DAVINA: Welcome back, Macbeth. You had a lot on your mind when we last talked. The weird sisters you ran into seemed to predict that you'd be king someday. And now you're meeting with your king, King Duncan, who wants to thank you for your victories on the battlefield. 

MACBETH: Yeah, so? 

DAVINA: Well, I don't know. That must be a little confusing. The thought is in your head that you could be king, and now here you are standing in front of your own king. 

MACBETH: What does he say? 

DAVINA; Well, let's see. He seems very happy to see you and goes on and on about how he'll never be able to repay you for what you've done today. He's just really, really appreciative. 

MACBETH: What can I say? The service and the loyalty I owe in doing it pays itself. 

DAVINA: Wow, so you mean loyalty is its own reward, and that he doesn't even need to thank you? You know he's not watching this. 

MACBETH: It's just the way our world works, Davina. He's the king. It's his job to be the object of our loyalty. And it's our job, our duty, to love, protect, and honor his throne and state, his children, and his servants it's pretty straightforward. 

DAVINA: Okay, I guess. Sounds like you snapped out of that funk you were in earlier. Well, let's see. All right, he wants to make a little announcement. He says that from this day forward, we will establish our estate upon our eldest, Malcolm. Establish our estate? 

MACBETH: He said that? Establish our estate? 

DAVINA: That's what it says here. And then he gives his son the title "prince of Cumberland." What does that mean? 

MACBETH: It means that he's announcing his son is officially heir to the throne, that his son will be king when Duncan dies. 

DAVINA: But that's the way it's supposed to work, anyway. Doesn't the oldest son inherit the throne? 

MACBETH: Not usually. Not around here. This is a warrior society, Davina. You earn your kingship. 

DAVINA: By being great on the battlefield, for example. 

MACBETH: It helps. 

DAVINA: So this is big news—just declaring Malcolm to be heir to the throne like that. 

MACBETH: I suppose. He's king. He can do whatever he wants. 

DAVINA: Your job is to just be loyal, you mean. You know he's really not watching this. 

MACBETH: What happens next? 

DAVINA: Oh, let's see. He says he'd like to come to your castle for a visit. To bind us further to you, he says. I guess he wants to spend more time with you. 

MACBETH: Come to my castle? Like right now? 

DAVINA: That's what it sounds like. 

MACBETH: Well, then I should run ahead and get ready for him. Let my wife know the good news. I should get going. 

DAVINA: Okay, but Macbeth, I know from when we talked earlier that there's a lot you're thinking about right now. These witches or whatever they were have you thinking about kingship yourself—about you becoming king. And now Duncan has just announced that his son is heir to the throne—that he's prince of Cumberland. You're standing in front of your current king, and the person who will become king after him. What's going through your mind? I promise you, Duncan is not watching this. 

MACBETH: The prince of Cumberland—that is a step on which I must fall down or else overleap. For in my way, it lies. 

DAVINA: So you are still thinking about it—thinking about being king. And if Malcolm has been named heir, that's either going to keep you from becoming king, a step that makes you fall down, or you're going to have to get around it somehow. Leap over it, you say. But didn't you say earlier that you could just leave things up to chance? If the witches are predicting you'll be king, maybe you don't have to do anything but wait and see what happens. 

MACBETH: Stars—hide your fires. Let not light see my black and deep desires. 

DAVINA: Black desires? What black desires? I thought we were only talking about a prediction that you'd be king someday. What does desire have to do with it? 

MACBETH: The eye wink at the hand. But let that be, which the eye fears when it is done, to see 

DAVINA: You mean, you want your hand to do something without seeing it. But if there's something you fear to see, why would you wish that it would be done? Is that what you're saying? 

MACBETH: I should really get going. 

DAVINA: To prepare the castle you mean? 

MACBETH: To prepare the castle.

DAVINA: Of course. Thanks for taking the time.