SCENE: THE CIRCUS TENT IN GRAY SCALE. AMARANTHA IS SITTING AT THE COMPUTER, WITH MAX LOOKING OVER HER SHOULDER. MAX, AMARANTHA, AND THE COMPUTER ARE IN COLOR. A SLOW, OFF-KEY, MUSIC BOX VERSION OF 'RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES' FROM WAGNER'S RING CYCLE PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND.

Amarantha: And this is a very good vampire site, if you want to know where certain of them currently reside.

Max: Is that another one you built, Amarantha?

Amarantha: No, actually, Lucard maintains this one. I just made it public access. He doesn't know, and don't you dare tell him!

Max: I wouldn't. We're not really on speaking terms.

Amarantha: Well, if you ever are on speaking terms, still don't tell him.

Max: Amarantha, I won't.

THE CAMERA FOCUSES ON THE BACK OF COMPUTER, ON A SINGLE CORD PROTRUDING FROM IT. WE FOLLOW THE CORD TO THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET BY THE END. THE COMPUTER IS NOT PLUGGED IN.

Amarantha: Do you have a favorite site?

Max: I mostly read.

Amarantha: That's the purpose of the internet. To read, and learn, and take everything with a grain of salt.

Max: Books, I mean.

Amarantha: You still have to separate the milk and the cream with books.

Max: What about . . . whatever you and Amy are.

Amarantha: I'm a siren. Greek. She's a Viking; although she's actually from Svartalfheim, Bifrost invariably leads along Yggdrasil to Norway. You wouldn't know it from her name, would you? Her full name's Aumyreivaria. Actually, when I'm around Americans or Englishmen, I'm Amy, too. Just, we can't both be Amy, and her name has more syllables.

Max: So what do you do?

Amarantha: We make trouble. I sing, she kidnaps kids.

Max: Do you let kids go?

Amarantha: I'm the one who kidnaped you.

Max: Oh. Uh, why?

Amarantha: Because.

Max: No, I'm serious. Why?

Amarantha: I had to answer that question on my philosophy final at Oxford. The answer is 'because.'

Max: Why did you kidnap me?

Amarantha: No, that one wasn't on the final, but I think we could apply the same rules of deduction and induction. You were there, available for abduction. I felt like abducting you. I do what I feel like doing if I can. I could. Therefore, I did. Here's a page on Norse mythology.

Max: Yeah . . . but . . . but . . .

AMARANTHA SWIVELS THE CHAIR AROUND TO LOOK AT HIM. SHE STOPS WITH AN INQUIRING EXPRESSION AT EYE-LEVEL WITH MAX. THE CHAIR GOES SPINNING AWAY TO CENTER RING. MAX LOOKS DOWN AT HER SITTING CROSS-LEGGED IN MID-AIR, A BIT CONFUSED. HE REALLY SHOULD BE GETTING USED TO THIS SORT OF THING BY NOW.

Max: But . . . but . . .

AMY STEPS OUT OF A RIPPLE IN THE AIR. SHE IS IN BLACK AND WHITE.

Amy: How's the inquisition coming? (She looks at Max, wiping her hands off on her pants.) Why isn't he tied up?

Amarantha: Because.

Amy: (hits her over the head) Don't give me that, moron.

AMARANTHA PRODUCES ANOTHER CHAIR FROM NOWHERE AND SHOVES MAX INTO IT, FACING THE COMPUTER SCREEN.

Amarantha: Don't pay any attention to us.

MAX NERVOUSLY LOOKS AROUND, THEN STARTS READING. A LITTLE WHILE LATER, HE'LL TRY TO USE THE MOUSE, WHICH DOESN'T WORK, BUT THERE'S PLENTY ON SVARTALVES (OR DARK ELVES) ON THIS PAGE FOR HIM TO STUDY. MEANWHILE, AMY AND AMARANTHA INDULGE IN SOME SHOVING NEAR THE OTHER CHAIR IN THE CENTER. AMARANTHA GRABS AMY'S HAND, THEN RECOILS.

Amarantha: Ick!

Amy: What did you expect? All the trees around here are evergreen.

Amarantha: But pine sap! You know I'm allergic to pine sap. And there's no salt water for miles.

Amy: (rolls her eyes) So make some. Pour salt into water.

Amarantha: I'll be right back. (Leaves normally, running out a flap in the tent fabric.)

Amy: (Looks over Max's shoulder, but doesn't look very closely) What'cha doing?

Max: Um . . . Amarantha wanted me to read this.

Amy: It's technology. Ignore it.

Max: O . . . kay.

HE TAPS THE SCREEN THOUGHTFULLY. THE CAMERA FOCUSES ON THE WORDS "AN ELF CAN BE CONTROLLED BY ONE WITH KNOWLEDGE OF ITS TRUE NAME," AND AN UNDERLINED LINK LEADING TO "A LIST OF THE NAMES OF ELVES." ONLY THOSE WHO READ FAST GET ALL THE MEANING, THOUGH, BECAUSE THE SCREEN GOES BLANK WHEN MAX TURNS IT OFF. HE THINKS IT'S BEST NOT TO AGGRAVATE SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO TIE HIM UP.

Amy: Come 'ere.

Max: (Stands up, but doesn't move toward her.) Why?

Amy: Shut up. Come. See that? (points up)

MAX LOOKS UP. A SET OF EIGHT TRAPEZES GLITTER ABOVE THEM, DANGLING FROM THE BEAMS HOLDING UP THE GIANT TENT. MAX GETS A SICK LOOK ON HIS FACE.

Max: Uh . . .

Amy: Shut up. And go up. (Chortles) Shut up and go up. Shut and go up.

