[begin page 82]

I was so tired that even my fears were not able to keep me awake long.

When I next came to myself, I seemed to have been asleep a very long time. My first thought was, “Well, what an astonishing dream I’ve had! I reckon I’ve waked only just in time to keep from being hanged or drowned or burned, or something. . . . . . I’ll nap again till the whistle blowsⒶemendation, and then I’ll go down to the arms-factory and have it out with Hercules.”

But just then I heard the harsh music of rustyⒶalteration in the MS chains and bolts, a light flashed in my eyes, and that butterfly, Clarence, stood before me! I gasped with surpriseⒶalteration in the MS; my breath almost got away from me.

“What!” I said, “you here yet? Go alongⒶalteration in the MS with the rest of the dream! scatterⒶemendation!”

[begin page 83]

But he only laughed, in his light-hearted way, and fell to making fun of my sorry plight.Ⓐalteration in the MS

“All right,” I said resignedly, “let the dream go on; I’m in no hurry.”

“Prithee what dream?”

“What dream?Ⓐalteration in the MS Why, the dream that I am in Arthur’s court—a person who never existed; and that I amⒶemendation Ⓐrejected substantive talking to you, who are nothing but a work of imaginationⒶrejected substantive.”

“Oh, la, indeed! and is it a dream that you’re to be burned to-morrow? Ho-ho—answer me that!”

The shock that went through me was distressing. I now began to reasonⒶalteration in the MS that my situation was in the last degree serious, dream or no dream; for I knew by past experienceⒶalteration in the MS of the life-likeⒶalteration in the MS intensity of dreams, that to be burned to death, even in a dream, wouldⒶalteration in the MS be very far from being a jest, and was a thing to be avoided, by any means, fair or foul, that I could contrive. So I said beseechinglyⒶemendation:

“Ah, Clarence, good boy, only friend I’ve got,—for you are my friend, aren’t you?—don’t fail me; help me to devise some way of escaping from this place!”

“Now do but hear thyself! Escape? Why, man, the corridors are in guard and keep of men-at-arms.”

“No doubt, no doubt. But howⒶemendation many, Clarence? Not many, I hope?”

“Full a scoreⒶemendation. One may not hope to escape.” After a pause—hesitatingly:Ⓐemendation “and there be other reasons—and weightier.”

“Other ones? What are they?”

“Well, they say—ohⒶemendation, but I daren’t, indeed I daren’t!”

“Why, poor lad, what is the matter? Why do you blench? why do youⒶemendation tremble so?”

“Oh, in sooth there is need!Ⓐemendation I do want to tell you, but—”

“Come, come, be brave, be a man—speak out, there’s a good lad!Ⓐemendation”

He hesitated, pulled one way by desire, the other way by fear; then he stole to the door and peeped out, listening; and finally crept close to me and put his mouth to my ear and told me his fearful news in a whisper,Ⓐalteration in the MS and with all the cowering apprehension of one who was venturing upon awful ground and speaking of things whose very mention might be freighted with death:

“ MerlinⒶalteration in the MS, in his malice, hasⒶemendation woven a spell about this dungeonⒶalteration in the MS, andⒶemendation there bides not the man in these kingdoms that would be desperate enough to essay to cross its lines with you! Now God pity me, I have [begin page 84] told it!Ⓐemendation Ah, be kind to me, be merciful to a poor boy who means thee well; for an thou betray me I am lost!”

I laughed the only really refreshing laugh I had had for some time; and shouted—Ⓐemendation

“Merlin has wrought a spell! Merlin, forsooth!Ⓐemendation That cheapⒶalteration in the MS old humbug, that maundering old ass? Bosh, pure bosh, the silliest bosh in the world! Why it does seem to me that of all the childish, idiotic, chuckle-headed, chicken-livered superstitions that evⒶemendation—oh, damn Merlin!”

