Golem in the Gears Page 16

  “What kind of deal?” the damsel asked, perplexed despite her terror.

  “Tell her this, Golem,” the goathead bleated. “I will destroy you and the Bed Monster, unless the damsel returns to me.”

  Suddenly the nature of the campaign came clear! The Sea Hag had not given up on Rapunzel; she wanted the damsel back under control, in the Ivory Tower. That would have only one end.

  “I won’t tell her that!” Grundy said.

  “Tell her!” the lionhead roared. “Or I’ll destroy her too!”

  And that, too, made sense. If the Sea Hag couldn’t have her captive back, there would be nothing left for her except revenge. Certainly she would never let Rapunzel go free to live her own life! Wouldn’t it be better at least to let the damsel live?

  “I know what she wants!” Rapunzel cried. “Oh, I’d rather die!”

  “Then die you shall!” the lionhead roared. “But first you will watch what I do to your foolish friends, just in case you should be moved to change your mind.” The monster stalked forward.

  But now there was a new commotion—and Grundy knew it couldn’t be another incarnation of the Hag, because the last one hadn’t died.

  In a moment it came into view: two people, a handsome young man and a pretty young woman. “Jordan! Threnody!” Grundy cried with enormous relief.

  The chimaera glanced back with one of its heads. “Nobody can save you, Golem!” it snarled. “I will destroy them too!”

  Grundy wondered what impossible coincidence had brought his friends here at this moment. But he didn’t stop to ponder. “I’m in trouble!” he called.

  Jordan drew his sword. “Not anymore,” he said confidently. He advanced on the monster. He was a fine figure of a barbarian warrior.

  “Very well, fool!” the lionhead snarled. No ordinary man could stand up to a chimaera, and the Hag knew it.

  Jordan, however, was not an ordinary man. He had been a ghost for several hundred years, and now was alive again. He had been just about fearless in his first life, and now he was more so. He had a special talent that the Hag might not know about.

  The chimaera pounced. Jordan slashed so quickly and hard with his sword that the monster’s lionhead was lopped off.

  Surprised, the monster landed, turned, and surveyed the situation. Another creature might have died on the spot, but this one was made of sterner stuff. Then the goathead opened its mouth and spewed forth a stream of fire.

  Jordan tried to duck, but wasn’t quick enough. The fire caught the upper part of his head, burning off his hair, one ear, and an eyeball or two. Rapunzel screamed.

  Now the chimaera stepped up, the goathead guiding the lionclaws. It raised a foot, about to disembowel the still-standing man.

  “Right before you!” Threnody called. “Now!”

  With one mighty heave of his sword, Jordan cut off the goathead.

  This was too much even for the chimaera. It fell down and died.

  “But the man!” Rapunzel cried with horror. “His eyes!”

  “Yes, I’m afraid they’re pretty well cooked,” Threnody said, cocking her head as she studied Jordan. “But don’t be concerned; he heals quickly.”

  “He—?”

  “His talent,” Grundy explained. “He can’t be permanently hurt. You’ll see.”

  Threnody took Jordan by the hand and guided him to the bed. “Sit down,” she told him. “Danger’s over.”

  Grundy wasn’t at all sure of that, but he hoped there would be a while before the Hag found another monster to occupy. “How did you come to be here?” he asked.

  “We received a message from Bink,” Threnody explained. “He told us that it would probably be a good thing if we traveled through this section of Xanth. So we did.”

  “Bink! But he didn’t even know I’d be here, or what trouble I’d be in!”

  “It must have been a lucky coincidence, then,” she said.

  A lucky coincidence. The kind that happened perpetually when Bink was around. Now it had been extended to the farthest shore of Xanth. What was there about the man?

  Threnody glanced at Rapunzel. “I don’t believe I know you.”

  “She’s Rapunzel,” Grundy said. “I’m rescuing her from the Sea Hag.”

  “The Sea Hag?”

  “She’s immortal. She occupies other folk’s bodies, until they die. She was in this chimaera. Now she’ll appear in some other form, and try to kill us again. We’re under siege.”

