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EEVA. Liian myöhäänkö? Ovatko he ennättäneet jo lähteä? — Jehovalle kiitos, he ovat täällä!

AADA. Oi, äiti, äiti! (Syleilee). Onko se mahdollista? Ja sinä, sisar kulta! Me olemme —

Niin tänne jään kuin kuiva korsi. Kahajan, kaadun, maahan maadun.
Ja te —? Sinä, tyttöparka! Yksin — minä tunnen sen…

(Heittäytyy Eevan kaulaan ja puhuu kuiskaten. Hetkisen äänettömyys, kaikki kolme naista syleilevät toisiaan ja itkevät ilosta.)

KAIN (syvästi liikutettuna). Silla! — Voitko antaa minulle koskaan anteeksi; minulle, joka olen niin paljo sinua vastaan rikkonut? Nyt vasta sen ymmärrän.

KAIN. Mahdotonta! Kellä korpi kotina, sitä ei saa korven äänet kammottaa. — Aada!

LUSIFER (tulee, ilkamoinen voitonilme kasvoilla). "Ja katso, ne kaikki olivat sangen hyvät" — heh heh hee!

Oho! — Noo, veli Mikael? Siellä ylhäällä kai on tänään ollut suuri riemupäivä ensimäisen hurskaan saapuessa herransa iloon?

LUSIFER. Oo! Noin nurpeissasi tuon pikku jutun vuoksi? Malttia! Me vuoroin maailman herraa näyttelemme — sinun isäntäsi vuoro…

KAIN, AADA, EEVA ja SILLA tulevat majasta. Mikael ja Lusifer vetäytyvät puiden varjoon. Kainilla aseensa mukana, Aadalla moniaita pieniä talousesineitä. Äänetön hyvästely. Eeva ja Silla pysähtyvät majan luo katsellen Kainin ja Aadan jälkeen, jotka kulkevat kentän poikki.

KAIN (pysähtyen). Hyvästi kotikumpu — ainaiseksi! Paljo onnea olet nähnyt — onnettomuutta enemmän. — Aada! Sin' et virka mitään. Eikö lähdön hetki ole raskas?

AADA. Raskas, vaan ei liian raskas, jos vaan ymmärrämme minkä vuoksi lähdemme.

KAIN. Minkä vuoksi ja miksi? Mun tieni viepi mustaan korpeen — mun, itse mustan, synnin mustan, murheen mustan. Minkä vuoksi? siinä solmu.

Mit' on ihminen? Luojan kuva? Jos niin — hän on kuva särkynyt. Eläin?
Jos niin — hän peto on. Molempia? Jos niin — eläin usein voiton viepi.
Vai savitönkkä? — Aada! Etkö mitään sano?

KAIN (pysähtyy liikutettuna). Mit' on elämä? Käsikö, joka tätä tönkkää sotkee, muodostaa? Jos niin — se valmistuuko joskus, vaiko käsiin särkyy? Vai onko elo syvä haava, joka aina vuotaa, kirveltää? Jos niin — puhdistuuko joskus veri, vaiko viime tilkkaan kuiviin juoksee? — Aada! Sinä veteen tuijotat?

AADA. Sekin aina juoksee, vaan ei koskaan kuiviin. Ei myös koskaan kokonansa puhdistu: väliin kirkas on, väliin taasen samentuu.

KAIN (yhä enemmän liikutettuna). Samea — samea on elon virta, sumuinen sen määränpää. Mik' on se määränpää? Kangastusko, joka ilmaan haihtuu? Lähde, josta sateenkaari juovan näyttää, jota lapsi juosten tavottaa, vaan ei koskaan käsiin saa? Vain juosta, juosta! Kivet leikkaa, okaat repii, piikit pistää — vain juosta, juosta!

AADA. Ei! Yön silmät tuolla valvovat, ja eikö samoin Herran silmä korvenkulkijankin askeleita?

KAIN (pysähtyen). Se silmä! Mit' on hän? Arvotuksen arvotus. Se kerran selviääkö? Ei kenkään, kenkään tiedä…

EEVA (viittaa toisella kädellään jäähyväisiksi, toisella peittää kasvonsa nyyhkyttää.)

EEVA. Ah, kirkkauden sanantuoja! Jo viime toivo katosi ja kaikki sumuun peittyi.

MIKAEL. Sumut voivat hälvetä! On yökin usein pimein juuri aamunkoiton edellä.

EEVA. Oi Herra! Ei koskaan meille aamu koita, ellet Sinä meitä tielle ohjaa.

EEVA. Herra, Herra! Sitä emme omin neuvoin koskaan löytää voi. Jo käärme voiton sai. Vain yksi vesa versoo — sekin veljenverin tahrittu (nyyhkyttää.)

MIKAEL. Vaimo! Herran tiet ei ole ihmisten. Siis kuule armon sanoma, se lohtunasi tietä etsi. Näin sanoo Herra, Herra: surusi olen nähnyt ja kuullut huokauksesi, eikä käteni ole lyhetty. Sinulle on syntyvä poika, jonka päällä lepää Aabelin henki. Hän on oleva suloinen saarnaaja ja elämäsi ehtoon lohdutus.

EEVA (lankeaa polvilleen ja suutelee hänen vaippansa lievettä). Jehova,
Jehova! Olen mahdoton näin suureen armoon.

Ja sinä, Silla! Näin sanoo Herra: nöyrille minä olen armo ja vilpittömille laupeus. Sinulle on syntyvä veli, joka on surusi vaimentava, ja sinä itse olet kerran tulevaisuuden toivoa rintasi alla kantava. Ole siunattu!

