ACT II

TIME: _A week later_

_The fore-court of the House of Rimmon. At the back the broad steps
and double doors of the shrine: above them the tower of the god, its
summit invisible. Enter various groups of citizens, talking, laughing,
shouting: RAKHAZ, HAZAEL, SHUMAKIM and others._

FIRST CITIZEN:
Great news, glorious news, the Assyrians are beaten!

SECOND CITIZEN:
Naaman is returning, crowned with victory. Glory to our noble
captain!

THIRD CITIZEN:
No, he is killed. I had it from one of the camp-followers who saw
him fall at the head of the battle. They are bringing his body to
bury it with honour. O sorrowful victory!

RAKHAZ;
Peace, my good fellows, you are ignorant, you have not been rightly
informed, I will misinform you. The accounts of Naaman's death are
overdrawn. He was killed, but his life has been preserved. One of
his wounds was mortal, but the other three were curable, and by
these the physicians have saved him.

SHUMAKIM: [_Balancing himself before RAKHAZ in pretended admiration._]
O wonderful! Most admirable logic! One mortal, and three curable,