Part 2 (1/2)

”So if you go to Xanth, you'll need good Companions,” Kim said. ”And the ones who take your bodies will need good Mundane Companions. Dug and I will be glad to do it.”

Edsel was starting to catch on to what Dug saw in her. Kim had not only antic.i.p.ated his awkward request, but agreed to it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. ”Thanks,” he said, much relieved. ”Breanna and someone called Justin will be our guides in Xanth. but I was concerned about imposing on you.”

”No problem at all,” Kim said, glancing again at Dug, who nodded. ”We're glad to help with anything connected to Xanth. This is such a great breakthrough! We thought it'd be another year before they got the O-Xone set up. Who is coming here?”

”Someone called-” Edsel scratched in his memory. ”Nimble, I think. And Connne.” He remembered the name meant something, like a pool cleaner, but couldn't quite recover it. though Breanna had spoken it several times.

Kim shook her head. ”We don't know them. But we don't have to; we'll get acquainted soon enough. So they'll look just like you two, but their minds will be from Xanth.”

”Yes. I agreed to have us all come in to the O-Xone tomorrow at noon, so we could meet and work out the details.”

”That's great.” Kim said. ”You have worked it out perfectly.” Impulsively she leaned across and planted a firm kiss on his mouth.

The world seemed to turn over, Edsel was floating on the elevated side of a Ferris wheel, high among pink clouds, dizzy but happy. Suddenly the rest of the mystery evaporated, and he knew what Dug meant. That was the best kiss he had ever experienced-and it wasn't even serious. If she had wanted to seduce him, she could have done it merely by holding the kiss longer. Of course that was not her intent, and everyone knew it. But what a kiss!

The clouds dissipated, and he became aware of friendly laughter, not shared by Pia. ”I should have warned you.” Dug was saying. ”She kisses.” He thought Edsel was merely surprised. That was the least of it.

”Sorry,” Kim said, half mischievously. ”It's just that it was such a relief. We thought you were going to discuss something awful, like the two of you breaking up.”

Now Pia met Edsel's gaze. Then she spoke. ”We're considering it. But first we'll try visiting Xanth.”

Things got abruptly serious. ”You are considering it?” Kim asked, and now there was no mischief or humor in her expression or tone. Edsel realized that she had not forgotten that Pia had been Dug's first girlfriend. Surely she didn't want Pia on the loose again.

”We hope that a change of venue will help,” Edsel said quickly. ”Like a vacation. Second honeymoon.”

Pia opened her mouth, and by her expression nothing sweet or sentimental was about to come out.

But Dug intercepted it. ”Xanth will surely do it. There's no place like it. We'll be there tomorrow to meet the others, in the O-Xone.” And this time he shot Kim a look.

Kim jumped up. ”Right. And we'd better get our work done today, in case that takes some time. Sorry you folk must rush off so soon.”

Beautiful, Edsel thought. They were a perfect team, always working together. In a moment he and Pia were out of the house and mounting the motorcycle.

”This had better be good.” Pia muttered as they started off.

Edsel didn't answer. He didn't want to risk getting into a quarrel now, lest she change her mind about the deal. It was clear that Xanth was his only hope.

That afternoon he tackled the Cuss word Companions program, and this time found a way to finesse it so he could address the key he needed. After that things fell together, and he completed it in good order. He copied it to a backup disk and took it to Pia. ”Now you can tell them it's in the mail.” he said.

She stared at the disk. ”You got it? You're sure.”

”I'm sure. Put in it on your system and see.”

She hesitated. Then she came to a decision. ”Wait.”

He waited, uncertain what was on her mind. She phoned Kim. ”The Discuss Companions is ready. Tell Dug we'll bring it to you in an hour, and he can copy it and s.h.i.+p it before the day is out.” She hung up.

”An hour?” Edsel asked. ”We can have it there in fifteen minutes.”

She stood, stepped into him and kissed him. Then she led him to the bedroom.

Bemused, he realized that she was truly pleased to have the program done, so that they would not default on a deadline. And maybe she was jealous of Kim's kiss, too. Pia never apologized, she just changed her mind, like the popular conception of the ideal woman. She had one effective way to make everything right, and he was not about to object. Whatever other problems they might have, they had none in bed when Pia was amenable. He knew that this was merely a gesture of the moment, and that nothing long-term had changed. But it would be one phenomenal moment.

He was correct.

Next day they coordinated by phone, then got on the GigaGrid. Edsel was on his system, and Pia on hers in the other room, and Dug and Kim on their two systems at their house. They ”met” at a private online site they maintained, checking in. ”Follow me,” Edsel said, knowing that they would lock on to his name and be carried along with him.

He made his way to the Magic Mesh. When he came to the warning sign, he typed ”Party of four: Edsel, Pia, Dug. Kim.” Then he did his voice whistle.

The sign s.h.i.+mmered. WELCOME TO THE O-XONE. Then they were standing in the hall of pictures.

”Oh!” Pia breathed, amazed. She tugged at her skirt, as if not believing that it was real. Maybe it was illusion, as was her body, but it was tangible.

”It's the O-Xone all right,” Kim said. ”They have done a nice job.” She checked her own clothing. She had put on a skirt and blouse for this occasion, and looked decent.

Edsel led the way to Breanna's Leaf. This time he did not knock; hitting was too literal here. ”Breanna.” he said.

The picture animated. ”Good; you're here. This time we're set up for it. Come in.” The picture expanded as her image fuzzed out. and became an entrance to a comfortable chamber.

They stepped inside. The room seemed larger from inside; in fact it was like a huge living room, with easy chairs around the edge, facing in.

They stood in the center, uncertain whether to sit. Then from a hall on the opposite side a man and a woman entered. The man seemed to be of college age, and the woman of high school age. In fact she was Breanna, this time complete. ”You're right,” Edsel said, sun eying her body. ”It's proportional.”

Breanna smiled. ”You've been kissed recently, Edsel. It shows. So I guess it's okay for me.” She walked up to him, embraced him, and reached her face up to kiss him.

It felt real. Not destabilizing in the way of Kim's kiss, or s.e.xy in the way of Pia's kiss, but solid and pleasant He had never been kissed by a black girl before, and was almost surprised to discover that it was just like any other kiss. She was a very nice little package.

Breanna stepped back ”This is Justin,” she said, indicating the young man. He looked quite ordinary. Not at all like a tree.

”This is Pia.” Edsel said. ”And Dug, and Kim.”

”I know,” Breanna said. ”We haven't met before, but they are well known in Xanth.”

”And we know of you.” Kim said. ”We got a report on Jenny's wedding, and you were there.”

”For sure. So are we ready to meet Nimby and Chlorine?”

Kim's jaw dropped. ”Who?”

”Those are the names,” Edsel said quickly. ”I guess I garbled them.”

Breanna glanced at him sharply. ”You don't know who they are?”

”I never heard of them before yesterday.”

Breanna smiled. ”Maybe that's just as well. They are the ones you'll be exchanging with. They want to visit Mundania. In fact it turns out they set this up, so they could do it.”

”Set this up?”

”Ah. here they are now.”