  Threnody pursed her lips. “I see. Then I think we had better stay with you for a while.” She glanced at Jordan. “Feeling better, dear?”

  Jordan’s head was already sprouting new hair. His scorched-off ear was growing back, and his eyes seemed to be uncooking. It was an amazing thing to watch. He nodded affirmatively; he was feeling better.

  “You may have to fight again, soon,” Threnody told him.

  Jordan shrugged. Evidently the prospect didn’t bother him.

  “If no attack occurs within an hour, we should be all right,” Threnody said. “What sort of form will this Hag assume next?”

  “There’s no telling,” Grundy said. “We’ll have to be suspicious of everything.”

  “Very well. I’ll stand guard; the rest of you rest.”

  “I couldn’t rest!” Rapunzel protested. “This has been so horrible!”

  “Then let the menfolk rest,” Threnody suggested. “You and I can chat.”

  Grundy sighed internally. Now the damsel would find out what real human beings were like. He had known it would happen, but had hoped he would have a few more days before then. Still, the arrival of Jordan and Threnody had been most timely, and he really couldn’t protest. His relationship with Rapunzel would be over, but at least he had his life.

  “Come on, Jordan,” he said to the healing man. “Lie down here for an hour. I’ll snooze on your chest, if you don’t mind. That way, I’ll know if anything approaches you.”

  Jordan lay down, and Grundy climbed onto the man’s solid chest and lay down. He didn’t really expect to sleep, but he surprised himself by doing so almost immediately.

  12

  Ever-Glades

  They slept a good deal more than an hour; it was afternoon when Grundy woke. Jordan was just stirring; that was what had alerted him. The girls were nearby, putting the finishing touches on a pretty fancy repast.

  Jordan sat up, and Grundy simply climbed to his shoulder. The man’s head was entirely better now; his hair had regrown completely, and his eyes and ears were whole. There weren’t even any scars; it was just as if he had never suffered injury. Grundy had known about the man’s talent, but this still impressed him. Any other man would have been in very sad state, after such a battle with a chimaera.

  “I’m hungry,” Jordan exclaimed, stretching. “Let’s eat.”

  They went to join the girls. There were fruits and nuts of many descriptions, and milk and bread and cookies and assorted other delicacies. “Where did you find all this?” Grundy demanded.

  Threnody shrugged. “Oh, here and there,” she said. “There are always good things to be found in Xanth, if you know where to look.”

  Evidently so. “But the Hag—”

  “Never showed,” Rapunzel said brightly. She was golem-size, and she had done something with her wild, shorn hair, because now it was pleasantly curly. Her clothing had been ragged and sweat-soaked after the trudge, but now it was neat and clean. She had been the prettiest young woman he had encountered; now she was more so.

  “Maybe she was tired, after getting killed so many times,” he said uncertainly.

  “Come, sit down, eat,” Rapunzel said, leading him to a chair fashioned from a fragment of wood and some straw. “What will you have?”

  “We really should be under cover, in case she comes as a big bird, or a dragon—”

  Rapunzel shook her head. “See those chips in a big circle around us, Grundy?” she asked, pointing.

  He looked. “Yes, but—”

  “Th
at’s reverse-wood. If she tries to pass that circle, it will reverse her magic.”

  “Reverse-wood!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t realize that was here!”

  “Threnody found it,” she said. “She and Jordan have been traveling through the area, and they found a cache on the other side of Lake Ogre-Chobee, near the region of madness, so they brought some along. She carried it in her purse. Of course she couldn’t stay too close to him when he fought, or when he was healing, but—”

  “I’ll say!” he agreed. “Reverse-wood reverses any magic in its vicinity! I remember when the Good Magician was near some, and his information became disinformation. But—”

  “Its range is very short,” she reassured him. “It doesn’t affect us, as long as we don’t go too close to the circle. But it kept Mother Swe—the Sea Hag away. She may be watching us now, but she doesn’t dare come in, because, even if she flew over the circle, we could toss a chip at her.”

  “That’s terrific!” he cried. “You’re very smart!”

  “Oh, no, Threnody figured it out. She’s been in the wilderness a long time and is jungle-wise. She told me a lot.”

