Eve made half a pause, surprised. “You know, there could be. Maybe we should not mention it. We can simply say we are in need of a piece of equipment.”
“Let’s do that.”
Eve dropped back to notify the others, and Olive came up to ride beside him. “What she told you is true. We are interested in mortal men; you are interested in a De mon ess. That’s why we fear for you.”
“But to— to—”
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“It is not that much of a sacrifice, Jumper. We know you are worthy. We want you to keep your perspective.”
“I will try to keep it without making demands on any of you.”
“But if you do feel the need, and want the one who is most amenable, that would be Wenda. She is innocent too, and understands that aspect, and she does like you.”
“Uh, thank you.” He couldn’t think of anything else to say. He found the commitment of the girls somewhat overwhelming. Despite their reassurances, he did not feel worthy.
Near dusk they reached the verge of the Ogre-fen-Ogre Fen. It was a huge flat bog girt with islands of trees, and devious paths made their way cautiously through it. How would they ever find the cable here? They camped near a bit of open water and discussed the matter. “All we know is that we’ll find it when, in the Ogre Fen,” Jumper reminded them. “If we are able.”
“We’ll just have to ask around,” Dawn said as they had supper. “I will know whether a person is telling the truth, though I won’t know everything unless I touch him or her.”
“We don’t want to give away our identities,” Eve reminded her.
“Pluto may have sent out word to beware of two princesses.”
“The rest of us can question them,” Haughty said. “And Jumper will have to stay in manform, in case they are also alert for a big spider.”
“And we should be wary of children,” Olive said. They washed, seemingly ignoring Jumper as they peeled naked and splashed in the shallow water, but he knew that this too was deliberate. They were demonstrating that they trusted him, while also reminding him that he did not need to be with Sharon to have access to a female body. His reactions remained mixed. He appreciated their attitude, but he did wish he could be with Sharon. Or, better, Eris. When they settled down to sleep, Wenda joined him, alone. He took her hand, kissed it, and closed his eyes. After a time he was able to sleep.
In the morning they ranged out, looking for local people. There were several paths winding through the fen as if exploring it. They decided to go out in pairs. Jumper went out with Wenda, who just sort of 039-40892_ch01_4P.qxp 7/30/09 12:35 PM Page 272 272
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stayed with him. They encountered a young man who was sitting by his fishing line.
“Hello. My name is Jumper, and this is my friend Wenda. I am looking for some equipment. Do you know where any is?” This seemed inane, yet how else were they to proceed?
“I have no idea,” the man said, gazing at Wenda with perhaps a bit more than passing interest. “I am Ande. But I want your promise not to take our trea sure.”
“We’re not looking for trea sure, and if we were, we wouldn’t take it from anyone else.”
“So you promise?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe my brother Bruce will know. He can see almost anything.”
“Thank you. Where can I find him?”
“Just a bit farther along this path.”
Wenda smiled at Ande, tacitly rewarding him for his assistance.
“Thank you,” Jumper repeated, and they walked on. Soon they came across a man carving a toy boat from wood.
“Bruce?” Jumper asked.
The man looked up. His gaze fell on Wenda, and he paused, seeming slightly dazed. “Yes.”
“I am Jumper, and this is Wenda. We are looking for some equipment. Your brother Ande said you might help.”
“Well, I can help you look,” Bruce said. He reached up and touched Jumper’s forehead.
Suddenly there was something odd about Jumper’s vision. He seemed to be seeing right through Bruce. “What is this?” he asked, alarmed.
“I just lent you my talent of seethrough,” Bruce said. “Now for a while you can see through anything you wish to. Just focus carefully.”
Jumper looked around uncertainly. He discovered that he could see right through trees when he tried, or not through them when he relaxed. He looked at Wenda, at first seeing through her, then curtailing the effect until he saw only through her outer clothing. There were her bra 039-40892_ch01_4P.qxp 7/30/09 12:35 PM Page 273
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and pan ties, nicely filled. He blinked and moved on. Now he had a notion why Bruce had seemed dazed. He had been looking at Wenda’s underwear.
“Uh, thank you,” he said. “This should help my search.”
“Maybe sister Clare will be able to help you,” Bruce said as his gaze lingered on Wenda’s skirt, or more likely through it. “She’s not far beyond here.”
“Thank you. We’ll ask her.” They walked on along the path.
“That man made me ner vous,” Wenda confided when they were alone. “The way he looked at me.”
Should he tell her? He concluded that honesty was best. “He was looking through your clothing at your underwear.”
“Oh!”
“I can see it too, for now. It’s in good order.” That was an understatement; the Good Magician had given her compelling flesh.
“Thank yew,” she said, not perfectly reassured. They came to a woman peeling potatoes. She was well formed under her clothing. “Clare?” Jumper asked. “I am Jumper and this is my friend Wenda. Your brother Bruce said you might be able to help us look for some equipment.”
“Perhaps,” Clare agreed. “Do you know anyone who knows where your equipment is?”
“No.”
