Jean Cocteau
The Two-Headed Eagle
tr. C. Mulrooney
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She could not count on anything, not even on chance. Since there exist some lives
without chance. H. de Balzac |
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Characters The Queen, 30 Edith de Berg, 23 Stanislas (called Azrael), 25 Felix de Willenstein, 36 Count de Foëhn, 45 Tony (black deaf-mute serving the queen) |
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The tragedy of Krantz will always remain an enigma. How did the assassin
get in the queen’s apartments? Employing what menace did he stay there for
three days? The queen was found fatally stabbed in the back, at the top of the
stairs in the library. She wore a riding habit and had just reviewed her troops
at the window. For the first time, she there had presented herself with an
unconcealed face.
The assassin was lying dead at the foot of the stairs, struck by
poison. The tragedy offers numerous descriptions. Historical, scientific,
poetical, subjective, political, all of these are credible.
J.C.