A Question of Magic by E. D. Baker

that King Borysko could not ignore. Even so, whether it was justified or not, war was a terrible thing.

    As word spread that the kingdom was at war, more and more people came to see her. The tenor of the questions changed, and people rarely received good news. Nearly everyone who came to her door wanted to know how their family would fare or if they themselves would live. A few wanted to know how they could survive the war. Even fewer were given helpful answers.
    Late one afternoon, a young man came to the gate carrying a sleeping baby. Without saying a word, heentered the cottage and took the offered chair, still cradling the infant in his arms. The man’s face was pale and he licked his lips nervously, but his hand was steady when he placed a loaf of bread still warm from the oven on the table.
    â€œI was supposed to take this home for my family, but I’d heard we should bring a gift to get an answer from you. My daughter is four days old, and my wife is too ill to get out of bed. My father says that I must go to the castle in the morning and take up arms for the king. My wife doesn’t want me to go. She said she had a vision that I was going to die. Was her vision right?”
    Serafina straightened her back and took a deep breath. She hated answering questions like this, but she had no choice. “Yes, it was. In two months’ time an enemy’s arrow will strike you down.”
    â€œBut my family needs me! Isn’t there anything I can do?”
    â€œI wish I could tell you, but I can answer only your first question,” Serafina told him in her own voice.
    â€œYes, but this is important. Surely you can make an exception! I can’t leave my family now. If I don’t join the king’s army, will I die in two months regardless of what I do? What if I take my family and leave the kingdom? I have an uncle in—”
    â€œI’m sorry, but I really don’t have any more answers for you.”
    The young man gave her a disgusted look. “That’s what you say, but I bet you could if you wanted to. What is it? The bread wasn’t enough? If I brought you gold, you’d answer all my questions, wouldn’t you?”
    â€œNo, I wouldn’t,” Serafina said, getting to her feet. “The gifts my visitors bring have no influence on the answers I give them. I can tell the truth for one question from each person, and that is all. After that, I know no more how to answer their questions than they would themselves.”
    â€œThen what good are you?” the young man said, shouldering the baby so that she woke and began to cry. He stood and started toward the door, but before he reached it he paused long enough to turn to Serafina. “I wish I’d never come here. At least then I’d still have hope.”
    Serafina didn’t know what to say. She watched him go, feeling less than useless as the young father walked away. When he reached the forest, she closed the door and drifted back to her seat at the table. Seeing the bread he’d brought, she thought about giving it back to him, but he was already gone and she didn’t think he’d want to see her again.
    She went to bed early that night. Lying on her back with the covers pulled up to her chin, she thought about the young man and how hopeless he must feel. Other people had asked when they were going to die, even more often since the king declared war than in all the rest of the days that she’d been Baba Yaga, but no one else had made her feel so terrible. It was horrible news for the ones who were going to die soon, but she didn’t think even the people who were going to live a long time should ask the question. Knowing when one would die was bound to change one’s life. If only she could pick and choose which questions she would answer!
    When Maks jumped onto the bed, Serafina rolled onto her side. “Are you still awake?” he asked.
    â€œI can’t sleep. The