“Then I can’t help. My talent is to tap into the memory of any creature, and then relive that memory. I can share that experience with another, just as Bruce can share his seethrough talent. Stop looking at my bra.”
Jumper looked away, embarrassed. “I apologize.”
She laughed. “Don’t bother. Every man does, when he borrows that talent. He can’t help himself. I was just letting you know I know.”
“Yes,” Jumper agreed weakly. “I think we should move on.”
“So what do you think of it?”
Jumper hesitated. “Of what?”
“My bra, of course.”
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“It is spectacular.”
She smiled. “Correct answer. So I’ll tell you something. Beware of my sister Dele. She can change a person’s age.”
“You mean, make a person older?”
“Or younger. She may or may not elect to change that person back. So try not to annoy her.”
“I will certainly try not to,” Jumper agreed, shaken. They walked on along the path. “I dew knot like these people,”
Wenda said. “There is something odd about them.”
She was evidently more observant than he. “How so?”
“There is something false. I dew knot know exactly what, but they are knot exactly what they appear.”
That made him ner vous. “Should we break this off and seek elsewhere?”
“No. The cable might bee here. But we must bee careful.”
“Agreed,” he said, unsettled.
Dele was a fairly pretty young woman in a nice pink bra (he just couldn’t help looking) sewing a blanket. “Hello, strangers,” she called as they approached.
“You must be Dele,” Jumper said. “Clare said you could change a person’s age.”
“Yes. Is there some age you would prefer to be?”
“We are satisfied as we are,” Jumper said quickly. Now he was aware of the subtle wrongness about her. Wenda was right.
“Too bad. What brings
you here?”
“We are looking for some equipment.”
“You haven’t seen enough?” she asked, inhaling. Obviously she knew. “Apology,” he said. “I’m not used to . . . I can’t seem to help—”
Dele laughed. “Which is why Bruce lent you the talent. It is his idea of a joke. Clare and I are used to it.”
“Thank you,” he said uncomfortably.
“Can you describe this equipment?”
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of children, but these were adults, so maybe it was all right. “We are looking for a section of cable. We need it for a repair.”
“Did you talk to Ande?”
“Yes. We promised him not to take your trea sure.”
“Then talk to Enze.”
“Who?”
“Our fifth sibling, who guards our trea sure.”
“But that’s not what we want.”
“We’ll see. Do you know the consequence of breaking a promise?”
“We’re not going to break a promise,” Jumper said.
“Enze can change a person’s gender.”
“We dew knot want to change,” Wenda said.
“That’s the least you will suffer if you break a promise to Ande. That’s his talent: virtually unbreakable promises.”
Another person appeared. Jumper wasn’t sure whether this was male or female, and his view through the clothing didn’t seem to help. So he thought of male, for want of certainty.
“Enze, show them our trea sure,” Dele said.
“This way.” He led them to a house, and into it, to a curtained room. There was a single large chest. He lifted its lid. Inside was a length of intricately wound metallic cable. Both its ends were torn and twisted, as if it had been ripped from a longer section. It must have been a considerable impact, because the cable was about a foot and a half thick.
“That’s it!” Jumper exclaimed. “That’s the section of the broken cable we need to repair the original cable.”
“That is our trea sure,” Enzi said.
And they had promised not to take it.
Wenda was quicker on the uptake than Jumper. “Can we make a deal for it?”
“There is only one deal we want,” Enze said. “To return to our youth.”
“But you’re not old,” Jumper said.
Now the others appeared. “We are all children,” Ande said. “But we were curious about the adult state, so Dele changed us all to young 039-40892_ch01_4P.qxp 7/30/09 12:35 PM Page 276 276
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adults. It was a disappointment. Then we discovered that we couldn’t change back.”
“How did yew get the cable?” Wenda asked.
“We found it lying in the forest where it had landed. It has an aura of power about it, so we decided to keep it and trade it for our lost youth.”
“We can’t give you that,” Jumper said regretfully. He thought of Olive and her imaginary friends, but suspected that none could duplicate the age-changing talent. Because this was supposed to be a difficult obstacle, and such a friend would make it too easy.
“Then go your way,” Clare said.
What could they do? They left the house and cable. They couldn’t take it, and couldn’t trade for it.
“Does this mean we can knot complete our mission?” Wenda asked disconsolately as they returned to their base camp.
“I am afraid it does,” Jumper said. “That has to be the missing section. Without it, we can’t repair the main cable.”
“The others will knot bee pleased.”
He was sure she was right. “I am not pleased either. But I can’t break my word. I don’t care what horrendous penalties there may be; I wouldn’t break it anyway.”
“Beecause you’re a good person,” she said tearfully.
“I almost wish I weren’t.”
“I wood knot break it either.”
He truly appreciated her support. “Wenda, I love you.”
“I love yew,” she repeated. “Dew yew want to take me?”
“No. I want you to be happy with your prince. But I want always to be your friend.”
She was happy to accept that. “Then kiss me, and we will tell the others the bad news.”
