MERCURY. Charon, the two obols.

[Charon, humbly saluting, takes his fee.

CHARON. If you can't see, can't you hear him?

HIPPONAX. I heard nothing.

CHARON. Give him your mask and cloak to hide the light from his eyes that
dazzles you.

HIPPONAX. Give who?

CHARON. It's Mercury, the Messenger.

[Hipponax, himself, is shaking a little now. Charon takes from him his
mask and his ragged philosopher's cloak, and, sure enough, as they hang
where he places them they seem to cover a human shape.

ALICE. And that's the beginning of Harlequin's clothes.

HIPPONAX. Nonsense. These conjuring tricks. There are no gods. I've proved
there are no...

[Mercury has lifted the mask and at sight of that radiance, as if
lightning had struck him, Hipponax falls to the ground.

CHARON. Now you've blinded him.