Of course, he couldn't answer her, but he twitched an ear in acknowledgement. That satisfied her; she patted his hide and rode on. He liked it when she did that, which was a signal of how his attitude had modified.
Now they were nearing Castle Roogna for the big celebration of victory over the Ill Wind. Everyone was to be there—everyone who cared to be. Including Chlorine and her silent companion Nimby.
They came to the Mundane RV, or moving house. The child Karen spied them first and dashed out. “Hi, Chlorine! Hi, Nimby!” She threw her arms around his donkey head and kissed him on the striped pink and green snout.
He liked that, too. “Glad you could make it!” She dashed back in to notify the others.
“That little girl belongs in Xanth,” Chlorine remarked, dismounting. “With her own dragon.”
True. Karen had not yet properly learned the arts of dissembling; her actions mirrored her thoughts. She liked Xanth, and she liked Nimby, not caring half a whit how odd he looked. Her greeting had been sincere. Which was why he appreciated it.
The others came out. “Glad to see you again. Nimby,” Jim Baldwin said. “We'll be going tomorrow, but we wanted you to know that we couldn't have done it without you.” Of course, he knew that Nimby already knew that, but his Mundane protocol required him to make a formal statement. That, too, he liked.
Mary approached. “But perhaps it would be better if you attended the festivities in your human form,” she murmured.
“Yes,” Chlorine agreed immediately. “In formal clothing, too. And I hope you know how to dance.”
Of course he could dance; be had learned that in the course of his survey of the land and people and things of Xanth. So he changed to human form, in a royal robe.
Sean and Willow emerged. They were somber; they had not resolved their impasse. They were in love, and could not bear to be separated, but they were of different realms, neither suited for the other realm. In Sean's mind was a notion of separating from his family to remain in Xanth, but he was held back by the knowledge that this would so greatly hurt the other members of the family as to mire him in perpetual guilt. In Willow's mind was the thought of going with him to Mundania, where she thought she would die, but at least she would have a little more time with him. But she realized that this would be worse for Sean than separation. So she would bravely bid him farewell, and when he was gone she would do what she should have done at the outset, and fly to Mount Rushmost were they had reunited, tie her wings together so she could not fly, and throw herself off the precipice. Then she would be at peace, and Sean would never know, so would suffer no additional grief.
Nimby knew these things, but could not speak them and did not care to write them. He also knew that good news was on the way for them. So that affair would have a happy ending, and perhaps that was best. Just as it was best that all the folk of Xanth be happy this day, not knowing …
“Very well,” Chlorine said, not knowing the nature or velocity of his thoughts. “Put me in a lovely party gown and hairdo for the party.”
“Gee, are you going to change right out here?” David asked, his twelve-year-old pupils dilating. The presence of Chlorine accelerated his race toward maturity, especially since Big Brother Sean had lost interest.
“Right out here,” Chlorine agreed, smiling. Suddenly her complete outfit shifted, as Nimby changed her according to her wish, in somewhat less than an eye-blink. Naturally David had blinked in that moment, so saw none of what he had hoped to.
“Aww,” the boy said, disappointed.
Chlorine turned to Nimby. “You know, he's Mundane,” she murmured low. “Would it be too great a violation if he caught half a glimpse, considering the spirit of the occasion?” Her mind made clear the nature of her request. She knew that she would not have this beautiful body much longer, because the adventure was almost over, and she wanted to leave a lasting impression on someone without actually being tried for Violation of the Adult Conspiracy. She also wanted to give the boy a treat, and she did not hold the Conspiracy in as much awe as was proper, because of her background as a woman nobody much looked at anyway.
So Nimby removed her dress for one full blink, at a time when only David happened to be looking, so that she stood in eyeball-numbing yellow-green bra and panties.
Then he restored the outfit, as if it had never lapsed; there was no evidence and no other witness, so there would be no case even if someone suspected.
