They advanced on the castle, following the thread. It took them right to the moat and drawbridge.
A huge green head rose from the water. Diamond shrank back nervously. "That's just Soufflé, the moat monster," Cube said reassuringly. "He doesn't bother anyone who means no harm." Evincing more certainty than she felt, she lifted one hand to the monster. "You remember me, don't you? I'm Cube. I was here a few days ago with the Princesses."
Soufflé moved forward to sniff her hand. Then she patted him on the nose, exactly as the Princesses had done. He accepted this, showing that he did remember her. He surely had a good memory for visitors, or he wouldn't have this important position guarding the castle.
Reassured, Diamond stepped forward. Soufflé's head went down to meet her. They sniffed noses. Diamond wagged her tail. The monster wagged his tail; it lifted from the water and swished back and forth. Then he sank back under the water.
"We're approved," Cube said. But her knees felt a bit rubbery. She could have brought the Princesses out to reassure the monster, but that would have publicized the way she was transporting her Companions, so she preferred to avoid it. Of course, if the monster had gobbled her down, the Princesses would be just as lost as they had been in the underground cave, for no one would know where the pouch was. So maybe she had been foolish. She would have to watch that; she was responsible for more than herself.
Princess Ivy met them at the front gate. "Your Quest is done?"
"Not yet. I'm--I'm following a thread the Princesses made. It shows me my route. It led me here."
"That's a new kind of magic," Ivy said, petting Diamond. Everybody liked the dog. "They keep discovering new things."
"I need to tell you that I put the Princesses in danger. It was a stupid mistake, and maybe you won't want them to continue with me. I--"
"You lost the pouch."
"You know!"
Ivy smiled. "Chlorine told me. She's a mother herself now, and has become sensitive to mothers' concerns. She also said that you tried very hard to recover it, doing what you needed to."
"Of course I did! But I shouldn't have lost it."
"Chlorine said you didn't have a choice. But now Nimby knows about Fornax's interference, and will make sure there is no more. You should be all right."
"You're very understanding."
"It comes with the territory."
"Of Princesshood?"
"Of motherhood. One day you will discover it for yourself."
"Oh, I don't think so. I'm not beautiful."
Princess Ivy paused for half a moment before speaking. "Not yet, perhaps."
Cube glanced at the thread, which led on down the hall. That surprised her, because she had thought it would depart the castle after she had cleared things with the Princesses' mother. Where was it going? "I suppose I should go where I'm going, though I have no idea where that is."
"None of us really know where we are going," Ivy said. "But I'm sure my daughters' thread will not lead you astray."
"But it's not leaving the castle."
"Then let's discover what it is up to. I can't see it, but of course I don't have the need-to-know."
"It's going that way," Cube said, pointing. "To--to the stairs."
"This is interesting," Ivy said. "The only person upstairs at the moment is my sister Ida."
They walked down the hall, then up the stairs. "I didn't know you had a sister."
"That may be just as well."
"There--there's something wrong with her?"
"By no means! She has an extraordinary talent. But we prefer not to advertise it."
Cube took the hint and did not ask what that talent was, though she was quite curious. Why should the thread take her to the Princesses' aunt?
The thread took them to a door and passed through it. The plaque on the door said PRINCESS IDA. "This is where," Cube said.
Ivy knocked. "A visitor for you, Ida," she called.
"Come in." The voice sounded just like Ivy's.
Ivy opened the door, and ushered Cube in ahead of her. It was amazing how unpretentious she was. Inside stood--another Ivy. No, not quite the same; the features differed subtly. But the height, form, aspect, and crown were so similar that it was obvious they were sisters. Yet there was one strikingly different thing: Ida had a moon. It was a small ball that orbited her head. Cube had never imagined such a thing.
"This is Cube," Ivy said. "She knows nothing of you, Ida, but is led to you by a thread my daughters crafted to guide her on her mission."
"Hello, Cube," Ida said politely.