He kissed her, and she was wonderfully soft and sweet. But as his hands pressed against her back, he paused, startled. The back of her shirt was loose, covering nothing. “Wenda! Your back is gone!”
She felt behind her with her own hands. “Oh, no! I have reverted. Because it was only for the mission, and the mission has failed.”
“I’m so sorry,” he said.
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“We will all be sorry,” she said tearfully. “We will all lose what we borrowed.”
They disengaged and trudged sorrowfully back toward the camp. Jumper realized that probably they would not have to tell the others; they would already know, because of the effects on them. All because he refused to break his word. He was ashamed. 039-40892_ch01_4P.qxp 7/30/09 12:35 PM Page 278 14
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They gathered at the camp. A cloud of gloom formed around them, blotting out the surroundings.
“I don’t see what else you could have done,” Olive said. “You made a promise. You were perhaps foolish not to verify its implication before making it, but any of us could have been caught similarly.”
“Especially if Pluto set it up as a trap,” Phanta said. “If Jumper hadn’t made the promise, they might have hidden the cable, and if he had found it anyway, he still might not have wanted to take their trea sure away from them. He’s softhearted.”
“That’s one thing we like about him,” Maeve said. “Some of us are with him because of it.”
Dawn glanced across at Eve. “How are you feeling, sis?”
Eve grimaced. “About the way any princess would feel at the prospect of becoming the plaything of a rogue Dwarf Demon.”
“Maybee he will marry yew anyway,” Wenda said.
“Not if not compelled.” Eve took a deep breath. “I gambled, I made a deal, I lost. I will pay the penalty.”
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“No,” Dawn said. “Let’s stay here this afternoon and have a wild party, pretending we’re happy. Tomorrow we can forge through the gloom.”
They liked that idea. “There is a beerbarrel tree knot far away,”
Wenda said. “We can get disgustingly drunk.”
“And gorge on sinfully fattening pies,” Maeve said.
“And do things with Jumper that will embarrass him no end,” Eve said darkly.
“A real orgy,” Dawn agreed, brightening.
Jumper thought of protesting, but concluded that considering the circumstances, he would be satisfied to let them do those things. It might help take his mind off his failure.
They scattered and collected the makings of their party: a keg of ale rejected by a beerbarrel tree, super-sweet pies, several rich cheesecakes, and a crateful of bottles of tsoda pop. In the course of their scavenging they also collected a girl. Not an ordinary girl; her head, shoulders, arms, and torso seemed to float above her hips and legs, which were hardly more than bones.
She was Anne Orexic, impossibly thin, so it seemed appropriate to have her join the orgy, in the hope that she would gain some weight. In fact she hardly seemed to be together.
“How did yew get so thin?” Wenda asked. “Yew are even thinner than I am, in yewr fashion. Is yewr talent losing weight?”
“No, my talent is the four-letter word. I swam in Bare Lake so often I waisted away to almost nothing,” Anne said, gobbling down a frothy scream pie. “So I lost my waist, and now my parts aren??
?t really connected. I became a caution to other girls who wanted to skinny dip too much.”
“Have some more pie,” Wenda said, proffering a muscular piece of beefcake.
“What kind of four-letter words?” Haughty asked.
“They are commands. When I speak a four-letter word in a certain way, it happens. Such as ‘Burn.’ ” She looked at the pile of sticks Jumper and Olive were making for a bonfire. “Burn,” she repeated with emphasis.
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Suddenly the pile was burning. Jumper stepped back, impressed.
“Can you speak any others?” he asked.
“Sure. Boom.”
“I DIDN’T HEAR ANYTHING,” Jumper said. And paused, for his voice was booming.
The girls laughed— and their laughter boomed across the landscape and into the welkin. This was fun.
“OOPS,” Maeve boomed. “WE FORGOT WATER. WE CAN’T
CLEAN UP BEFORE WE EAT.”
“WASH,” Anne said. And water was flowing, forming a small stream beside their camp, washing on down into a nearby gully.
“Hey!” someone protested. It was not one of their group, because the voice didn’t boom.
Jumper investigated. There in the gully was a small pool rapidly becoming a larger one, because of the stream of water. In it was a mermaid. She was of course bare, with a fish tail. The river was falling on her head, mussing her hair.
“We’re sorry,” he said. “We didn’t know anyone was here when we conjured the water. I am Jumper.”
“Oh, it’s all right, I suppose,” the mermaid said. “It just caught me by surprise. I am Oceana Rain Fields, the nymph of this pond.” She moved out of the falling water and started brushing out her hair.
“Some of us want to wash up,” Jumper said. “Do you mind if we use your pond?”
“Welcome,” Oceana said. “I maintain it as a public ser vice.”
“Well, now,” Phanta said, managing to get her voice down toward normal. “I was feeling grubby, so now I’ll wash.” She removed her clothing and started splashing in the water. In half a moment the other girls were joining her. Jumper watched, bemused. They were lovely, sprightly, and sexy.