David's brown eyes turned yellow-green and his jaw dropped. Brief as it was, it had still been too much of a dose; he was stunned, and about to fall. But Nimby caught one arm, and Chlorine the other. “Promise not to tell,” she whispered in the boy's ear.
David nodded numbly. He would recover, because he was Mundane and not quite of age for the full effect to register. But it was a close call. Mundanes, it turned out, weren't all that different from Xanthians. As it was, the boy would start pursuing girls a full year earlier than he would have otherwise; the secret glimpse had advanced his thyme-table that far.
“David! Are you all right?” Mary inquired, with a mother's instant awareness of any passing indisposition in her child.
David's mouth worked. “Jus—just great,” he said, awed.
Mary glanced somewhat suspiciously at Chlorine's low and curvaceous décolletage. “Go with your sister,” she said. She suspected that the boy had seen a bit too much, so was moving him away from it. Fortunately she suspected only about a quarter of the reality.
They walked as a group toward Castle Roogna. But David, still glazed, stumbled. Mary caught him and looked in his face. “Your eyes!” she exclaimed. “They're green!”
Now she suspected half the reality. But being Mundane, she had an abiding disbelief of magic, so couldn't bring herself to suspect the whole of it. That was just as well.
The boy's eyes had been stained permanently green by what he had seen.
Castle Roogna came into view, gloriously magical. And there, coming out to greet them, was a lovely princess they didn't recognize. “Who is that creature?” Jim inquired.
Then Karen spied a freckle. “That's Princess Electra!” she squealed. “Looking princessly!”
She was correct. Nimby had known, of course, but hadn't been asked. Normally Electra ran around in blue jeans, but on formal occasions she suppressed her nature and played her royal role. Clothes made all the difference.
Karen ran up to the princess. “How can you stand being so regal?” she demanded.
Electra made a careful royal moue. “It isn't easy,” she confessed. “But somebody has to do it. After the official greetings are over, let's get together with Jenny Elf and sneak away to pig out on chocolate pie. We can wear—” she glanced around to be sure no one else was in earshot “—shorts and tank tops.”
“Ooooo!” Karen squealed, delighted. “It's a date.”
Then Electra put her royal face back on and turned to the others. “So nice to meet you again, good people. But I believe I have not met one of your number before.”
“This is Willow Elf,” Sean said quickly. “Her winged elm tree is very large.”
“So I see,” Electra said. “So nice to meet you. Willow Elf.” She extended her hand in princessly manner. Willow bowed, and her wings quivered. “Thank you, Princess.”
“And how did you come to join this party?” Electra inquired. “I had understood that the winged elves seldom associate with ground-bound folk.”
“Sean and I washed in a love spring, before we realized,” Willow explained.
“Oh, I understand!” Electra said with instant sympathy.
“When Prince Dolph kissed me awake, after my several centuries of sleep, the magic made me love him instantly.
But he didn't love me. At least you were together.”
“But didn't he marry you?” Willow asked.
“Oh yes, eventually. But at first he was more interested in Princess Nada Naga.”
“How could any man not be most interested in you?” Willow a
sked, amazed.
“When you see Nada, you will understand.” Electra paused. “Oh, there are the winged centaurs arriving.
Come, Willow, I must introduce you to them; I'm sure you'll like them.” Then, remembering her royal duties, she paused again. “But first I must conduct all of you to the castle in style.” Yet it was evident that she wanted to greet the centaurs first.
Mary was the one to find a way to alleviate the problem.
“We'll be glad to wait until the centaurs can join us, Princess. Then we can all enter together.”
“Oh, thank you! Come, Willow!” The princess hurried toward the field where the centaurs were landing, and Willow went with her.
Sean remained behind. “I think they have girl things to discuss,” he said. He was right; Electra wanted to compare notes on magic love, having met another woman who had encountered it.
