011 [Video] - BACKDATED to early evening, July 24

[capuletnomore]

[Juliet has pulled her hair completely away from her face, this evening. She looks a little shaken, a bit paler than usual, which only makes the words burned onto her neck stand out more. She angles the device so that it gets a clear view of the text. "The game's afoot: Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge Cry 'God for Harry! England and

Comments

[video] 1/3

[unreadability]

[She reads the text, first - almost as if it were just a particular line in a book presented to her.]

[video]

[unreadability]

[Only then does it seem to dawn on her, the context, the situation itself --]

[video]

[unreadability]

A tasteless and altogether cruel jest.

[video]

[capuletnomore]

Jest? Do you understand the meaning of these strange words, Lady Duroc?

[video]

[unreadability]

It is a famous quote from a play, based on the life of the English king, Henry V. A passionate speech, meant to equate man with beast in times of war.

[video]

[capuletnomore]

[She thinks a moment. It makes no sense to her.]

Does the play refer to King Henry who is here with us, or to one of his predecessors? Why write something which refers to war? We are not at war.

[And why use her as a piece of parchment?]

[video] 1/2

[unreadability]

[Her answer to Juliet's first question is curt and obviously dismissive.]

They share little but their title, their name and their line in succession. Her Majesty's husband is the second monarch of the Tudors, not of the Lancasters like the king in the play.

[video]

[unreadability]

However, the core of the speech still rings true, even so many years later.

[video]

[capuletnomore]

[She nods at this, grateful the words on her neck are not meant directly for His Majesty. She wants no harm to come to any of her friends.]

Ring true though it may, it still makes little sense. We are not at war, and the only man to act as a beast is the one which has done this.

[video]

[unreadability]

You have not heard of the explosives that are supposedly planted in our midst?

[video]

[capuletnomore]

Explosives?

[She thinks back, remembering the sound of the blast from the anonymous recording, and the ticking clock. Her eyes widen as she makes the connection.]

You think perhaps that this is related to the noise this morning?

[video]

[unreadability]

Your neck bears the conclusion of a war speech, Madame Juliet. I can think of little else which makes for as effective a declaration of war than threatening the very foundation on which we stand.