Amarantha: (Poking her head around the flap) When you've finished abbreviating what little mind you have into a joke, can I remind you that if Max dies, we probably won't be able to fulfill our side of the bargain, making it irrelevant what our partner does?

Amy: He's not going to cooperate, so it doesn't matter what we do with Max.

Amarantha: That's indeterminate at the moment, and will not be fulfilled until the bargain is complete.

Amy: Look, if you ever want to go home, we've got to do better than we've been doing.

Amarantha: Who says I want to go home? Hey, Max, ever heard of the Seal of Solomon?

Amy: Shut up!

Max: (edging away from Amarantha) Um . . . I think so.

Amarantha: What do you know about it?

Max: Well, it's magic . . . and it does a lot of things . . .

Amy: See, he doesn't know anything.

MAX VANISHES AGAIN, REAPPEARING PERCHED UPON A TRAPEZE. HE TAKES ONE LOOK DOWN, THEN WRAPS ARMS AND LEGS AROUND A WIRE DESPERATELY.

Amy: (shouting up) Start swinging!

Amarantha: (looks at her sort-of-cousin for a moment first, then to Max) Go ahead, I want to see!

Max: What!?

Amarantha: Swing!

Max: I thought you were on my side!

AMY AND AMARANTHA EXCHANGE A GLANCE.

Amy: Are you on his side?

Amarantha: I'm not entirely sure what his side is, but I think it involves being permitted to go free, and I already refused to do that.

Amy: Ah. (To Max) Swing, or I'll push you off and let you fall!

Amarantha: I won't let you fall, though, so you can swing safely if you want. If you don't want, then swing unsafely, just so long as we get an idea of your abilities.

MAX FEELS A GENTLE SHOVE. IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO UNSEAT HIM, BUT IT IS ENOUGH TO SET THE TRAPEZE SWAYING, WHICH IS MORE THAN A LITTLE BIT UNCOMFORTABLE OVER A HUNDRED FEET IN THE AIR.

Amy: (to Amarantha) It's not working.

Amarantha: (to Max) A little harder, Max. Come on, you don't even have to jump . . .

Amy: (under her breath) Now, at least.

Amarantha: . . . but swing a little harder. If you do, I'll tell you about the Seal of Solomon.

MAX LOOKS DOWN WARILY. HE IS NOT AT ALL INCLINED TO DO ANYTHING THAT MIGHT EVEN SLIGHTLY DISLODGE HIM, UNLESS IT WILL LAND HIM FIRMLY ON THE GROUND AT A LOW SPEED.

Max: Will you tell me why you kidnaped me, and why you want me to be a circus performer?

Amy: This is a circus, isn't it?

Amarantha: Albeit a colorless one.

Amy: (to Amarantha) Hush. (To Max) Circuses need performers, and that includes trapeze artists.

AMARANTHA STARTS HUMMING "THE MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE." THIS TIME HER HUMMING HAS NO MARIMBA ACCOMPANIMENT, BUT AN OVERTONE OF POWER TO BE WORKED OUT LATER. "THE RIDE OF THE VALKYRIES" CONTINUES.

Amy: (to Amarantha) Shut up. (To Max) Is that enough of an explanation? (To Amarantha) That was a good explanation, wasn't it?

Amarantha: (sees Max shake his head) It depends on whether you're talking to a human or a siren.

Amy: What about a vampire?

Amarantha: I wouldn't know, but to venture a guess, I'd say that vampires share the human perspective. After all, they used to be human. You should ask one to find out for certain.

Amy: You're the one who likes research.

Amarantha: And you're the one who likes deals. You want Mr. Townsend to swing? Make a deal with him.

AMY LOOKS AT AMARANTHA INCREDULOUSLY, THEN AT MAX CONSIDERINGLY.

Amarantha: Without threats.

Amy: Why do you know so much about humans?

Amarantha: My brother married one. I still visit his descendants occasionally.

Amy: Really? I never knew that. You'll have to introduce me some day.

Amarantha: (distantly) Some day.

Amy: After all, they're my relatives, too. I feel that I should be a fairy godmother to them.

AMARANTHA SMILES SLYLY.

Max: (who hasn't heard the last five lines) What's the Seal of Solomon?

Amarantha: There's several Seals of Solomon. Hundreds. No time to review them all right now.

MAX LOOKS DISGRUNTLED, BUT AS SOMETHING PUSHES HIM AGAIN, HE MUST CONSOLIDATE HIS HOLD, AND FORGETS TO PURSUE THE MATTER FOR A WHILE. AMY AND AMARANTHA HOLD A BRIEF STARING CONTEST, AFTER WHICH, AMY CONCEDES:

Amy: Well, at least he knows something now.

Amarantha: You could stop pushing him.

Amy: It's fun, watching his face contort.

Amarantha: It's almost dawn. We've been up all night, and humans and sirens need to sleep sometimes.

Amy: So?

Amarantha: So . . . I'm exhausted, and he'll have better coordination if he's rested.

Amy: So what do I do?

Amarantha: I don't know. I don't care. If you're so concerned about deals, why don't you try to make a better one?

Amy: Okay. (Vanishes)

MAX ALSO VANISHES FROM THE TRAPEZE, TO REAPPEAR IN THE EMPTY TIGER CAGE. AMARANTHA CONSIDERS THIS ARRANGEMENT, AND THEN A DOZEN PILLOWS AND BLANKETS APPEAR OUT OF NOWHERE ON MAX'S HEAD, NEARLY SMOTHERING HIM.

Amarantha: (cheerily) Good night! (Vanishes)

MAX SIGHS. HE RATTLES THE CAGE DOOR, AND AFTER A WHILE STARTS MAKING UP A BED.

~

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