Cube Route Part 20

"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.

"Woof."

She came to with a start. She had been drifting, in much the way Karia did, except that her feet had not left the ground. Diamond had brought her out of it. Just as well, for someone was coming toward her, going the opposite way on the trail. It was a young woman, two and a half orders of magnitude more attractive than Cube, or par for the course.

"h.e.l.lo," Cube said.

"Hi. I'm Heather. Would you like a flower?"

"A flower? All right."

The girl raised her hand, and there appeared in it a pretty little flower. Cube took it and put it to her nose. It smelled sweet. "Thank you."

"It's my talent," Heather said. "I conjure sweet-smelling flowers."

Belatedly, Cube introduced herself. "I'm Cube. I summon nickelpedes, but only when I have to."

"That must be awful."

"Oh, they don't gouge me, just whoever attacks me."

"May I pet your dog?"

"Oh, Diamond's not my--" Cube reconsidered. "Yes."

Heather petted Diamond, who wagged her tail. Then Heather conjured a sweet smelling dog-fennel bloom, gave it to Diamond, and walked on.

It had been a purely routine encounter, but Cube found it significant, because it was her first while she was officially on the route to Counter Xanth. If the rest of her journey went as well, she'd have no trouble.

She came to a furry creature that sat by the side of the path. It looked like an ape, but she wasn't sure.

"Have you been Saved?" the creature asked. "The key to salvation is to join my church."

Startled, Cube paused. "What are you?"

"I am a monk-key," it said proudly. "If you want to avoid d.a.m.nation, you will heed my words."

A monk who preached a key. "I'll risk it," she said and moved on.

Now the thread cut to the side, skirting uncomfortably close to a tangle tree, and stopped at a set of parallel metal tracks running north and south. That was it: it went up to the first track and ended. So much for having no trouble.

Cube was wondering what to do, when she heard a tootle. It came from along the tracks to the south. Then something came rolling along them. It had metal wheels and looked like a carriage without a centaur to pull it. It made merry music as it moved, so it didn't seem dangerous. Diamond was not at all concerned about it, which was rea.s.suring. As it came closer she saw words printed on its front: TUNEFUL TROLLEY.

The trolley drew to a stop right in front of her. Now the silver thread reappeared, going up the steps and into the vehicle. Did that mean she was supposed to enter this odd mechanical thing?

"All aboard!" a voice said loudly, startling her. It was an ugly troll (but that was redundant) sitting in the front. Suddenly it made sense; she could almost hear Karia exclaiming "Ugh!" Naturally the trolley was run by a troll.

Still, she hesitated to board it. The last time she had encountered a troll, it had carried her away, wanting to marry her. She didn't trust the species.

Then Diamond scrambled up the steps, following the thread into the trolley. Cube had to follow, not wanting to trust the dog to the troll.

There were halfway comfortable seats inside. Cube sat on one, because the thread led to it, and Diamond sat on the floor beside her. The troll turned a handle; the door closed, and the trolley resumed trundling along the tracks.

"Arf!"

Cube jumped and looked toward the sound. It was an animal with flippers, on the seat across from her. It wore a cap on which were the words STATE SEAL. Oh--one of the Mundane water creatures, perhaps traveling from one pool to another.

"h.e.l.lo, maiden."

Cube jumped again, and turned to look. In the seat behind her was a cadaverous man with a small dark cloud hovering over his head. "Were you addressing me?" she asked.

"Of course. I don't often see such refres.h.i.+ng young flesh in my profession."

That sounded like a compliment, but for some reason Cube wasn't easy with it. "Uh, thank you. What is your profession?"

"Summoning zombies. It's my talent, so I travel from place to place to offer my services. I am surprised by how many otherwise adequate villages not only lack zombies, but claim not to need any. Would you like to have a zombie?"

"No thanks!" No wonder he considered her young flesh to be refres.h.i.+ng; most of the flesh he saw was rotten. The compliment was weaker than it had seemed. The man himself seemed not far removed from that state.

"They really make excellent servants," he said persuasively. "They are indefatigable, don't need to eat, and can be parked in any shallow trench when not in use."

"No, I'm traveling light."

Fortunately the trolley was creaking to another stop, and the thread led out of it. Cube lurched to her feet and stumbled for the opening door. She was relieved when the troll driver did not try to grab her and marry her.

Back on the ground with Diamond, she watched the tootling trolley roll on along its tracks. The thread was before her again.

"h.e.l.lo."

Cube jumped again. She had been distracted by the trolley. There was another young woman, naturally far more attractive than Cube herself. "h.e.l.lo."

"I'm Becca."

"I'm Cube."

"Nice dog."

"Thank you." Diamond wagged her tail.

"I could make her a mean guard dog, if you like. That's my talent: changing folks' personalities."

"No thank you. I like her the way she is." Then Cube thought of something else. "I met a young dragongirl named Becka. She caretakes a nice castle."

"Oh, I envy her!"

Cube realized that she had said too much. There was no point in making the girl unsatisfied with her lot. "But it has a dangerous chamber."