The Princess Bride

Chapter Forty-Three: As You Wish

"I'm going to tell you something once and then whether you die or not is strictly up to you," Jack said, lying pleasantly on the bed. Across the room, the Prince held the sword high. "What I'm tell you is this: drop your sword, and if you do, then I will leave with this baggage here"-he glanced at Elsa-"and you will be tied up but not fatally, and will soon be free to go about your business. And if you choose to fight, well, then, we will not both leave alive."

"I expect to breath a while," the Prince said. "I think you are bluffing-you have been prisoner for months and I myself killed you less than a day ago, so I doubt that you have much might left in your arm."

"Possibly true," Jack agreed, "and when the moment comes, remember that: I might indeed be bluffing. I could, in fact be lying right here because I lack the strength to stand. All that, weigh carefully."

"You are only alive now because you said 'to the pain.' I want that phrase explained."

"My pleasure." It was 5:52 now. Three minutes left. He thought he had eighteen. He took a long pause, then started speaking. "Surely, you must have guessed I am no ordinary sailor. I am, in fact, Jackson himself."

"I am, in fact, not the least surprised or awed."

"To the pain means this: if we duel and you win, death for me. If we duel and I win, life for you. But life on my terms."

"Meaning?" It could all still be a trap. His body was at the ready.

"There are those who credit you with skill as a hunter, though I find that doubtful."

The Prince smiled. The fellow was baiting him. Why?

"And if you hunt well, then surely, when you tracked your lady, you must of begun at the Cliffs of Insanity. A duel was fought there and if you noted the movements and the strides, you would know that those a masters battaling. They wer. Remember this: I won that fight. And I am a pirate. we have our special tricks with swords."

It was 5:53. "I m not unfamiliar with steel."

"The first thing you lose will be your feet," Jack said. "The left, then the right. Below the ankle. you will have stumps available to use within six months. The your hands, at the wrist. They heal somewhat quicker. Five months is a fair average." And now Jack was beginning to be aware of strange changes in his body and he began talking faster, faster and louder. "Next your nose. No smell of dawn for you. Followed by your tongue. Deeply cut away. Not even a stump left. And then your left eye-"

"And then my right eye and then my ears, and shall we get on with it?" The Prince said. It was 5:54.

"Wrong!" Jack's voice ran across the room. "Your ears you keep, so that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be your to cherish-every babe weeps in fear at your approach, every woman that cries 'Dear God, what is that thing?' will reverberate forever with your perfect ears. That is what 'to the pain' means. It means that I leave you to live in anguish, in humiliation, in freakish misery until you can stand it no more; so there you have it, pig, there you know, you miserable vomitous mass, and I say this now, and live or die, its up to you: drop your sword!"

The sword crashed to the floor.

It was 5:55.

Jack's eyes rolled up into his head and his body crumpled and half pitched from the bed and the Prince saw that and went to the floor, grabbing for his sword, standing, starting to bring it high, when Jack cried out: "Now you will suffer: to the pain!" His eyes were open again.