"Well, let's go!" he said happily. “This time I'm going to do things better, and not goof up the way I did before."
Nada concealed her sigh. Little did he know!
They set out along the path. "Now, it's okay to go get supplies and all at the Isthmus Village," Dug said. "That turned out satisfactorily. I mean, we did them some good, right? And we abolished the censor-ship. So I won't avoid that, I'll just do it more efficiently this time."
"But the game layout will be different," she reminded him. "And you will be unable to avoid your nemesis Com-Pewter, no matter what you do, because he will remember, just as I do." She was now a False Companion, but she had to play the part of a Fair Companion, and this was exactly what a Fair Companion would say. In fact, she would have to act exactly the same as she would have, until after he got by Pewter, because it was pointless to wash him out when it might occur naturally. Her job was not merely to wash him out, but to wash him out just when he was on the verge of a significant breakthrough or victory. To make it as painful as possible for him. So she had to be the perfect Fair Companion, until that dastardly chance came to be the perfect False one.
"That's okay," he said in his Mundanish idiom. "I want to settle with Pewter anyway. He was just lucky, beating me in that riddle contest. I just didn't know enough about Xanth."
She saw that be was in danger of hurting himself through overconfidence. She should warn him—but the Fair Companion would not have the heart to hurt his feelings, and the False Companion noted that his attitude would make him an easier patsy. So she allowed her silence to be taken as agreement.
The path led to a strange village. Its layout was different, and the houses were dissimilar, and the people—Nada had never seen folk exactly like these. They were just like regular humans, but they were black. Or at least dark brown.
"What's this?" Dug asked, startled as he made a similar observation.
"The layout has changed," Nada said. "I didn't realize that it would be this drastic. This is an entirely different village."
"You said it! Those are blacks."
"You recognize them?"
"Well, not as individuals. But they are—I think the dictionary word is Negroes. People from Africa. We had—I mean, in Mundania there was an ugly—they were brought over as slaves, and then after a war they were freed, but the white folk never did really accept them. It's supposed to be all equal now, no discrimination, but—well, it's like that censor-ship. One of those bad things that exist."
Nada found this confusing. "White people brought black people to their land—and then would not accept them?"
"Not as free people. Not as equals. Not to live next to. There was a whole lot of trouble about integrating the schools, because—" He saw her blank look. "Just take my word: I'm white, and I'm not proud of what my people did. But it's not all that easy to set things right I mean, once there was this black girl in my math class, and I sort of bleed the look of her, she was almost as pretty as you, in her way, and smart too, but I knew if I even said boo to her, I'd lose most of my friends, and her brothers would maybe beat me up. So I just had to ignore her, and I guess she thought I was pretty snotty, but I mean it just wasn't worth the hassle. Probably she thought I was a jerk anyway. So there never was anything there, but I wish—well, I don't know what I wish, but I feel sort of bad about it.”
Nada was perplexed and relieved. Perplexed because it was apparent that the social attitudes of Mundanes were stranger than she had known, and relieved because this had nothing to do with her role as a False Companion, and she could just put that aside for now and not think about it "You wanted to associate with her, but others would not allow it?"
"Yeah, I guess. Her name was Princilla, not Priscilla, and I thought it was a really neat name, you know?”
"Princilla—like Princess," Nada said, appreciating it
"Yeah. Like you. But whites just don't date blacks, in my town, not if they want to stay healthy. It's even worse if a black man wants to date a white girl. We're all in classes together, and we play ball together, and we ride the bus together, but there's a line—" He shrugged. "But that's there. Now we're here. I'm sure Xanth doesn't put up with that bleep. What do we do?"
"There is no need to visit this village," she reminded him. "We don't need weapons, and food grows on trees. So the only reason to stop here is if there may be something you can learn or acquire that will help you farther along in the game, which is doubtful." This was the truth.
"You know, in other games, you have to go fetch a magic key, or something, before you can get through a locked door to get something else. This isn't that sort of game?"
“I don't think so. I suppose there could be a key, but I don't know where a locked door would be. I really don't know how you can get where you have to go; that's why we need to see the Good Magician."
“Yeah. Well, maybe there is something I can learn here, that will help me. So let's go talk with these people."
"As you wish." It was amazing: so far her status as False Companion had made no difference at all. At the rate Dug was going, he very well might wash himself out despite anything she could do, leaving her clear both with respect to the game and her conscience. It was, ironically, a somewhat endearing quality in him.
"Hi there," Dug called as they approached the nearest man. This was a carpenter, or at least a man doing some sawing of wood. He seemed to be building a house, slowly.
The black man paused, staring at them. He did not speak.
“Look, I mean no harm," Dug said. "Last time I passed this way, there was a whole different village here. I'm amazed how it changed so suddenly. If you don't want to talk to me, okay, I'll just move on. I'm not looking for any trouble. But I sure am curious what happened."
The man turned his gaze on Nada. She smiled, cautiously. There was a subdued glow when she did that, brightening the man's face. That happened, sometimes. He had to smile back. "You got one pretty woman there," he said.