But Clarence had slumped to his knees beforeⒶalteration in the MS I had half finished, and he was like to go out of his mind with fright.

“Oh, beware! these are awful words! Any moment these walls may crumble upon us if you say such things. Oh call them back before it is too late!”

Now this strange exhibition gave me a good idea and set me to thinking. If everybody about here was so honestly and sincerely afraid of Merlin’s pretended magic as Clarence was,Ⓐtextual note Ⓐalteration in the MS certainlyⒶalteration in the MS a superior man like me ought toⒶalteration in the MS be shrewdⒶalteration in the MS enough to contrive some way to take advantage of such a state of things. I went on thinking, and worked out a plan. ThenⒶemendation I said:

“Get up. Pull yourself together; look me in the eye.Ⓐalteration in the MS Do you know why I laughed?”

“No—but for our blessed Lady’s sake, do it no more.”

“Well, I’ll tell you why I laughed. Because I’m a magician myself.Ⓐemendation”

“Thou!Ⓐemendation” The boyⒶalteration in the MS recoiled a step, and caught his breath, for the thing hit him rather sudden;Ⓐalteration in the MS but the aspect which he took on was very,Ⓐemendation very respectfulⒶalteration in the MS. I took quick note of that; it indicated that a humbug didn’t need to have a reputationⒶtextual note in this asylumⒶalteration in the MS; people stood ready to take him at his word, without that. I resumed:

“I’ve known Merlin seven hundred years, and he—”

“Seven hun—”

“Don’t interrupt me. He has died and come alive again thirteen times, and traveled under a new name every time: Smith, Jones, Robinson, Jackson, Peters, Haskins, Merlin—a new alias every time he turns up. IⒶemendation knew him in Egypt three hundred years ago; I knew him in India five hundred years ago—heⒶalteration in the MS is always blethering around in my way, everywhere I go; he makes me tiredⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS. He don’t amount to shucksⒶemendation, as a magician; knows someⒶalteration in the MS of the old common tricks, but has never got [begin page 85] beyond the rudiments, and never will. He is well enough for the provinces—one-night stands and that sort of thing, you know—butⒶemendation dear me,Ⓐalteration in the MS he oughtn’t to set up for an expert—anyway not where there’s a realⒶemendation artist. Now look here, Clarence, I am going to stand your friend, right along, and in return you must be mine. I want you to do me a favor. I want you to get word to the king that I am a magician myself—and the Supreme Grand High-yu-Mucka-muckⒶemendation andⒶemendation headⒶalteration in the MS of the tribe, at that; and I want him to be made to understand that I am just quietly arranging a little calamity here that will make the fur fly in these realms if Sir Kay’s project is carried out and any harm comes to me. Will you get that to the king for me?”

The poor boy was in such a state that he could hardly answer me. It was pitiful to see a creature so terrified,Ⓐemendation so unnerved, so demoralized.Ⓐalteration in the MS But heⒶalteration in the MS promised everything; and on my sideⒶemendation he made me promise over and over again that I would remain his friend, and never turn against him or castⒶalteration in the MS any enchantments uponⒶalteration in the MS him. Then he worked his way out, staying himself with his hand along the wall, like a sick person.Ⓐalteration in the MS

Presently this thought occurred to me: how heedless I have been!Ⓐalteration in the MS when the boy gets calm, he will wonder why a great magician like me should have begged a boy like him to helpⒶalteration in the MS me get out of this place; he will put this and that together, and will seeⒶalteration in the MS that I am a humbug.

