Herbert Maria Orchestra

M idnight finds Herbert Maria scribbling down his nonsensical tirades in furious despair while glancing over his shoulder. It´s an exorcism of sorts... He knows time is short and quickens up the pace. The moons´ course is already come to the point where it starts to descend and the shadows in the small chamber, where he resides, close up around him and seem to come alive: there are the moustachioed men lurking in the corners, discussing the upcoming revolution - an event expected to arrive with the first light of morning, and the resignation of Herbert to the phantasms of his imagination. With it comes the breaking free of all the torn and faded creations locked up in the cells of his mind.The light of the authors´ lamp reveals the silhouette of the homeless bird-lady - the queen of all the brooding characters that have come to wrestle with him lately, in wait of dawn.
Herbert senses the movements of Edward Conch - the undertaker - behind him - measuring him, pondering over the size of Herberts casket and the best place to bury him when that time arrives. Madame Sosostris, he sees, is reading her cards, and every now and then she lifts her head to read his face instead, at which he feels a slight shiver in the back of his neck.
The band gathers up in a corner of the room and starts playing dusty old tunes; they play the one about Suzanna - the life long love of Herberts´- found dead in a well, and they give life to the black boy with white-painted skin, who suddenly enters the room through the back door of Herberts skull.
The trumpets take on a tune and the walls start to crack. The band marches around Herbert, blowing their trumpets in a broken tone and finally all the walls come down. The revolution is come and gone, leaving Herbert Maria an empty shell around which all the creations of his mind dance. "The author is dead!" screamed a raspy voice, "Time is come for the overthrowing of rationality and the reinstallment of the myths..." - thus spoke the bird-lady and turned around to face the world outside.