Chapter 4: In Which Things Get Complicated
"How did you get him?" Mendanbar asked.
"Well, I was gathering ingredients for my world-famous wassail when I found him passed out in the snow. I brought him back here and revived him with a little cider, and he kept asking to see you."
"Mendanbar," the ambassador whispered feebly. "Are you there? Come closer. I can barely see." Mendanbar walked up to the ambassador's bedside, and Daystar and Cimorene came up as well.
"What happened to you?" Mendanbar asked.
"That traitor, he got me," the ambassador answered.
"That's about all he told me as well," Morwen said. "I've been through the books, trying to find what this translates to in human terms, but I know these symptoms. Strange as it sounds, they're consistent with magic depletion."
"Magic depletion? But humans don't have their own magic, except . . . you can't be a firewitch?"
"No," the ambassador whispered. "They're distant cousins. I never told you. I don't tell anyone. I'm a snowwitch."
"Snowwitch?" Cimorene said. "I never heard of such a thing."
"I have," Mendanbar answered. "They're very rare. They can cause snow and ice, they can live for centuries, and some are at least partially omniscient. They have hearts of ice, and they can't feel empathy. Most of them are pranksters. They use their magic to cause all the conditions for snow, and then never make it snow just to let all the kids down. But some are just downright mean. I heard about a snowwitch queen who caused her realm to be forever winter and never Christmas, or any kind of holiday for that matter. I'd understand why you would want to keep that silent."
"Of course, and I am somewhat embarrassed of it, actually," wheezed the ambassador. "Even though I'm a snowwitch, I cannot do anything magically. I am an outcast of the snowwitch clan. They say it is because I have a good heart, that I want to do good things for children. My heart has melted, I guess. That's why I have to keep coming to you for magic. I feel ashamed that I cannot do it myself, but what else can I do? Well, I better not ramble. I have an important message for you. Beware. There is an imposter who will steal from you the magic of Christmas."
"I'm afraid you're little late," Mendanbar answered solemnly.
The ambassador sighed. "This is my fault. I trusted him for years, and he just turned on me today."
"Who is he?"
"Grincheezer. He's a wizard. He kinda gave up on the Society of Wizards when the dragons put the shield around the castle, and he started wandering until he came to my domain. He supplied me with the magic I needed when you were gone. I had to admit his magic made Christmas . . . flashy. The children who wanted more of the technological toys got what they wanted easily. I was amazed at the results. To tell you the truth, when I heard that you were freed, I had a difficult choice. Part of me wanted to stick with him. I was talking about it with him on the way here, and he cruelly laughed, pulled out his staff, and struck me with a spell."
"But he can't. Telemain and I made it so he can't. Well, I'm going to have to talk to Telemain about that. What does Grincheezer want with it?"
"I'm not sure, but I don't feel comfortable about it. His ideas about the season are, shall we say, less than traditional."
"We'll get him back, don't worry. I just got to talk with Telemain."
"Yes. We'll be back, ambassador," Morwen assured him. "Nutmeg, assume the position. That's good." She led the others out and closed the door, just to open it again. "Telemain's in the lab." Beyond the door they could see the stony walls of Telemain's castle.
"Like I say every time, this was a really good idea."
"And like I tell you every time, it's only temporary. We're only going to keep it like this until Telemain can transfer the magic from his castle to here. I mean, one house is enough."
"Yes, but still--"
"Dad, we're running out of time."
"Yes, let's go."
He went up the up staircase to the final floor and knocked on the door.
"Not yet, my love," Telemain answered from within. Mendanbar opened his mouth to say it was he, but before he could say anything, the magician said. "Oh, your majesty! A thousands pardons. Just one brief moment--"
"We don't have that kind of time, Telemain."
"Very well." He opened the door. His vest was a bright red and green. He looked very tired. He gave a small bow to all three of his guests. "Greetings of the season, your majesties."
"That's a rather verbose way of saying it, but same to you. May we come in?"
"By all means. I apologize about the delay. I was working on my Christmas present for Morwen. I have not quite begun working on yours yet, I am sad to say, but I shall start soon."
Daystar looked at the strange contraption. "What is it?"
"We saw one of these on our honeymoon, and Morwen fell in love instantly. It's a vacuum cleaner. It's used in big cities to clean floors, like a hyper-broom. Of course, that is not what Morwen intended for it."
"You're enchanting it to fly?"
"Yes, it is insane, but I know how much she loves flying. It should be very fast. You will not tell her, will you?"
"Of course not, but she'd better let me have a ride every once in a while."
"Telemain, please. We got to talk," Mendanbar interrupted.
"Yes, your majesty. What do you wish?"
