CHAPTER 9

"The Truth Will Out"

Mephisto stared at the sea of hands. People were pleading to be the volunteer. It was like feeding pigeons, as they nearly descended upon him. He stopped to stare a moment at Grimsby, who retreated into the back. Mephisto held up his finger, shuttling it about, trying to determine who would be best for this part of the show.

Backstage, the troupe looked on. "He is in rare form tonight," commented Greg.

"I have never seen so many wanting to be mesmerized," added Felicity

As he went to pick, he turned suddenly to see Ariel and Eric. Pausing to think, he strode up to Eric. "Perhaps his Royal Highness would care to be a volunteer?"

Eric was hesitant at first. "Well, I don't know," he stalled. He looked to Ariel.

"Go on. You are the ruler of your people." Ariel batted her eyelashes at him. Eric turned back to Mephisto, and then headed down. The crowd clapped their appreciation as Sampo placed a chair in the center of the floor.

Before Eric sat on it, he checked it out, as it was identical to the one Sampo destroyed. The crowd laughed. Eric sat confidently.

Mephisto came up to him, making odd gestures. "Prince, look into my eyes. Look deep. Loooooooooooooook into my eyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees!" Mephisto grimaced and leered, popping his eyes outwards, flailing his tongue, doing over-exaggerated motions. The crowd snickered. Mephisto came across as a really bad hypnotist. Eric crossed his arms, bored.

"I'm not easily mesmerized," he proclaimed.

Mephisto continued the motions, curling his fingers and moving his arms back and forth. "What about when you met the Princess for the first time?"

The crowd roared with delight. Ariel blushed. Eric smiled.

Mephisto continued. "And you also remember the first time you went to SLEEP NOW!"

Instantaneously, Eric fell asleep, slightly sprawled in the chair. The crowd went "Oooooh", as it happened so fast. Ariel stood up, but Mephisto calmed her and the crowd.

"The prince is all right. He is just in a deep slumber." He turned to Eric. "You hear only the sound of my voice and you will do as I ask. Sleep deeper."

Mephisto placed him palm of Eric's forehead and he slept deeper. Mephisto turned to the audience. "I cannot make the Prince do anything that may hurt or injure himself, but I can give him other suggestions."

Turning back again to Eric, he spoke in a loud voice. "Prince, you will not be able to remember your name, no matter how hard you try. At any time, when I say, 'One, two, three, awake!' and snap my fingers, you will come out of your trance."

A hand was placed on Eric's forehead. "Prince, you are alert." Eric came around, as thought nothing was wrong, but he was still hypnotized.

Mephisto began to pace about in front of Eric. "Your Highness, how do you feel?"

"I feel fine," said Eric with a slightly defiant tone.

"Are you Mesmerized?"

"No. As I said I wasn't easily mesmerized." Mephisto nodded in agreement. "That's right. So you did." Mephisto went right beside Eric and pointed to Ariel. "And who is that radiant vision on the throne?"

"That is my wonderful wife, Ariel."

"I see. And that gentleman over there? Trying very hard not for me to see him?" He tracked down a nervous Grimsby, scampering away.

"That would be my Royal Advisor Grimsby."

"What about that one? Wearing that silly hat."

"That is Padraic, the Court Painter."

Mephisto crossed his arms and looked sufficiently amazed. "Well, you know everyone is your castle. You really do."

"They are people and deserved to be treated as such."

"How considerate of you. And when they need to ask you a question, how do they address you?"

"They call me Prince.." Eric stopped for a moment, completely at a loss.

Mephisto stepped in. "I'm sorry. I didn't catch that. What is your name?"

"I am...I am...I.."

A look of consternation crossed Eric's face as he struggled to recall. His mouth dropped open as people could see him straining to come up with his name. The crowd tittered, and then laughed, as Eric could not recall who he was.

Irongut commented, "He's got the audience right where he wants them. That's talent."

When the laughter reached its peak, Mephisto placed his hand on Eric's forehead. "Sleep."

Eric quickly went under. The crowd applauded wildly. Mephisto helped Eric sit up straight, but whispered quickly, so only he could hear.

"Regardless of your deep love for your wife and child, every time I say the word 'baby', you will get more and more angry. When you hear it for the fourth time, you will say 'I hate them both', raving wildly. Show your true feelings.