Cube recovered some of her composure. "Uh, thank you," she said. "I mean--"
"You are taken aback by my moon," Ida said. "Many folk are. It is called Ptero, and is a world in itself where all folk exist, past, future, and possible."
"Uh, yes." Now Cube saw that the thread went to the moon. There was no doubt about it; the thread moved to track the moon as it orbited.
"I will leave you two to talk," Ivy said, and was gone.
"I see you have a companion," Ida said.
"Oh. Yes. This is Seren. I mean Seren. I--oh, the pacifier."
"I am not certain I understand."
"She--I think she's lost, but we have been keeping company. Then we got a magic pacifier, that causes folk to find what they aren't looking for, and I--I gave it to her. Now I can't call her by her real name."
"What did you call her before?"
"Diamond." Cube paused half an instant. She had said it! "And will again, I think, once I take back the pacifier. But right now it's too awkward for me to carry it, because when I do, I am Seren and my talent is serendipity. I--does this make any sense to you?"
"Yes. Did the thread lead you to the pacifier?"
"I'm not sure. I met the girl who had it, and we traded things. The thread put us together, I suppose--yes, I guess it did. Because when I learned of it, I wanted it."
"Then I'm sure it was destined for your use."
"Maybe so. Actually the thread has been leading me all over Xanth, and even into Mundania. I think it is taking me places I need to be, to learn what I need to learn, so I can complete my Quest."
"I'm sure it is," Ida agreed.
"But it's such a convoluted route! I thought I'd just go directly to--" She paused. "Is it all right to tell you of my Quest? It's supposed to be private, but if I need your help--"
"What do you think?"
Cube pondered. "I think it must be all right, because the thread leads right to your moon, and I have no idea how to go there. So I must need your help, and that means you should know what I'm trying to do."
"I'm sure that's the case," Ida agreed. She seemed very agreeable.
So Cube told her about the Quest, and the Companions, and how she might have fouled it up by choosing too many of them, so that the thread was stretched all out of shape. So maybe she could have had a simple, direct route, instead of this devious one, but actually she was coming to like this one, because of all the places she was seeing and the interesting people she was meeting. So maybe she was as well off this way, because she had always wanted to have a life of adventure instead of being a dull stay-at-home girl.
"I'm sure that's true," Ida agreed.
"And the Good Magician said I would be beautiful, when I finish," Cube concluded.
"I'm sure you will be."
This was weird: things that had seemed speculative now seemed certain. Princess Ida was a very reassuring person. "I long for it."
"Has it occurred to you that your Route might be one of personal discovery, rather than mere geography?"
Cube was surprised. "No, I never thought of that. I thought I was just paying for a stupid mistake, and messing this up for the others."
"Would the others be needed, if it were not for the deviousness of the Route?"
"I don't think so. I need them only when there is trouble."
"Is it possible that what you need is not physical beauty so much as self-knowledge?"
&nbs
p; "Why should anyone care what I know about myself? I'm supposed to be doing a job for the Good Magician."
"Is it possible that you were not the person to accomplish that task when you started, but that you are in the processes of becoming such a person as you handle the challenges of the Route?"
Cube considered that with dawning wonder. "You know, I think it is possible! The things I have seen, the people I have met, the experiences I have been having--even if I fail to complete the Quest, I'll be a better person. That's worth a lot."
"I'm sure it is," Ida agreed.
"But I think I can complete the Quest, because what I can't do, my Companions can, and it is worth accomplishing."
"I'm sure you can complete it."
However, Princess Ida's automatic certainty was becoming wearing. Cube had never been much for unsupported belief; she preferred to prove herself in whatever way she had to. "So will you help me find the way to your moon? I don't think I'll fit on it as I am."
Ida became businesslike. "You are correct. My worlds are very small. Your physical body can't go there, but your soul can. You will have to rest here, while your soul proceeds to Ptero."
"My soul goes alone?" Cube wasn't comfortable with this. "Doesn't a person's body die when it loses its soul?"
