Part 37 (2/2)

”Remember.” Robota said, perhaps resigned to likely disaster. ”Sight of the Gorgon's mere face turns men to stone. All stone, not just one little part of them the way the sight of other women does ” She hugged his head, pressing her bosom against the side of his face.

”She's trying to distract him.” Pia said ”And for once I agree. If she seduces him. there won't be a change in history.”

”I'll be careful,” Grey said carelessly.

They pa.s.sed through a region of the lake where tall trees grew up through the water, forming a natural screen They rounded a turn, and something moved Grey instantly exerted his talent-and accidentally nullified the path across the water. He fell in with a splash. Robota laughed, clutching on to his hair. ”Serves you right.” she said. ”Maybe this will shock you into some common sense.”

”You're right,” Grey said, treading water in a more conventional man ”I've got no business meeting the Gorgon. What was I thinking of?” He was swimming now. perforce.

”Maybe this.” Robota said, pressing her bosom against his ear again. ”Or this.” She spread her knees. ”Swim to sh.o.r.e, and we'll get out of here.”

”Right.” He swam to the nearest sh.o.r.e.

A hand reached down to help him climb out and up the steep bank. He looked at his rescuer-and turned to stone.

Pia screamed. Edsel fell off his chair. Grey had been caught by surprise, not thinking to nullify any more magic, and had accidentally gazed at the face of the Gorgon. The ultimate disaster had happened.

Chapter 11: FANTA SEA.

After a moment, Pia recovered enough to help Edsel gasp out the nature of the catastrophe.

”Grey-stoned?” Tristan repeated, stunned. ”We never antic.i.p.ated this.”

”For sure,” Breanna said, not smiling. She looked as white as her brown face could get. ”We were so concerned about him changing history, we never thought of how history could change him. What'll we tell Ivy? She'll be Poison Ivy when she hears about this, even when it's not the time of the month.”

”Women in Xanth have times of the month?” Pia asked. ”I thought-I mean, with the stork and all-”

Breanna glanced to make sure no males were close enough to hear. ”Between storks, they can get out of sorts, about once a month.” she said. ”Men don't know. But what I really meant was-”

”I know. This is awful. She loves Grey.”

DO NOT PANIC, Com Pewter's screen printed. STONING IS NOT PERMANENT.

”It isn't?” Pia asked, foolish hope flaring.

”All the stoned men recovered in the subsequent Time of No Magic,” Justin said.

”That's a relief,” Edsel said, looking more than relieved. ”I thought he was dead.”

”I will have to go to rescue him,” Tristan said with grim determination. ”When I get him out of Xanth, the magic will relent, and he will be restored. He is not dead, merely enchanted.”

Pia grabbed on to something. ”What's this time of no magic?”

”It occurred about a year later.” Justin said. ”When Bink mistakenly freed the Demon X(A/N)th and the Demon departed, taking his magic with him.”

”But the Demon XA/N)th is still here.” Pia protested. ”In the form of-”

”It was temporary,” Justin said. ”The Demon returned after about a day, and the magic was restored. But the stoned men remained whole; the Gorgon's spell had been interrupted, and could not restore itself. It was an incidental benefit of a very awkward period.”

”Then-” Pia said, working it out. ”Then all they have to do is wait for that, and Grey will be all right.”

The others circulated a surprised glance. SHE IS CORRECT, Pewter's screen printed. NO RESCUE MISSION IS NECESSARY AT THIS TIME.

Tristan looked twice as relieved as Edsel had been. It was clear that he did not want to travel into the past, and risk disturbing history himself. Yet he had been ready to. The troll had courage.

”Quick, fast-forward,” Breanna suggested. ”See if they work it out themselves.”

”No!” Justin said. ”Resume at exactly that time, to see how Robota reacts. That may be important.”

”Yes!” Pia shut her eyes and tuned in. It was obvious that Edsel couldn't, for now.

”h.e.l.lo.” Robota said.

The Gorgon stared at her. ”Oh-I thought you were a man.”

”Not exactly,” Robota said. ”I was climbing on this statue of a man; maybe you confused us.”

”That must have been the case. I thought I saw a swimming man.”

”Our eyes do sometimes deceive us,” Robota said. ”Is there another path away from here?”

”Yes, that way.” The Gorgon pointed.

Robota took the path and made her way back toward the Magic Dust Village. ”She shows no regret at Grey's fate,” Pia reported. ”She's just going about her business.”

”She's a golem, without a soul.” Tristan reminded her. ”She can emulate caring, but can't actually experience it. Since she is alone, she must see no reason to emulate it.'”

Robota reached the village. ”He got stoned.”

”I don't understand.” Trolla said.

”He made a mistake, and will not be returning. So I have come to join your community.”

”You are welcome,” Trolla said. ”Provided you are willing to work hard.”

”Yes”

So Robota settled in, in her natural golem form, and helped the villagers disperse the magic dust. She worked hard, and soon was accepted by the others. She did them favors when she could, and became increasingly decent as she studied the others to learn the ways of it.

Pia opened her eyes. ”What I don't get is why Grey went so crazy, there toward the end. I mean, I thought he was a pretty level-headed married man.”

”He is.” Justin said. ”But the Siren's song-actually it's her dulcimer that carries the magic-is among the more remarkable lures of Xanth. Grey surely underestimated its power to affect him.”

”And perhaps rationalized to believe that he remained in control.” Tristan said. ”Men do that.”

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