Lesley Taplin: Lemora
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Quotes
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Lemora : The girl is around here somewhere. If you let her escape, or allow them to get to her before you do, I'll make you wish you *could* die.
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Lila Lee : Is that wine?
Lemora : Sort of.
Lila Lee : I don't touch spirits. It's un-Christian.
Lemora : It's very rude not to do as another does when you're under his roof. If you don't enjoy our company, you can go back to where you were last night. Drink.
[hypnotic gaze compels Lila, and she drinks from the goblet, as do the children]
Lemora : Our guest is a singer. A very good one. Perhaps we can persuade her to sing a song for us.
[Lila shakes her head, but is led to the front]
Lemora : Don't be shy now. We will appreciate anything you can give us.
[sits down behind the children]
Lemora : Sing!
Lila Lee : [singing, like an ailing angel, getting more and more dizzy] Just a closer walk with thee,
[the children cackle like hyenas]
Lila Lee : precious Jesus is my plea, daily walking across to thee, let it be, dear Lord, let it be, I am weak, but thou art strong, Jesus keep me from all wrong,
[struggling:]
Lila Lee : help me satisfy this song,
[stumbling, and Lemora catches her as she falls]
Lila Lee : So hard... I'm dizzy...
Lemora : The drink has done that to you. Isn't it nice? Feeling better? Good. Now let's have some music.
[switches on gramophone]
Lemora : Do you like to dance?
Lila Lee : No,
[remembers about manners:]
Lila Lee : I mean, I... I never have.
[scratchy record plays, Lemora dances with her, and the children circle-dance around them]
Lemora : [swinging Lila] See? Give your body up to the music!
Lila Lee : [gets spun around] The Reverend... will die if he knows I...!
Lemora : [exclaims] The real sin is for a girl to deny herself life and joy. Especially if she's as lovely as you!
Lila Lee : [dizzily] Vanity is a sin...!
[and then she is spun out of control, and falls down]
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Lila Lee : Let me alone! Let me go! What have I ever done to you?
Lemora : Oh, nothing at all. But you make a mistake. I don't want to revenge myself on you. I want to give you something. Come to me.
Lila Lee : You wanna kill me!
Lemora : No! My present is the opposite of death. It's life. A life that can never die.
Lila Lee : [cowering] But why me? I don't want it. I swear I don't!
Lemora : Oh, yes, you do. I know you, Lila. Better than you know yourself. We are one and the same, and until you realize that, you can never be happy.
Lila Lee : Keep away!
Lemora : It has to happen, Lila. Wouldn't you rather I did it out of love, than have one of those wood things do it out of their own animal hungers? You're too good to be their Queen. Do you want to degenerate into a lower form, or would you rather I raised you up? Come now, and rule with me forever!
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Lila Lee : [bathing] The other girls don't like me. I never know what to say to them. I feel so different.
Lemora : Of course you're different. You're better, and they know it. That's just jealousy. But... what about the boys? I'll bet many of them are in love with those serious eyes. How many have you kissed?
Lila Lee : None! Boys are just dirty-minded and silly. I hate them!
Lemora : Well, they can be amusing. After all, a charming girl like you is bound to interest many men. Some day when you realize the power that you have, you'll see how right I am.
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Lemora : Tomorrow, after the ceremony, you and I will become blood sisters... and all my power... all my beauty... all my life will be yours to share.
Lila Lee : What kind of ceremony? In the church?
Lemora : Yes.
Lila Lee : Baptist?
Lemora : Oh, no. Much more ancient than that. A church that all the others came from. A ceremony that goes so far back no-one knows when it began.
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Lemora : Lila... oh yes, you cannot kill me. I am the unkillable. My spirit is the strongest ever. No matter by which name I am called, I am recognised as the most powerful in the hearts of all.