While Mendanbar was discussing the situation with Telemain, Morwen ventured to her study to use the mirror. "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, I would like to make a call."
The mirror turned white. "What party are you calling, please?" it asked.
"Kazul, King of the Dragons."
"One moment please."
In exactly one moment, Morwen saw her dragon friend speaking turned around speaking to Shiara. "Careful how you place that tinsel. Don't get it crooked." Her wings the flickered, and she swatted at something on her arm. "Dratted vibrating beetles." Then she looked up at the mirror. "Morwen! Greetings of the season!"
"Same to you, Kazul. Are you about prepared for the Solstice Festival?"
"Nearly. In about a week, we are going to have our annual feast, and you are free to join us."
"I am certain that we will."
"How about you? Are you about ready for Chr--Chri--what is that holiday you humans celebrate again? No, don't tell me. It's, Christnukah, right?"
"You're either thinking of Christmas or Chanukah. We celebrate Christmas."
"Oh yes, that one."
"We're just about ready, but there is a problem. If you don't mind, I need Shiara."
"What for?"
"She, more than likely, has more information about a certain cousin."
"I'm not sure what you mean, but I will send her."
"Thank you."
Up in the lab, Telemain had finished listening to Mendanbar's story. "How could that wizard absorb any magic at all? I thought we fixed it so that they couldn't--"
"You're majesty, if you permit me." Telemain ran into another room and came back with a book full of loose pages. He flipped through frantically and stopped. "Yes. I did an intense study years ago. The Yuletide phenomenon of the Enchanted Forest, which causes a month of crystallized precipitation and voluntary décor among the foliage, is not inherent to the magical matrix of the forest itself. In fact, it is not even derived from the matrix. The source is extraneous in nature, apparently from the intricate fantasies and joviality of children that seems to peak at this time of year, in anticipation of their favorite holiday."
"I think I get it. Children make Christmas magic here."
"That's what I said."
"And, in a way, the ambassador is the cause of that joviality, so it is his magic," Daystar observed.
"Good point," Mendanbar nodded. "But that is the reason why Grincheezer could absorb it. It's not part of the forest."
"Exactly," Telemain responded. "And if he uses it as his own magic, all the joy that was used to make it would be lost."
(Note--Evidently I won't get this finished by midnight tonight, so I hope your Christmas or whatever you celebrate was merry.)
"How did you get him?" Mendanbar asked.
"Well, I was gathering ingredients for my world-famous wassail when I found him passed out in the snow. I brought him back here and revived him with a little cider, and he kept asking to see you."
"Mendanbar," the ambassador whispered feebly. "Are you there? Come closer. I can barely see." Mendanbar walked up to the ambassador's bedside, and Daystar and Cimorene came up as well.
"What happened to you?" Mendanbar asked.
"That traitor, he got me," the ambassador answered.
"That's about all he told me as well," Morwen said. "I've been through the books, trying to find what this translates to in human terms, but I know these symptoms. Strange as it sounds, they're consistent with magic depletion."
"Magic depletion? But humans don't have their own magic, except . . . you can't be a firewitch?"
"No," the ambassador whispered. "They're distant cousins. I never told you. I don't tell anyone. I'm a snowwitch."
"Snowwitch?" Cimorene said. "I never heard of such a thing."
"I have," Mendanbar answered. "They're very rare. They can cause snow and ice, they can live for centuries, and some are at least partially omniscient. They have hearts of ice, and they can't feel empathy. Most of them are pranksters. They use their magic to cause all the conditions for snow, and then never make it snow just to let all the kids down. But some are just downright mean. I heard about a snowwitch queen who caused her realm to be forever winter and never Christmas, or any kind of holiday for that matter. I'd understand why you would want to keep that silent."
"Of course, and I am somewhat embarrassed of it, actually," wheezed the ambassador. "Even though I'm a snowwitch, I cannot do anything magically. I am an outcast of the snowwitch clan. They say it is because I have a good heart, that I want to do good things for children. My heart has melted, I guess. That's why I have to keep coming to you for magic. I feel ashamed that I cannot do it myself, but what else can I do? Well, I better not ramble. I have an important message for you. Beware. There is an imposter who will steal from you the magic of Christmas."
"I'm afraid you're little late," Mendanbar answered solemnly.
The ambassador sighed. "This is my fault. I trusted him for years, and he just turned on me today."
"Who is he?"