The Baldwins and Chlorine waited while Electra and Willow met the centaurs and exchanged more introductions. Then that group returned to join the family. There were four centaurs: Che, Cynthia, Chena, and Crystal. The family had met them before, of course; indeed, Chena and Crystal had helped significantly in the effort to herd Happy Bottom north. It was a nice reunion.
But there was a nicer one coming. As the princess was about to conduct them all to the castle. Nimby nudged Chorine and gave her a note. Her eyes widened. Then she spoke. “Princess, could we wait just a bit more? Nimby says other centaurs are coming.”
Electra looked blank. “More centaurs?”
“The Good Magician invited them.”
The princess nodded. “Then we had better wait for them. But I hadn't realized that any more centaurs had participated in the Ill Wind venture.”
Now they heard the beat of galloping hooves. “Two ground-bound centaurs,” Che said. He could tell by the sound. “They don't normally care. to associate with our kind.”
“They certainly don't,” Chena agreed. “Are you sure—?”
Then the two came into view: a male and a female.
Chena screamed. “Carleton!” She galloped out to meet them.
“Her brother,” Jim said, remembering. “We promised to relay his greeting to her, and we did.”
“And Sheila,” Sean said. “I'd recognize that bosom anywhere.” Then, conscious of Willow beside him, he added: “Not that I care.”
“I'm not jealous,” Willow said. “I could show you something similar, if I dared.” She meant that it was not safe to risk an exposure that might cause them both to forget the danger of summoning a stork, since they could not be a family. Her words were also an invitation of a sort, because she expected to be dead long before any stork found her, so she might as well do it—if he agreed.
“You already did, in the love spring,” he reminded her.
“I almost wish we had—” Then he remembered that they were in the company of his family, and stifled it. But Jim and Mary were already exchanging a knowing glance, They well understood the invitation and the tentative acceptance. Indeed, Jim was inclined to give them leave, and Mary was weakening. It was evident that the love of the two young folk was complete, but that they would have to separate soon.
Meanwhile Chena Centaur collided with her brother, hugging him. “I thought I'd never see you again!” she cried through her tears of joy.
“I had a similar concern,” he admitted. “I feared for your safety on the brutish mainland.” He drew back a little. “But you seem to have changed.”
“I have joined a new species,” she said. “I am now a winged monster.” She spread her wings.
“So I see. I suppose it is for the best, if you are satisfied.”
“Yes I am. Except for one thing. Two things.”
“One? Two?”
“I miss my family. And I would like to find some winged stallions. Do you suppose that any on Centaur Isle—?”
He smiled. “I suppose it is time to confess. I found myself dissatisfied with things on Centaur Isle, and thought that if you had found a suitable situation, I might join your group. In fact, I know of some others who also might wish to join, if it were clear that they would be welcome.”
“Ooooo!” Chena cried, just like a human maiden. She hugged him again, then turned to Crystal. “Would you welcome a new stallion from Centaur Isle, if he put on wings?”
“We are among human folk,” Crystal said. “Therefore the Adult Conspiracy prevents me from answering in detail. But I think a very general affirmative would be in order.”
Carleton glanced at her. “You have not been a centaur long, I suspect,” he remarked. “You are speaking as you think a centaur would speak.”
Crystal blushed. “Is it so obvious? I'm trying so hard.”
“I think a centaur stallion would be glad to exchange elocution instruction for flying instruction.”
While this dialogue was occurring, Sheila Centaur was renewing her acquaintance with the family and Chlorine, and David was staring at her front. “Why, David,” Sheila remarked, “your eyes are green.” Centaurs were observant, and had good memories as well as good mammaries.
“Yeah,” he said. It didn't occur to him to wonder why a glimpse of a green bra should stain his eyes, while a complete look at a fine bare bosom merely made his eyes dilate. This was, of course, the magic of certain garments.
“How come you came here?” Karen asked. “I mean you helped us on our way, and we're glad, but do you really care about mainland Xanth?”
