UNCLE ANTON GRISLY B. early 1800' s, exact date unknown.
Born an only child into a wealthy family in Western Russia, Anton' s father died when he was an infant, leaving his overprotective and doting mother to raise him on her own. This, combined with the fact that as a child Anton was waited on hand and foot by the family servants, caused the boy to become a very spoiled and rather cruel child. His most predominant characteristic, however, was his vanity. A naturally beautiful baby and child, Anton was constantly reminded of his attractive features by all those who he was presented to. It was only after strangers grew to know him that they discovered his outer beauty concealed a rather ugly inner self. Cruel, self-centered, egotistical and vain, Anton found himself all alone in the world after his mother' s death - and this suited him just fine
Without the need to support himself, Anton never acquired any skills of refined abilities in the Arts. His main source of amusement - besides attracting, using, and discarding women who found his handsome features irresistible - was to collect objects d' art. Sculptures, paintings, and ceramics from all over the world filled his family home and he considered his collection' s beauty second only to his own.
His most prized collection, though, was his mirrors
In a specially built room, its entrance known only to him, Anton kept his private collection of mirrors from all over the world. Simple to magnificent in design, and minute to immense in size, hundreds of mirrors lined the walls, each reflecting back onto itself. Since Anton was the only person to gaze into the mirrors, it was only his reflection that was reflected and repeated to infinity,
To say that it was his favorite room was an understatement.
As his 30th birthday approached, Anton attended an auction. This was a most unusual auction, however. Mr. Allistair Grisly of America was in Lithuania, acting as the executor of his family' s ancestral estate outside of Vilneas, which was in the process of being liquidated since the family was now mostly in the US. At the auction, Anton was able to acquire many fine pieces to add to his collection, but his eyes were mainly on an ornate mirror which he saw hanging in an empty room in the family home. Upon inquiring as to its availability, he was confronted by Allistair Grisly himself, who refused to include it in the auction lots, stating that it had been in his family for generations and could not be easily parted with. Anton made it easier for Mr. Grisly by offering him an obscene sum of money and promising never to reveal its origins to another. With an odd air of satisfaction, Mr. Grisly agreed to the terms, and the magnificent mirror became the property of Anton.
Once he had installed his new addition in a prominent location in his secret room, Anton decided to celebrate two events simultaneously: his incredible negotiating skills and his birthday. He brought out a bottle of his finest champagne and there, in his gallery of mirrors, surrounded by hundreds of reflections of himself, Anton toasted to his good luck, good health, and of course good looks. However, as he raised his glass and saw all of his reflections raising theirs, he realized that the reflection from his new mirror was not doing the same. In fact, his image put down the glass and began to laugh in a mocking manner.
Anton, although at first frightened, was also intrigued, and soon began to
speak to this rebellious image of himself. The mirror image told Anton that
the mirror was enchanted and could keep Anton looking young and handsome indefinitely
for a small price. A simple bargain. It told Anton that in exchange for keeping
his youth and beauty, he would only need to make an occasional small sacrifice,
which would mean very little to a person of Anton' s position. The mirror
then showed him what he would become if allowed to age naturally, and this
made Anton go into a panic of fear and loathing.
