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To: gopwinsin04

This is beginning to sound a lot like the Battle of Wits scene in The Princess Bride...

The Man In Black takes the goblets, turns his back. A moment later, he turns again, faces Vizzini, drops the iocane packet. It is now empty.

The Man In Black rotates the goblets in a little shell game maneuver then puts one glass in front of Vizzini, the other in front of himself.

MAN IN BLACK
All right: where is the poison? The battle of wits has begun. It ends when you decide and we both drink, and find out who is right and who is dead.

VIZZINI
But it's so simple. All I have to do is divine from what I know of you. Are you the sort of man who would put the poison into his own goblet, or his enemy's?
(He studies the Man In Black now.)
Now, a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given. I'm not a great fool, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But you must have known I was not a great fool; you would have counted on it, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.

MAN IN BLACK
(And now there's a trace of nervousness beginning)
You've made your decision then?

VIZZINI
Not remotely. Because iocane comes from Australia, as everyone knows. And Australia is entirely peopled with criminals. And criminals are used to having people not trust them, as you are not trusted by me. So I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you.

MAN IN BLACK
Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.

VIZZINI
Wait till I get going! Where was I?

MAN IN BLACK
Australia.

VIZZINI
Yes -- Australia, and you must have suspected I would have known the powder's origin, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.

MAN IN BLACK
(very nervous)
You're just stalling now.

VIZZINI
(cackling)
You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?
(stares at the Man in Black)
You've beaten my giant, which means you're exceptionally strong. So, you could have put the poison in your own goblet, trusting on your strength to save you. So I can clearly not choose the wine in front of you. But, you've also bested my Spaniard which means you must have studied. And in studying, you must have learned that man is mortal so you would have put the poison as far from yourself as possible, so I can clearly not choose the wine in front of me.

(As Vizzini's pleasure has been growing throughout, the Man In Black's has been fast disappearing.)

MAN IN BLACK
You're trying to trick me into giving away something -- it won't work --

VIZZINI
(triumphant)
It has worked -- you've given everything away -- I know where the poison is.


43 posted on 09/14/2004 2:12:25 PM PDT by anonsquared
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To: anonsquared
I know where the poison is.

Yep, he drank the kool-aid and died.

128 posted on 09/14/2004 3:25:42 PM PDT by valleygal
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