"Not entirely. A portion of your soul remains, but not enough to animate your body, so your body slumbers. Your full soul will return to it when your mission on Ptero is done. If there is some mishap, your soul will revert immediately. And there is no need to be concerned about the safety of your body; your canine friend will be here to guard it."
Diamond whined, her tail dropping.
"Can she come too?" Cube asked. "She doesn't want to stay here alone. I mean, without me."
"Of course. She can soul travel the same way you do." Ida went to a shelf and fetched a small vial. "You must each lie down and sniff this elixir. Then focus on Ptero and float toward it. You'll get the hang of it soon enough. When you are there, remember that geography is time; your age will change as you travel east or west. East is From and is yellow; west is To and is green; north is blue and south is red, so you'll always know your directions. Beware of the Comic Strips! But I trust the thread to guide you safely through the perplexities so you can reach whatever your destination is."
Time as geography? This was different! But she'd figure that out when she got there. She lay on the couch in Ida's room, and Diamond lay on the floor beside her. "We're ready, I think."
Ida leaned down and held the vial to the dog's nose. Diamond sniffed. Nothing happened. She did not go to sleep.
"That's odd," Princess Ida said. "I wonder." She reached down to pat Diamond on the back. Her hand passed through the dog's body. "It's true! She's already a soul!"
"But she's physical!" Cube protested. "Many people have patted her."
"I suspect they patted her form, and thought they felt flesh, but it was just expectation," Ida said. "Expectation is most of reality. This dog lacks substance. She's here, but not physically."
Astonished, Cube reached down to touch Diamond. Her hand passed through the dog's body without resistance. "But then how can she carry the pacifier? It's physical."
"Is it?"
Cube felt for the pacifier. Her fingers passed through it too. "I guess I just thought I touched it, before."
"I'm sure you're right. At any rate, this dog will have no problem accompanying you."
"That's nice," Cube said faintly.
Ida brought the vial, and she sniffed. Then she found herself clambering up out of a somewhat cloying muck. She got on top of it, then floated above it. She formed an eyeball and peered down.
There was her sleeping body, plain as plain could be. Other girls might sleep pretty, but Cube was never pretty, always plain. She looked away--and saw Diamond. The dog was floating up to join her. She really was a soul.
"Hi, friend," Cube said, patting her--and now the dog seemed solid. She realized it was because they were in the same soul state; she had no more substance than the dog did. "Let's go to Ptero."
The dog wagged her tail and led the way, walking on air toward the tiny moon. As she went she shrank, and Cube shrank with her. The closer they got, the bigger the moon seemed, until it was a full planet, massive and variegated. Then they were falling toward it, but able to slow in the air, flying without wings.
They landed on verdant ground beside a great sea. The air was pleasantly warm, and there was the smell of salt water. It was pleasant, and seemed quite physical. Cube stamped her foot on the ground, and it thunked solidly. The dog sniffed the pebbles of the beach and seemed satisfied. Souls they might be, but they were definitely here.
The atmosphere was colored, just as Ida had said. She saw blue in one direction, and red the opposite way: north and south. To one side was a blue haze; that would be west, where folk got older.
The thread led to the east, where the haze was yellow. As they moved, she felt a weird shifting of her body, not pleasant, and realized that this was her change of age. They were both getting younger, as Ida had warned. She hoped they didn't get too young before reaching their destination.
But that was only part of it. She looked at her hands and saw that they were not the same as they had been. They looked--older. And the dog looked ancient.
They must have landed in a time where they were both significantly older. This was alarming.
A castle loomed ahead. It looked just like Castle Roogna. How could that be here? It must be a copy.
A Princess came out to meet her. She looked vaguely familiar, but not quite. She wore a green dress and green hair ribbon, matching her green/blonde hair, and her eyes were blue. "Hello, Cube!" she said.
"Uh, hello." Cube was trying to place this woman, who obviously knew her.
The Princess laughed. "You're visiting!" she said.
"Visiting this world, yes. But I don't think I know anyone here."
