"Richard" 's wounds - the arrow in the spine

Letýs remember that this discovered skeleton has not yet received the certainty of a coronerýs verdict re. identity. However, the instant I heard about the arrow in the spine I had a flash of exactly that: the Dorchester County Museum displays the skeleton of a man killed during the Roman assault on Maiden Castle in 44 A.D. The iron point of a ballista bolt penetrated his spine from behind, and there the thing rests to this day.

Now that we have a twice-wounded body, let me remind you how Richard dies in 'Dark Sovereign'.
Hereýs none of your Shakespeare nonsense!

Enter the KING, RATCLIFFE, CATESBY and ESCORT as may be.
Enter a SCOURER, meeting them.

SCOURER: The Tudor, my liege, unsettled by adversity, 140
voids aside, intending to the Stanleysý camps,
and with a strong power at his back.
It seems to me heýd ally the Stanleys to his treason.
K.RICHARD: Stanley will not stop of tendering
his brotherýs treason, and his own.
Treachery wiý those was ever good friends.
Come all, weýll in, to finish as we find.
RATCLIFFE: We are but numberýd to your meinie;
the Tudorýs train is some score strong.
K.RICHARD: Make no matter for ýt. 150
Stay, those that take not stomach against the fight.
Who love me, come! Wýare put to lottery.
And though my blood at last reek oýer the foe,
yet shall I die as I have livýd, alone, untouchýd,
a virgin soul. Whatever Providence intend, prevail!

Sfx: Trumpets.
Enter the TUDORS and FORCES. All fight.

VOICE 1: Wýare overpowýred, my liege.
VOICE 2: Fly the field, my lord, or we must fail.
VOICE 1: A horse! A horse! Some bring the king a horse!
K.RICHARD: I will not budge a foot!
Iýll rather die the king of England. 160

Enter FORCES, shouting: Stanley! Stanley! Stanley!

K.RICHARD: Treason! Treason! Treason!

KING RICHARD is killed.
RATCLIFFE is killed, CATESBY captured.
Many fall; the living fight off.
Sfx: Battle continues, off, fading.

I look forward to meeting some of you at the North American AGM in a couple of weeks.
Robert Fripp