Part 13 (1/2)
”Maybe we can use the teller to help,” Justin said ”If you care to run through several talents until a useful one turns up-”
”But why would it help us to get rid of it?”
”Demons aren't necessarily intelligent. Often they do what they do without thought.”
So Edsel tried running through talents, and was in luck he got the ability to find the very best route to any objective ”What's the best route to the boat?” he asked.
”That isn't right,” Justin said ”You did not define the boat.”
”Any boat will do dear.” Breanna said.
”Not the Censor s.h.i.+p.”
”For sure,” she agreed ”But he's already invoked it, so we'll just have to see.”
”This way,” Edsel said with certainty, facing the thickest brush ”Toward the boat, in a small meander.”
”A small meander,” Pia said, but didn't protest, because the talents did seem to work.
They turned and cut through the brush toward the place where the boat was, as none of them cared to risk swimming in the lake.
They found a path, and followed it. That made pus.h.i.+ng the Lemon much easier. But the path led straight to a tangle tree.
”We should have known,” Breanna said ”You can't trust wilderness paths ”
”But my talent indicates this is the best,” Edsel said, perplexed.
”What's that caught in its tentacles?” Pia asked.
Breanna peered ”That's Para” she cried ”The duck-footed boat.”
”A what?” Edsel asked.
”We met it by the Isle of Women last year,” Breanna said ”It was traveling between a pair of docks. It's really nice. We've got to save it.”
Edsel appreciated the pun pair of docks = paradox ”But what good is a-a boat with feet?”
”You'll see This is the boat your talent led you to, and it's much better than the other. How can we rescue it?”
”Perhaps we can arrange an exchange,” Justin said.
Edsel laughed ”How about my Lemon for the boat?”
”We can try,” Justin said doubtfully.
Pia helped Edsel move the Lemon into position just beyond the range of the tangle tree's tentacles. Then he stood to the side, while she sat on it and smiled. Pretty girls made anything salable, and she was excruciatingly pretty now.
”Tangle Tree.” Edsel said ”How would you like to trade this for that?” He gestured to the Lemon, then to the tangled boat.
The tree considered. Edsel could tell by the way its tentacles twitched. Then it released the boat. The boat promptly got its dozen or so feet under it and ran away from the tree.
”Para!” Breanna cried The boat ran to her, and she hugged its wooden prow ”I'm so glad we found you in time.”
The boat was evidently glad too. It curled its webbed feet and quivered.
”However.” Justin said to it. ”We feel that one favor deserves another. We have rescued you; will you transport us?”
The boat slapped a foot against the ground, and stood still. That seemed to be agreement.
Meanwhile, Edsel wheeled the Lemon toward the tangle tree. ”Here's your bike,” he said sadly. ”Though I'm not sure what use you will have for it.”'
The tentacles shook. ”Retreat!” Justin called. ”The tree is angry.” Edsel quickly backed off. ”What's the problem? We made a deal.”
”I think I understand.” Justin said. ”There may have been a misunderstanding. The tree thought you meant Pia.”
Oops. Pia had sat on the bike, decorating it, as he gestured to it. The tree would not have had much experience with Mundane marketing techniques.
”But I'm not about to be going to go get gobbled by that monster,” Pia protested.
”Then it appears we are reneging on the understanding,” Justin said. ”That is not good policy.”
”For sure,” Breanna agreed. ”We've got to work something out.”
Edsel had a notion. ”Suppose Pia uses the teller to get a talent that will protect her from the tree, so it can't eat her?”
”I don't want to stay forever in its tangles either,” Pia protested. Still, she took the teller. ”What's my talent?”
”Hearing anything close by.”
She c.o.c.ked her head. ”I hear bugs talking to each other through their antennae,” she said. ”But that won't help me. What's my talent?”
”To be ineffably charming.”
”That won't help me either! I-”
”Wait,” Justin said. ”It might after all help. If your talent is to be charming beyond the capacity of mere words to express, perhaps you could charm the tree into accepting the machine.”
Pia considered. ”Would I have to get within its reach?”
”I regret that you probably would, as the full measure of your charm is incapable of being verbalized.”
”No, she could just let it look at her,” Breanna said. ”That's not words.”
”Perhaps so,” Justin agreed doubtfully.
”Well, I'll try it,” Pia said, just as dubious. She stepped close to Edsel and the Lemon, and struck a pose. It was a charming pose. ”Tangler,” she said dulcetly. ”May I call you that? I was just the decoration for the motorcycle, not the offering. It was a misunderstanding. But you know, that machine is as useful to you as the quack footed boat. I mean. you can't eat either one. But there's nothing else in Xanth like the Lemon, so maybe it would be a tourist attraction or something. So maybe it's a fair deal after all. Doesn't that make sense to you?” She smiled winningly.