The Testing of a Wizard

Viktor Gitin

The Testing of a Wizard

Characters

QUEEN – The ageing widow, quarrelsome and nagging ruler of the country.

FADRIUS – Court Wizard, who is losing his magical powers to old age, also, Gelo’s teacher.

GELO – Young apprentice of Fadrius, awaiting to be accepted into Wizardry.

LIZY – Lady in waiting, Gelo’s fiancé

HERMIT – Lonely man, living in the mountains away from the world and the people in it.

CANNIBAL – Man-eating robber, who lives in the woods, near a highway.

FISHERMAN – Happy man, living on an island with his family.

VEDALIA – A witch and the owner of ‘Store of Temptations’, which entices people and sells them different temptations in return for part of their souls.

VOICE OF THE KEEPER OF THE MIRACLE.

* * * * *

Act One

Scene One.

The hall of the Queen’s palace. A mixture between a wizard’s study and a palace’s hall. There is a table with papers, books, and retorts on the stage. On the side of the stage there hangs a big replica hourglass symbolizing the motion of time.

On Stage there are Gelo and Lizy. Gelo is attentively shifting through papers and at the same time reading books. Lizy who is bored, walks from armchair to settee humming to herself. Then she quietly sneaks up to Gelo.

LIZY – Gelo, you are so clever and well read. Why do you need to know even more, than you already do? (Whilst trying to play with his hair)

GELO – (Displeased) Stop it, Lizy. You are getting in the way. You do know that I have my test soon. Before I can become a real Wizard.

LIZY – So What? Is it really that scary? Probably not as scary as the smile on the Queen’s face in the morning!

GELO – Nonsense! I cannot imagine the things Fadrius will conjure up for me. But certainly, it will be a very serious test. And elder Wizards, who Fadrius especially invited, will judge it. Only then will I be raised to the rank of a real Wizard.

LIZY – But you already know some magical spells. You can heal various wounds, create fire, and freeze water. If necessary, you could stop and freeze beasts or evil men, among various things, which I cannot remember. For our future family life and welfare, it is quite enough.

GELO. (Unhappy, that he is being disturbed) But it is not enough to be raised to the rank of a Wizard!

LIZY – (Playfully) Why do you need this rank when you have me?

GELO – Lizy, how can you say that! It’s two different things!

LIZY – I am a thing?!

GELO – You know what I mean. You know perfectly well that I love you, when the time comes, we will marry, and then we’ll be together…

LIZY – I want it sooner.

GELO – What do you want sooner?

LIZY – (Coquettishly) Well you know … be together.

GELO – Be patient. As soon as I become a Wizard, we’ll definitely be together.

LIZY – (Upset and displeased) But to get married you don’t need to be a Wizard! Other people get along fine without a rank, get married and have children. Or cannot you do it without magic…

GELO – (Very displeased) I can do anything! Stop this, Lizy!

LIZY – Do you really need to be a Wizard to be a real man?

GELO – What do you mean?!

LIZY – (Sadly) Nothing much…

GELO – (Irritated) I can’t get married until I get tested to become a Wizard, because a Wizard is not an ordinary person. And by the rules, when you agree to marry me you have to fully understand, who you are marrying: An ordinary citizen or to someone whose life is devoted to magic and sorcery. So, if I get married before my testing, I will break the rules and I won’t be able to become a Wizard.

LIZY – Just don’t get cross. I didn’t want to upset you. It’s just that I love you. And you don’t even notice that I’m next to you.

GELO – Yes, you’re rather hard to miss! It is easier to miss a storm or a hurricane, than trying to escape your loving capriciousness.

LIZY – But Gelo I also need attention. But you’re just stuck in your books, and don’t leave them for days. Why don’t you look at me for just a minute?

GELO – (Wanting to reconcile) Lizy, you know! Everything I’m doing is not for myself. My goal – is not just to become a Wizard but a truly great one. Teacher Fadrius thinks I have everything you need to become one. But for that I need to work and study hard.

LIZY – But life is so long you will have time to learn everything you need. But sometimes you just have to take a break. To live a simple and non-magical life. To love me…just a little bit.

GELO – Lizy, don’t talk like that. I always love you. But I have responsibilities. The current situations in the kingdom are not going very well. Fadrius is very old and is losing his powers. And he cannot help out the Queen, like he used to. I need to hurry so that I can support my teacher and help the kingdom.

LIZY – So that’s why you want to read all those knowledgeable books?

GELO – That’s one of the reasons.

LIZY – (Coquettishly) Aren’t you afraid that we will get old before you will read all of them? And then neither you nor me will want anything.

