Part 26 (1/2)

Breanna had no clothing. She fetched hers and took it back into the tent. She emerged a moment later, dressed. Justin had been with her all night, without clothing, but this was daylight; he seemed about ready to faint. And of course the girl had done it deliberately; she could have called for her clothing to be pa.s.sed into the tent. No fool, indeed.

Then Edsel emerged from his tent. ”What, am I the last one up?” he asked. ”Oh, the shame of it!”

He was too theatrical. He had been listening too. Pia grabbed his clothing and tossed it to him before he could come out.

The others ate, and then they took down the tents and put the blankets and pillows in the boat, together with the rest of the pies. They were ready to travel.

”But where should we go?” Edsel asked. ”We know what the problem is, but not what to do about it.”

”The Good Magician's castle,” Breanna said. ”We'll ask him. He always has the answers.”

”However, there may be a complication,” Justin cautioned.

”For sure,” Breanna agreed. ”It's a challenge to get in, and he charges a year's service or the equivalent for each Answer.”

”But he does deliver,” Justin said.

Pia considered. ”We can't do any year's service. We're here for only a few days.”

”Perhaps, considering the importance of the mission, he will make an exception,” Justin said.

”Also considering who else is involved in this exchange.” Breanna said. She meant Nimby, the Demon X(A/N)th.

Justin nodded. ”Pertinent thought.”

”So let's go there,” Pia said. ”Do you know the way.” ”For sure. That's our job-to take you safely where you want to go.”

They got into the boat, and it paddled off downstream. That was faster than the upstream trip had been. Soon they came to the slows and the rapids. They moved out onto the land. That was the nice thing about this boat: it wasn't limited.

”We had better check in.” Edsel said. ”It's that time.”

”For sure.” Breanna gave him the Ear.

”Edsel and Pia checking in,” he said into it Then he put it to his own ear, to hear its reply. He looked surprised. ”Nimby and Chlorine didn't check in yet? Well, maybe they forgot. We'll check again, later.” He returned the Ear.

”Do you think they're in trouble?” Pia asked.

”Com Pa.s.sion doesn't know. There was no indication of trouble yesterday, so maybe they're just late.”

”Maybe.” she agreed. But this made her uneasy. Then the boat stumbled and stopped moving. They hastily piled out and Justin looked. ”You are missing some toes,” he said, appalled. Para bobbed, his way of nodding.

”But that's not supposed to happen,” Breanna protested. ”His feet are magically protected.”

Justin looked around. ”No wonder,” he said, advancing on a patch of milky white weeds. ”You walked over lack toes. It's extremely intolerant. Even a protective spell may not suffice to counter it.”

”And if we had been walking, we'd be lacking toes too,” Breanna said, shuddering. ”We must help Para get his toes back.”

Especially considering that riding in the boat was an awful lot easier than walking. But Pia kept her mouth shut; it wasn't a worthy thought. ”Doesn't Xanth have healing springs?” Edsel asked. ”Yes, but none close by here,” Justin said. ”However, I believe there is a quack doctor in the area.”

Pia started to laugh, then realized that he wasn't joking. So she stifled it.

”Para's father was a quack,” Edsel said.

”And his mother was a dream boat.” Breanna said. ”So a quack doctor should be fine.”

”Perhaps we can get directions.” Justin said.

At that point a young man came from the path ahead. He wore a loose s.h.i.+rt and saggy trousers. Pia was closest, so she hailed him. ”h.e.l.lo.” She smiled winningly.

He paused. Young men tended to, when she hailed them and smiled.

”I am Pia, and I would really like some information.”

”I am Don. My talent is-”

”Yes, of course. Do know where the quack doctor is?” Then she stopped to stare.

For a young woman now stood where the man had been. She wore a s.h.i.+rt that was tight across the front, and trousers that were tight across the hack. ”Changing gender at will.” she said. ”That's his story. I am Dot.”

”You-you're the same person?” Pia asked. She had seen some amazing things in Xanth, but nothing quite like this.

The man reappeared, with the clothing losing its spots of tightness. His hair was tied back in a ponytail that could have applied to either gender. ”Yes. I do know where the quack doctor lives. That's her story. Right this way.”

He turned, and his hips flared: he was becoming the woman again.

”History-herstory,” Edsel murmured as they followed. ”I get it-I think.”

”I guess she can see his story, and he can see hers,” Breanna said. ”No battle of the s.e.xes there.”

”But it does give new meaning to the term gender-bender,” Edsel said. He would.

They followed Dot/Don along another path. Pia verified that the person's clothing did not change with the gender; it was a unis.e.x outfit that filled out in different regions according to the body beneath it. Probably a tunic would have been better, because it was more naturally pliable. She wondered what it would be like if Don/Dot wore no clothing. Edsel's eyes would inflate at sight of the woman, and deflate at sight of the man. What kind of a romantic life would such a person have?

They pa.s.sed a handsome tree. Edsel was about to touch its trunk, but Justin stopped him. ”No! That's reverse wood!”'

Edsel paused. ”Does that mean what it sounds like?”

”Yes,” Breanna said. ”Think of antimatter.”

Edsel abruptly stepped well back from the tree. ”Antimatter-touch that and it's total destruction.”

”Not that extreme,” Justin said. ”But reverse wood is never to be taken for granted. It reverses magic, and you can seldom be sure what form that reversal will take.”

Dot looked back. ”I was delivered near that tree. I think it accounts for my talent The first time I touched it, it reversed me from a boy to a girl, and the second time, the other way. After a while I got so I could do it on my own,” Don concluded.

”I don't want to touch it,” Pia said. ”I'm satisfied as a girl.”

”For sure,” Breanna agreed.

”Reverse wood does not necessarily reverse gender,” Justin said. ”It may have no effect on a person, and merely reverse some thing a person touches it to. But I agree that we do not wish to experiment. I am surprised to discover it here; I had thought most such trees were destroyed some time ago.”