Part 13 (2/2)
”I take that as yes,” Ca.s.saundra said. ”Can you answer questions?” The moon bobbed again.
”Are your answers accurate?”
A third bob.
”Better try a negative,” Ca.s.saunova murmured. Justin knew why: The bobbing might be mindless.
”Are the creatures on your surface different from those of our world?”
Now the moon swung from side to side, indicating no.
”Do you know the outcome of your group's mission here?”
Another side swing.
”If that mission fails, will all be well?”
The moon turned dark and blistered as it swung.
That made them all take note. It indicated destruction.
”And if the mission succeeds?”
The moon turned bright and alive again.
Ca.s.saundra nodded. ”I believe I will accept this demonstration as a sufficient exchange favor. I will convey you to your destination.”
Now Catarrh Centaur addressed Unpun. ”You are a zombie, like me. What favor do you offer for your transport to the pun-kin patch?”
”None,” Unpun said. ”I don't want to go there.”
”Why is this?”
”Because my love is there, making awful puns, polluting the region. I lost my sense of humor, and can't stand to be among them.”
”I should clarify that his humor would be recovered, if our mission succeeds,” Justin said. ”If he returns to life, he will resume abolis.h.i.+ng puns. That is his talent.”
All three centaurs were interested. ”He could thin out the dreadful glut?” Catarrh asked.
”Yes,” Justin agreed. ”But as it is, lacking his humor, he doesn't want to go near that glut.”
”We appreciate his position,” Ca.s.saunova said.
”Yet we also appreciate the need to restore this man to life and talent,” Ca.s.saundra said.
”For the good of our realm, I will convey you to the pun-kin patch,” Catarrh said to Unpun.
”No!” Unpun walked away.
”I did not ask your agreement,” Catarrh said, walking after the zombie. He picked Unpun up and set him on his back.
Because of the position, Unpun was mounted facing back. ”I won't go.”
The centaur started walking. Ca.s.saunova and Ca.s.saundra quickly helped the other two mount facing forward, and paced the other. They ignored Unpun's continued protests. It was evident that the zombie lacked the ability to dismount without help, so he was stuck.
”Nicely accomplished,” Justin murmured.
”We are not stupid,” Ca.s.saunova murmured back, in a polite understatement. No centaur was slow, let alone stupid.
The centaurs galloped not east or west, but north, so age was no problem. That was a private relief to Justin, for though he was technically over a century old, so was proof against much problem of youth, he wasn't sure of the others. Also, he had been a man for only the past two years; would he revert to being a tree beyond that point? That would surely complicate things. It was better simply to remain their present ages.
Justin projected his voice. ”h.e.l.lo, party,” a pa.s.sing fudge nut tree seemed to say.
”That's so clever,” Ca.s.saundra said with a brief laugh.
”Thank you,” a green ant hill said in Justin's voice.
Then they pa.s.sed a mean-looking tangle tree. Its tentacles quivered expectantly, for their path was uncomfortably close to it. ”Oh, I am about to fall into that tree!” Justin's voice said right behind it. The tree's tentacles whipped around to the rear, grabbing at air, as their party got by. It had been deceived for just that time necessary to secure their safety.
”Admirable,” Ca.s.saunova said.
A stray thought occurred. ”I am, as you know, new to this realm,” Justin said. ”So this may be a stupid question.”
”Stupid questions we are prepared to deal with,” the centaur said. ”It is stupid answers that disturb us.”
”Since everything imaginable exists here on Ptero, are there duplicates of the three of us?”
”Certainly. But we don't encourage meetings, as they can lead to paradox.”
”Paradox?”
”You of Xanth proper are not supposed to know your futures, unless you patronize some approved divination or other magic. If you travel into your own future here, where time is geography, you may learn things you should not.”
”That is a reasonable proscription,” Justin agreed regretfully. He had been curious about the outcome of their present mission, but one whiff of paradox might spoil an otherwise acceptable outcome.
”I have answered a question, perhaps unsatisfactorily,” the centaur said. His tone was low, so that his voice did not carry far.
”And I should answer one in return,” Justin said, remembering that nothing was done here without an exchange. ”With whatever ac.u.men is feasible.”
”Have you any insight on interpersonal relations?”
”Very little, I fear. I was a tree, until I met Breanna of the Black Wave. She soon took me away from all that.”
”I would like to have more of a relations.h.i.+p with Ca.s.saundra, but she doesn't take me seriously. We gallop together, but go no farther, as it were.”
”She a.s.sumes that your ambition with respect to every filly makes her merely one of an innumerable number.”
<script>