  Surely so! “So now you can see what the human state is like,” he said, glad for her, but sad for himself.

  “Actually, Threnody’s a halfbreed, like me. She’s a human/demon cross, while I’m human/elven. She married a straight human man.”

  “Say, I had forgotten it in the excitement!” Grundy exclaimed. “Jordan is your—”

  She blushed fetchingly. “Yes. My ancestor.”

  “Your ancestor,” he repeated. “I hope you find him satisfactory.”

  She laughed. “Silly! How can I pass judgment on him?”

  “Still, he’s a full human being, so you can get a notion what that is like.”

  “Not really. He’s a barbarian from four hundred years ago; he has never been part of today’s society, because he stays with Threnody, and she can’t go to Castle Roogna.”

  Because the curse on her would cause Castle Roogna to fall. The girls had evidently been talking about various things. “Well, once we get you to the castle, you’ll be able to see human society for yourself.”

  “True,” she agreed, not sounding enthusiastic.

  Meanwhile, Threnody had been talking with Jordan, who of course had not had a chance before to catch up on all the wrinkles of this situation. Now he looked across at Rapunzel. “Say,” he said. “You remind me of—”

  “Of her elfin ancestor, Bluebell,” Threnody said firmly. She tweaked his restored ear. “Past history for you, barbarian.”

  He laughed. “Bluebell! She was certainly a fine—Yow!” For Threnody had converted her tweak into a fierce pinch.

  “Do you see anything wrong with a man marrying a crossbreed?” Rapunzel asked Jordan.

  He hesitated. Threnody gave his ear another pinch. “No, of course not,” he said quickly. And everyone laughed.

  The meal was wonderful. Rapunzel insisted on selecting delicacies for him, catering to his every whim. Soon Grundy was stuffed. He liked all of this very well—the food and the service. But he did not let himself forget that such pleasure would soon pass.

  They rested again in the afternoon, preparing for the night. This time Grundy and Rapunzel had the bed and slept holding hands, though it was evident that there was no immediate threat. No night mare came; it was hard for the mares to reach a sleeper by day. Jordan and Threnody took a walk, scouting out the vicinity; they didn’t seem to need as much rest as Grundy and Rapunzel did, perhaps being jungle-hardened.

  At dusk Grundy stirred and found Rapunzel still asleep, still holding firmly to his hand. She was such a beautiful and nice creature, whether awake or asleep! If only she had been a Golem …

  She woke. Her eyes opened and fastened on him, and she smiled. “Come here, Grundy,” she said. “I want to do something spontaneous.”

  Against his better judgment he leaned down to her. She caught him in her arms, drew him close, and kissed him.

  “You shouldn’t be doing this,” he told her when she let him go.

  “Why?”

  Those innocent, direct questions! How could he answer? But he was obliged to try, again. “You don’t want to spoil your future with your own kind.”

  “Did Jordan spoil his future, when he dallied with Bluebell?”

  She was the descendant of that union! Of course she saw no wrong in it. But did this mean that she saw him as Jordan had seen the elven maid? Someone to be loved and left?

  He broke contact, got to his feet, and headed for the edge of the bed.

  Rapunzel scrambled after him. “Grundy!” she cried. “Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry!”

  No, of course she hadn’t said anything wrong, by her definitions. He was the one who was being difficult. Why couldn’t he just accept the way she was, enjoy her attention while it lasted, and be satisfied when it was over?

  She caught his hand again. “I only want to please you, Grundy,” she said, her eyes beginning to fill. They were shifting colors, as was their way; at the moment they were going from purple to blue. “What am I doing wrong?”

  “Nothing,” he said, realizing that part of this was Threnody’s doing: advice on the practicing of wiles, an area in which the woman was surely expert. “But I’m not Bluebell.”

  “I don’t understand!” she protested, her chin trembling.

  What could he do? “Of course you don’t,” he said gently, and squeezed her hand.

  They climbed down off the bed and checked on Snortimer. He was fine; the day’s rest had done him a lot of good.