[begin page 86]

I worried over that heedlessⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS blunder for an hour, and called myself a great manyⒶalteration in the MS hard names, meantime. But finally it occurred to me allⒶalteration in the MS of a sudden that these animals didn’t reason; that they never put this and that together; that all their talk showed that they didn’t know a discrepancy when they saw it. I was at rest, then.Ⓐalteration in the MS

ButⒶalteration in the MS as soon as one is at rest, in this world, off he goes on somethingⒶalteration in the MS else to worryⒶalteration in the MS about. It occurred to me that I had made another blunder: I had sent the boy off to alarmⒶalteration in the MS his betters with a threat—I intending to invent a calamity at my leisureⒶalteration in the MS; now the peopleⒶalteration in the MS who are the readiest and eagerest and willingest to swallow miracles, are the very ones who are hungriestⒶrejected substantive to see you perform them; suppose I should be called on for a sample? Suppose I should be asked to name my calamity? Yes, I had made a blunder; I ought to have invented my calamity first. “What shall I do; what can I say, to gain a little time?” I was in troubleⒶalteration in the MS again; in the deepest kind of trouble. . . . “There’s a footstep!—they’re coming. If I had only just a moment to think. . . . . Good,Ⓐalteration in the MS I’ve got it.Ⓐemendation I’m all right.”

You see, it was the eclipseⒶalteration in the MS. It came into my mind,Ⓐalteration in the MS in the nick of time, how ColumbusⒺexplanatory note, or Cortez, or one of those people, played an eclipse asⒶalteration in the MS a saving trumpⒶalteration in the MS once, on some savages, and I saw my chance. I could play it myself, now; and it wouldn’t be any plagiarism, either, because I should get it in nearly a thousand years ahead of those parties.Ⓐemendation

Clarence came in, subdued, distressed, and said:

“I hasted the message to ourⒶalteration in the MS liege the king, and straightway he had me to his presence. He was frighted, even to the marrow, and was minded to give order for your instantⒶemendation enlargement, and that you be clothed in fine raiment and lodged as befittedⒶalteration in the MS one so great; but then came Merlin and spoiled all; for he persuaded the king that you are madⒶemendation, and knowⒶalteration in the MS not whereof you speak; and said your threat is but foolishness and idle vaporing. They disputed long; but in the end, Merlin, scoffing, said, ‘Wherefore hath he not named his brave calamity? Verily it isⒶalteration in the MS because he cannot.’ ThisⒶalteration in the MS thrust did in a most sudden sortⒶalteration in the MS close the king’s mouth, and he could offer naught to turn the argument; and so, reluctant, and fullⒶalteration in the MS loth to do you the discourtesy, he yet prayeth you to consider his perplexed case, as noting how the matter stands, and name the calamity—if so be you have determined the nature of it and the time of its coming. Oh, prithee delay [begin page 87] not; to delay at such a time were to double and treble the perils that already compass thee about. Oh, be thou wise—name the calamity!Ⓐemendation”

I allowed silence to accumulate while I got my impressiveness together, and then said:

“How long have I been shut up in this hole?”

“Ye were shut up when yesterday was well spent. It is nine of the morning, now.”Ⓐalteration in the MS

“No! Then I have slept well, sure enough. Nine in the morning now! and yet itⒶalteration in the MS is the very complexionⒶemendation of midnight to a shade. This is the 20thⒶalteration in the MS, then?”

“The 20thⒶemendation Ⓐalteration in the MS—yes.”

“And I am to be burned aliveⒶalteration in the MS to-morrow.” The boy shuddered. “At what hour?”

“At high noon.”Ⓐalteration in the MS

“Now then, I will tell you what to say.” I paused, and stood over that cowering lad a whole minute in awful silence; then in a voice deep, measured, charged with doom, I began, and rose by dramatically graded stages to my colossal climax, which I delivered in as sublime [begin page 88] and noble a way as ever I did such a thing in my life: “GoⒶemendation back and tell the king that at that hour I will smother the whole world in the dead blackness of midnight; I will blot out the sun, and he shall never shine again; the fruits of the earth shall rot for lack of light and warmth, and the peoples of the earth shall famish and die, to the last man!”

I had to carry the boyⒶalteration in the MS out, myself, he sunkⒶrejected substantive into such a collapse.Ⓐalteration in the MS I handed him over to the soldiers, and went back.