Tragedy and Joy PartII

Tragedy appeared to have earned some money while she was away and by the looks of it, a considerable amount. The villagers were full of endless speculations on how she might have come across it.

"On her back, more than likely!" was the opinion of Mrs. Pumplemuffin.

"She probably murdered some rich person and stole their money, I always knew she was the sort!" shrilled Mrs. Bipplepuff hysterically.

And on and on it went, each speculation more fanciful than the last.The villagers enjoyed these postulations tremendously, though they would never have admitted it, and talked of almost nothing else. Happily for them, Tragedy was giving them plenty to talk about.

If it weren't enough that she was renting the empty shop between the haberdashery and the fishmongers, and that the villagers could hear banging and clanging and general hubbub coming from inside the shop, but were being foiled by not being able to see what was going on inside, as the windows were covered with wax-paper; now she had bought the old Heartlove place up on the hill as well. It was near the old cave that she used to spend so much time in as a girl and brought back some ambiguous, but mostly happy memories for her.

The Heartlove place having just become available had been much coveted by one Mr and Mrs Prunescape, they had been waiting for old Mrs Heartlove to die for years. A great-nephew was known to be inheriting it and it was also known would be selling it as he didn't want to come to Rubia to live. They were furious when Tragedy purchased the place right out from under them and in their grief, set out to cause as much mischief as they could for Tragedy.

However, these plans were hastily put aside when a gaggle of dragons landed one day with parcels of something or another strapped upon their backs. The dragons stayed for several days, having a large and rather boisterous party in the woods and the villagers could hear them roaring and laughing and playing the dragonpipe at all hours. When one named Brian stayed behind at the old cave any plots against Tragedy that had been lingering around quickly evaporated and the townfolk grudgingly left her alone.

Finally, one gloomy day the villagers found that the wax paper had been removed from the windows and that the shop was finally open! The entire village was all atwitter with the news, though none would enter the shop. They did, however, make a big point of deliberately walking by the shop so that they could been seen shunning it. This did not disturb Tragedy but rather amused her as she had been expecting it, or something like it. She had not been able to help but notice that not much had changed during her wanderings. She was not counting on the not much though, she had her bets on the little bit that had and it did not disappoint her.

For something new was afoot in the kingdom. Now that the Troll wars had ended, people were able to travel freely. As a result of this, the village had received a wider exposure to the outside world than ever before. This exposure was having varied effects on the younger generation, one of these being that they thought that Tragedy was wonderfully exotic and infinitally fascinating. And it was these who began to clandestinely visit her shop.

The first visitor was a young girl named Venicia Traipse. She did not come to the shop itself for she would have been in horrible trouble with her parents if she had, but rather waited until nightfall when Tragedy was home, to knock on her door. It goes without saying that her problem must have been serious indeed in order for her to be willing to come past the dragon!

She was very distraught for it seemed that one day she had been trying on one of her mother's jewels, a most expensive bracelet which had been passed down through the family's women for 5 generations. So impressed was the silly girl by how beautiful it looked on her wrist that she went out for the afternoon and simpered about, hoping that one the boys she had her eye on would notice. And at some point during the run of the day she had lost it, of course.

Now this was fairly easy for Tragedy to fix, though she didn't admit this. Instead, she took Venetia to her shop and told her what she needed to do, charging only a nominal fee. Venicia found the bracelet just as Tragedy had promised, in an owl's nest. Tragedy had entreated Venicia to tell no-one, thus ensuring that she would tell everyone and that is how it all began.

Within a month, though no-one would visit her shop in the daytime, she had as many customers as she could comfortable handle at night, and then some. Women wanting to get rid of warts, men who wanted their hair to grow back, girls wanting to find out who they were going to marry, people wanting protection from their enemies, people wanting revenge and well.....the usual. She was beginning to become somewhat, secretely respected and there are many stories that I could tell about this but I suppose you would like to know what was happening with Joy.

