Part 17 (1/2)
”How can we thank you, Dana?” Mela inquired blissfully.
”Oh, no,” the demoness protested. ”You must not thank me! This is my Good Deed for today. I feel almost as if my soul is back.
”Wouldn't it be nice if souled folk did good deeds too!
Mela said. ”If we can't thank you, at least we can hope to see you again soon, when we reach the Good Magician's castle.”
”Oh, you are going there? Do you know the way?”
”We have a map, but it hasn't been easy to find the route.
”I will come again tomorrow morning and show you the best route. That will be my good deed for that day.”
Then the figure turned smoky, clouding up. ”Oh, I forgot; this is my last day! At midnight I must exchange with my successor, the Maiden Taiwan. oops, I mean the Matron Taiwan; she's not exactly a maiden anymore. Or maybe Sofia. I will not be able to guide you.”
”Well, it was a nice thought,” Mela said. The feel of the salt water on her tail was so good that nothing could upset her at the moment.
”I know,” Dana said. ”I'll have Metria do it.”
”But Metria is full of mischief,” Mela objected.
” True. But she is bored, and if I tell her that you will be doing something interesting, she will help.”
”Something interesting? Such as falling off the mountain?”
” No, nothing like that. But if you are to appear at my husband's castle, you will have to put something on.”
”Something on?”
”All three of you,” Dana said firmly. ”The Matron Taiwan will insist on it.”
”But I'm a merwoman' ” Mela protested. ”I never wear clothing.”
”And I'm an ogress,” Okra said. ”Ogres don't wear clothes either, except for special occasions. Fur suffices.”
”Dana's right,” Ida said. ”I understand that all human folk wear clothing, so they probably expect it in others.”
”The matron is very concerned about protocol,” Dana agreed. ”You are not nymphs; you cannot run around bare bottomed. So I will have Metria guide you to the pantry.”
”The pantry?” Mela asked.
”That's where you start. Well, I must be off; I have only half a night to make Humfrey deliriously happy.”
She disappeared.
They made a meal of Ida's magic sandwich, which expanded enough to feed all three of them, with enough left over for another meal. Then they slept comfortably on or in their respective gifts from the demoness.
At the first crack of dawn, the Demoness Metria appeared. ”Up, you lazy bones! We don't have all aurora!”
”All what?” Mela asked sleepily.
”Sunrise, daybreak, c.o.c.kcrow, dawn, grief-”
”Grief?” Okra asked.
”Morning!” Ida exclaimed.
”Whatever,” the demoness said crossly. ”Dana told me to get you to the pantry if I wanted to see something interesting, so let's get on with it.”
They got off or out of their a.s.sorted sleeping places, which promptly disappeared. Mela flexed her legs, which felt marvelously restored after the night's rest in tailform.
They s.n.a.t.c.hed another bite of magic sandwich, then followed Metria down the steep iron path to the west.
In due course they arrived at the pantry. This was a huge tree in the shape of a pan. Metria opened a door in the trunk, and they walked into the interior, which was one big chamber. All around its circular wall were displayed its hidden fruits.
”Panties!” Ida exclaimed. ”How marvelous!”
”We have to put on panties?” Okra asked, not pleased.
”Yes. This should be most interesting.”
They walked around the circle, gazing at the a.s.sorted panties. Mela had been diffident about this matter, but found herself getting interested.
She had never dreamed that there could be such an array to choose from.
There were panties of every type and description, from blah to fantastic and all the shades between.
But something nagged her. She finally put her mental finger on it. ”Why should this be so interesting?” she asked the demoness.
”Because of the- Oh, you mean you really don't know?
”I really don't know. But I'm sure that you must have good reason to be interested, and that may not be what interests me.”
”Indubitably.”
”In what?”
”In doubt, suspicion, distrust-” Metria paused. ”Hey, wait! I had it right the first time. It means not to be doubted for even a tiny instant.”
Had Mela not been a fair-tempered creature, she might have thought of being annoyed. ”Thank you. What is that not-to-be-doubted-for-a-tiny-instant reason for your interest? ”
”Last year Good Magician Humfrey was d.i.c.kering for his wife with the Demon X(A/N)th, and to get her back would have to answer a question that couldn't be answered. That put him in a picklement, as you might imagine. But he managed to w.a.n.gle a compromise, so didn't have to answer the question.”
”Which wife?” Okra asked. ”Dana?”
”No, Rose of Roogna. You don't know her.”
”What has any of this to do with me?” Mela demanded, mentally dousing her temper in chill seawater to keep it from warping.
”Why, it has everything to do with you,” Metria said, ”You are the central figure.”