leaving and then come back singly. That would be far more dangerous for us. Together, they are a check on each other. Singly—
    TELEMACHUS
    I’d kill them. I could manage them singly.
    PENELOPE
    No, you couldn’t. In another year or two, yes. But not now.
    TELEMACHUS
    I have this knife. And I’ve some weapons hidden. And then I’ve got Father’s Great Bow—the one hanging on the wall downstairs. You know what? The men have never seen one of those big bows. They look at it every day and think it’s an old ox yoke or something.
(He loves this.)
    But when no one was in the Hall, I’ve lifted the bow down.
( PENELOPE looks startled.)
    Yes, I know it takes strength, so I’m stronger than you think. I bet I can string it, too.
    PENELOPE
    Not even those men downstairs could bend that bow, Telemachus. It takes years of practice. Years. Only Ulysses could.
(She puts out a hand and touches his shoulder gently, as if to cheer him up.)
    TELEMACHUS
    Don’t worry! We’ll take care of them somehow.
    PENELOPE
    We? I shan’t be much use in a fight.
    TELEMACHUS
    I said don’t worry. They won’t last long now, one way or