"Yes you do; you just don't know our ages. I'm Princess Melody."
Cube laughed. "You can't be; she's seven years old."
"In your time, yes. But this is the year 2118, I'm twenty-two, and Anomie and I have a baby girl, Melanoma, whose talent is growing or reversing tumors on anything. Of course she's too young to know it yet, but soon we'll take her into the future so she can try it out."
Cube's head was spinning. "How can you be there, when I have you here in my pouch?"
Melody laughed. "Age seven is the year we can't overlap. We can be any age we want to be, merely by traveling From or To. But we have to bypass that one. I remember our adventure with you, but none of us can come out to meet our other selves, because that would be a paradox."
"You can't come out? What happens if I bring you out?"
Melody shrugged. "Try it; it won't work."
Cube tried it. She put her hand in the pouch. "Melody." Nothing happened.
"I find this hard to believe, but you seem to be right."
"Here on Ptero we are not limited by belief."
"How is it that your sisters aren't with you? I thought you were always a threesome."
Melody frowned. "We were. But then I married Anomie, and summoned the stork, and that set me apart. There were those who thought it wouldn't work out with Anomie, because his talent was having bad ideas, but now he carries a piece of reverse wood with him and he has good ideas. Now Harmony and Rhythm are a twosome."
"I don't know whether to express congratulation or regret."
Melody frowned briefly, then smiled. "Life is mixed, and there is a price to pay for everything. I wouldn't trade. We can't be children forever."
"Maybe when the others marry and communicate with the stork, they'll rejoin you."
"Yes, that would be nice." Then she changed the subject. "You need to follow the thread east. You'll get there."
Something else registered. "This is 2118? That's fifteen years in my future! I'm thirty-five!"
"Indeed. And the dog is too old to live long. This is really outside her ran
ge. So you need to move From quickly, for her sake."
"From. That's east?" Now she remembered that Princess Ida had told her that.
"Yes. Toward the past, and youth. You'll get used to it."
"I hope so. Thank you for clarifying things."
"I knew you would need it, so I intercepted you. You both will be fine, as you get younger. Just beware the Comic Strips."
Princess Ida had said that. "Just what is a Comic Strip?"
"It's a boundary between sections, jammed with egregious puns. That's why we don't cross the Strips unless we really have to; nobody can stand them."
"I'll be careful," Cube agreed. Now she had another belated memory: she had encountered a Comic Strip at the Good Magician's castle. She hadn't had to ask at all. Some savvy traveler she was proving to be! "Thanks again."
"Oh, I almost forgot. You must meet Mother."
"Princess Ivy?"
"King Ivy. She wanted to talk with you."
Cube was taken aback. "Not Queen Ivy?"
"Xanth is ruled by kings, and Ptero echoes it. Come."
Cube followed her to the throne room. There sat Ivy, about fifteen years older, with a more substantial crown. "Hello, Cube!" she said immediately, rising to join her. "I'm so glad you could come."
What was the protocol to meet a king? Cube had no idea. "Uh, hello," she said faintly.
Ivy hugged her. "The girls' adventure with you was one of the defining experiences of their childhood. They learned some of the limits of their powers of magic. I think it helped them grow up. I just wanted to thank you again."
"Uh, you're welcome. They were--are--a big help."
"That's right--this is part of your Quest. Then I won't keep you longer. It wouldn't be kind to Seren; she has to get younger quickly."
Cube had evidently been dismissed. Melody guided her out. "Mother really worried when we were gone," she confided. "We didn't realize how much, at the time. But it certainly was a great adventure with a surprising conclusion. Ah, here is the thread."
She was right: the thread led out the back door of the castle and across the moat. But there was no bridge at this location. "Uh--"
"Don't be concerned; Soufflé will take you across."
The moat monster's head rose from the water. He set it at the edge before her, and Cube climbed on. She held the dog on her lap. Then he carried them smoothly across and deposited them beyond the moat. "Thank you," she said.