Two Hearts (story)

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An illustration for "Two Hearts" on the cover of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October/November 2005.

Two Hearts is a novelette written by Peter S. Beagle in 2004 as a coda to The Last Unicorn, despite his decades-long reluctance to continue the original story. It was first published as the cover story of Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine in October/November 2005, but can also be found in Beagle's short story anthology, The Line Between. Additionally, the Two Hearts story is meant to bridge the Last Unicorn to an unnamed full-length sequel novel that is expected to follow in the near future.

A limited hardcover edition is currently in production by Conlan Press as a free bonus with audiobook purchases of The Last Unicorn. The offer began in early 2005, but the edition has been delayed because of various production issues. The book is expected to ship before the end of 2007.

[edit] Plot Summary

A young girl named Sooz lives in a village threatened by a griffin. The beast has preyed on livestock for years, but recently it has started killing children. Sooz embarks on a quest to implore the King of her land to save her village. In doing so, she meets several characters from The Last Unicorn who take on different roles as the girl's adventure progresses.

The story addresses many different themes such as dualism, mortality, heroism, memory, love, and "the order of things." In addition, the title of the story serves as a recurring metaphor for many facets of the story. Though it is meant to contrast the two separate hearts of the griffin, it also assists in comparing the "two hearts" of at least three pairs of characters.