Preserving Beauty

Malbru the Alchemist looked at his visitor and the grin on his face broke into a chuckle. Glidea, his visitor, glared back at him and demanded, "What is so amusing, Alchemist?"1

"You must admit, Lady Glidea, it's a rather odd request...considering that you are the one requesting it."2

"I asked for a beauty potion. Surely, that is not an uncommon request."3

Malbru chuckled once more, then made a halfhearted attempt to appear serious. "No, many people ask me for those potions. If anyone else had asked me for one, I wouldn't have thought anything of it. But in the whole world, I'm sure there is no one who needs a beauty potion less than you do."4

Glidea softened her expression at this compliment. She had heard enough flattery in her life to recognize it when she heard it and from the alchemist's tone, she was confident he was sincere. "Perhaps, you have misunderstood. I am not asking for a potion to make me become beautiful. I want one that will let me remain beautiful."5

The alchemist rested his chin on his hands. "Now, I understand. Such a potion would be quite expensive, but I'm sure you'll be able to afford it." He looked at the large batlike wings that were folded behind the woman. "Only the wealthy can afford that kind of surgery. Can you really fly with them?"6

"Of course. Flight is the most exhilarating experience you can imagine."7

"Imagining it is all I'll ever be able to do. If you don't mind, why bat wings? Don't you think they look a little sinister?"8

Glidea grinned at him. "Most men find a touch of the sinister alluring, Alchemist. But there is a practical reason as well. Since bats are also mammals, they were easier for my body to accept than avian wings. Now, may I have that potion?"9

"Certainly." Malbru walked around his shop, checking the bottles on the shelves. After a while, he picked one and brought it to Glidea. The potion was light green and when he opened the bottle it had a minty aroma. "Here, Lady Glidea. The potion of everlasting youth. Drink this and you will not age another day. No lines or wrinkles will ever mar that perfect face."10

"But, can anything else mar it? Could I be scarred by a cut or disfigured by a burn?"11

"Yes, that could happen. It prevents the slow decay that comes with aging, but you could still be harmed by an accident."12

"Then it is not enough."13

Once again, Malbru went around his shop, studying the assorted bottles. This time he came back with one that was rose-colored like the sky at dawn and smelled like a meadow after a rainstorm. "The potion of regeneration. Drink it and you'll be able to heal yourself, no matter how badly you're injured...even an injury that otherwise would've been fatal."14

Glidea smiled. "That sounds promising. Will I regenerate exactly as I am now?"15

The alchemist rubbed his chin. "No, not exactly the same, Lady Glidea. The differences would probably be rather small, though."16

"It only takes a small change to destroy beauty, Alchemist. Even a tiny flaw that would go unnoticed on an ordinary person would seem horrible in contrast to my otherwise perfect appearance." The bells of the cathedral rang, reminding Glidea of the time. "It is very late, Alchemist, and I am growing impatient. Do you have a potion that will keep me from changing?"17

"Life is change, Lady Glidea. For better or worse, we're always changing."18

"I am perfect. I do not need to change. Now, will you provide the potion I have requested or must I go elsewhere?"19

Malbru sighed, then went to a tall, wooden cabinet and unlocked it. The potion he took out was a dull gray and it smelled as dry and dusty as an old attic. "The potion of eternal beauty, Lady Glidea. Drink it and you will stay as beautiful as you are forever more."20

"That is what I requested. Why did you offer me those other potions if you had the one I wanted?"21

"I was hoping you might be satisfied with them. Do you understand what you must give up if you take this potion?"22

"I am willing to pay any price to remain beautiful." Glidea tossed a large pouch full of coins to Malbru. "Is that enough, Alchemist?"23

Malbru nodded without opening the pouch. "Yes, that's enough for me, but that's not the cost I meant."24

Glidea ignored what Malbru was trying to tell her. She grabbed the bottle and swallowed all of its contents. "Now, I shall be beautiful forever!"25

"You don't have much time. You should go where you want to be while you still can."26

"Not much time! I have forever! But I have no need to remain here." 27

Glidea started to walk out of the alchemist's shop, but instead of moving with her usual grace, she stumbled slightly. Her feet did feel right, so she removed her shoes and looked at them in amazement. "What is happening? What is that potion doing to me, Alchemist?"28

"It's doing what you wanted, Lady Glidea. It's preserving your beauty."29

"My toes! They are hard and cold!"30

"You're turning to stone. That's how the potion works. Living things keep changing, but stone doesn't. I tried to warn you."31

"This is not what I expected, Alchemist, but my beauty shall endure. I am not certain I would have refused the potion even if I knew this would happen."32

Glidea walked carefully out into the street. She needed to find a place where her beauty would be admired through the ages. Looking up at the cathedral, she knew she had found it.33

She spread her wings for one last flight. The weight of her feet made it difficult, but she was determined and managed to reach a perch on one of the cathedral's downspouts. Her silk gown she removed and tossed to the wind. There was no longer a reason to hide her beauty in any way.34

Glidea knelt on the downspout, her wings out behind her to help her keep her balance. The transformation spread quickly from her feet up to her waist and from the tips of her wings to her back. The danger of falling had passed; her legs and the downspout had become a single piece of stone.35

Crossing her arms across her chest, Glidea felt her last heartbeats. What would she feel when the transformation was complete? Would she be dead? Would her soul be sent to heaven or to hell? But this was transformation, not death. Would her soul remain forever in her beautiful body of stone?36

Moments later Malbru came out of his shop and looked around to see where Glidea was. Even though he had only done what she requested, he was saddened by the choice she had made. The least he could do was have her moved to an appropriate spot if she had not found one. He knew she did not have time to go far, so it surprised him when he did not see her. Then the moon caught his eye and he looked up.37

What he saw made him glad. There, high on the cathedral, was the beautiful stone woman, preserved forever at the moment of her transformation. Her arms were raised in joy and on her face was a perfect smile.