The Creation of Branwen

For the next hour he chanted a series of incantations, interspersed with sprinkling Astra with incense from a censer. Gradually Astra slipped into a trance-like state. When eventually Myrddin reached the end of the rite, her body seemed to shimmer for a moment, then reformed. A tall and strong, yet shapely, woman in her mid-twenties with a wild mane of red hair sat slumped unconscious in the chair. The torn remnants of the child- sized chemise lay around her. What made Myrddin's mouth drop open in astonishment, though, was the woman's right arm, which was made of silver all the way to the shoulder. It lay in her lap in a completely natural position, as though it was flesh.

Pulling himself together, Myrrdin hastily enacted the ceremony to give the woman her new true name of Branwen. Then he covered her to the neck with a sheet, and waited anxiously for her to come round.

After thirty minutes she stirred and opened her eyes.

1. "Hello, Myrrdin," she said. "It worked - I think."
2. "Who are you?" she asked.
3. She let out a piercing scream. Myrrdin knew that something must be very wrong.

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