"Good evening everybody!
Allow me to begin my story.
This story does not -- I stress once again, does not --
take place in Indonesia,
So don't get uptight and censor the story."
In the prologue to the play, Dalang makes it explicitly clear that the setting of the play takes place somewhere that is not Indonesia. This statement has to do with the censorship of the Indonesian government upon works of art that challenged their power. The statement is satirical as everyone knows that Rendra's story takes place in Indonesia.
"Understand, Your Majesty. Well, a little....but in fact...in fact...actually what do you mean?"
The Queen has just ordered the Colonel to use specific but unnamed methods to stop critical opposition in newspapers, methods only explained to him by general hand gestures. This is the Colonel's response. It shows that he is a yes man, only out to do whatever the Queen asks, even if he has no clue what that is. It is a system built on people pleasing rather than serving the people.
"Yesterday and tomorrow
Are today.
Disaster and good fortune
Are the same.
Horizons beyond us
Horizons within us
Uniting in the soul."
Abisavam speaks the final words of the play. He is describing the reality of their being pushed out of their sacred land in order that big business can mine copper. Rendra's play ends with the reality that this issue is never ending, and the facade created by these businesses and their government culprits have existed and will continue to exist, unless we unite in order to make the horizon of living in peace a reality.
