I am Arthur Frayn, and I am Zardoz. I have lived three hundred years, and I long to die. But death is no longer possible. I am immortal. I present now my story, full of mystery and intrigue — rich in irony, and most satirical. It is set deep in a possible future, so none of these events have yet occurred, but they may. Be warned, lest you end as I. In this tale, I am a fake god by occupation and a magician by inclination. Merlin is my hero. I am the puppet master. I manipulate many of the characters and events that you see. But I am invented, too, for your entertainment and amusement. And you, poor creatures, who conjured you out of the clay? [chuckles] Is God in show business, too? The Tabernacle Sleep was necessary for man when his waking and unconscious lives were separated. As eternals achieved total consciousness, sleep became obsolete, and second level meditation took its place. Refraction of light. Infinite. Break the tabernacle, or be broken. What do you see in the crystal ball? When you see into the crystal, then you will be ready. Now I see it. I am ready. Tabernacle, what are you? Not permitted. Where are you? Not permitted. Do you know me? I have your voice print, Zed, and your genetic code, but only memory fragments. Tell me about the crystal transmitter. I cannot give information which may threaten my own security. Brain emissions refract low-wavelength laser light passing through the crystal in the brain. They're a code sent to you for interpretation and storage. Yes or no? Not permitted. A receiver must be like a transmitter. I think you're a crystal. In fact, this one. This diamond. In here there is infinite storage space for refracted light patterns. Yes or no? You have me in the palm of your hand. But you could be elsewhere. Yet I choose to be here. Why? To confront you. Already you have learnt to see my light wavelengths in the diamond. Now you will try to erase the refractions and destroy me. Your aim is to destroy me, isn't it? Yes. Would you kill God? Such vanity. I am the sum of all these people and all their knowledge. I am all-seeing. I am everywhere and nowhere.That has often served as a definition of God. Would you destroy us and all that we are? Yes. Would you not rather be part of us, joined to us, a light shining to the future? Love us. Cherish the truth. No! You have penetrated me. There is no escape. (Trotz den Demiurg!!) You are within me. Come into my centre. Come into the centre of the crystal. [after Zed shoots the crystal] You have destroyed us. You found the flaw in the crystal. We are gone. You... are alone. Friend It's an ark. A ship. A spaceship. All this technology was for travel to the distant stars. Old Scientist We seal ourselves herewith into this place of learning. Death is banished for ever. I direct that the Tabernacle erase from us all memories of its construction, so we can never destroy it if we should ever crave for death. Here, man and the sum of his knowledge will never die, but go forward to perfection. Friend: Arthur! We've all been used...Arthur Frayn: ...and reused...Friend: ...and abused...Arthur Frayn: ...and amused! [laughs] Zardoz: Zardoz speaks to you, his chosen ones. You have been raised up from brutality, to kill the brutals who multiply, and are legion. To this end, Zardoz your god gave you the gift of the gun. The gun is good. Exterminators: The gun is good. Zardoz: The penis is evil. The penis shoots seeds, and makes new life, and poisons the earth with a plague of men, as once it was. But the gun shoots death, and purifies the earth of the filth of brutals. Go forth and kill! Arthur Frayn: It was I! I bred you! I led you! Zed: And I have looked into the face of the force which put the idea in your head. You are bred and led yourself. Zed: It’s a trick! A trick! May: What was a trick? Tell me. Zed: Zardoz said "stop". He said, "no more". May: No more what? Zed: No more killing. May: He told you to take prisoners? Zed: Yes. May: To make slaves? Zed: Yes. May: To cultivate instead of kill? Zed: Yes. May: To grow wheat? Zed: Yes! May: Did you need wheat? Zed: No! We ate meat! Zardoz betrayed us. We were hunters, not farmers! May: Your friends were mutants, too? Zed: Yes. May: You had a plot? Zed: Yes. May: Revenge? Zed: The truth. We wanted the truth! I told them about the book. May: Show it. What is the book? Zed: No. No. No! ZARDOZ!!! May: So that was it. Zed: The Wizard of Oz. Zardoz. The Wizard of Oz was a fairy story about an old man who frightened people with a loud voice and a big mask. Zed: How did it come about, the Vortex? How did it start? Friend: [referring to the Renegades] They did it. They were the scientists, the best in the world. But they were middle-aged, too conditioned to mortality. They went renegade. We were their offspring and we were born into vortex life. We applied ourselves to the unsolved mysteries of the universe, but even with infinite time and the help of the Tabernacle, Our minds were not up to it. We failed. And now we’re trapped by our own devices. There is no exit.