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, Gelos teacher.
GELO Young apprentice of Fadrius, awaiting to be accepted into Wizardry.
LIZY Lady in waiting, Gelos 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 Queens palace. A mixture between a wizards study and a palaces 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 Queens 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! Its 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 well 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, well definitely be together.
LIZY (Upset and displeased) But to get married you dont 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 cant 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 wont be able to become a Wizard.
LIZY Just dont get cross. I didnt want to upset you. Its just that I love you. And you dont even notice that Im next to you.
GELO Yes, youre 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 youre just stuck in your books, and dont leave them for days. Why dont you look at me for just a minute?
GELO (Wanting to reconcile) Lizy, you know! Everything Im 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 mejust a little bit.
GELO Lizy, dont 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 thats why you want to read all those knowledgeable books?
GELO Thats one of the reasons.
LIZY (Coquettishly) Arent 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 wont 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! Youre assured that just because you havent 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 wont catch you?
LIZY Only if you dont use your magic!
GELO And here I dont even need it.
They Run around the stage. Gelo tries to catch Lizy. She avoids being caught.
LIZY You wont 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 dont 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 didnt hear you come in We were just.
FADRIUS I saw you just!
LIZY (Looking sheepishly down) If Im not needed here, I think Id rather go
FADRIUS Dont stay on my account!
LIZY Thanks. (Running off)
FADRIUS I hope, what I saw wasnt the only thing you were doing while I was away?
GELO Of course it wasnt, teacher. I re-read carefully the manuscript of «Great Magical Achievements». And learned two new spells of wind.
FADRIUS Wind? Perhaps, thats 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 Dont 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 Thats not the point! The point is, that you could be under somebodys 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 were humans.
FADRIUS In the first place we are Wizards! And a Wizards 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 its impossible to live like that. It means that you couldnt open yourself to nobody, and you couldnt 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 shouldnt love anybody. Thats 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 dont understand what you mean?
FADRIUS What might be good in someones eyes might be bad and harmful in anothers. 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 doesnt 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 wouldnt recommend you being tied down by marriage for the rest of your life. But if you cant 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 Dont worry, with years youll smarten up. In the worst-case scenario, you will grow up and understand it. But now there are more important things at hand.
GELO Im 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.
FADRIUS Im glad to see you are in good health, my Queen.
QUEEN What good health, Fadrius! The treasury is empty! Things are going from bad to worse!
FADRIUS Does that reflect on your health?
QUEEN Very much so! Because of everything I have a morbid migraine.
FADRIUS You need to unravel and have a good time.
QUEEN With what money?! Its over half a year since the last time I thrown a ball. I havent ordered a new dress all week. I have nothing to wear into town.
FADRIUS Your Majesty, you already have a beautiful wardrobe of dresses. There are three thousand three hundred and twenty-seven dazzling dresses, for all thinkable occasions.
QUEEN What are you talking about! You think I should go about in old rags? How can you all be so cruel to your Queen!
FADRIUS But of course not Your Majesty! We all love you. Im just thinking that the kingdom can survive without new dresses and balls. What is more important is that, by my calculations this year we will have a drought. And a bad harvest would destroy our peasants.
QUEEN Stop trying to scare me. Youre telling me that I might starve!
FADRIUS Not you. But it will be hard for your subjects to survive the drought.
QUEEN Well do something then, after all youre a Wizard.
FADRIUS Im sorry Your Majesty, but there is nothing I can do.
QUEEN Why? It is so easy. One magic spell and we will have good weather.
FADRIUS The matter is, my Queen I have become too old. I do not possess the magic power that is needed to do anything
QUEEN Here we go, youre upsetting me again! My migraine is coming back, shame on you!
FADRIUS Your Majesty, I want you to know the truth. My powers are deteriorating.
QUEEN I dont want to hear that! You have to do something. I cant lead this disgusting life anymore. Im sick and tired of all the problems, which my ministers are throwing at me.
FADRIUS But Your Majesty after the death of the King you are now the head of state, and you should rule the country.
QUEEN Its always done something, something, something Why do I owe everyone something, and they dont owe me anything?
FADRIUS Thats the burden of power. A head of state is not only about the right to rule, but the responsibility for the countrys affairs and all the people in it.
QUEEN And who will take care of me?!
FADRIUS Us, your beloved servants.
QUEEN I dont feel it! All that I see is your desire to upset me more and more each day.
FADRIUS (Disheartened) Your Majesty, just today I was going to tell you all about my new plan. It is possible; if it succeeds it will solve all our problems.