"Grincheezer. He's a wizard. He kinda gave up on the Society of Wizards when the dragons put the shield around the castle, and he started wandering until he came to my domain. He supplied me with the magic I needed when you were gone. I had to admit his magic made Christmas . . . flashy. The children who wanted more of the technological toys got what they wanted easily. I was amazed at the results. To tell you the truth, when I heard that you were freed, I had a difficult choice. Part of me wanted to stick with him. I was talking about it with him on the way here, and he cruelly laughed, pulled out his staff, and struck me with a spell."
"But he can't. Telemain and I made it so he can't. Well, I'm going to have to talk to Telemain about that. What does Grincheezer want with it?"
"I'm not sure, but I don't feel comfortable about it. His ideas about the season are, shall we say, less than traditional."
"We'll get him back, don't worry. I just got to talk with Telemain."
"Yes. We'll be back, ambassador," Morwen assured him. "Nutmeg, assume the position. That's good." She led the others out and closed the door, just to open it again. "Telemain's in the lab." Beyond the door they could see the stony walls of Telemain's castle.
"Like I say every time, this was a really good idea."
"And like I tell you every time, it's only temporary. We're only going to keep it like this until Telemain can transfer the magic from his castle to here. I mean, one house is enough."
"Yes, but still--"
"Dad, we're running out of time."
"Yes, let's go."
He went up the up staircase to the final floor and knocked on the door.
"Not yet, my love," Telemain answered from within. Mendanbar opened his mouth to say it was he, but before he could say anything, the magician said. "Oh, your majesty! A thousands pardons. Just one brief moment--"
"We don't have that kind of time, Telemain."
"Very well." He opened the door. His vest was a bright red and green. He looked very tired. He gave a small bow to all three of his guests. "Greetings of the season, your majesties."
"That's a rather verbose way of saying it, but same to you. May we come in?"
"By all means. I apologize about the delay. I was working on my Christmas present for Morwen. I have not quite begun working on yours yet, I am sad to say, but I shall start soon."
Daystar looked at the strange contraption. "What is it?"
"We saw one of these on our honeymoon, and Morwen fell in love instantly. It's a vacuum cleaner. It's used in big cities to clean floors, like a hyper-broom. Of course, that is not what Morwen intended for it."
"You're enchanting it to fly?"
"Yes, it is insane, but I know how much she loves flying. It should be very fast. You will not tell her, will you?"
"Of course not, but she'd better let me have a ride every once in a while."
"Telemain, please. We got to talk," Mendanbar interrupted.
"Yes, your majesty. What do you wish?"
While Mendanbar was discussing the situation with Telemain, Morwen ventured to her study to use the mirror. "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, I would like to make a call."
The mirror turned white. "What party are you calling, please?" it asked.
"Kazul, King of the Dragons."
"One moment please."
In exactly one moment, Morwen saw her dragon friend speaking turned around speaking to Shiara. "Careful how you place that tinsel. Don't get it crooked." Her wings the flickered, and she swatted at something on her arm. "Dratted vibrating beetles." Then she looked up at the mirror. "Morwen! Greetings of the season!"
"Same to you, Kazul. Are you about prepared for the Solstice Festival?"
"Nearly. In about a week, we are going to have our annual feast, and you are free to join us."
"I am certain that we will."
"How about you? Are you about ready for Chr--Chri--what is that holiday you humans celebrate again? No, don't tell me. It's, Christnukah, right?"
"You're either thinking of Christmas or Chanukah. We celebrate Christmas."
"Oh yes, that one."
"We're just about ready, but there is a problem. If you don't mind, I need Shiara."
"What for?"
"She, more than likely, has more information about a certain cousin."
"I'm not sure what you mean, but I will send her."
"Thank you."
Up in the lab, Telemain had finished listening to Mendanbar's story. "How could that wizard absorb any magic at all? I thought we fixed it so that they couldn't--"
"You're majesty, if you permit me." Telemain ran into another room and came back with a book full of loose pages. He flipped through frantically and stopped. "Yes. I did an intense study years ago. The Yuletide phenomenon of the Enchanted Forest, which causes a month of crystallized precipitation and voluntary décor among the foliage, is not inherent to the magical matrix of the forest itself. In fact, it is not even derived from the matrix. The source is extraneous in nature, apparently from the intricate fantasies and joviality of children that seems to peak at this time of year, in anticipation of their favorite holiday."
"I think I get it. Children make Christmas magic here."
"That's what I said."
"And, in a way, the ambassador is the cause of that joviality, so it is his magic," Daystar observed.
"Good point," Mendanbar nodded. "But that is the reason why Grincheezer could absorb it. It's not part of the forest."
"Exactly," Telemain responded. "And if he uses it as his own magic, all the joy that was used to make it would be lost."
(Note--Evidently I won't get this finished by midnight tonight, so I hope your Christmas or whatever you celebrate was merry.)