King's Quest Omnipedia
SpellXXV

Transforming Another into a Cat is an ancient spell, a copy of which can be found in The Sorcery of Old.

Background[]

The spell allows a caster to turn another into a cat by getting them to eat cookies made from the spell.

Manannan has used this spell on some of his victims and rivals. Alexander has used this spell to get revenge on Manannan and effect his own escape from the evil wizard. There are no known cures, there is no record of it simply wearing off. However it is known that the caster of the spell can cure the spell, but the means to that are lost to time.

Mordack (brother of Manannan) had discovered the records that the spellcaster could cure the spell, and concocted a plan to kidnap the Royal Family of Daventry, in order to use them as a way to force Alexander to cure his brother. Alexander lied to Mordack to buy time, and not anger the wizard further by claiming the spell was an accident. He also honestly explained he didn't actually know how to cure Manannan. Crispin also uncovered Alexander's use of the spell and Mordack's plot to force him to break it while King Graham was attempting to rescue his family with Cedric's help. Mordack's plan failed when King Graham rescued his family and castle and killed Mordack.

Spell[]

Ingredients[]

Directions[]

You have just created a cat cookie that, when eaten, will turn the victim into a cat. Forever!

Notes[]

The cookie thus created will turn whomsoever eats it into a feline (felis domesticus) forever; however, this is a difficult assertion to prove. No records have been discovered though, indicating the spell has ever worn off. It should also be noted that adepts familiar with the spell can easily recognize the cat cookie. For this, mages disguise the cookie in some way or crumble it into some other food when planning to use it on a rival sorcerer. The wizard Manannan did just this to a former rival and then kept her as a household pet for both his amusement and the eradication of vermin. It can be assumed that the victim was not amused.[1]

The Sorcery of Old itself does not indicate any possible cure for the spell within its pages (at least in the pages written in human languages). However, while the way is unclear, some obscure sources claim this particular spell can only be undone by the perpetrator of the spell.[2] However, the means by which the perpetrator can cure the victim is not given in these sources. Though there are other theories that there maybe other ways of affecting a cure as well. Perhaps Manannan was able to affect a cure for his feline condition; and, if this is true, then Manannan may well be hiding someplace plotting his revenge.[3]

Behind the scenes[]

Perhaps a slight retcon in the series, in the original story the spell states that there is no way to reverse the spell, and that the victim is turned into a cat forever. Mordack and Crispin in KQ5 however believe that the spell can be undone by the perpetrator of the spell, and both discovered this after researching about the spell. The Companion theorizes further that there maybe 'other' unknown methods as well.

The reference to 'not amused' might be a reference to the classic idiom "We are not amused', often attributed to Queen Victoria of England, but never proven she actually said it.[4]

References[]

  1. KQC2E, pg 98
  2. Crispin (KQ5):""
  3. KQC2E, pg
  4. http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/we-are-not-amused.html