"She's not my woman," Dug said quickly. "She's just my Companion." Evidently realizing that this lacked clarity, he made a more formal introduction. "This is Princess Nada Naga. She's just showing me around the game."
The man nodded. "That must be some game."
"This is Dug Mundane," Nada said. "He has to find his way to a prize, we think. I am a native of Xanth, so I am guiding him. But it is clear that there are some parts of Xanth I don't know very well myself. I never saw folk like you before."
"You're a magic woman?" the man asked.
"Yes. I can show you, if you wish." She wasn't eager to do this, because then there would be the complication of returning to her human form without allowing her body or underclothing to be seen. But it was her job to help Dug get through the game, for now, and if showing her magic was required, then she would do it.
"Show me," the man said.
So she assumed serpent form and slithered out of her clothes. Then she assumed Naga form. "We are serpent folk," she explained. "This is my natural form."
Other black folk were walking toward them. Nada hoped they were friendly. She did not want to have to assume large serpent form and fight them to protect Dug, but the game required that she do so if necessary.
"You really are magic," the first man said. "Okay, change back, and we'll talk,”
Now Dug interceded. "She can't just change back, because then people would see her bare body. She needs a private place."
The man nodded. "Body like that, I can see why." He turned and shouted at the half-built house. "Hey, Mari, someone to see you."
"All right, Jaff," a black woman called from the house.
Dug picked up Nada's clothing, wadded it into a bundle, and proffered it to her. “Go ahead, Nada," he said. "I'll be all right."
She returned to full serpent form, took the bundle in her mouth, and slithered toward the house. She did seem to have broken the ice.
Mari opened the door, and Nada slithered in. Then she set down her bundle, assumed naga form,
and explained: "I'm a naga—a serpent woman. I need a private place to resume my human form and get dressed."
The woman hesitated. "This is the only room in the house. We're still building it."
"Oh, it's all right for you to remain," Nada said. "Just so long as mere are no men or children."
"My man's outside. No children."
So Nada resumed human form, and quickly got into her clothing.
"You've got some human form!” the woman said.
"Well, I'm supposed to, I'm a princess."
"There are others like you?"
"Yes. We naga folk live mostly in the mountains, underground. We fight goblins when they try to intrude."
"Goblins!"
"No offense intended," Nada said quickly. "Some goblins are nice. I have friends who are goblins. But—"
The woman burst out laughing. "Did I say something funny?" Nada inquired, nettled.
"Goblins raid our stores," Man said. "We don't like them either. It's just that what you said sounded so much like what we've heard when white folk talk about us. About how we're okay, as long as we stay in our place."
Nada was mindful of what Dug had just told her, about the strained relations between the white and black folk of Mundania. "Are you by any chance from Mundania?"
"That's what you call it, yes. We left, because—"
"Because they wouldn't let you be equal, or intermarry."
the woman nodded. "Something like that But we don't know that it's different here. This is one weird place, but the folk are white."
"Actually mere are other colored folk in some places," Nada said. "Green, purple, gray—“
"Maybe we should try to meet them."
"I suppose you could. I don't know where they live now, but there used to be some around Castle Roogna."
Nada was all the way dressed now. They went out. Dug was talking with a group of men. It seemed to be friendly.
Dug saw her. "Hey, I think we can make a deal," he said. "These good folk will give me supplies, if one of them can travel along with us, to see if there's a place in Xanth they will be welcomed. If it's okay with you."
"It is your decision to make," she reminded him. "But perhaps we should learn more of these folk before deciding."
The black men glanced at each other, and glanced at bit longer at Nada. "Sure, let's talk," Jaff agreed.
They walked into the village, where there was a larger, more finished house. They settled on crude wooden chairs. Jaff seemed to be the spokesman, since they had talked with him first "We're from what you call Mundania," he said. "We crossed only a couple of years ago. We were having a bad time, no good jobs, things were tight, and then somehow we found this path to this magic land and we said, hell, it can't be worse than what we face at home! So we moved here, with our families. But there were some strange things here, like pies growing on trees, and real live dragons, and goblins. So we found a place to camp and sort of hunkered down, and now we're trying to decide whether to settle here or look around some more. We've seen some of the people here, and they're white. We're not sure how they'll be. We don't want trouble, we just want decent jobs and lives. But things just seem to get weirder, the farther we go in this land, so we aren't sure yet what to do."
"You must be a Wave!" Nada exclaimed.
"A wave?”
"A Wave of Colonization. There have been ten or so, and each Wave usually brings a lot of violence, but not all of them. So you must be the Black Wave. If you don't want to fight, I know the folk here don't want to fight you. We always need more human folk in Xanth, and there are plenty of places to live."
"This sounds pretty good," Jaff said. "Still, we'd like to check it out before we do anything much."
