20th Anticipation (cont’d)
Gi goes to tell Sonata that, apparently, Mrs. the Finger is making a grab to take over the pageant. Jerry mentioned that, says Sonata. Which doesn’t make Jerry happy, says Gi. He mentioned that too, says Sonata. It doesn’t make me happy, either, says Gi. She’s undermining Jerry, and he’s our man, so it doesn’t reflect well on us. My thought is she can have her pageant wherever she wants, and we’ll have ours. Isn’t that more likely to drive a wedge between everyone? says Sonata. Probably, says Gi. But should we sit back and let her become the new contact with the priests? Sonata proposes a more cautious approach. Let her take her advantage now, and take the next three months to prepare for the next pageant. Allow her to play Love, allow her to proceed as she wishes, but use some magical enhancement to make it clear it’s our power. Or we could make a fool of her. I’m playing the Priest King, says Gi. Oh! Good! says Sonata. You could ignore her! I don’t think that’s the right lesson, says Gi. We could add a scene, says Sonata. You’ve summoned Love and Reason to you to execute them for subverting your reign. Ordinarily, it’s true, you fall to your knees the moment they enter, but we don’t have to do it that way. Before you enter, we could have the guards thrash them! Jerry could do the narration which explains that Love and Reason out of the pureness of their heart allow the guards to thrash them, and then we have the guards thrash them!
Interesting, says Gi. But I’m still going to have to get down on my knees and ask forgiveness from them. Of course, I have to beg for forgiveness from them. How could they be angry?
You don’t need to ask forgiveness, says Sonata. You just need to convert utterly and ask to be taught by them. We’ll need to update the script. We can cover any confusion with magical enhancement. And add some narration so Jerry can cover any eventuality, such as for instance if Love and Reason storm off the stage and refuse to participate. You just need a stand-by Love and Reason, suggests Cameron. Though you can’t use the Princeling as a stand-in. Perhaps the apprentices! says Sonata. Ilba and Nishoba, perhaps? The Miller and the Monkey? says Gi. You did want to involve the priesthood, says Sonata. We don’t want to beat Love and Reason if it’s not the Finger and Mrs. the Finger. Lookalikes! says Sonata. We could cast spells on Nil and myself to look like them! Or we could use different scripts, says Gi. One if they storm off, and one if they don’t. We could use stocks, says Sonata. In fact, the whole scene where you bow down to them could be done with them in stocks. —Cameron will assist them in rewriting the script; Gi will go get the usual script from Jerry. Gi leaves; Cameron asks why Sonata’s so eager to plunge the magi into some sort of war with the priests. Won’t this be an utter disaster? cries Sonata. What’s the goal? says Cameron. We wish to avoid offending the Princeling, says Sonata, but— Offend his representative, says Cameron. Yes, says Sonata. And his wife. Most especially his wife. He’s awfully pushy. Independently pushy? says Cameron. Or pushy at someone’s behest? We’ll see, says Sonata. We need to communicate the right message to the villagers, concerning Love, and Reason, and authority. In that case, says Cameron, abasing himself before the abased Love and Reason and then releasing them won’t send the right message. But I’ll be releasing white birds! cries Sonata. They’ll be so white and pure! And when the children who collected them see those dingy white birds released so shining and pure when Love and Reason are released... Cameron isn’t convinced. He’s worried about the secondary hero—after the birds—is the Priest King; a distant third, Love and Reason. The beating’s a better idea, says Cameron. The Priest King won’t be in the room when it happens. And so long as they aren’t beaten so badly they can’t stand. We just need to make it clear they allow themselves to be put into the stocks of their own volition. Leave the stocks unlocked, says Cameron. And have the narrator announce that even though the stocks are unlocked, they refuse to leave. And then you can throw the rotten fruit. Sonata’s not so happy with the rotten fruit.
Gi goes to tell Jerry about the new plan. He likes the beating.
Sonata’s going to work on getting birds to fly out and land on the shoulders of everyone in the audience. Maybe next year.
Perdix asks Ilba to go bring the soldier and the weaver to them, there in the parlor in the Great Hall.
