Two to the Fifth

  “Too obvious,” she agreed, nodding. “But what ever is doing it is not obvious either. I can’t get a fix on it; there seems to be nothing there. Maybe I should get my sisters’ help”

  But Cyrus was wary of that. Melody and Harmony were too much like Rhythm, and entirely too interested in his and Rhythm’s romantic life. “I have another idea: this is almost like a curse. Curtis Curse Friend is part of a culture that works constantly with curses. We should hurry back and ask him.”

  “But I would have to use heavy magic,” Rhythm said.

  “It was just an idea,” he said. “I’m glad to be with you anywhere”

  She smiled. “Let’s proceed carefully. If we don’t encounter any more dangers, okay. But if we do, then I’ll think again.”

  “It’s fun being out here, as a family,” Kadence said.

  “Yes it is,” Rhythm said, hugging her, then hugging Cyrus. “I can love both of you openly, without anyone challenging my age or identity”

  And that was the great thing about this excursion, Cyrus realized. Just being together, openly loving each other, without having to hide it.

  Exactly, Rhythm agreed mentally.

  They came to a river that barred their way. “Make a boat?” Cyrus asked. “I don’t think it would be safe to swing across.”

  “There might be loan sharks or allegations,” Rhythm agreed. “Things with teeth.”

  “Look!” Kadence exclaimed. “Water moccasins!”

  Cyrus looked, alarmed, but it was only a patch of shoe-sized flowers, including dainty lady slippers and yes, snakelike water moccasins.

  Kadence picked a pair and put them on her feet. She stepped on the water. The moccasins enabled her to walk on the water.

  “I think we have our way to cross without swimming,” Cyrus said.

  They all donned water moccasins and started across the river. But then a dragon came charging toward them. It was translucent and ripply.

  Rhythm raised one hand. The dragon paid no heed.

  “Heed the warning, for your own sake, dragon,” Cyrus murmured. But the dragon didn’t.

  A beam of color flashed from Rhythm’s hand. It struck the dragon. The dragon’s snoot flashed into steam, and the rest of it splashed into the water.

  “It was a water dragon!” Cyrus exclaimed. “Made of water.”

  “It could still have chomped us with icicle teeth,” Rhythm said grimly. “That does it. There’s too much danger here. I’m using magic to take us back to camp.”

  “Make it safely beyond camp,” Melete said. “So they won’t know”

  Rhythm nodded. “Take my hand,” she said.

  Cyrus and Kadence took her hands. Then they were standing in the glade with the love spring, where Rhythm had first seduced him. “Oh, my,” he said, remembering.

  Rhythm caught his thought. “Muse, take Kadence for a walk on the water,” she said. “It’s safe. Don’t look back”

  They were all still wearing the water moccasins. Kadence took Melete from his pocket and walked out on the pond, not looking back. Rhythm led him by the hand to the spot.

  “You mean—” he asked, violently hoping.

  The spell was already there, and she was biting into it. The vapor puffed and she was grown and beautiful. “What else?”

  When he was able to speak again, after an especially intense ellipsis, he felt some faint regret. “You know we really shouldn’t be doing this. I know your real age”

  “Do you have a choice?”

  “No.” It was true. She was a Sorceress, and increasingly he was coming to appreciate the depth and breadth of that. She could do things he had never thought of, and he was powerless to resist anything she really wanted. She was a child, but he was nevertheless her captive.

  “It’s true,” she said. “You were mine from the moment I realized I wanted you. The stork was right to haul me up on charges, not you; I always controlled the situation.”

  “You always did,” he agreed. “When I called you a child—that wasn’t what made you mad, was it?”

  “I knew you would say that, giving me a pretext to react. I had already brought you here, after all.”

  “You already had,” he agreed. “Oh, Rhythm, I don’t know how I’m ever going to wait until you are truly of age. I love you.”

  “You’re not mad that I made you love me?”

  “With that first adult kiss? No. I think I was already on the way to it. I was trying to fight it, but there was just something about you.”