Joy, I am ashamed to say, would come nowhere near Tragedy, she had become quite dependent on the good opinion of her husband, the not-so-handsome-anymore shopkeeper. He no longer had need to harm her to make her do what he wanted, she did it completely of her own accord. She knew that he thought that her sister was a nutter so didn't even try to go near her. And of course, this didn't please him, nothing really ever did, but it didn't displease him either, which was usually the best that Joy could hope for.

And how did Tragedy feel about this? Well, as I would hardly need to tell you, not very good at all. And it took her quite awhile to surmise what the situation really was and to decide what, if anything she should do about it. She thought about it long and she thought about it hard for everyone knows that it is very dangerous for a sorceress to interfere with true love.

"That's it!" Tragedy suddenly shot up from where she had been sitting and pondering all of this! "True love! That's the key!" And she busily got to work.

One night when the shopkeeper (whom I will tell you was named Justo) and Joy were walking home, Tragedy hid behind a tree and lied in wait for them. When they got close she could hear them talking. Justo was bragging, complaining and bossing as he was wont to do and Joy was admiring, consoling and acquiesing as she was wont to do. And this was good as Tragedy knew exactly where they were and exactly when they would be in front of her.

When they got to the spot that she had prepared, a yellow shimmering fog spilled out of the ground and then suddenly took form springing up and snapping shut around Joy like a cage of golden light. At the same time Tragedy sprang out from behind the tree shouting, "Ha! It's done!"

When Justo saw that this was the work of Tragedy he was furious and rushed upon her meaning to punch her. He, as we know, had no problems hitting women. But the trees began tossing to and fro and the grass and flowers flattened out and there was a sound like the beating of wings, which was exactly what it was, Dragon wings to be precise. Brian landed beside Tragedy and winked ironically at Justo, which stopped him dead in his tracks. For all his posturing he wasn't a particularly brave man and loathed fights with other men, much less dragons!

Though he was stopped physically, his mouth was not stopped in the least little bit, even with the Dragon nearby staring balefully at him. You might suppose by this that he was beginning to find his courage after all! But no...he was just extremely stupid is all.

"You unholy Bitch!" he snarled. "You let my wife go or....Dragon or no Dragon, I will beat you within an inch of your life."

Brian and Tragedy both chuckled, then Tragedy composed herself and said..."'Tis true, I have caught your wife in a snare, but it will be a simple matter to have her taken out. All that needs to be done is that one whom she truly loves must grasp her hand and pull her out." Brian nodded largely.

"How do I know you are telling the truth?" demanded Justo.

"Oh," said Tragedy, drawing herself up to her full height, "I'm telling the truth! This is a Glamour-off!" she said triumphantly.

Justo's heart fell as he knew she spoke true. But he caught himself because after all, of course his wife loved him, so why worry.

Justo sniffed disdainfully, "Should be a simple matter then!" He strutted up to the cage of light, put his hand inside, grasped hers and attempted to pull her out. She would not budge past the bars, pull though he might.

"Oh Tragedy! This is ridiculous! He is my husband! Of course I love him!" cried Joy in an agonized voice.

"Joy, the Glamour-off never lies." said Tragedy firmly. "What you call love is not true love but something else. It is only a mockery of love. It is a mockery of yourself as well. Joy, you have yet to learn what love it." and saying this she reached her hand into the golden cage and drew Joy through the bars.

Shaken, Joy stared at the ground for a moment and then for one of the first times in her life, grew angry. Angry at Tragedy! She screamed, hurled mud, spit like a cat, kicked dirt tore at her clothes. She was pissed!

"We were glad when you left," she screamed, "No-one wanted you back. No-one ever wanted you here! All you do and all you've ever done is hurt people! Your wierd, an you've always been wierd. I've always been embarassed by you. Don't ever speak to me again." And she flounced off with Justo smirking hatefully behind her.

Part III to follow