Sonata goes to talk to Nil. Lhimpat opens the door. Is your master in? says Sonata. Yes! says Lhimpat. She’s only been an apprentice for two days. Cameron instructs her in the proper method of opening a door and announcing a visitor. Sonata explains the need to rather rapidly make some drastic changes to the liturgy for tomorrow’s pageant. What’s Tishkilla’s thought on the matter? says Nil. I don’t know, says Sonata. —She explains the political game Mrs. the Finger is playing, or they think she might be playing. I don’t mean to doubt your judgment, says Nil. It’s more Gi’s judgment, says Sonata. This seems to be an affair of the town, says Nil. But we don’t really know the relationship of the Finger and his wife toward Love and Reason. Couldn’t Jerry speak frankly with them on the matter? says Nil. Yes, he could, says Sonata. I think he has. But I wasn’t there at the time. I was distracted by collecting birds. Are you doing this for fun? says Nil. Well, Gi came to me, says Sonata. And besides, his initial idea, which was to have two different pageants, would have been utterly disastrous. Consider ourselves the Committee for Less than Utter Disaster, says Cameron. And your reason for speaking with me now? says Nil. Aside from my evident personal wisdom. You must remember I am a Purpurean, says Sonata. Diplomacy is not my immediate concern. Whereas you, as a Cristoférian... Also, we wanted your impressions of our adjustments to the liturgy. Sonata describes the stocks, and the guards’ apology, and etc. And you do have quite a way with words... Nil’s cataloging how many different ways this is vaguely blasphemous. We decided against the idea of pelting Love and Reason with rotten fruit, allows Cameron. Nil suggests some conditions: that if the Finger and his wife experience any discomfort, that it be ameliorated? And that you use an identical liturgy for several years after this one. And if they still wish to play Love and Reason at Transformation, says Sonata, we can give them a much better role. I don’t have a problem with them playing Love and Reason, myself. When do you need this? says Nil. Tomorrow afternoon, at the absolute latest, says Sonata. I’ll do it tonight, says Nil. Any other devious schemes? Not that I can think of, says Sonata.
Jerry delivers the original script to Sonata. She quizzes him as to Tishkilla’s view on all this. Jerry explains how he was waylaid by beavers and a burning building, so Mrs. the Finger could talk to Tish first, so she’s okay with it, but Honey isn’t. Jerry explains the whole Honey’s engagement announcement thing. And the other priests? Dunno, says Jerry. Haven’t spoken to them. —Some discussion of stock æsthetics. Flowers? Or bloodstains? Bloodstains. Cameron explains the need to be prepared with narration to cover any eventuality, given the Finger’s and Mrs. the Finger’s possible reactions. And Ishta knows? Oh, yeah, says Jerry. She’s asked Gi to take full responsibility. So we don’t need to check with her, says Sonata. Good.
Perdix heads to the kitchen to arrange for pastries and wine punch and melos.
Gi’s knocking at Nil’s door. Lhimpat does a better job this time. Remembers Gi’s full name and year of graduation and everything. —So has Sonata talked to you? Yes, says Nil. I’ll be writing some liturgy. They catch each other up.
Ilba goes to the Weaver Hall. The Weaver doesn’t want Ilba to speak directly to Mena, since Mitahaffi’s been saying “Cock, cock, cock,” for hours now. She’s been singing lullabies about wishing for soldier boys to love all day in revenge. Ilba speaks to the Weaver, who speaks to Mena, who speaks through Mitahaffi, who speaks through her, and it’s arranged that both of them will meet Perdix at the Great Hall, except Mena lies and tells Mitahaffi to meet them at Tully’s. The Weaver walks Mena up to the Great Hall; Murry takes Mitahaffi to Tully’s lab. Tully’s appalled at the idea of cleaning up after Perdix. Mitahaffi writes a note: Just take me to Perdix. My thoughts exactly, says Tully. His leather thing picks up Mitahaffi and drags him out the window and down the tower. He starts screaming, which comes out of Mena’s mouth, and confuses the Weaver terribly.
The leather thing drops Mitahaffi outside Perdix’ room. Ishkin bars the door at the sound of a two-hundred-pound soldier hitting the door. Who is it? he demands. He can hear the faint sounds of someone, a woman’s voice, singing about the loving arms of soldierboys. Ishkin won’t let whoever it is in. Murry follows, eventually, and it’s sorted out. Are you not opening the door because you’re a coward? says Murry. No, says Ishkin. I’m not opening the door because my master isn’t home. Fair enough, says Murry.
Some profanity when Mitahaffi and Mena meet. Mithaffi’s shit has been beaten out of him. They’re brought into the parlor; Perdix is appalled at the sight of him, and picks up some ginger root and walks about him, muttering. His wounds fade. Perdix blows ginger dust off their fingertips. They walk about the two of them, examining the cord, trying to determine if it should be snipped in the middle or plucked out at both ends. Ilba suggests flipping it. Of course! They pluck a burning brand from the fire, and hand it to Mena; they ask Ilba to fetch a glass of water, and hand it to Mitahaffi. When the spell reaches its crescendo, they switch. The spell’s over; the enchantment’s broken. Perdix hands a purse of coin to each, taking great pains to explain it’s for the time they spent with them, and nothing more.
meta
“Don’t you cross a cheerleader.”
“Unfortunately, I’m all out of fire, and the beavers quite frankly are not up to the task.”
