Scene 2.

This brings serious good cheer to the COMPANIONS, who clearly have never seen anything as exotic as these women in Greece.

CASSANDER —As long as we share not the one I like, Alexander.

He need not worry—ALEXANDER’S eyes have fallen on a lustrous, black-haired boy, 17, BAGOAS, with the slim figure of a dancer, his beauty extraordinary—yet he is a eunuch, considered more like a rare third species.

ALEXANDER I think you’ll manage quite well without me, Cassander. You always have.

The COMPANIONS laugh and individually address the women as ALEXANDER walks over to the youth, who looks him modestly in the eye, uncowed…HEPHAISTION takes notice as the FATTEST EUNUCH of all slides over, happy to please.

FAT EUNUCH Bagoas, ‘Great King’—Darius’ boy…

ALEXANDER [Pronouncing] Ba—go—as?

FAT EUNUCH [Nods]—nicely gelded, he was the Emperor’s favorite—yes, holds his weight well with the years—

ALEXANDER [Eyes on the boy] Where does he come from?

BAGOAS [Modestly, in Greek] The North, sire. From the hills near Susa.

ALEXANDER [Surprised] You speak our language? Good—I’d like to learn yours.

BAGOAS It is learnable, my lord.

ALEXANDER Tell me then—do you wish to be set free? To go back to your homeland?

In a slice of eternity, Bagoas’ knows what’s at stake.

BAGOAS [Choosing] All my family is long dead, ‘Great King.’ With your permission—I choose to serve here.

ALEXANDER [Smiles] I would like that very much. [Turns] Perdiccas, ask the same of each person in the Harem—woman and eunuch.