Part 20 (1/2)
”You have to stay,” Harmony added.
”So we can stay,” Rhythm concluded.
”Well, I could go,” Metria said, looking uncharacteristically sad.
”I'm not sure that would be wise,” Karia said. ”We need the talents of a demon who can turn invisible or flit ahead. There's no telling what we will encounter along the way.”
Drek wiggled an ear. ”But we may need protection,” Karia said. ”We would be vulnerable without a dragon.”
”That leaves me,” Ryver said. ”I'm sorry to go, but I guess I'd better.”
That sent a pang through Cube. She wanted Ryver along, so he could be there when she got beautiful. ”We need you too,” she said quickly. ”Your talent with water--we could need that any time.”
”It is your decision, I think,” Karia said. ”It is your Quest.”
Cube struggled with her conscience. ”I don't think even the Good Magician knows exactly what's going to happen. Maybe he thinks nine is the right number, but maybe it's not. I want to keep our whole party together.”
”I think keeping me is apt to bring more mischief than it's worth,” Ryver said. ”Betting that the Good Magician is wrong is foolish. He's never wrong.”
”But he is seldom understood, either,” Karia said. ”Perhaps he did mean nine Companions, and a party of ten.”
”I could pop back and ask him,” Metria said.
”No,” Cube said firmly. ”Let's plow on, on our own, and see what happens.”
The others nodded. They were committed, for good or ill.
Chapter 7: Thread.
They rested that day, working out the details of their Quest for Counter Xanth. The three little Princesses tried to do a Find on it, but Rhythm's finger waved wildly, describing the contour of spilled spaghetti rather than any particular direction.
”This is frustrating,” Melody said.
”Our magic is being balked,” Harmony agreed.
”We don't like that,” Rhythm concluded.
”This could be the work of the Demoness,” Karia said. ”Subtly interfering with the Quest.”
Drek wiggled an ear. ”You have an idea?” Cube asked him. He wiggled his right ear.
”This will be arid,” Metria said impatiently.
”Be what?” Cube asked.
”Dry, sterile, aseptic, dull, irksome--”
”Tedious?”
”Whatever,” she agreed crossly. ”Why not have the Princesses make an illusion that can talk for him?”
Cube glanced at the three. ”Can you do that?”
”Sure,” Melody said.
”Now that someone thought of it,” Harmony agreed.
”We'll make a talking picture tied to him,” Rhythm concluded.
The three huddled, then sang, played, and beat, and the image of Drek appeared. It looked the real Drek in the snoot. ”Hey, that's me!” the image said, surprised, while the real Drek wiggled both ears.
”That's you. You talk through the image,” Karia told him. ”To make it easier for those of us who don't speak Dragon.”
Both the real and the image dragons looked confused, then thoughtful. Then the image spoke again. ”How am I coming through?”
”Very well,” Karia a.s.sured him. ”Tell us your idea.”
”It may not be the evil Demoness,” the image said. ”It may simply be that we have too many Companions, so the magic is fouled up. There may still be a Route, just more complicated than it might be. It may wind around and about, instead of being one straight direction. We can still follow it, if we make it visible.”
A nod pa.s.sed from Karia to Ryver, and through the three Princesses, the two sidesteppers, D. Metria, and finally ended with Cube. ”Can you do that?” Cube asked the three again.
The three huddled, made music, and a silver thread appeared. It led out of the cave, wound around a nearby acorn tree, and headed away through the forest.
”And there we have it,” the Drek image said, satisfied. ”The winding route.” There was perfume in the air.
”I'll follow it,” Cube said. ”And bring one of you out only when I have to, so as to keep the mission secret.”
”What about Diamond?” Tessa asked. ”We can't just leave her here.”
Cube had almost forgotten about the dog they had rescued. ”There must be a place for her. Maybe she could be a seeing-eye dog for Wira.”
”Who?” Cory asked.
”The Good Magician's daughter-in-law. She's blind.”
”Are you a guide dog?” Karia asked the dog.
Diamond looked down. Her tail drooped. She was not a guide dog.
Cube shrugged. ”I suppose she can tag along with me, until she finds a place to stay.”
Diamond wagged her tail.
In the morning, well rested and fed, the nine Companions slid into the pouch, leaving only Cube and Diamond. The dog tracked the thread by smelling it. Cube found that she was satisfied to have Diamond along, because it was suddenly lonely by herself, after being with the full group. She would have preferred to travel with all of them, openly, but that was not feasible or sensible. But who would notice a dog? They weren't common in Xanth, but neither were they unknown. So she had company after all.
The faint silver thread wound around the acorn tree, as they had seen before; Cube paused, considering, then decided that it was best to follow the trail exactly, so as to be sure not to lose it. So she didn't skip the loop, though she had to climb through brush, then returned to clear ground. She looked back, and the thread behind her was gone. It was like a one-way path, disappearing when used. What would have happened, had she skipped that loop? Would the whole thing have vanished? Of course she could bring out the Princesses and have them do it again, but that would be an admission of failure on her part and she didn't want to do it. She already felt guilty enough about getting the wrong number of Companions and complicating her route. She might have been there by now if she had been able to go straight. All because she wouldn't let handsome Ryver go. She knew appearance should not be that important--if she were judged by appearance, she'd be worthless--yet she was affected by it herself. She liked Ryver for his handsomeness, and wanted to win him, and to do that she had to have him there to see her get beautiful. So she had sacrificed her Quest for a selfish reason, which did not speak well for her quality of personality.