its knees,
stiff as a corpse in its coffin
This singer has stepped over many a body,
never has he seen such pain
I'm singing for you with an empty stomach,
the wind is whistling through my cloak
Tell me, how much longer can you bear
the fact that children have no hope?
The word sounds hollow,
the vultures are plunging down
Farewell. Remember Suren's songs.
- Stop him.
- Catch him, he is up there.
Block his way.
It's you, noble lord. It was a close shave
this time. Nice to see you again.
I only ever see you running away.
Why didn't you fight?
They're a cowardly bunch, this grey rabble.
It's becoming more and more difficult here
for people like me.
Where are you going?
Your singing is wonderful.
They'll sing your songs even in 100 years,
after the royal family's died out.
We're looking for the agitator Suren.
I hope you'll be successful.
He climbed up this wall. I saw it.
We must search your house.
He is no more in this house
than there are gold coins in this pouch.
The agitator Suren dared to sing derisive
songs in the Street of Immense Gratitude
- which insult Arkanar and you.
- Why wasn't he arrested?
He fled into Mita's house,
which Rumata has bought.
He gave the soldiers gold. He bribed them.
I managed to get hold of this coin.
This Rumata is really inscrutable.
- Let's hang him.
- Let's keep an eye on him.
I really wonder
what he likes so much about Arkanar.
Are you implying that our town
is not the greatest and the most splendid?
Of course it is
the greatest and the most splendid.
Mita gave these gold coins
to the weapons dealer Hauk.
- He was supposed to build him a machine.
- A war machine?
Brand-new gold coins.
The same ones as the ones Rumata uses.
- 20 blows from the stick.
- No, no!
Your job is to write.
- Write down the number of coins.
- You wished to see me?
I wasn't able to come any earlier.
The king's knee was aching.
I hope you aren't angry at Okana
because of this. Are you?
I hope you won't forget
to whom you owe your position.
Rumata is dishing out a lot of gold.
And what gold!
This coin alone
is enough to burn him at the stake.
It's the work of the devil.
Human hands could not produce
metal of such purity.
Find out where he got it from.
So he did it after all.
I should have known.
Anyone there?
- Welcome to you, noble Lord.
- How's business?
No point complaining.
How can I be of service, noble Lord?
I believe you're building a machine, Hauk?
Yes, I am.
Can I see it?
I wouldn't have thought a nobleman
would be interested in such a thing.
Just a pastime. Maybe I should do
something more useful.
- Mita told me about you.
- May God bless his soul.
I owe a great deal to him.
I can make a larger number of copies
with this machine,
so that the words of the poets
and the thoughts of our scholars
can be read by many.
The author of this book
heard of my machine.
He wishes me to make ten copies.
As I was saying, just a pastime.
Perhaps I'd be better off doing something
more useful.
"The stars are beings like us.
They are born and they die.
"Sixteen years ago
the moon gave birth to a child. "
Scholar Budach found smooth,
transparent rocks
at the Square of the Heavy Swords.
He used them to construct a device
that strengthens the eye's vision.
He can even see the stars in the sky
close up with it.
I think what you have invented
is very useful.
Indeed, extremely useful.
It is the poets and scholars
who are inspired. I simply serve them.
You can clearly see the new star
with Budach's device.
This is his book I was telling you about.
Budach is a doctor.
He studies the human body
and observes the stars.
He tells of the strange form
of these stars.
I bound the book as he requested.
The octagon!
Your lung is fine.
Give me your finger.
Have you still not found anyone
to replace me?
I feel pretty stupid
as one of Arkanar's courtiers.
I think you're doing very well.
We're all very happy with you.