  “With a spell on your mind”

  He stared at her. “Rhythm! You didn’t!”

  She looked guilty. “I did. It’s like the losing- interest magic I use on folk who might get too curious about my identity, only this is positive. Intensifying interest.”

  “That’s why I thought you were a winsome girl, and felt guilty!”

  “You tried so hard to be honorable. I love that.”

  “But you really are a child! I love you, but you are. You should not have done that.”

  “I can reverse it, if you wish”

  He pondered that. A spell to make him no longer love her? “Objectively, I see that that would make sense. But subjectively I can’t stand the thought. And what about Kadence?”

  “No reversal,” she agreed. “Suppose I have my sisters get together and fashion a spell that would age me permanently? Then I would never be a child.”

  “But I love you as you are, even though it’s forbidden. And what about the mission to save Xanth? Your age would give away your nature, and that would mess up the mission”

  She sighed. “You’re hard to satisfy. I love that too.”

  “We’ll just have to muddle through, as we have been doing, guilt and all.”

  “Before the hour ends,” she said, and kissed him. That made him realize that she had always controlled every part of their relationship. And he loved it.

  At least she always invoked the Decade spell before clasping him. Or did she? She had an illusion spell too. He had a sudden horrible thought. “Rhythm—did you ever use illusion instead of aging?”

  “No. Not for this”

  That was a vast relief.

  “But I tried. The Adult Conspiracy wouldn’t let me.”

  “You tried?” he asked, horrified. “Tried to seduce me when you remained a child?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “So I would remember the details. Cyrus, I love you, but as a child I can’t remember most of what we do when I’m adult. Only that it involves holding and kissing, and I can do that anyway. And that Pan ties relate, though I have no idea how; they don’t seem to exist in my memory.” She smiled grimly. “As an adult I know why they’re absent, but that gets lost when I revert. It drives me crazy not knowing. I can’t stand losing any part of you, even part of a memory. If I did it as a child, I would remember. Then I would know.”

  “That’s sweet. But don’t try it again.” He was overwhelmingly relieved to know that he had never touched her as a child.

  “Of course you could simply tell me exactly what happened, after I revert. Then I wouldn’t have to scheme to try to find out.”

  “No”

  She frowned. “You’re riling me.”

  “Better that, than a true Violation. You’re adult now; you understand.”

  “I do,” she agreed grudgingly. “But I don’t when I’m young”

  And she remained a Sorceress when she was young. He had to beware of her.

  “You do,” she agreed, kissing him.

  The hour ended, and she reverted. “You’re not going to tell me,” she said.

  “I’m not,” he agreed.

  She frowned, and there was a rumble of thunder in the background. “If I didn’t love you, I might do this to you”

  An unseen force took hold of him and lifted him off the ground. It shook him.

  “I’m glad you’re not doing that to me,” he gasped.

  She had to laugh, breaking the mood, an
d he returned to the ground. Then she lunged forward and kissed him, hard. “But I do love you,” she said.

  She was, indeed, a child, with childish impulses. Fortunately he was adult. She needed that discipline.

  “I do,” she agreed.

  Kadence returned with Melete. “Time to return to the troupe,” the Muse said. “Time for you to stop playing and write your play.”

  “Time,” Cyrus agreed.

  They walked to the camp. No one inquired about their absence. This was more evidence of Rhythm’s sometimes frightening range of powers as a Sorceress.

  Cyrus sought out Curtis. “We were out walking,” he said, “and there kept being dangers, especially to Kadence. I thought maybe it’s a curse. You’re a curse friend, so I thought this might be in your area. Can you help me?”

  “Let me examine the child,” Curtis said.

  Kadence approached, and the man put a hand on her head. “It’s definitely a curse,” he said. “I feel its ambiance. Let me check my reference.” He fetched a tome. “Yes, here it is. This is interesting.”

  “Curses are listed in a book?” Cyrus asked.

  “It is our business,” Curtis said a trifle stiff ly.

  “Of course. I just didn’t realize that that sort of thing could be tabulated.”