Sheila looked as if she was possibly pondering the merest hint of a blush, which would have been very unusual for a normal centaur. “It is true that my main interest is in Centaur Isle. But Carleton wished to see his sister again, and I was indisposed to allow him to travel that far alone.”
“I get it!” Karen cried with juvenile lack of circumspection. “You're sweet on Carleton!”
“Karen!” Mary cautioned.
“While that is not the way I would have chosen to express it, the sentiment is accurate,” Sheila confessed.
“Where he goes, I go.” There was a slight stress on the words, because she had a notion where Carleton was going.
They got organized and started for the castle again. But there was another arrival. It was a young woman with tangled hair, and a small dog.
Immediately Woofer and Midrange took note, and went out to meet the newcomers. Tweeter, perched on Karen's hair, chirped. That alerted the girl. “Snarl—and his lost mistress!” she cried, running after the pets.
So it was. Snarl had received an invitation to the party, because he had helped the Ill Wind effort, and he had brought Ursa along too, not wishing to separate from his mistress again. The girl seemed a bit baffled by it all, but Karen quickly filled her in while cuddling Snarl. There was another round of introductions.
They started in again—but were paused by still another arrival. No one recognized the four women striding purposefully toward them until Tweeter cheeped again. Then Chlorine, who had been talking with the centaurs, looked.
“The four forces of nature!” she exclaimed. “Everyone's here!”
There were more introductions, this time made by Chlorine. “Fira—the force of fire,” she said of the fiery woman. “Mareen—the force of water. Alanda—the force of land. And Windona—the force of, air. They helped us go to find the reverse story thread.” The four women nodded graciously. Fortunately Chlorine did not clarify that the women had enabled them to travel back in time.
Now at last they all went to the castle. Soufflé Serpent was in the moat, standing tall, with a little black bow tie on his neck to show that he was part of the resident staff.
They crossed the drawbridge, which was gaily decorated, and entered the castle proper. There, in a gown that made Mary wince, was Princess Nada Naga. And suddenly Willow understood why Prince Dolph had been distracted from Princess Electra, in the early days of their relationship.
But there were also the Demoness Mentia, and Trenita Imp, and Princess Ivy, and many others, and any concerns abou
t who might catch on to what were lost in the welter of additional introductions and remembrances.
Then Jenny Elf and another woman approached Willow.
“Hello, Sean,” Jenny said. “This is Wira, the Good Magician's daughter-in-law. She must talk with Willow.”
“Wira?” Sean asked. “But isn't she—” He caught himself.
“Blind,” Wira finished for him. “That is why Jenny is guiding me, here in this less familiar castle.”
“I am Willow,” Willow said, approaching her.
Wira smiled. “Magician Humfrey asked me to give you this.” She held out a card.
“Thank you,” Willow said. “But what is it?”
“It is a pass to Xanth. Present it at the station on No Name Key in Mundania and you and your companions will be admitted.”
“But I can't go to Mundania,” Willow protested. “I would die!”
“The Good Magician says that isn't true. But you would lose your wings and become a human maiden while there.
Your problem is not in leaving Xanth, but in returning.
Keep this pass with you always.”
Willow's eyes widened. “You mean I can go with Sean? And have my wings when I return? And he can come back with me?” “Please don't speak so loudly,” Wira cautioned. “The Good Magician would not like to have it widely known that he ever did a favor without charge. But considering your service in helping to save Xanth from the Ill Wind, he felt it was warranted.”
“Oh!” Willow cried, on the verge of fainting from joy and relief. “Tell him thank you! Thank you! Thank—”
But Wira was gone.
“We can be together,” Sean breathed. “I'm sure Dad will let you travel to Miami with us.”
“But what of your mother?”
“She will be silent. That's her way of agreeing without actually saying yes to an arrangement some might consider untoward.”
“Untoward?”
“You and me sharing a room.”
“Sharing—?”
“In my generation, it's acceptable for engaged couples to share residence.”
“Engaged?” Willow was staring at the pass, still getting her new bearings.