  Now Jordan returned, leading a monster. It seemed to be a small sphinx: a creature with the head of a woman, the body of a lion, and large bird’s wings. It towered over the man, for even a small sphinx was a giant among animals. The oddest thing was its face, for it resembled—

  “Threnody!” Grundy exclaimed.

  “Well, it is my talent,” the sphinx replied. “We thought it would be easier traveling if we had some size.”

  Grundy remembered: her talent was the changing of form. This was similar to Prince Dolph’s talent; but while he was a Magician, and could change instantly to any living thing, she was a demon crossbreed, and could do it only slowly and stage by stage. It must have taken her all afternoon to achieve the size, mass and form of this monster, and it would take her just as long to change back to her natural aspect.

  But she was right: some size would be useful. Now she could carry the bed and the rest of them without difficulty, greatly facilitating the trek to Lake Ogre-Chobee. Even the Hag would hesitate to attack a monster like this!

  Night closed in. Now they had a problem: what about the reverse-wood? Some of that ought to be brought along, but Threnody could no longer carry it, for it would seriously interfere with her magically achieved state. Anyone who carried it would have to travel apart from the rest of the group, and that would be awkward at best, and dangerous at worst. The Hag might be waiting for just such a division of the party, so she could pick off outlying members.

  “We’ll have to leave it behind,” Grundy decided with regret. “It’s more dangerous to us than to the Hag, while we travel, because we can’t just leave it in a circle. It will be a liability to whoever carries it.”

  “Maybe we could drag some along behind us, on a long lead,” Jordan suggested.

  That seemed worth trying. They got a vine, packed some chips in a bag, and tied it to the end of the vine. The other end of the vine they tied to the tail of the sphinx. It was an odd-looking arrangement, but it seemed to be the best way.

  Jordan loaded the bed on Threnody’s back and fastened it there. Then Snortimer climbed up, and helped Grundy and Rapunzel. Jordan preferred to travel under his own power, so he walked alongside.

  The sphinx moved out. Each step was a giant one, and though the pace seemed slow, progress was fast. The brush and trees moved smartly to the rear.

  Snortimer was intrigued. It was the first time he
had traveled on top of the bed, instead of under it. He had no eyes or ears that showed, but he could evidently see and hear, and he made a thumbs-up gesture with a couple of hairy hands. Fortunately for him, the moon was dim this night, and out of position; there was not enough light to hurt him. Grundy knew that the green cheese that comprised the moon aged rapidly, so that it could not glow with full force after the first few days, and by the end of the month it would fade all the way to oblivion. Then, phoenixlike, it would regenerate for the next month.

  Soon they left the jungle and emerged into a broad expanse of swamp or field. Tall grass ranged as far as the eye could see, even from this elevated perch; it was punctuated only by occasional islands of trees.

  “Have you been here before?” Grundy asked the sphinx.

  “No,” she answered. “We came down from the north, after we crossed Xanth. I’ve never seen a field like this before.”

  “It’s the Ever-Glades,” Rapunzel said. “We have to cross it to reach Lake Ogre-Chobee from this direction. There’s something funny about it, but I’m not sure what.”

  “Something the Hag didn’t tell you?” Grundy asked.

  “Maybe. She only told me what she thought I ought to know. Of course I never expected actually to be here.”

  The sphinx plowed on, leaving the grass swiftly behind. One tree island after another passed, but the overall terrain didn’t change. The night passed, and morning came, but still the glades stretched out interminably.

  A bird with a crown flew by. Suddenly it plunged into a patch of water, nabbing a fish. “Oh, that’s a kingfisher!” Rapunzel exclaimed, clapping her hands.

  “The king of birds?” Grundy asked.

  “Not exactly. It fishes for kings among the fishes.”

  Farther along they spied a long green creature basking in the early sun. “What’s that?” Grundy asked.

  “That’s an allegory,” Rapunzel said. “They often associate with hypotenuses and relevants and parodies. They can be very dangerous if they catch a person offguard.”

  Grundy had heard about the other creatures. The hypotenuse was big and blubbery with a triangular-shaped orifice; the relevant was even larger, with a nose that dangled to the ground; and the parody was a bird that liked crackers. None of them were the sort he cared to encounter casually, but the allegory was the worst.