My master’s plaything cunningly dispos’d—
If Jabba shall not play, he’ll make them pay.
Enter the RANCOR KEEPER, as Luke is taken back to Jabba’s court.
R. KEEPER
O that this too, too sullied flesh would melt
Into oblivion, if I without
My pet belov’d must live. O darkest world!
O misery beyond compare to me.
Already my beast’s life doth play its part
Within the tend’rest mem’ries of my brain.
How well I do remember when the beast
Was but a rancor pup. It was the runt—
Was almost eaten by its mother cruel—
Indeed, it had but little chance for life.
Yet it was purchas’d as a novelty
By Jawas who e’er seek abnormal things.
I bought it from this band of Jawas, who
Related to me all it had been through
And chargèd me a paltry sum for such
A worthy animal. Then did I raise
It from its lowly start unto the grand
And tow’ring hulk that now before me lies.
How fondly I recall the playful nips
It gave me, which eventually turn’d
To bites that drew no small amount of blood.
I train’d it to be vicious, to enjoy
The taste of flesh and powd’ry crunch of bone.
Yet ever did it know its master true—
And never would it turn its anger fierce
Upon the one who lov’d it first and best.
Was ever rancor in this humor rais’d?
Was ever rancor in this humor won?
To think on it brings pain past all resolve.
O Fate, that ever I should see this day—
Now there’s but little light left in this world,
For its bright sun unjustly is snuff’d out.
I shall away, and drown myself in tears,
Belike to live the sad remainder of
My mortal days upon this planet grave
Unfriended, unprotected, and alone.
[Exit rancor keeper.
Enter HAN SOLO and CHEWBACCA, escorted by GUARDS.
Luke
O Han!
Han
—’Tis Luke?
Luke
—How dost thou fare, good friend?
Thou art less cold than when I saw thee last.
Han
The ice hath gone, but still the chill remains.
But I am well enough, consid’ring all,
And now we are together once again.
Luke
’Twould not be miss’d. Such fun we have in store.
Han
How is our cause?
Luke
—The same as ever, friend.
Han
That bad, indeed? And where is Leia?
Leia
—Here.
I am quite safe and, as of yet, unharm’d,
But bound unto this wormlike lump of hate.
Jabba
Hagoy ooneetonuh.
C-3PO
—O dear! The great
And high exaltedness, this Jabba of
The Hutt, decrees that ye shall presently
Be terminated.
Han
—Just as well; I loathe
A lengthy wait. [ Aside:] The eyes may yet be blind,
But ’tis relief to know the wit is well.
C-3PO
Thou shalt, therefore, be ta’en to the Dune Sea,
And cast into the pit of old Carkoon,
The nesting place of the all-pow’rful sarlacc.
Han
As yet this Fate doth not so dismal sound.
Crumb
[ aside:] I lik’d him better when he was on ice—
The frozen one hath quite a shrewish mouth.
Belike the details of the sarlacc shall
Give rest to his most flippant, prating tongue.
C-3PO
Within the sarlacc’s belly ye shall know
A definition new of suffering
As ye are gradu’lly digested o’er
A thousand thousand years. Thus saith the Hutt.
Han
As I reflect, mayhap we should decline.
I find I have no stomach for this feast
Since it is we who shall the supper be.
Chewbac.
Auugh!
Luke
—Thou wilt soon regret this gross mistake,
For ’tis the last misstep thou e’er shalt make.
[Exeunt.
Scene 5.
The desert planet Tatooine, at the sarlacc’s pit in the Dune Sea.
Enter R2-D2 on Jabba’s barge.
R2-D2
The end of this bleak scene is almost near,
For I shall play the part of helpmate to
My master true, securing freedom for
Us all. No more shall Jabba terrorize
The planet Tatooine, for he shall be
Destroy’d before the double sun doth set.
Enter C-3PO , bumping into R2-D2.
C-3PO
O pardon me, I do apologize.
R2-D2
Beep, squeak!
C-3PO
—My R2, ah! What dost thou here?
R2-D2
Beep, whistle, meep, beep, nee!
C-3PO
—Well can I see
That thou art serving drinks, but dangerous
This place is. Soon they plan to execute
Good Master Luke, and if we take not care,
No doubt we shall be executed too!
R2-D2
Beep, meep!
C-3PO
—I wish I had thy confidence.
Enter LUKE SKYWALKER, HAN SOLO, and CHEWBACCA with LANDO OF CALRISSIAN in disguise and several GUARDS on balcony, as Jabba’s skiff.
Luke
[ aside:] Here is the hour that ends in our escape,
Here is the moment Jabba sees defeat,
Here is the instant I have plannèd for,
Here is the battle grand: the skiff’s the thing
Wherein I’ll catch Han’s rescue and take wing.
Han
Methinks mine eyes have quite improv’d, for now
Instead of just a blur of dark I see
A blur of light. ’Tis almost pleasant. Ha!
Luke
Alas, ’tis nothing here to see. I did
Once live on Tatooine, as thou dost know.
Han
And thou shalt die here too. Convenient ’tis.
Luke
Stay close to Lando and Chewbacca. All
Things shall end well, for I have plann’d it so.
Han
So sayest thou. [ Aside:] His confidence is such
As I’ve not seen in him before; I know
Not whether to guffaw or be impress’d.
[Guards extend the skiff’s plank and force Luke onto it.
Luke
The plank hath been set forth, and I shall walk
Not unto death, but our deliverance.