Faun and Games (68 page)

tomorrow.
 
If they could carry us some of the way-"

"I'm sure they would be glad to," Misty said, moving on.

A dusky youth stepped up.
 
"I am Chaos, son of D.
 
Metria after

"But they were rejuvenated only three or four years ago," Imbri said,

this time speaking directly in her surprise.
 
"How can you be full

grown?"

"Well, of course I can be, on Ptero, where geography is time," he said.

"But I take it that you mean I should be no more than about fourteen

years old at this particular site.
 
And the answer is that I am

fourteen, but that I age rapidly, because they are both actually much

older than they look.
 
My talent is that of reversing the effect of

other talents, thus making illusions literal or magical spots on the

wall fade. But I wish someone could reverse my aging, before I become

decrepit in my youth.
 
However, that is neither here nor there; I came

to congratulate you on the success of your mission, and to thank you for

saving all of us from the dread marginalization."

"Wait," Imbri said.
 
"Have you met Surprise?"

"I have been surprised by many things."

"No, I mean Surprise Golem, daughter of Grundy and Rapunzel. She has

multiple talents, each of which she can use only once.
 
Maybe she would

change your rate of aging, if you helped her in some way."

"This sounds interesting.
 
I will look for her."

"We met her sister Glitter," Forrest said.
 
"She should know where to

find Surprise."

"I do know Glitter," he said.
 
"I will ask her.
 
Thank you for something

more."

"You're welcome," Imbri said.

A severe looking woman approached.
 
"I am Misty Meanor, a curse fiend,"

she said.
 
"I come to thank you not merely for myself, but for two who

cannot be here directly: Gim and Gine giant, the children of Girard and

Gina Giant.
 
They are too big to enter the castle."

"But I thought the marginalization affected only the regular human

section," Forrest said.

"The giants happened to be within it, and were caught.
 
Now they are

free, and hope to return a favor to you if they can."

Forrest looked at Imbri.
 
"We will be traveling west, that is, To,

tomorrow.
 
If they could carry us some of the way-"

"I'm sure they would be glad to," Misty said, moving on.

A dusky youth stepped up.
 
"I am Chaos, son of D.
 
Metria after she

discovered how to summon the stork effectively.
 
I turn things

transparent."

The line continued, until Forrest lost track of all the names and

talents.
 
The folk were all duly grateful, but he wished that this could

just end, so that they could go to the banquet, and then be on their

way.

Then, suddenly, the end of the line came.
 
There were two handsome young

princes.
 
"We are Mourning & Knight," one said.

"The sons of Prince Naldo Naga and Mela Merwoman," the other added.

"We don't have talents as such, but we are extremely virile princes."

Something jogged in Forrest's tired mind.
 
"Have you met the princesses

Dawn & Eve?"

"We haven't had that pleasure, but we did catch a glimpse of them from

across the room when the four of you entered.
 
They look lovely."

"I will send them a dreamlet," Imbri said.

It was effective.
 
In a moment the two princesses came up.

"I thought you might want to meet Princes Mourning & Knight," Forrest

said.
 
"The sons of-" He broke off, because they were no longer paying

him any attention.

The two princes were gazing at the two princesses, and steam was

starting to rise from them.
 
The two princesses were glancing at the two

princes, and little hearts were floating out from them.
 
In about three

quarters of a, moment, the four linked hands and walked away together.

"I think we won't be seeing them again," Imbri murmured.

"But we were going to-that is, the girls and I-"

"Did you really want to?"

"Yes!
 
That is-"

"Do you really feel you should?"

"No." And he realized that along with his disdppointment was a

significant admixture of relief.
 
After all, they were princesses, and

he was just a faun.
 
Their parents surely would Not Approve.

Imbri took his arm.
 
"It's time for the banquet."

"I'll leave the bottle for them, so they can visit Pyramid again if they

want to," he said.

"Princess Ida will surely keep it safe."

"Indeed I will," Ida said, taking the bottle.

The banquet was formidable, but Forrest was distracted.
 
He remembered

that all this was but a diversion from his main mission, which was to

find a faun for his neighbor's tree.
 
He wasn't sure how much time had

passed in Xanth, but surely a fair amount.
 
He needed to get on with it.

"Of course," Imbri murmured, understanding his concern.
 
"The giants are

waiting outside."

So they were.
 
They were invisible, but Imbri located them by their

minds.
 
The two of them climbed into Gim or Gine's hand-it was a bit

hard to tell the brother giants apart-and were lifted high.

"To the faun territory," Imbri told the giants in a dreamlet.
 
"Or as

close to it as you can go."

4'Our territory borders theirs," a giant boomed.
 
"But it will take a

few hours, because we must step carefully in human territory, lest we

squish somebody."

"That's all right," Forrest said.
 
"I need some rest anyway." For after

meeting all the people, and the banquet, he was quite tired.

"Sleep," lmbri told him, sitting down and taking his head into her lap.

"I will send you sweet dreams." She stroked his hair.

Her dreams were very nice, and he reveled in them.
 
This was the way to

travel!

Then the trip ended.
 
"We are too old to take you farther," a giant

said.
 
Indeed, his hand was wrinkled.
 
"But immediately To is the faun

section.
 
We wish you success."

"Thank you," Forrest said, sitting up and sliding off the huge old hand.

He felt much refreshed; Imbri's lap and dream had helped greatly.
 
When

his hoofs touched the ground, he turned and reached up to help Imbri

down.
 
Her slight girl form was pleasantly light.

They heard the Shudder of the ground as the giants departed. Immediately

west was a comic strip.
 
Oh, no!
 
If only the giants had been able to

set them just beyond it.

There was nothing to do but plow through it.
 
They braced themselves and

did that.
 
The first part of it was a paved section that looked

deceptively innocent, but as soon as they stepped on it, there was a

horrendous barking, as of dozens of fierce dogs.
 
They jumped back, and

the noise stopped.

"But I don't see any dogs," Forrest said.

Imbri explored with her dream mind.
 
"There don't seem to be any." I So

they tried again-and the barking resumed.
 
No dogs, just the sounds.

"It's a barking lot!" Imbri cried, catching on.

Forrest groaned.
 
"They should outlaw these zones."

"But then the puns would be infesting everything else, just as they do

in Xanth."

That made him pause.
 
"Maybe I can live with the comic strips after

all."

As they came to the far edge of the lot, there was a deep dark pool.

There was a narrow path around it.
 
But the path was blocked by a

many-toothed monster.
 
"Can you guess my talent?" the monster enunciated

precisely.

"Why should I?" Forrest asked.

"Because I won t let you use this path otherwise."

"Then maybe I'll just go around the other way, or swim across the pond,"

Forrest said.

"Suit yourself, if you can handle the rays."

They circled the pool in the other direction.
 
But blocking that path

was a squat box with a grill on the front.
 
As they approached, it shot

out rays of bad music.
 
The closer they got, the worse the music got,

until it was so utterly obnoxious that they had to fall back, with their

hands over their ears.

"What is that thing?" Forrest demanded as the music faded to merely

annoying.

"It's a Ray D 0, stupid," the monster called.
 
"The ray's letters stand

for Deafening andnoxious.
 
Only teenagers can approach it."

So it seemed.
 
They returned to the monster.
 
"What's your name?"

Forrest inquired.

"Airy.
 
Can you guess my talent?"

"Chomping folk?"

"One guess wrong.
 
You evidently can't find the right words."

"Evidently not," Forrest agreed sourly.

He looked again at the pool.
 
It seemed clear.
 
He touched the surface

with a hoot Immediately a ray slanted up, almost catching his foot

before he jerked it back.
 
"What's that?"