Act II, scene 1

The Bard walks on stage, and, after tuning his guitar, he quietly sings:

— Why do flowers grow?—

A child wanted to know.

The little flower answered:

— Only flowers know!

— But is there any use for flowers

If they just blossom and blow?

— Of course there is!

The little flower answered.

— Because if flowers didn't grow

The earth would just wither and blow

Without leaving a flower or a leaf.

Everything on earth is brief.

But before the flower grows

And withers and blows

It must become the full-blown rose.

After a brief pause, Larissa shows up with a shopping bag.

Larissa (out of breath): Excuse me for interrupting. What, is everything over, already?

Bard: What do you mean, is everything over? What did you have in mind?

Larissa: I just want to know what's happened to the court. You know, the show-trial.

Bard: Ah, the court! The show-trial! They’re still in recess. They haven't started the proceedings yet. And maybe they won't get started anytime soon, either. Something's happened to The Prosecutor. Maybe he's gone crazy, maybe he's had a nervous breakdown. Nobody knows for sure. Some people say he's dead.

Larissa (clapping her hands): Oh, what good luck!

Bard: Yes, but that's just rumors. Nothing's certain about this case. The authorities are keeping the whole thing hushed up. They don't want to admit that The Prosecutor's death has put a stop to the showtrial. They don't want to admit that the show-trial won't go on.

Larissa: Oh, I’m still so glad! Because The Prosecutor really was an evil, evil person.

Bard: The Prosecutor? An evil person? Well, yes and no. He was an Old Bolshevik, you know. But maybe he wasn't just evil. Maybe he was just old-fashioned. Maybe he was just what they call an Old School person, who didn't know how to change, and couldn't be any different than he was.

Larissa: And what about The Chairman? Is The Chairman an Old School person, too?

Bard: Yes, of course, The Chairman's an Old School person, too. But, you know, those Old-School People really aren't all bad. There are all kinds of Old School People. Grandmothers, fishermen, drunks….

Larissa: And The Jurors? What about them? Are they Old School People, too?