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Be a good man Edward and call for the Crimson Wizard one last time. Let his name be struck off if he does not respond to the final summons.
"And if he doesn't show up" muttered Amos to his colleagues "he had better have a damn good reason for it."
"My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen". Edward glanced warily at the tunnel entrance. That wizard had better show his face this time or his name would be mud. "Here for your entertainment I present that master of Illusion, the Crimson Wizard of Harengus, with "The Dragon That Wasn't There".
Edward gestured towards the entrance.
Deep silence descended on the arena as every eye focused avidly on that spot. As the crowd held it's collective breath in anticipation a sound whispered down the tunnel.
Very, very faintly, a voice could be heard. It was accompanied by the sound of running feet. Nearer and nearer the voice came, until the crowd and the judges could finally make out what it was saying.
"Coming! I'm coming! Can you just hold on for one more minute? One more minute!"
Deep in his guts, Amos of Tryhar felt an instinctive tremor of dismay. Everything had been going so well, but now he knew, absolutely knew, a disaster was about to unfold. Leaning across to Kup he asked him what he knew about this Crimson Wizard.
"Only what is on the Register I'm afraid" said Kup. A wizard of the Crimson Order from Harengus."
Down in the arena the object of all this attention finally ran out of the tunnel and into sight. One section of the crowd began to applaud, but there were jeers from other sections.
"For his sake I hope this Illusion is a good one," growled Amos. "Our standing in the eyes of the common people has already taken a beating. "
Looking a little too short for the long robes he wore, the Crimson Wizard of Harengus ran as fast as he could towards the centre of the arena, somehow managed to catch his feet up in his robe, and fell flat on his face. Dust rose up in a cloud around him and his staff clattered against the ground, rolling to a halt several feet away from him. The crowd roared with laughter as the wizard dragged himself to his feet and dusted off his robe with his hat.
He glanced sheepishly up at the judges. Even Kup was glaring at him furiously.
"Our standing with the crowd isn't the only thing that is going to get a beating," muttered Dertoh darkly.
Red-faced as his name suggested the Crimson Wizard retrieved his staff and raised his arms aloft in the traditional gesture for silence. It was some moments before the remaining ripples of laughter died out and the crowd was still. Everyone waited with delighted anticipation to see what fresh mistakes the obviously flustered wizard might make. Soft words began to whisper through the air as the Crimson Wizard began to cast his spell. Roughly half-way between each of his out-stretched arms a small silver sphere appeared, spinning in the air a few feet in front of him at head height, humming quietly. Every passing second the sphere grew larger, the humming louder.
"Could I be mistaken?" whispered Amos in an air that suggested anything but "or is that sphere beginning to wobble?"
"Yes" whispered Dertoh.