WHEREIN THE MOVIE MAHOUT INFORMS VERBEENA SHE WILL NEXT BE REQUIRED TO BE SHOT OUT OF A PALM TREE BY HER LOVER IN MISTAKE FOR A SQUIRREL.
She dropped to her knees at the end of it begging for mercy.
He laughed at her coldly.
“You must get the idea of it—the sooner the better,” he said with a hauteur that made her cringe back into her old caterpillar crouch.
“Now the next scene—and we must hurry up or the light will be bad—is where you are shot out of the top of a palm tree by your lover in mistake for a squirrel.
“Come now—action—Cameras!—Cameras train on that palm tree over there. The tallest one, of course. Remember, Mrs. Amut, you fall dead—a dead fall—right straight out of the tree on your face. What’s that? Dangerous? Nonsense! And what if it is? What do you suppose we are paying you for? What’s a cracked nose for art’s sake! No more nonsense, no more words—up you go!”
Verbeena climbed.
Sometime later on being restored to consciousness wherein she knew what was going on around her, she heard the great Gristmille saying:
“Very well, hop up there, leading woman! All ready for the next scene.”
“What—what is it?” faltered Verbeena.