Part 36 (2/2)

”They will have to fast-forward by most of this I regret inconveniencing them, but I had not antic.i.p.ated dealing with a soulless king.”

”What's for supper?”

Grey looked around ”I didn't think of grabbing any food before coming here.”

”I can go out and find something for you. I'm small enough and hard enough to handle this thicket.”

”Why should you bother? You don't feel hunger yourself.”

She shrugged ”Isn't that what a person of conscience would do?”

”Yes But-”

”So I'm learning.” She climbed down his s.h.i.+rt, dropped to the ground, and went out in search of food.

”This is getting interesting,” Pia said, opening her eyes ”Let's take a break, then fast forward.”

”Agreed,” Edsel said. For though the time travelers had spent a day in Xanth, the observers had spent much less time. In fact their times were not synchronized, the two in the present could go through any amount of past adventure as fast as they wanted, by skipping ahead But they did not want to skip too much, too freely, lest they miss something vital and be unable to backtrack to see it. They missed nothing during their breaks, but could miss everything during an ill advised fast-forward.

”Robota spoke of seducing Grey.” Pia said ”He talked her out of it. But is it physically possible? I mean, she's a golem made iron metal She doesn't even have a-a place.”

”It is physically possible,” Tristan said. ”For two reasons First, she can change her own reality, to an extent, so can form a place. Second, metal is no necessary bar to such activity, just as the fact that my girlfriend Terian is a literal mouse is no bar when we meet physically. Magic makes us compatible. It's a variation of the accommodation spells the elves and imps use when they wish to a.s.sociate with large folk on an equal basis. Even all-metal folk, like the bra.s.sies, can be remarkably soft when they wish to be, so Robota has that ability too.”

Pia seemed somewhat taken aback. ”Golems have more potential than I thought.” she said.

That surprise was true for Edsel too. Even seemingly simple forms of magic were turning out to have intriguing aspects.

In due course they resumed the observation. Edsel was finding it increasingly easy to identify with Grey Murphy, who seemed like a fine person. He suspected that Pia was finding the same with Robota, who had arranged to look like her in her elfin form, and in her golem form too. That was a considerable compliment, especially because it seemed to be unconscious.

Grey and Robota continued south to the Magic Dust Village. This settlement, Justin explained, had lost most of its men to the call of the nearby Siren. A few men had been grabbed by a tangle tree near the path, and rescued in injured condition. But the injured ones kept trying to follow the Siren's song. The village was run by a tough female troll named Trolla.

”A troll?” Pia said. ”But aren't you a troll, Tristan?”

”Yes. We are not all bad, just as full humans are not.”

”For sure.” Breanna agreed. ”No species is all bad, not even zombies.”

Grey and Robota joined the villagers, she now in her natural golem form, because the king's men would be looking for an elf. When the Siren sang again. Grey was unmoved.

”How do you resist the Siren's call?” Trolla asked.

”It's my talent,” Grey said. ”I can nullify-”

”He has selective deafness.” Robota interrupted. ”He hears only what he wants to hear.”

Grey, realizing that he had almost made a careless mistake, shut up.

Edsel was attuned to his mind, and could follow his thoughts with increasing facility.

”My word,” an old wile of the Village said. ”I'd swear my husband and all my children had that talent.”

Grey considered, and concluded that he would not be changing history if he spared the men from the tree. He went to the tree alone at night and touched its trunk. When it tried to grab him. he nulled it. ”You will never again molest a man following the Siren's Song,” he informed it. ”Otherwise I will do this.” He nulled much of the trunk for a moment.

The tree got the message. It left the men alone. But it remained dangerous to women. Fortunately they had the sense not to go near it. They a.s.sumed that the Siren had made a deal with the tangler, so that she could capture more males.

Grey and Robota remained a few days at the Magic Dust Village, but Grey became increasingly uncomfortable, because there were so many women there who missed the company of men. They were becoming rather obvious about their attraction to him, and some were quite alluring.

Lovely music and singing filtered though the forest. ”I think we should go see just what is happening with the siren,” Grey said.

”You are succ.u.mbing to her song!” Trolla said, alarmed.

He smiled. ”No. I can shut it out. But as long as the Siren remains, there is a danger to the village. Maybe I can talk her out of singing.”

”That would be nice,” Trolla said. ”Better yet, we would like to have our men back.”

”For sure,” Robota agreed. The others laughed when Pia reported that.

They followed the path through the jungle, Robota sitting on Grey's shoulder and holding on to his ear The motion of his body caused her to lean outward and inward, her bosom colliding with his ear every so often. ”That's not accidental.” Pia murmured professionally. ”She's keeping her options open.”

”Keeping her what's open?” Edsel asked.

The others smiled. They were getting used to him.

”Of course we can't really change the Siren,” Grey told Robota. ”That would alter history. But we can talk to her, and perhaps make things easier for the Magic Dust Villagers.”

”They seem like nice folk,” she agreed. ”I could study conscience with them.”

”You could indeed. They are doing a difficult job, dispersing the magic dust so that it doesn't pile up too thickly and distort the magic of Xanth. All types of people are working together in harmony, all motivated by their sense of duty. An excellent model.”

It was a good path. It led them toward the sound of the singing, to the sh.o.r.e of a small lake. There was a island in the middle. On the island's tiny beach was a stool, and on the stool sat a lovely female figure, facing away from them, playing a dulcimer.

There was a bleat, and suddenly a sheep-like animal charged toward them. ”That's a battering ram,” Grey said. ”Dodge it.”

”But you could nullify it.”

”I believe it has an encounter with Bink, not long hence. I don't want to change that encounter, lest-”

”Lest history change.” she concluded. ”Now I understand.”

The ram came at them. Grey jumped nimbly to the side, and it ran right on by. Before it could brake and turn, it collided with a pineapple tree. A pineapple dropped, detonating under the ram's tail, and shrapnel flew out. The ram, reasonably battered, ran on.

The music continued. ”It has a pretty melody,” Robota said. ”But I don't find it compelling.”

”I do,” Grey said. ”But I can nullify its magical component. That is the Siren.”

They found a path across the water, and followed it toward the figure. The path faded behind them, leaving open water; it was one-way.

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