The Experiment

The glider hovered slowly down onto the landing cross. The anti-gravity
convertor came to a stand still humming softly. Gregorius McDuffin
casually opened the cockpit and got out. Of course, he would also have
been able to fly without this wonder of modern science, but it was
really just so much simpler and more convenient like this - he was
after all no spring chicken - and anyway, he didn't have to concentrate
so hard because the computer controlled the flight.

While he was still pondering on the subject of flying, one of his
numerous little servants came running across the courtyard to meet him.
"Everything is ready," he said and bowed. But as McDuffin was in a foul
mood anyway, these were the last words the gnome ever uttered before he
was blasted to pieces by a glittering ball of concentrated energy. "You
forgot the 'sir', gnome," answered McDuffin indignantly. And he marched
off towards the heavy oak door which led to the cellar vaults grinning
to himself. He could also have applied modern technology in this case -
he did, of course, possess a blaster - but conjuring up a ball of
energy out of nowhere was much more impressive. He was, after all,
magician and had to stay true to his trade. Thoughtfully, he opened the
door and went down the steps. He walked through a brightly lit
corridor, at the end of which a heavy steel door barred his way. He
quickly gave the colour code and the door swished open.

At last he was in his sanctum. Gnomes were running around everywhere
making the final preparations. This was where McDuffin carried out his
world-shattering experiments, here in his laboratory, which was fitted
out with the most up-to-date equipment. His aim was to revolutionize
the long-range transmission of hermetic charges of energy. After all,
37% of the total population were reckoned to be magicians, witches,
elves or fairies. And up to now they had all had to come to terms with
the fact that they were only able to transmit their spells in a direct
line, on the beam of light principle.

The result of this was that these rays soon hit some kind of obstacle,
were then extinguished and thereby wasted. But now this was all going
to be changed. McDuffin's fingers ran over the keys of his terminal.
His principle was based on the age-old theorem: "The angle of incidence
is equal to the angle of reflection". To transmit his magic, he used
numerous mirrors, by means of which the rays could be deflected as
desired. Simple. After he had given his gnomes the final instructions,
he sent off a spell through his transmitter, just a harmless weather
spell.

The beam of energy appeared on the testing area immediately and hit the
first mirror. The gnome positioned at the mirror reacted instantly to
McDuffin's commands and tilted the mirror to deflect the beam. He
hadn't made it too easy for himself, of course. He had included some
obstacles, like in real life. Reflecting and absorbing walls, for
example, animals standing in the way, various other magical objects
which were to be found in his castle and, of course a bubbling
cauldrons, without which no spell had effect and which contained
various ingredients to create a successful one.

But it was either a case of sabotage or McDuffin should have kept his
magic to himself, because at the third or fourth mirror the magic beam
stopped working, due to the energy being deflected back into it. Even
when the beam of energy penetrated the security blockade, it changed
direction in the washroom mirror and headed off towards the hydrogen
tanks. There it detonated and blew the whole building - laboratory,
gnomes, glider, magician and all - sky high. McDuffin still thought he
was revolutionizing the transmission of spells.

Ah well, maybe some other time. He had a few more lives left. He owed
this success to his magician's honour, didn't he? The weather spell
worked really well. It poured with rain.

(Title story written by Markus Hoff in 1989)
