Part 34 (1/2)
Then the dragon let down his tail, and one by one they got on it and were hauled up to the nest. It was beautiful; it scintillated with all manner of known and unknown gemstones. Mela had to admit that the dragon had taste.
”I see that you like Draco's display,” Naldo said.
”It's the loveliest thing I've seen in my life, next to the deep sea itself,” she breathed.
The dragon snorted. ”Draco says that you are the loveliest thing he has seen, next to the boiling lava of a fresh volcano.
”Oh, really?” Mela said, flattered. ”Oh, he means as a morsel for eating.”
”That, too,” the naga agreed. He looped his serpentine body into a pyramidal coil, with his head at the apex. ”As I explained, it was a misunderstanding that caused Draco to toast your husband, and he much prefers not to quarrel with you. We were playing dominoes and discussing our mutual problem with goblin encroachment of our demesnes, never expecting company. Draco has had interesting news from other winged monsters, and suddenly I think I see a larger purpose in this encounter.”
”A larger purpose?” Mela echoed.
”Because the Good Magician never does anything purposelessly. He surely had good reason to send you to my sister, and she had similar reason to forward you to me.
Let's have formal introductions, and then perhaps I can clarify things somewhat. I am Naldo Naga, and this is Draco Dragon.”
”I am Mela Merwoman, and this is Okra Ogress, and this is Ida Human.
Okra wishes to become a major character, so needs to get rid of Jenny Elf. Ida needs to achieve her destiny.”
The various named parties nodded at each other. But when Mela turned in the course of introducing the others, Ida's eyes looked troubled.
”Naldo's staring at your backside,” Ida whispered to Mela.
Mela put a hand back, and discovered that her slip had somehow slipped aside, and was revealing some of the color of her panty. Naldo had seen! She felt herself turning a rosy-checked apple red crosslined with other colors as she hastily pulled the slip back across her bottom. This could never have happened if she had been in her normal tail.
But the slip started to slip aside again, so she sat down on the raised edge of the nest. Unfortunately the slip rode up across her knees, and the slippers managed to make her feet slip apart, giving Naldo too much of a glimpse up her legs. What perverse items of clothing these were!
She had to concentrate on keeping them from embarra.s.sing her further, leaving the dialogue to the others. There had been a time when she had not been concerned with appearance, but that had been before she learned that males were not supposed to see panties. She was now doing her best to abide by the customs of landbound folk. So she firmly crossed her legs and hoped for the best.
”What is this interesting news Draco Dragon has?” Okra asked.
”And why do you think Nada sent us on to you?” Ida added.
”I will answer you both,” Naldo said, removing his eyes from what Mela hoped he hadn't quite seen. ”But first let me learn just a little more about you. Okra, why should getting rid of a harmless elf facilitate your situation? ”
”Because there was an opening for one major character, and the choice was between an ogress and an elf, and the elf got it. Since Jenny was the elf, if I can get rid of her, then there will be only one candidate, me.”
”You don't actually wish her any harm?”
”No. I just want her out of Xanth, one way or another.”
”So if there were some other way for you to gain the status you desire, you would be content to let Jenny Elf be?”
”Well, I suppose. But since there was only one character to be chosen, I think it has to be her or me.”
Naldo nodded. ”And, Ida, how do you propose to achieve your destiny?”
”Well, I was going to ask the Good Magician, but he didn't answer. So I thought I'd ask Nada Naga, but she sent us on to you. So maybe you know how. I'm sure I don't.”
”You are sure you don't, but that I do?”
”Well, yes, really,” Ida said. ”Because we have been sent to you. So you must know the Answer, or know how to get it. Professor Grossclout seemed to know the Answers, but he's just like the Good Magician Humfrey: neither one will second-guess the other. They say our Answers would be counterproductive, whatever that means.
So you're our last hope. You must be able to help us.”
Naldo's human head nodded on his serpent neck. ”I believe you are correct. Very well, now I will answer. The news is this: Che Centaur is in trouble. The winged monsters have been keeping an eye on him, but aren't supposed to interfere. But they fear that if something is not done soon, Che will not survive his difficulty. Neither will his companions, Gwendolyn Goblin and Jenny Elf.”
”Jenny Elf!” Okra exclaimed. ”I don't want her to survive!”
”And why should we care about Che or the goblin girl?” Ida asked.
Naldo smiled a trifle grimly. His face was rather handsome, and so were his coils, in a different way, Mela thought. ”I asked myself a similar question, when I learned that a goblin was a member of the party to be saved; the naga folk do not get along well with the goblin folk. But this particular goblin has a chance to become the first female chief of goblins, and that would transform their nature and make them halfway decent neighbors. And because Che Centaur us very important to the Simurgh, and she will be most annoyed if he is harmed. We don't want to experience her annoyance. She might let the universe expire, so that another can start instantly in its place, one without the annoyance.”
Mela thought about that, and realized that they did have a certain peripheral interest in the matter, since they were part of the universe.
”But we have concerns of our own,” she said. ”Why would Nada send us here, when we can't do anything about your other concern?”
”Ah, but perhaps you can,” he said. ”But rather than attempt to persuade you by logic, which is an imperfect mechanism, let me be more direct. I believe I can solve all your problems, or at least arrange for the satisfaction of all three of your quests, if you will do something to help me handle my concern.”
”You can satisfy our quests?” Ida asked excitedly.
”Yes. But I shall not do so unless you do something for me. I want you to help save Che Centaur. I suspect that this is what the Good Magician had in mind when he sent you to me via Nada.”
”But why not send us directly to you?” Ida asked.
”Perhaps because Mela would not have come, had she known I was with Draco.” He glanced at Okra. ”And you would not have come had you realized that I would require you to help save Jenny Elf.”
”Save her!” Okra exclaimed. ”I don't want to do that!”
”But you do want to be a major character,” he reminded her. ”Just as Ida wants to achieve her destiny, and Mela wants a husband. I do happen to be in a position to enable the three of you to fulfill these quests.
But I do also have my price, which I think is not as great as the one the Good Magician exacts. The three of you must do what you can to save the three others from their predicament, regardless of your personal wishes. Only if you do that will I oblige your own wishes.”
Mela exchanged a good three and a half glances with Okra and Ida. She did not like this, but if he really could deliver, it might be worth it.
She saw that the other two felt much the same. ”Then we'll do it,” she said.
”Though we consider this to be unfair.”
Naldo shrugged, which was impressive with his serpent body. ”The price does not seem excessive considering that you are in no position to bargain.”
They could not argue with that. ”So what is it we have to do?” Mela asked.
”You have to go to the Simurgh and tell her that Roxanne is about to eat Che.”
”The Simurgh!” Mela exclaimed, horrified. ”No one dares go there!”
”Correction: no flying monster dares fly there,” Naldo said. ”And other creatures had best practice extreme caution, because of the Maenads and Python. But I think three damsels in evident distress might manage to get through.