"Look," Dug said. "I'm just a visitor here myself, as I told you. When my game finishes, I'll have to go back to Mundania. But I don't think there's anything in the rules that says I can't take someone else along. I should get a good tour of the region, because I have to find whatever it is I have to find, and anyway, I can make side trips if I want to. So I think it's a fair deal. You fix me up with some supplies, and a weapon to defend myself, and I’ll take along one of you, and he can ask all the questions he wants, and maybe find the place you're looking for. Then he can return and tell the rest of you about it"
Nada was uneasy about this, and not just because of her ugly mission. "I don't know."
Dug turned to her. "You have a problem with that?” he asked, half smiling.
"Yes. You are a Player, and I am here to guide you and protect you, to the best of my ability." That was now a half-truth, and she hated it, but she was bound by the rules of the game. "But it is not my job to guide or protect any other person. I might save you from mischief, but the other would suffer it, when he wouldn't have if he had not come with us."
Jaff looked at her. "You are protecting him?" He was obviously dubious.
"You saw me change forms," she replied evenly. "I can become a big serpent if I choose."
"She sure can," Dug said enthusiastically. "She backed off a flying dragon once! And she knows Xanth, so she can keep me out of trouble, if I don't insist on blundering into it anyway."
Jaff looked at his wife. Mari spoke. "She's a good person, Jaff. She's a princess of her kind. Her folk fight goblins."
Jaff turned back to Dug. "We're ready to risk it if you are."
"Then let's do it," Dug said. "Who is coming?"
There was a pause. Then a man who seemed to be in his thirties spoke. "I think I can handle it"
The others nodded agreement "Sherlock can handle it," Jaff said.
"I'll have to get things from Smith," Sherlock said.
"By all means," Jaff agreed. Sherlock went to another part of the village.
So they got together supplies, and gave Dug a good solid club for a weapon, and Sherlock joined the small party. He was neither large nor handsome, but seemed alert Nada wondered whether he was a plant by the game, representing some additional challenge. After all, the Isthmus Village had led them into a considerable challenge, and Black Village was where it had been, so must have been arranged by the game. Dug had chosen to get along rather than antagonize the folk of the Black Wave, but the challenge might not yet be over. Should she warn him about this, or keep silent?
She was now a False Companion. She kept silent.
The three of them were soon on their way along the path. But evening was approaching, just as when they had passed this way before. Was the time fixed by there location, or was it coincidence? She had thought it was still morning when Dug lost the riddle contest and left the game, but perhaps it had been afternoon. So this might be evening of another day. It really didn't seem to matter. All she had to be concerned about was getting him safely through to Com-Pewter, and if he didn't lose to the infernal machine again, she would find something worse to make him lose. Then she would be free of her uncomfortable obligation, and if he came back a third time, and chose her again, she might be a Fair Companion.
"We shall have to make camp for the night, soon," Nada said.
"Right," Dug said. "And we know where. Let's get on to it"
"You know where?" Sherlock asked. "I thought this region was just wilderness. We have explored it, and found no safe havens."
Nada nodded. "That must be right," she agreed. "This is our second effort in the game; Dug got eliminated by Com-Pewter, the evil machine, and had to start over. The geography got changed, so probably the enchanted campsite we found before is no longer there."
"The geography changed? When did you pass this way before?"
"Yesterday," Dug said. "There was a different village here then."
Sherlock shook his head. "We have been here for a year."
"Well, you would say that. You're part of the game."
“No, you are part of the game. We came to Xanth on our own, and I assure you, it is no game to us."
Dug looked at Nada. "Can you figure this out? Which is real: what we saw, or what they saw?"
"That's easy to resolve," she said, realizing what the key had to be. "The path is enchanted, not to protect us, but to direct us to the challenges of the game. So Isthmus Village must be in one place, and Black Village in another, and the path took us to each in turn, making it seem that they were in the same region."
"Isthmus Village," Sherlock said. "We know of that. It is about a day's walk from here. The people are taciturn and unfriendly, and they refuse to use any expressive words."
"That's changed," Dug said. "They were being oppressed by a censor-ship, but we managed to douse its censers, and now the folk are expressive and happy again."
"I wish there were a ship we could abolish, to make us welcome," Sherlock said.
Nada realized that though she was doomed to betray Dug, she did not have to do the same for Sherlock, whether or not he was part of the game. "I do not think you are unwelcome here," she said. "Mundania is a dreary, awful place, but this is Xanth."
"It may be Xanth, and it may be magic, but we have encountered unfriendly animals and people," Sherlock said. "The Isthmus Villagers, the dragons, the goblins—"
Nada laughed. "Those don't count! The Isthmus folk we explained about; they were unfriendly to us too, at first. Dragons always attack people; they see us as prey. And goblins are mean to everybody, unless they are taught respect. That is improving now, since Gwenny became their first lady chief, but that's only one tribe; the others are still bad. You don't seem to have met the regular human folk of Xanth yet"
"It's true. You are the first travelers to pass who accepted us. The others either shied away without coming into the village, or were polite but refused to associate with us. That's why we were cautious about you."
"The others were probably cautious because they didn't know you," she said. "Strangers can be dangerous. Even strange trees can be dangerous."
He laughed. "Yes, so we discovered. There's the one full of tentacles—"