There is no time to think. Faster! Otherwise it will be too late. A knock on the door. The figure of a guard appears. GUARD: Great lord, Noyan Korshi has arrived. GENGHIS KHAN: I myself wanted to call him. Let him in, quickly! Enter Korshi. He tries to say something, but Genghis Khan hastily mutters something to him. GENGHIS KHAN: (Jumping up close to Korshi, insinuatingly, quietly) I have corrected the order. Let the punishers’ not even think about killing Jochi. Tell them not to come close to him. KORSHI: Bu… Bu… But lord, Khan, that… won’t work! GENGHIS KHAN: Won’t work? Why? How? Is he… is he… KORSHI: Whilst I was rushing to deliver your order, the punishers… of your priceless Jochi… painlessly, without shedding blood… in the Mongolian way… GENGHIS KHAN: (Clutching his head, shaking and losing his composure) My precious son, before your enemy you were fearless. They might have hurt him and bruised him, but he stood firm, motionless, expanding my possessions. He was truly raised to bathe in glory, but he went away in ignorance, not knowing why he died. Forgive me! No, I’m not asking for forgiveness. Forgiveness will do nothing. Grief for you has sunk into my soul as a smouldering coal, and in the end it will burn me to ashes. (To Korshi) Deliver the remains here. At least I will see him at last and, having said ‘see you in the next world,’ I can say goodbye. KORSHI: That… won’t seem to work either. GENGHIS KHAN: Why? Why doesn’t it work? KORSHI: It will not work. Before your order for a pardon could arrive, these executioners found where your precious Jochi was staying. He was hunting for onagers; having executed him, they were frightened of your anger and, in order to blame his death on the angry animals which supposedly kicked him to death, they threw his body into the midst of the herd. GENGHIS KHAN: How could they! Cowards, liars and villains! No one will be spared! Deliver Jochi’s remains here, immediately! KORSHI: Yes, great Khan. Korshi the warrior, as if fearing that the ground under his feet might collapse, steps out carefully and leaves. Genghis Kagan puts his hand to his forehead, and then to his chest, reaches the bed and, swaying, almost falls without the strength and the
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