When I read that passage on RB all I could think of was the following:
The Princess Bride
Scene Nine
(Westley comes up a hill and finds Vizzini with a knife held up to Buttercup's throat, who is blindfolded)
VIZZINI: So, it is down to you, and it is down to me. (Westley moves towards them) If you wish her dead, by all means, keep moving forward.
WESTLEY: Let me explain.
VIZZINI: There's nothing to explain; you're trying to kidnap what I've rightfully stolen.
WESTLEY: Perhaps...an arrangement can be reached.
VIZZINI: (thrusting his knife in closer) There will be no arrangement, and your killing her.
BUTTERCUP: (sniff)
WESTLEY: (stops moving forward) Well, if there can be no arrangement, then we are at an impasse.
VIZZINI: I'm afraid so. I can't compete with you physically, and you're no match for my brains.
WESTLEY: You're that smart.
VIZZINI: Let me put it this way, have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates.
WESTLEY: Yes.
VIZZINI: Morons.
WESTLEY: Really. In that case I challenge you to a battle of wits.
VIZZINI: For the princess?
WESTLEY: (nods)
VIZZINI: To the death ?
WESTLEY: (nods)
VIZZINI: (sheathing his knife) I except.
WESTLEY: Good, then pour the wine.
(Vizzini pours the wine while Westley sits opposite him)
WESTLEY: (taking out the iocane) Inhale this, but do not touch.
VIZZINI: (sniffs) I smell nothing.
WESTLEY: What you do not smell is called iocane powder. It is odorless, tasteless, dissolves instantly in liquid and is among the more deadly poisons known to man.
VIZZINI: Hm.
(Westley takes the goblets behind his back and then puts them back on the table)
VIZZINI: (chuckles)
WESTLEY: 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? 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 am 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.
WESTLEY: 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.
WESTLEY: Truly, you have a dizzying intellect.
VIZZINI: Wait 'till I get going! Where was I?
WESTLEY: 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.
WESTLEY: You're just stalling now.
VIZZINI: You'd like to think that wouldn't you. 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.
WESTLEY: You're trying to trick me into giving away something. It won't work.
VIZZINI: It has worked! You've given everything away! I know where the poison is.
WESTLEY: Than make your choice.
VIZZINI: I will, and I choose...what in the world can that be.
WESTLEY: What? Where? (He looks around, Vizzini switches the goblets) I don't see anything.
VIZZINI: Oh, well, I...I could have sworn I saw something. No matter.(snickers)
WESTLEY: (skeptically) What's so funny?
VIZZINI: I...I'll tell you in a minute. First, let's drink. Me, from my glass, and you, from yours.
(they both drink, but Vizzini drinks only after he see Westley drink)
VIZZINI: (chuckles)
WESTLEY: You guessed wrong.
VIZZINI: You only think I guessed wrong; that's what's so funny. I switched glasses when your back was turned. Ha, ha, you fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous, is never get involved in a land war in Asia. But only slightly less well known is this: Never go in against a Sicilian, when death is on the line. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha... (Vizzini falls over; dead, then Westley unties Buttercup)
BUTTERCUP: Who are you?
WESTLEY: I am no one to be trifled with. That is all you ever need know.
BUTTERCUP: And to think, all that time it was your cup that was poisoned.
WESTLEY: They were both poisoned. I spent the last few years building up an immunity to iocane powder.
(they both exit)
|
