Part 29 (1/2)
The monster's head struck. She heard its teeth clash right behind her. Then they were across, and she felt herself failing, but couldn't stop.
Edsel caught her and held her up. ”We made it,” he said. ”I don't think the monster really tried. It knew we had solved the pun.”
She just hung in his arms and panted There were times when it was nice to have his physical support. As her bleary gaze wandered across the moat, she saw the monster sink under the water. Its job was done.
Justin, Breanna, and Para crossed the bridge, unmenaced. They were not a true part of the challenge.
Pia caught her breath and her balance, and turned to look at the castle from up close. The detail differed from what she had thought, or maybe it had changed. The stone wall was now rounded, probably circling the castle, and had arched doorways every few feet. This seemed remarkably porous for a defensive rampart.
She looked at the moat. There were docks extending into it all along, as if ready for many boats at once. Some were tall, standing well above the waterline; others were barely above the water. ”Why the difference in height?” Pia asked.
Edsel shrugged. ”Must be high piers and low piers, for tall and short s.h.i.+ps.”
”s.h.i.+ps? Here? It's a moat,” she reminded him witheringly.
He nodded. ”In any event, we are past the moat, so I don't think it's a challenge.”
”Maybe the third Challenge is farther in,” Edsel said.
”We may be certain that it will manifest in its own manner.” Justin said. ”I think that Breanna and I had better wait here while you explore.”
Pia walked to the nearest archway. As she reached it, a centaur appeared, with a man on his back. The centaur had a bow, and the man had a spear. ”You shall not pa.s.s.” both said together.
Pia retreated. ”I think it just manifested,” she said.
”For sure.” Breanna agreed.
”Let me try,” Edsel said. He walked to the next portal beyond.
There was the centaur, without the man. ”I regret to say that you are not permitted to pa.s.s,” he said politely.
Pia walked past that one and tried the third aperture. The man appeared. ”Forget it.” he said gruffly.
”Who are you?” she asked, striking a winsome pose.
”I am Christopher Christopher. And you are?”
”I am Pia Putz.” She smiled, and saw him soften. ”Are you sure we can't pa.s.s?”
”Very sure,” Christopher said regretfully.
”Not even for a kiss?”
The man looked truly reluctant. ”Not even for that.”
She walked on to the next portal. There was the centaur again. Or was it really the same one? ”Who are you?”
”Cy Clone.” the centaur growled. ”Now get out of here before I throw you into the moat.”
She retreated. The centaur looked the same, but didn't sound the same as the one who had braced Edsel.
She rejoined Edsel. ”There seems to be a man or centaur blocking each pa.s.sage. They look the same, but I'm not sure they are.”
”Right. They don't talk the same. Maybe they're twins or triplets.”
”They don't attack, they just warn us away.” she said. ”Maybe we should check the other arches.”
”You go one way. I'll go the other, and we'll meet on the other side.”
She nodded, and set off.
Every portal was blocked. There were two centaurs and several similar men. The centaurs were shy and bold, respectively, or peaceful and violent. Evidently they trotted to whichever portal she was headed for.
Maybe there was just one man, but he was everywhere, either by himself or with a centaur.
She met Edsel on the lar side ”All blocked,” she said. ”More men than centaurs.”
”Christopher throughout,” he said. ”Cy Centaur and Cy Clone, the mean one.”
”The same ones I saw,” she said. ”I suppose the centaurs could alternate sides, but how could the man get around so swiftly? He never looked out of breath.”
Edsel was thoughtful. ”So is it one man, or several with the same name?”
”And two centaurs, or more than two?”
”I think this is our riddle. Do you think there's a pun we're not getting?”
”From what Justin told me, the Challenges don't have to be puns,” she said. ”But if it's not a pun, then what?”
”There must be something about these people we need to understand.”
”Like how many of them there are, really.”
”Maybe we can narrow it down,” he said. ”Let's go until we find two of them together. Then-”
”Got it,” she agreed.
They circled together, back the way she had come. When they came to a man/centaur combination, Pia stayed to talk with them, putting on her winsome air and holding their attention. She had always been good at this sort of thing, and with her lovely sixteen year old face and figure, she was better, because she knew exactly how to use these a.s.sets. She had never tried fascinating a centaur before, but they had enough human attributes to be subject to some wiles. She smiled, she moved her hips, she gushed over their masculine appeal, she lifted a leg to adjust her shoe, and leaned well forward, showing just enough thigh and breast to guarantee continued attention. It was a science that worked well enough in the land of magic.
Meanwhile Edsel faded away. She gave him as much time as she could, keeping the two males anch.o.r.ed in place.
Then Edsel returned. She bid the males farewell with a last smile and Jiggle, and stepped back. They departed the archway and were no more.
She turned to Edsel. ”What's the story?”
”There's another set four arches down. Christopher and Clone.”
”The mean centaur,” she agreed. ”I had the shy one. I almost made him blush, once.”
”So there are two different centaurs, and two of the same men.”