Part 22 (1/2)
”I have no concern what she wears,” Shaunture confided. ”I would like to give her a bucket of-”
A bucket appeared on the girl's head. ”Mmmph, mmph!” she cried, unable to make herself understood. She tried to lift it off. but it seemed glued in place.
”Bouquet!” Edsel called. ”A bouquet of flowers!”
”Thank you,” the centaur said as the bucket faded. ”I shall stop speaking now.”
”This is understandable.” Justin said. ”We nevertheless remain appreciative.”
”Heather. I think your talent is relating to creatures, not just dragons.” Breanna said to the girl. ”Maybe you should stay with Shaunture, who really needs you.”
The girl's mouth dropped open in surprise. ”Really?”
”Really. You always know what he means to say, and that really helps him.”
”Well, he says I help, so as not to hurt my childish feelings. But centaurs are way too smart to a.s.sociate long with dull kids like me.”
Breanna seemed to be digesting an internal thought. ”Intelligence isn't always what you think. Ask him.”
Heather looked at Shaunture. He nodded. ”Oh. Shaunture.” she cried ”I'd love to stay with you! I know you'll never chomp me.”
The centaur looked at Breanna. ”I must speak again after all. I am grapefruit for-” He became a huge grapefruit.
”Grateful!” Heather cried joyously, perched on the top. ”For her insight.”
The centaur resumed his natural form. He spat out a grapefruit seed and shut his mouth firmly.
Para moved on. ”I like your boat.” Heather called after them. Para made a dip of appreciation without breaking stride.
”That centaur reminds me of someone.” Pia remarked.
”Demoness Metria.” Justin replied.
There was a swirl of smoke. ”Oh, no.” Breanna muttered.
The smoke formed a mouth. ”Did someone mention my name?”
”It was an accident,” Breanna said.
The smoke coalesced into a lovely buxom form, bound by an elastic halter stretching almost to the snapping point. ”And you found the foul footed boat.”
Para quivered with indignation.
”What kind of foot?” Edsel asked quickly.
”Avis, feathered, game, bird, domestic-”
”Fowl?”
”Whatever,” the demoness agreed crossly.
The boat relaxed.
”I'm sure the children will love to ride in it,” Metria said. ”Thank you so much for offering.” She formed back into smoke.
”We didn't-” Breanna started, but of course it was too late. The smoke formed into Demon Ted and DeMonica. They were stuck for another round of babysitting.
”Maybe the two of them will one day grow up and marry each other,” Pia muttered. ”And the stork will bring them children they have to baby-sit.”
”Named Tedmon and Monled,” Breanna agreed. ”And there'll be no Mundanes visiting who are foolish enough to do it.”
”Whose menfolk are dazzled into volunteering,” Pia said. They both laughed. ”Actually the children aren't all that bad. and the dazzlcability of the menfolk make them more readily handleable ”
”For sure.”
Justin turned his head to exchange a glance with Edsel. The girls were having their bit of fun.
They departed from the river at a slight angle, so as to avoid the colored people. Soon they came to a boy who stood by the side of the path they were following, with his right thumb lifted.
”Same to you, jerk!” Ted called.
”Shush, that's a Mundane!” Pia exclaimed ”Hitchhiking.”
”We do have room for another pa.s.senger,” Justin said.
”First things first.” Pia cupped her hands and called to the boy. ”What's your name!”
”Gabriel,” the boy called back.
”So he's not one of the colored people,” Pia said. ”He can ride with us.”
”What's wrong with colored people?” Monica asked.
”Nothing,” Edsel said, forestalling trouble.
The boat stopped, and the boy climbed in. ”Do you know a safe way to the snowy mountains?” Pia asked him.
”Oh, sure. Right the way you're going now. But you don't want to go all the way there. They're cold.”
”We'll chance it.” Pia said, and resumed her private dialogue with Justin. She had tuned him out, as was her custom with folk she had no immediate interest in.
So Edsel and Breanna took up the slack, lest the children do it. ”What are you doing in Xanth, Gabriel?” Breanna asked. ”Because you're obviously Mundane.”
”I guess it does show.” Gabriel said, abashed. ”I'd like to live in Xanth. I made a deal. I can visit Xanth for a week. I can stay here if I can find a family to adopt me or a girl to marry me. Otherwise I must return forever to drear Mundania.”
”How old are you?” Breanna asked.
”Fourteen.”
”That's what I thought. You're younger than I am, and so you are still mired in the Adult Conspiracy. You can't marry a Xanth girl.”