Scene 16
Adham-Uti, Lulushe

Adham-Uti: Let us see what they have to say about you.
Lulushe: Yes, let’s have a look. Why is my hand trembling?
Adham-Uti: You are not afraid, are you?
Lulushe: Afraid? By no means. You will see. (She sits down and reads the obituary): "Miss Lulushe passed away..." (Her hand falls). But I don’t even know what I have! What did I die of? I do feel a bit queasy. I have the feeling I am beginning to faint. I think I am dying.
Adham-Uti (taking the article from her): Let me read it. (He reads) "It is with great affliction that we learned that Miss Lulushe has passed away suddenly and quite unexpectedly. In tomorrow’s edition we will publish more details about this angel, about this fair flower, fairer than anyone else in the country."
Lulushe (satisfied): Angel! Flower!
Adham-Uti (furious): Damn! Praise for a woman and nothing but ridicule for a healer like myself.
Lulushe: Please, sir, do not allow yourself to become upset.
Adham-Uti (furious): No, no. You are quite right. Read on for yourself.
Lulushe (taking the article and reading): "It remains only to add that the late Lulushe was not simply a fair and wise lady, but also a teacher of great learning. She was a kind soul, filled with feelings of friendship and boundless love!" (In tears): How true! That is me, all right. (Continuing to read): "Thus, when the news of her death spread through town, men and women, boys and girls, moaned and lamented in sorrow, No one failed to attend her final farewell, tears streaming down their faces. At once, her home was filled with visitors, with bouquets of flowers, among which was one bouquet of splendid roses and violets sent by Mr Vurko who could hardly retain his grief! (In tears): How beautiful! How beautiful it must have been! And Mr Vurko, how kind of him to send the flowers. How badly I have treated him, never giving him a glance. I even refused to listen to the poetry he wrote about me. How he must have loved me!
Adham-Uti: Are you finished?
Lulushe: Yes, I am, sir. Perhaps it is better that they didn’t mention what I died of.
Adham-Uti: They at least let you die of whatever you wanted. I had to have a stroke, whether I wanted one or not. That’s what it is to be an attractive woman. They flatter you, send you flowers, raise you to the heavens.
Lulushe: Never believe that all your neighbours are your friends.
Adham-Uti: In my case, they were all enemies. You were lucky!
Lulushe: Do not think that I did not suffer while I was alive.
Adham-Uti: And now?
Lulushe: What was it all worth? When a person dies, things lose their significance.
Adham-Uti: Don’t worry. You’re not really dead yet.
Lulushe: Well, you’re not dead either!
Adham-Uti: Me? If I hadn’t wanted to live, I would have killed myself.
Lulushe: What? For a bad obituary?
Adham-Uti: No, no! And I do not intend to die without exacting vengeance. Look. This manuscript here contains my greatest achievement. It is a new Albanian alphabet and it is only with the help of this alphabet that our language can progress. There is no other way of writing it.
Lulushe: What do you mean? We have been writing quite well with Latin letters for some time now, and...
Adham-Uti: Nonsense! The Moslems are upset. And the Arabic letters which Haxhi Aliu has proposed upset the Christians.
Lulushe: So?
Adham-Uti: So, I put my brain to the matter and came up with something to satisfy both sides.
Lulushe: And what is the solution?
Adham-Uti: Using Greek letters to satisfy the Christians.
Lulushe: Very good, but...
Adham-Uti: And we must learn to write them like the Arabs, from right to left, so that the Moslem Albanians will be satisfied, too.
Lulushe: How can we learn to write like that?
Adham-Uti: That is precisely what this new alphabet is for. But now, I am not going to show it to anyone or publish it at all. To hell with the Albanians and the Albanian language! I’m not publishing it because they don’t even recognize my qualities. They ridicule me. I am going to take supreme revenge... I am going to burn my alphabet! (He tosses it into the fire)
Lulushe: Oh, no! Don’t do that. How can you do such harm to our poor nation?.
Adham-Uti (in a rage): Yes, yes. Let the alphabet burn! If the Albanians are that evil, let them stew in hell. They shall never see my alphabet at all!