The Last Wish

Some years prior, Dandelion and Geralt are in a tavern, as Geralt explains to the alderman what a witcher is. The alderman and the other men in the tavern list all the monsters in the surrounding area: the Bane, imps, myriapodans, and so on.

Geralt listens politely, then wishes them well and departs. Dandelion is confused, but Geralt explains that though the people believe in them, none of these monsters exists—they are myths designed to excuse human faults.

After some time on the road, two men on a cart catch up to Geralt and Dandelion. One of them, Nettly, heard their conversation with the alderman and has work for them. He refuses to discuss it until they reach his village, Lower Posada.

After dinner, Dhun and Nettly tell them that a devil lurks in a nearby field. The devil doesn’t give them much trouble and even helps sometimes; nevertheless, they would like to get rid of him, though they do not want him killed. Geralt declines to seal a deal with the townsfolk until he can see the creature for himself.

At the devil’s makeshift clearing, there is evidence that the townspeople have been leaving him offerings. Soon after, the devil arrives, bleating at Geralt and Dandelion to leave while throwing small iron balls at them. Geralt and Dandelion escape.

Back in the village, Dhun and Nettly confess that they had tried to take matters into their own hands according to what they found in the “great book.” The book is written in an archaic runic alphabet, and none of the villagers can read it—rather, the oldest woman in the village has memorized the book and passes down her knowledge. She is currently training a young woman named Lille. The villagers unsuccessfully tried a deceptive remedy involving nuts, iron balls, and soap. Geralt questions their methods and motives, insinuating that Lille she has forbidden them to kill the devil.

Dhun and Nettly refuse to answer Geralt’s questions and tell Lille and the older woman to leave. However, when Geralt threatens not to help them, they tell him the whole story. The devil has been more than a nuisance—he has been terrorizing the villagers and demanding levies. Also, Lille is not the book apprentice, but the book master. She is the town’s prophetess, who keeps this fact a secret because rulers dislike prophetesses. Lille allowed them to hire Geralt only if she could see him first; now that they have been in the same room together, Lille has accepted Geralt. Geralt was correct that Lille forbade them from killing the devil—she forbids the townspeople from harming any creature. Geralt’s own code likewise forbids him from killing this devil, an exceptionally intelligent sylvan.

The devil can’t be eating all the grain he steals, so Geralt wants to determine why he wants the grain in the first place. Back at his camp, the devil Geralt play a game that heavily favors the devil. Geralt instead attacks him with an iron ball. Geralt manages to pin him, but the devil escapes and flees. When Geralt hears galloping behind him, he assumes it’s Dandelion; the rider, however, knocks him out.

Geralt wakes tied up next to Dandelion. The devil, Torque, discusses trade with Galarr, an elf of the Old People, while six other elves sit nearby. They consider killing Geralt and Dandelion despite Torque’s reminder that Lille has forbidden it. Their leader is Filavandrel, a white-haired elf with “burning black eyes” (223).

Geralt realizes that Torque has been stealing seed and grain for the elves, so they can learn agriculture; the elves are starving and blame humans for their current impoverished state. Filavandrel and Geralt bicker over the elves’ actions—Geralt argues that they must learn to cohabit with the humans to survive; Filavandrel, on the other hand, argues that they will never be able to cohabit with humans, as it will always be on human terms.

Filavandrel decides to execute Dandelion and Geralt. Torque, regretting allying with the elves, unsuccessfully tries to protect the humans. Just in time, Lille enters the glade. The elves bow to her, and Torque sets the humans free. Lille wordlessly communicates with the elves and the humans. She replaces Dandelion’s lute, which the elves had smashed. The elves leave and Filavandrel apologizes.

Sometime later, Dandelion, Geralt, and Torque are camping together. Before sleep, Geralt reads from the villagers’ great book about the Lady of the Fields—Lille. All she told the elves was to have hope; but it was enough. Geralt guesses that she’ll remain in the village as long as the people remain worthy and the village remains at the edge of the world.