  “It is a magic reference, automatically updated,” the Curse Friend said. “Let me provide some necessary background. The Muse of History, Clio, was cursed to suffer some danger every day of her life. Fortunately she had the means to handle those threats. Later she got together with a Magician who reversed that curse, and it has lain fallow for several years. It seems that someone has appropriated it and applied it to Ka-dence. It is an opportunistic curse, adapting what ever is con-venient, and not always aptly.”

  “Not aptly?” Cyrus asked.

  “For example, if there is a dragon nearby, it will lead the subject to the dragon,” Curtis explained. “But the dragon may not be hungry at the moment, so does not consume the victim. The curse isn’t smart about such details.”

  “That’s exactly how it is,” Cyrus said. “We encountered a friendly dragon we recruited for the next play.”

  “The next play!”

  “She’ll be here in another day or so,” Cyrus said. “She talks. I have worked out a play with her as the lead female.”

  “So you weren’t wasting your time during your absence.”

  “I never know in what manner inspiration will come. Can you stop the curse?”

  “Oh, yes, now that I have identified it. I will simply disconnect it from Kadence so it can’t find her any more. But why should anyone want to curse such an innocent child?”

  “That’s what we would like to know,” Cyrus said. “At least she’s safe now.”

  “Safe,” Kadence repeated, relieved.

  But later, with Rhythm, he was sure he knew. “Ragna Roc. The bird knows about us.”

  “I don’t think so,” Rhythm said. “He would simply have rendered us all into illusion, instead of doing something relatively ineffective like this. Why alert us that he knows, anyway? Why use some leftover curse?”

  She was right. “How about this: Ragna doesn’t know about us, but does know that Xanth folk aren’t keen on being taken over by him. So he got someone to watch out for dangers, and maybe that person found this curse, and oriented it to focus on the greatest danger to Ragna?”

  “So nobody knows about us, except the curse, and it’s not very smart.” She nodded. “So we’re safe, for now. Except—”

  “Except why did it focus on Kadence? It should have oriented on you.”

  “On me,” she agreed. “She’s a Sorceress, but making ants or people walk in step isn’t going to hurt him. Whereas if I get close to him, I’ll zap him with a conjured pineapple.”

  “Which he would render illusionary. And you too.”

  “Um,” she agreed. “Still, Kadence can’t be the worst threat. Maybe the curse got the wrong person.”

  “Maybe,” he said. “At least she’s safe now.”

  “Yes.” But she seemed uncertain.

  “Now write that play,” Melete said.

  Cyrus got to work and wrote the play. It was rapid, because he already had it worked out.

  Next day the Dragon Lady arrived. Cyrus had warned the troupe, so there was only muted alarm. He went out to greet her, and escorted her to the campsite. “This is the Dragon Lady,” he said. “She will be the lead lady in the play.”

  “Hello,” the dragon said shyly. “I’ll stay away except during rehearsals. Hunting, you know”

  The other members of the troupe were happy to leave it at that.

  Cyrus had Tuff, the volcanic rock salesman, try out for the lead male. Tuff had done all right playing the King in the prior play, and was getting into acting. But who would do for the Avatar of the lead lady?

  “Let me!” Piper said.

  “No way,” the Witch said protectively. “You’re thirteen. This role requires kissing and simulated romance.”

  “But nobody will really summon the stork on stage before an audience,” Piper protested.

  “The implication will nevertheless be there,” the Witch said. “No child can play this role”

  A cloud of smoke appeared. “What child is playing with her bread?”

  “Playing with her what?” Piper asked innocently.

  “Wafer, toast, loaf, pastry, bun—”

  “Roll?”

  “What ever,” the cloud agreed, crossly.

  “That’s role, not roll,” the Witch said.

  “That’s what I said,” the cloud said, forming into a dark lovely demoness.

  Oh, no. “We are casting roles for the play, Metria,” Cyrus said. “You wouldn’t be interested.” And knew as he said it that he shouldn’t have.

