Sinead's descent

"Vote of Execution"

And thus began a string of sorcerers that went to work with Sìnead. The next tried to get her to control her powers, the next few went the route of suppression. After that, the fifth and sixth sorcerers began giving Sìnead experimental tonics and potions to suppress or eliminate her powers.

Nothing worked, and as usual once the sorcerers grew impatient, they would push Sìnead a tick too far, ending in their instant demise.

With each death, Sìnead crept farther into herself, growing more fearful of her magic, but feeling less and less towards the fallen musicians.

When the eight died, she barely felt a tremor.

The Duchess was at her wit's end, in contrast to Sìnead, with each death she grew more agitated. Not only was she losing fine magicians to a dangerous youth, the girl was becoming increasingly desensitized. As a result of the body count that piled her on a weekly basis, the Duchess had begun to receive complaints from relatives, demanding an execution! This who mattered, combined with the pervasive pepper cloud had turned into a migraine.

Also, the Duchess bemoaned, the chef had gotten into her fine china and smashed a gorgeous gravy dish before someone stopped her and her baby would not stop squalling. THe piggies at her feet weren't even that warm either…

Finally, the Duchess called her closest advisors around her. The Cheshire Cat, the Chef, her newest sorcerer, and the head frog footman. She proposed the idea to execute Sìnead.

The Chef was the only one against it (she had no qualms with the girl). THe new sorcerer was completely for execution (Fearing for his own life, no doubt), as was the footman (fearing for his fellow frogs), the Duchess was also for it (sick and tired of the hullabaloo surrounding the brat). The Cheshire Cat answered evasively as always, "well perhaps we should...but then again, perhaps we oughtn't.

All for the proposition broke off to discuss a method of execution that wouldn't end in any of their demises. The Cheshire Cat floated above their heads, eavesdropping until the Duchess shooed him off.

"Ohoohoo," he laughed hoarsely, "but don't you want to hear my idea?"

"Tell us!" The Duchess snapped.

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't," he chuckled, vanishing.

"One of you!" The Duchess motioned to no one in particular, "find that cat and bring him to me!"

And so, while everyone else discussed clever ways to kill off Sìnead, the 9th sorcerer was tasked with catching a vanishing cat for the rest of the afternoon.

He returned in the evening, frazzled, dusty, and catless. The Duchess fired him promptly, but he didn't particularly care. Even for a Wonderland native, the Duchess' abode was a shade too topsy turvy for his taste.

Late that night, the Duchess was dozing on her throne, for she'd left her baby snoring loudly in her own bed (much to her annoyance, but this way she didn't have to hear it wail when it awoke). It was then that the Cheshire Cat appeared atop the throne, tickling the Duchess' nose with his bushy tail.

"Slurking urpal slackush scrum!" She yelped a string of most dirty words.

"No need to be alarmed," he chortled, "tis only I."

"What have you to say you vile- thing!"

"Oh, just a bit of juicy information about my plan," he bent his face in front of the Duchess'

"Go on…"

"You've surely realized you cannot dispose of the girl with any conventional method, yes?" The Duchess nodded, "so…I've devised a simple plan to trick her into her own demise."

She smiled, making terrible wrinkles in her voluminous chins, "I'm listening…"

The plot thickens...