Chapter Eighteen: Wherein I have my final confrontation with sorceress Myolaena Maetar.

“You can’t do anything to me. You need me. Who will protect you from the hordes of goblins and monsters? Who will enchant your armor, breed your winged horses, or transport your armies through the ether? You need me.”

The actress playing Myolaena, which is to say Myolaena herself, delivered her lines with feeling. It was as though she had lived through the situation before, which of course she had, and had spoken the lines before, which she hadn’t because I just made most of it up. It was poetic license. As she spoke her last line and exited stage left with the actor playing Priss the Dragon, there was a thunderous ovation. The actors were called out to make three bows. I waited patiently for someone to call “author, author” and when no one did, I began the call myself. Others nearby took up the call and soon, many around the theater were calling as well. I stood up and took my own bow from my seat.

Now I account myself brave, and I have faced many dangers that would have cowed another, weaker man. Still facing off with a sorceress, one who might well be the most powerful in the world, is akin to charging a dragon in his lair, and what man, even a brave man would not think twice before doing that? Myolaena Maetar had much to answer for though, so I headed to the stage and made my way back behind it.

Backstage, the actors were milling around with a few dozen theater fanatics and other hangers-on, but I did not see hide nor hair of the woman for whom I was looking. I asked and was directed to a dressing room with a star and a moon on the door.  I opened the door and quietly stepped inside. Myolaena Maetar was sitting in front of a great mirror removing her stage make-up. I was pleased to see that from the angle I entered I did not appear in the mirror. Slowly drawing my sword, I stealthily crept toward her. When I was only about four feet away, she suddenly raised her wand and I found myself frozen in place. My sword grew suddenly white hot and I dropped it clattering to the floorboards.

“You!” said Myolaena, turning to look at me with astonishment. “I was sure that I had killed you.”

“It was the disconsolateberries,” said I. “They are a natural proof against poison.”

“Huh. I just assumed that they would work like incarnadineberries, which enhance any poison in them.”

“You know what they say about assuming.”

“No, what?”

“Um, that it’s not good.”

“Well, my dear Buckethead. I am glad that you survived. I have decided that your play is not so bad after all.”

“Of course it isn’t,” I agreed. “It’s a fine play—a wonderful play. It is perhaps the greatest play ever written.”

“Whatever,” said she. “I have decided that playing a sorceress on stage is a far more enjoyable pastime than actually being a sorceress. I think acting really is in my blood. I’m going to take it up full time.”

“You’re going to give up being sorceress?”

“Sure, why not?”

“How could you… how could anyone give up all that power?”

“Oh, I admit that it frightens me a bit. Still, you know what they say—power corrupts. I’ve had so much power for such a long time. I used to be a nice person, you know. I don’t know if I could be again, but at least if I become an actor, people won’t expect me to be nice, at least not all at once and not all the time. I’m going to take my wand and bury it so deep in the ground that nobody will ever be able to find it, and I’m going to drop my spellbook into the deepest depths of the ocean.”

“Even so, I can’t let you go,” said I. “I can forgive you for trying to poison me, but you turned an innocent young actress into a tree and then she was cut down for firewood.”

“Angeletta Seedling is not so young or so innocent, and she is also not dead. She’s right down the street starring in “A Mighty Heart.”

“You didn’t change her to a tree?”

“Yes, I did. But I changed her back long before anyone could cut her down. The worst thing that happened to her was that a bird built a nest on her.”

“Oh. I guess all’s well that ends well.”