Part 39 (1/2)
”Why?” the woman asked, around a mouthful of pie.
”Because this is Robota, a golem from the future.” Robota smiled and inclined her head. ”And you are Magician Murphy and Sorceress Vadne.”
The Magician leaped to his feet. ”How do you, a stranger, know that?” he demanded.
”Because I am your son you just signaled the stork for, Grey Murphy.”
Both of them stared at him. ”How can this be?” the man demanded.
”I am also from the future, on a mission to what is my past. I will be delivered to you in Mundania, and grow up with you. before we all return to Xanth.”
”We can't be in Xanth.” Vadne said. ”They would put us back in the Brain Coral's Pool we just escaped.”
”You will be pardoned, and become productive citizens of Xanth. And I will marry a princess. Until I undertake this mission, fifty six years from now.”
They doubted, but slowly the came to believe. ”My son!” Vadne exclaimed, coming to hug Grey. It was odd, because she was slightly younger than he.
”That's so touching.” the Gorgon said, blowing her invisible nose.
Robota turned to Magician Murphy ”If I were real, would I be shedding a tear now.”
Murphy brought out a handkerchief and wiped off her wet face. ”Yes”
The scene blurred. Pia had to open her eves so she could wipe her own face.
”But you hardly know Grey Murphy,” Breanna said ”And you never met his folks.”
”It's like a wedding.” Pia said ”You just have to cry.”
Soon she returned to the observation. Grey, Robota. and the Gorgon had retreated behind a screen, and the memory of Magician Murphy and Vadne had evidently been wiped. The two bedraggled figures stood at the entrance to the chamber.
GREETINGS, INTRUDERS.
”Who are you?” Murphy demanded.
I AM COM-PEWTER. YOU ARE NOW IN MY POWER.
Actually that was no sure thing, because Murphy's talent was to make things go wrong. But the two worked out a deal: Pewter would help them get safely out of Xanth. if they gave him their just-ordered son. They agreed.
Then Pewter put them into temporary stasis and addressed the others.
GREY, YOU CAN AND WILL GUIDE THEM SAFELY OUT.
”I can and will.” Grey agreed. ”Otherwise I would jeopardize my own existence.” He glanced around. ”I will guide the Gorgon out, too.”
YES. I WILL NOW WIPE HER MEMORY.
”No!” the Gorgon cried. ”Please! I beg of you. I promise never to tell. Let me remember this wonderful scene, and the way Magician Grey has helped me.”
Pewter paused.
”It makes sense,” Robota said. ”She will be in Mundania, and later will return to marry the Good Magician, who knows everything anyway. So it shouldn't make any difference.”
AGREED.
”Oh. thank you!” the Gorgon cried. ”And thank you, Robota! I will remember this favor.” She paused, considering. ”But never tell.”
Then they organized for the trip to Mundania. Grey, Robota, and the Gorgon made an entry, and were introduced to Magician Murphy and Vadne as their guides to Mundania. The party of five set off.
The walk took several days, but was without event. They took the invisible bridge across the Gap Chasm and followed the trail north through the North Village. They disguised themselves, and no one recognized them. When they reached the border. Grey did not have to nullity the deadly s.h.i.+eld; it had been taken down, on orders of King Trent. But they forgot one thing: to tune in the color of the water of the sea near the border. So they did not come out where Trent and his army had been, but in a different time and region of Mundania.
”That's all right.” Grey said. ”The border interface automatically registers you as you pa.s.s through it. and at such time as any of you return, you will return to the same time in Xanth that you left. Except that it will be as much later in Xanth as the time you spend in Mundania.” He did not explain about the time traveling aspect; he and Robota were a special case.
The Gorgon's face reappeared as they left the magic. She was just as pretty as her sister the Siren, and had just as good a figure. ”That's all right,” she said. ”I will make do.”
They ascertained that this was the region they had pa.s.sed through before, that spoke Italian. ”I can teach you a few words,” Robota said.
The Gorgon considered. Then she smoothed her skirt and inhaled. ”I will pretend to be a mute girl, in need of a good man's protection. Do you think that will work?”
Grey considered her statuesque face and figure. ”I believe it will. Still-”
”Thank you.” She walked away, into the heart of drear Mundania.
Vadne nodded. ”She will surely succeed.”
”Now where do the two of you wish to be?” Grey inquired. ”There arc different sections of Mundania, speaking different languages and having different customs.”
They considered. ”You seem like an honest young man.” Magician Murphy said. He no longer knew Grey as his son. because of the memory wipe, but they had spent several compatible days together. ”Take us to a region you feel will be good for us.”
Grey paused, and Pia knew why: he didn't dare change his own history Robota whispered in his ear: ”Where you lived.”
So he watched the changing color of the sea, and brought them to the region and time within a year of where he had been delivered, which was fourteen years after the Gorgon's time, and on another continent, where English was spoken. The stork might find it a challenge to make a delivery outside of Xanth, but history indicated that it would succeed.
Grey explained the problem of language, and Robota told them a few useful words so they could get started ”As I understand it.” Grey said. ”When Xanthians go to Mundania. they are not challenged; the Mundanes seem to believe that they have always been there. But they do need to learn the conventions.”
”He did not say where he learned that,” Justin remarked. ”But it was surely from his parents-the very ones he is now addressing.”
They came to a crossroads. Three roads led away from them. Murphy and Vadne took one. and Grey and Robota took another. But Vadne hung back a moment. ”Thank you. We will name our son after you,: she called.
Startled. Grey didn't answer. ”Thank you,” Robota called back in his voice, and nudged him with her knee so that he got moving. They were at the fringe of magic. so she had fair animation.
”That's playing it close,” Edsel commented. ”I think we might find a paradox hidden somewhere in there, if we looked hard enough.”
”Don't look.” Breanna said.
Tristan smiled. ”It does seem that this meets the technical situation of not changing the future.”
When they were alone, Grey reversed course and went back the way they had come, right back into Xanth. Robota oriented, and they entered just one day after their original departure.
The invisible giant was waiting for them. He picked them up and brought them rapidly to the cave.