LUSIFER (tulee esiin — purevasti). Joko nyt ovat kaikki siunatut ja saatetut —?

MIKAEL. Se on täytetty! Mik' on nyt täytetty? Sä Luojan perintösäännön ihanan noin aijoit inhan kirouksen kahleeks muuttaa. Miss' on nyt suuri tuumasi? Aabel jälleen haudastaan on nouseva!

MIKAEL. On nainen himon sytytin ja paula miehen polulla? — Hän miestä horjuvata tuki ja hänen kanssaan korpeen läksi!

MIKAEL. On Kain jo pimeyden valtaan heitetty? — Sä näit: hän läksi taistellen!

Ensimäinen: Se uusi Aabel! (Karmivan ivallisesti). Ken oisi uskonut tuon ylvään herrasi noin innokkaaksi lammashoidon vaalijaksi — hy, hy!

Toinen: Ei lapsi isään sidottu — (rajusti) siis ei sen uuden Aabelinkaan lapsi!

Kolmas: Nainen korpeen meni. (Pilkallisesti). Totta kai — (hillityn purevasti) myös naarasluontehensa korpeen vei, ja muut' en pyydä!

Neljäs: Kain läksi taistellen! (Ilkkuvan uhkaavasti). Unhotitte että myöskin minä korpeen käyn — ja se on suuri laskuvirhe se!

KAIN (tulee tulikaari kädessään, pysähtyy). Sinuako pelkäisin? Sinutko jättäisin? En! Sä seuraat, toveri ja veli!

LUSIFER (ylhäisen itsetietoisesti). No, Mikael? Se oli vain tuon kurjan virhelaskun jälkimainingeita. Myös voisit herrallesi ilmottaa: se ei ollut minun viime laskelmani!

MIKAEL. Sun laskelmasi, Lusifer parka! Niissä on ja tulee aina olemaan — yks pieni laskuvirhe.

MIKAEL. Vapaasti palvelen ja vain sitä lausun, mitä Herran henki rinnassani kuiskaa.

MIKAEL. … Sull' on voiman, tarmon suuri lahja, ja siitä ylpeilet. Vaan lahjan tuon sai kerran eräs ylienkeli — sun omaas on vain itsekkyys ja kapinan ja irrotuksen henki.

Sä olet muka toinen valtaherra. Siis loit kai itsesi ja toisen suunnan alku olet? Ja sentään tiedät: vain se on alku, joka kaiken alku on, muut on muotoja — ja niinpä sinäkin!

LUSIFER. Mun tapani ei sanoin taistella, vaan töin ja toimin. Siks lyhyeen: on yhtä milloin alkuni mä otin — vaan toinen olen ja toisena pysyn ja ihmiskunnan herrastasi irrotan!

MIKAEL. Se aikeesi — ei täytäntö. On Herran peruslaki rakkaus ja kaiken olevaisen yhteys. Siitä kaikki lähti, siihen kaikki kerran palaa, vaikka harhapolkujenkin kautta. Ja siihen kuulut sinäkin — nyt vielä eronneenakin.

MIKAEL. Ja sittenkin. Sä kyllä ihmislapset harhateille viet ja syökset lankeemuksen kuiluihin, vaan kärsimys ja tuska vain sielun puhdistaa ja syvemmälle elontajunnalle tietä avaa. Myös minä taistelen ja kaikki hyvät voimat kanssani. Ja konsa yö ja epätoivo yllättää, silloin Herra heille kirkkaat valot lähettää, mi synkkää polkuansa valaisevat.

LUSIFER (hämmähtäen). Vai … niin…! Kruunupäitä ruhtinaita — vai?
Perustavat valtakuntia — mitä?

MIKAEL. Perustavat. He hengen ruhtinaita ovat, rakkauden miekka aseenaan ja taistelun ja kärsimyksen kruunu otsallaan. He valtakuntia perustavat, kansoja veljestävät ja maan ja taivaan yhteyttä eksyneille julistavat.

LUSIFER. Siis tiedä: kirkkaat valot luovat aina synkät varjot — ja varjot ovat minun! Mä nostan valon vastaan valoa ja kaikki sekasorron yöhön peitän. Ja lähettäkää vaikka auringoita, mä vannon: maa maana pysyy, pilvet pilvinä — ja minä välillä!

MIKAEL. Aikasi — et ainasti! Voit kyllä hetkeks valon sammuttaa, vaan yössäkin he alkuyhteyttään huokaavat. Ja siitä huokailusta syntyy toivon lapsi: uusi aika! Se syntyy hitaasti, vaan se syntyy kuitenkin, ja vapautuksen hetki kerran kärsiville lyö. Luonto jälleen sopuun sointuu, maa ja taivas lähenevät; viha, vaino katoaa, leijona ja lammas laitumella rinnan käyvät — Herran henki kaikki täyttää. Ja kun se hetki kerran tullut on, myös sinun loppus tullut on — sinäkin, sä taistelun ja kiistan hurja ääni, samaan sointuun sulat, häviät!

LUSIFER. Sä ennustelet — (kammottavan hillitysti) — ehkä voisin ennustella minäkin! Vaan sitä halveksin; vain se on olevata, mikä tapahtunut on — kaikki muu on toiveita ja luuloja. Se olen, mikä olen — olen yhtä ijankaikkinen kuin herrasi. Ja niin kauvan kuin olen, vaviskoon mun edessäni taivas sekä maa!

Kuu on kadonnut ja ilma pimennyt. Hämyhäivähdys: Lusifer ja Mikael katoovat. Taivaanranta vaalenee ja aurinko nousee, heittäen maisemaan punervan valostuksen. — Lintu alkaa livertää puussa.

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