"You will remember nothing of this, but you will continue to rant when you hear 'baby'."

Mephisto brushed off imaginary lint from Eric and came up slowly to face the crowd.

"We can also examine the very core of what a person thinks and feels. We spend our days hiding from ourselves. What does he really believe?" Mephisto turned to Eric.

"Prince, awake. How do you feel?"

"I feel fine."

"Prince, how do you really feel?"

"I..I'm a little tired."

"I see. I understand that there is cause for celebration. True?"

"Very true."

Mephisto pondered for a moment. "And the reason is?"

"We have a new child!"

"You do?"

"Yes, that's right."

"What kind?"

Eric spoke assuredly. "It was a girl. I had hoped for a boy. But that's OK. There's next time."

Ariel blushed as red as her hair as the crowd snickered.

Mephisto went on. "A baby girl."

"Yeah. A baby girl, he grumbled. The tone was shifting. Some people tittered uncomfortably. This wasn't the Eric they knew.

"What does your baby girl look like?"

"It looks like a baby. What do you expect?"

Ariel puts on a brave face as Eric becomes snarling and resentful. The rest of the acting troupe gets concerned as the tension grows.

Mephisto ventured cautiously."What..what is the name of your baby?"

Eric's tone was now mocking. "Her mother calls her Melody."

Ariel panted and wheezed, as she felt herself getting hotter and sweaty. The embarrassment was getting too much for her, but she stayed on the throne.

Mephisto played his part with mock chagrin, as he "realized" he'd gone too far. "Well, we'll talk about other things."

Eric's tone had completely changed. "That would be very nice."

"Perhaps about pirates or people you have met or exotic locales."

"I could do that." Eric seemed almost normal and everyone relaxed.

"I shan't talk further about the baby."

Eric detonated and launched into a screed.

"I hate them both!"

Everyone was taken aback.

Mephisto probed. "What did you say about your wife and baby?"

"I hate them both! I hate them both! I hate them both!"

The words stung and cut deeply. Ariel was pole-axed and didn't know what to do. She felt a thousand burning eyes upon her, where her every move was amplified.

Mephisto held for a beat, and then called out, "One, two, three, awake!"

He snapped his fingers and Eric came around, completely unaware of what had transpired. Mephisto pretended to be remorseful for his "discovery". Eric looked to Ariel, tears pouring down her face. She grabbed Melody and fled.

Eric looked about to see faces in shock or anger. The crowd broke up. Mephisto disappeared into the screened-off area as Eric was at a complete loss.

Eric started to follow after Ariel and Melody, but Grimsby intercepted Eric and moved him off to a part of the room, away from everyone. It was an animated discussion, despite the low tones.

Backstage, the troupe immediately packed up to go. The murmurings of the crowd filled the background as all were transfixed at the events. Mephisto hurried the performers along, but smiled slyly.

Outside the castle, a wagon was being loaded up and the last of the troupe got on. Mephisto helped them in amid comments from everyone.

Greg was never at a loss for words. "How wonderfully pleasant."

Sampo was stunned. "Who'd have thought it?"

"That's royalty for you," added Irongut, as he got on.

Mephisto went to the front of the wagon to the driver. "Head back to the ship. I want to express my condolences for the incident."

But how will you get back?" asked Hammal, also in front.

"Don't worry about that. Just go."

Mephisto slapped the horse on its haunches and the wagon lurched out. Adjusting himself, Mephisto headed back to the castle.

In the darkened nursery, Ariel sobbed. She had never been so unhappy in all of her life. The man she loved and whom she had sacrificed so much for was a...A gently tapping came at her door.

Ariel made a vain attempt to wipe away the tears. "Please..please go away."

Carlotta's warm voice could be heard. "It's just for a moment. It's the Mesmerize."

"I..I don't wish to see anyone!"

Mephisto could be heard. "It will take only a moment. Please, your Royal Highness."

Wiping the tears away, cuddling Melody, Ariel went to the door and opened it. A shaft of light pierced the gloom as Carlotta and Mephisto stand there.

"Thank you, Carlotta," remarked Mephisto.

Carlotta remained at the open door. Mephisto held for a moment, and then plead his case, hat in hand.

