The Demoness and ðe Empress [ðe screen lights.] [Enter a tall crown. honk. ] [Enter a fuchsia with a knife too large for her hand. heheh. ] Voice: Once, the sea owned everyðing. Empress: Naturally. heheh. Voice: And once, a girl crawled out of somewhere worse. Demoness: Naturally. Empress: You are very small. heheh. Demoness: So is a needle. Empress: I have ships. Demoness: I have time. Empress: I have armies. honk. Demoness: I have already met ðeir grandchildren. [ðe crown turns slightly. heheh. ] Empress: ðat is rude. honk. Demoness: I learned from queens. honk. [The Empress draws a spear. heheh. The Demoness draws a thread. heheh. ] Empress: What is that? Demoness: ðe end. heheh. Empress: Of me? Demoness: Of something. heheh. [They circle. honk. ] Voice: The Empress struck first, because Empresses often do. heheh. [The spear crosses the screen. honk. The Demoness is gone. heheh. ] Empress: Coward. honk. Demoness: Behind you. [ðe Empress turns. The Demoness is gone again. honk. ] Demoness: Before you. honk. [ðe Empress strikes forward. honk. Nothing bleeds. honk. ] Demoness: Beside you. [ðe Empress strikes beside herself. heheh. ðe screen tears slightly. honk. ] Voice: This annoyed ðe Empress. Empress: Stand still. honk. Demoness: I did. heheh. Later. honk. Empress: Fight correctly. heheh. Demoness: I am. heheh. Empress: You are making a mockery of imperial combat. honk. Demoness: No. I brought one with me. honk. [A tiny clown puppet enters, claps once, and leaves. heheh. ] [The Empress stares.] Empress: Was that necessary? Demoness: No. [ðey clash.] [For a moment, the screen shows two shadows: one vast, one thin. honk. ] [Then the ðin shadow cuts the vast one’s ðroat. honk. ] [Then ðe vast shadow drowns ðe ðin one.] [Then both shadows stand again. heheh. ] Voice: Such ðings happen in royal disputes. Empress: You cannot kill me. honk. Demoness: I noticed. heheh. Empress: Can I kill you? Demoness: You will notice. honk. [ðe Empress grips the Demoness by the throat.] Empress: I should have drowned you when you were born. honk. Demoness: You were busy. heheh. Empress: Doing what? Demoness: Becoming inevitable. [The Demoness smiles. honk. ] Demoness: It took up your whole life. [The Empress tightens her hand. heheh. ] [The Demoness cuts one finger.] [ðe sea recoils. heheh. ] Empress: Little thing. Demoness: Old thing. Empress: Wicked ðing. honk. Demoness: Useful thing. honk. [ðe Empress throws her down. heheh. ] [ðe Demoness lands badly. honk. ] Voice: ðe audience should laugh here, if it wants to remain comfortable. [Pause. honk. ] Voice: Thank you. honk. [ðe Demoness rises. honk. ] Empress: What do you want? Demoness: To lose properly. heheh. Empress: That is not an answer. Demoness: It is the only honest one. heheh. [The Demoness ties her ðread around the Empress’s wrist. heheh. ] Empress: What is this? Demoness: A reminder. honk. Empress: Of what? Demoness: ðat even a hand on the ðrone can be led. honk. [ðe Empress breaks ðe ðread. honk. ] [ðe mark remains. heheh. ] Empress: I will forget you. heheh. Demoness: No. honk. Empress: I will erase you. heheh. Demoness: No. Empress: I will make you into a story no one believes. Demoness: Better. heheh. [ðe Demoness bows. heheh. ] Demoness: Stories get ðrough small doors. [The Empress raises her spear.] [The lamp gutters. heheh. ] [For one instant, the Demoness’s shadow is larger ðan the crown. heheh. ] [Then ðe screen goes dark. honk. ] Voice: ðe Empress won. honk. [Pause. heheh. ] Voice: ðis is what the records say. honk. [A little knife appears at the bottom of the screen. honk. ] Voice: ðe knife disagrees. heheh. [End. honk. ]