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"Armageddon" is a 2000-word short story by Fredric Brown, about a magic show that is interrupted by Satan himself. The story was first published in the August, 1941 issue of Unknown.

Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.

Plot

In Cincinnati, a little boy named Herbie has come to see Gerber the Great, a magician, perform on stage. Herbie has a brand new water pistol in his pocket, and has seen the performance before. He is an amateur magician himself, so he has been able to figure out all of Gerber’s tricks except one. When Gerber the Great asks for a volunteer from the audience, Herbie rushes up to the stage, knowing that Gerber will be performing the one trick he has not yet figured out. During the trick, Herbie analyzes a folding box brought out by Gerber’s assistant, and finally sees the hidden compartment.

About this time, in Tibet, an old prayer wheel is swept into a river and destroyed. The prayer wheel is very old, and no one can remember what prayer was inscribed upon it.

Suddenly Gerber the Great is transformed onstage; his voice changes, and everyone in the audience knows in their hearts that he is now possessed by Satan. His body sprouts fire, and Satan announces, “The performance is ended....All performances are ended.” The lights go out, and people hear leathery wings beating, as flames flicker on the stage, and on the body of Satan/Gerber. Little Herbie, who is also a “Safety Cadet,” knows what to do with fire. He pulls out his squirt gun, and uses it to shoot the flames on Satan. The fires die out, the sound of fluttering wings fade, and as Satan disappears, he says that no one will remember the event. Moments later, Gerber the Great finishes his magic trick and Herbie returns to his seat.

At home that night, Herbie’s father gets out a strap to punish Herbie. He knows that Herbie fired his brand new water pistol, but the only place they went where he had the opportunity to fill it was at the cathedral—Herbie had filled it with holy water.

Additional Notes

This story has been reprinted in Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 3 (1941).

To see specific information, such as anthologies including Armageddon, please click the Armageddon (short story) category link at the bottom of this article. To see other articles that reference Armageddon, please click the What Links Here tool in the toolbox at the bottom of this page.