GELO – (Laughing) Only if you turn out to be a nagging and quarrel-some old woman like our Queen. In this case I won’t be needing anything from you.

LIZY – But do you really need anything from me now?

GELO – (Putting his hands around her waist) Yes, I do! A kiss for example.

LIZY – Do you think you deserve one?

GELO – Am I guilty of something?

LIZY – You men are all so self-confident! You’re assured that just because you haven’t done anything bad, you can get everything you want. But now you will have to earn it! (Runs to the side) You want a kiss – catch me!

GELO – (Joyfully) You think I won’t catch you?

LIZY – Only if you don’t use your magic!

GELO – And here I don’t even need it.

They Run around the stage. Gelo tries to catch Lizy. She avoids being caught.

LIZY – You won’t catch me!

GELO – I will!

Gelo catches Lizy, hugs her and they kiss passionately. Fadrius walks on stage. At first, he looks at them puzzled, then he walks to the other side. They don’t seem to notice him. He shows a rainbow of expressions, from a smile to a frown. And then starts to cough very loudly. Lizy and Gelo are startled and move away from each other.

GELO – (Awkwardly, moves from one foot to another) S-S-Sorry, teacher… We didn’t hear you come in… We were … just….

FADRIUS – I saw you – just!

LIZY – (Looking sheepishly down) If I’m not needed here, I think I’d rather go …

FADRIUS – Don’t stay on my account!

LIZY – Thanks. (Running off)

FADRIUS – I hope, what I saw wasn’t the only thing you were doing while I was away?

GELO – Of course it wasn’t, teacher. I re-read carefully the manuscript of «Great Magical Achievements». And learned two new spells of wind.

FADRIUS – Wind? Perhaps, that’s why all your feeling and thoughts are all over the place!

GELO – Teacher, forgive me. I was distracted just for a few minutes. Before that I was working really hard with your tasks.

FADRIUS – Don’t defend yourself. A Wizard who gets distracted for even one minute is not a Wizard at all. Those who distract him can use him as a weapon.

GELO – But Lizy is not an enemy! She is the Lady in Waiting of our Queen, and my fiancé.

FADRIUS – That’s not the point! The point is, that you could be under somebody’s influence. You could become a slave of emotions and feelings. But for a real Wizard, that is intolerable.

GELO – But how can you live without emotions? After all we’re humans.

FADRIUS – In the first place we are Wizards! And a Wizard’s emotions should be controlled by his mind. And the mind should only be controlled by logic and rationality. And if your mind was to be controlled by someone else, even for just a short moment there could be irreparable damage. You are a Wizard, and in your hands, there lies special powers. And only you should have the power to control them. And nobody else!

GELO – But it’s impossible to live like that. It means that you couldn’t open yourself to nobody, and you couldn’t trust anybody completely…

FADRIUS – Us Wizards are bestowed with many great powers. And it is well known that those who have great powers should have greater responsibilities. We are paying a great price for our gift.

GELO – Teacher, but Lizy and I love each other.

FADRIUS – Get that rubbish out of your head! You shouldn’t love anybody. That’s the price for gaining such a power. Love is only permitted to normal people. Love is a sign of weakness. Love is forgiveness of mistakes. You are supposed to be strong and wise. But the strong and wise are not permitted to make mistakes and be weak.

GELO – But how can I create goodness without love?

FADRIUS – Goodness – is a concept of relativity.

GELO – I don’t understand what you mean?

FADRIUS – What might be good in someone’s eyes might be bad and harmful in another’s. A fire in a furnace of a blacksmith is goodness and a blessing. A fire in a larder where food and vegetables are kept will be destructive and damaging.

GELO – Then how can one distinguish, one from the other?

FADRIUS – In time I will explain everything. But for now, remember the most important thing. When you become a real Wizard, you will gain great power. And a great power doesn’t need emotions. Power demands a strong mind!

GELO – What about Lizy? You mean I will never be allowed to marry her?

FADRIUS – Of course, I wouldn’t recommend you being tied down by marriage for the rest of your life. But if you can’t help yourself – marry then. But not under this stupid thing called ‘love’. Do it under the name of the basic instinct to reproduce. Understand?

GELO – In all honesty – No…

FADRIUS – Don’t worry, with years you’ll smarten up. In the worst-case scenario, you will grow up and understand it. But now there are more important things at hand.

GELO – I’m listening to you attentively, teacher.

FADRIUS – In a moment the Queen will come here. Quickly clean up after yourself, and wait close by, while I talk with Her Majesty. You will be needed soon.

Gelo starts to clean up the papers on the table. The Queen comes on stage. With her appearance Gelo bows and goes off stage.