"I wish to offer my most sincere and abject apology for what happened. I try to bring joy and entertainment to all whom I meet, not this. Had I but known, I..." Mephisto paused, groping for the right thing to say, and then let his words fail him, bowing his head in despair.

"Had we all but known.." sniffled Ariel. Ariel took Melody over to the crib. Mephisto grabbed a candle to give Ariel light. Ariel settled Melody in the crib, who was still tightly swaddled.

Mephisto held the candle high to give better light in the crib. As she tucked Melody in, Mephisto put the candle down on a table, and then turned to the window.

"Would you like the drapes drawn, your Highness?"

Ariel nodded agreement, and Mephisto pulled them shut. However, unseen by anyone, he unlatched the catch. His work done, Mephisto slowly walked to the door. As he got to the threshold, he turned about.

"I realize I cannot undo what has happened. I am just so sorry that it occurred." Looking sufficiently saddened, he left the castle.

Carlotta, equally saddened, drifted the door silently shut.

Outside the castle, Mephisto turned and looked at the nursery window behind him. Giving an evil smile and a nod, he left. A shadowy figure lurked outside the walls.

Evening passed into early morning. The clock in the darkened room ticked away. The drapes unfurled momentarily and the figure ducked in. Moving with precision and grace, it looked over at a sleeping Ariel, her back towards the window. Heading to the crib, it discovered Melody was gone! Nowhere to be seen!

It looked about the room, which was very dark. It saw Melody in bed with Ariel. After examining the situation, the figure slithered up to the sleeping pair.

Making sure both were sound asleep, it extracted Melody with a fluid movement. Picking up Melody, the figure looked at her, feeling where the fin should be. Then Melody made a cooing sound, hardly louder than the ticking clock.

Ariel bolted upright to see Melody floating about. Before Ariel could react, the figure muted Ariel, stuffing a cloth in her mouth. She was quickly tied up and hoisted over its shoulder.

Bolting out, the windows closed, all shinny down the side of the tower with rapidity. Ariel was reluctant to do anything as she and Melody could easily fall. In mere moments, all are away from the castle.

Once on the ground, Ariel started flailing about, striking and pummeling the figure, who pushed her down. Too angry to withdraw the gag, Ariel launched at the figure with an unmatched intensity, ramming and kicking. The figure spun her about and put an arm about her neck. Ariel struggled for a moment before she went limp.

At the nearby wagon, the figure jumped on with Melody, and then dragged Ariel afterwards, loading her on like a sack of potatoes.

In the wagon, Ariel, groggy, opened her eyes and was shocked to see Mephisto, who glowered at the figure. The figure shrugged, and squeezed Ariel's neck again before she could speak. Crashing onto the wagon floor, unconscious, Ariel was gagged better and tied up. They all galloped off, into the night.

End Notes

This was the hardest part of the script to write, and rewrite. This is what I call "The Crux". The entire script (or story) hinges on this one particular scene and it has to be played properly.

The first time this scene was presented, I was excoriated for it. The original language went beyond what Mephisto has instructed Eric to do and many felt that I had turned Eric into a #& or a #&+ or even a !#&#?(. (Sorry, but some of the language was particularly brutal).

What I had to do was flatten out the language, so he parroted back exactly what Mephisto had requested. This scene is tricky for numerous reasons.

I am presenting Eric and "out of focus"; things are not going well for him, and there is a degree of resentment festering within. Caught off-guard by all the changes, he is, in a sense, blaming Ariel for giving him a "defective" child.

He doesn't want to think this way, but you know how your mind can sometimes grab hold of a problem and worry it to death. Mephisto knew this and played Eric like a violin to put everyone in turmoil.

But the trickiness comes from the fact that Eric is NOT a monster, but does not know how to fully come to grips with what is happening. I have a delicate balancing act between the Real Eric and the Honest Eric.

It took three massive edits and repostings to script sites to finally get this scene to the (hopefully) best results that I could. I always wanted this story to be a bit darker, that you really have to work at "happily ever after" and nothing comes easy, especially with life and love.

I no longer have any of those early missteps, as I was doing editing of the story while I was writing it, so the final First Draft is really more like a Third or Fourth Draft, as I did hot edits and wholesale discarding of wrong directions to go.

The following chapter was just as difficult to write properly, but that was due more to pacing. More on that when we get to that chapter.