  “Oh? Try me”

  So he explained. “We need a nice- looking girl who will be mute. All her lines will be spoken by a talking dragon, who is the real Lady. The actress will represent the Avatar, an image the Dragon Lady crafts to participate in a big dream”

  “Demons and Dragons!” Metria said. “I love that dream!”

  “Rehearsals will be long and boring. She’ll just have to pretend to talk.”

  “And kiss,” Piper said, pouting. “They won’t let me. Something about the stork.”

  “I can kiss,” Metria said. “I have no fear of storks. In fact I can freak out any man with just my pan ties.” Her smoky dress evaporated to reveal bright red pan ties with flickering blue stars.

  “No!” Cyrus cried, too late. He had already freaked. His gaze was locked on the wicked sight.

  Then a hand covered his eyes, breaking the contact. “Nobody freaks you out but me,” Rhythm murmured. Then she fired a glance that caused the pan ties to catch on fire. The demoness puffed back into smoke with an outraged bleep.

  “Thank you, child,” he said, reminding her to conceal her nature.

  Meanwhile women were doing the same for the men, all of whom had similarly freaked out.

  “No pan ties, Metria,” Cyrus said. “She’s a nice girl.”

  “Nice girls also have pan ties,” the demoness said, reforming. “Even if they’re hidden.” But her dress was back, intact. “So do I have the role?”

  What could he do? “You can try it. If you foul up, or do anything mischievous, I’ll boot you out of the play.”

  “I’d like to see you try.” She posed, with her backside ready for booting. “You’d get your foot stuck in it”

  That was surely no bluff. “I mean I would deny you the part. You must play it straight.”

  “Whoo, mee?” the demoness asked, assuming an owl shape before fading out.

  “We may regret this,” Rhythm muttered.

  “I already regret it. But maybe it’s better to have her cooperating than interfering”

  The actors were given a few days to memorize their lines, while the workers set up the dream set, consisting of foamy clouds fashioned from extremely diffu
se tuff. It was surprising how varied volcanic rock could be; some of it was mostly solidified gas.

  Then came rehearsal. The Dragon Lady curled around the stage, concealed by clouds. In the center was a little pavilion, substituting for the closed mini- castle, because a real castle wasn’t feasible and anyway, the audience needed to see the actors. Overall, it was a full- sized but quite simple setting.

  John, played by Tuff, stood beside the stage. “I’ll never get a girlfriend,” he proclaimed in the manner necessary to reach the full audience. “I’m just an ordinary dull man with no special talent.” After a pause, he resumed. “So I’m going to try one of these dream pills, so I can sleep and enter a communal dream where maybe things will be better”

  John made a production of swallowing a pill. Then he lay down beside the stage, disappearing from view. But in a moment he reappeared on the stage: he was in the dream.

  In due course the girl approached him: Marsha. She was innocently pretty, projecting niceness. That was surely a real effort for the actress, Demoness Metria, but she managed it. She herself didn’t talk, which spared the audience her fouled-up vocabulary; instead she gestured theatrically, and it was the Dragon Lady’s voice that spoke. Because the hidden dragon’s head was close to the actress, it seemed as if the actress was talking.

  In due course John and Marsha entered the pavilion and started kissing, certain they were unobserved, in the manner of dramatic presentation. They were obviously an ideal couple. But as the play progressed, and they became closer acquaintances, Marsha’s evasions about her physical identity became evident. Then the dragon raised her head, and the covering clouds fell away to reveal her full body surroundingthe stage. The audience could see that she was the one talking, not the Avatar. John, however, on stage, remained dramatically unaware.

  This was only the first rehearsal, watched by stagehands and other members of the troupe. But even they gave a small gasp as they realized that John was falling in love with a dragon. Cyrus was thrilled; it was working.

  Then came the revelation that John understood, and his problem accepting it. But when he finally was reconciled, and kissed Marsha knowing that she was really a dragon, there was a small moan of appreciation from the limited audience. They understood that this was truly forbidden love, and sympathized with the lovers.