Part 18 (1/2)
”Jach and Jillz rabbits!” Zilche exclaimed, responding to the play. The rabbit actors hopped offstage. Jackrabbits and Jillrabbits-of course.
Cynthia paused, not wanting to disturb the zombie's enjoyment. But she found the dramatized puns increasingly hard to take. She saw an actress jumping from one panel to another, and didn't get it until she saw that the panels had printing: CONCLUSION. Jumping to conclusions. Groan.
An actor came to stand at one side of the stage, and a mean-shaped cloud floated at the other side. It rumbled menacingly.
”h.e.l.lo, Fracto c.u.mulo Nimbus,” the man said.
The cloud turned darker.
The actor drew out a small package. ”What, you want my C-ration?” he asked. ”You can't eat it.”
The cloud swelled, and a painted wooden lightning jag flew from it, followed by an explosive boom of thunder.
”Oh, very well; I'll cast it to you.” The man tossed the package into the cloud.
The cloud took it in, then abruptly its rumble became a high-pitched squeal. It shrank as it fled.
Despite herself, Cynthia was intrigued. Food that denatured a cloud? It had to be a pun of some kind.
”Casth rachon!” Zilche cried. And of course she had gotten it: Cration, cast to the cloud: cast-ration. It had unmanned Fracto, as it were.
Enough of this. ”I found the Ring,” Cynthia said, showing the band on her finger.
”Ouch! I zhuld havz lookedz!”
”No, that's all right. I think it was something only I could do. Now I must return to Castle Zombie.”
Fortunately the play was wrapping up. All that remained were two actors made up as cats who were joined together by their common tail. ”Ziameze catz!” Zilche exclaimed, getting it. She was actually quite good at charades, as Crone Latia had noted.
Zilche gave her report on the play, and the actors listened appreciatively. There would be some changes made.
Then they bid adieu to Crone Latia, and departed Gateway Castle. ”I presume you wish to return to the Brain Coral's Pool,” Cynthia said.
”Yez, pleze.”
”With pleasure. I am glad you found something worthwhile in exchange for your a.s.sistance.”
”Yez,” the zombie agreed dreamily.
Cynthia returned Zilche to the pool, where she was welcomed, then set off for Castle Zombie. Alone, she had more occasion to ponder. A Ring that could summon a monster not seen in twenty years, and control other creatures of the sea-such amazing power! Yet it was only a little part of what was required to control the Swell Foop. What awful potential did that other device possess?
CHAPTER 7: RING OF AIR.
Sim looked for a suitable zombie, and quickly found it: a large bird. He promptly went to it. ”Do you-” he squawked.
”What the ZZZZ do you want, you rotten excuse for wings?” the zombie screeched.
Oh, no! It was a zombie harpy! ”Nothing,” he squawked quickly.
”Oh, no you don't, Birdbrain! You're looking for a Ring, aren't you!”
What was worse, she understood him. He couldn't plead confusion. He was stuck for it. ”Yes,” he squawked. ”I am Sim Bird.”
”And I'm Garnishee Zombie,” she screeched. ”I know where the Ring of Air is.”
”Then we had better fetch it,” he agreed with regret.
”You won't like where it is,” she screeched with malign satisfaction.
”Where is it?”
”Castle Maidragon.”
Sim did a quick sort through his comprehensive avian memory. ”The castle the three princesses made last year for Becka Dragon-girl.”
”You got it, pipsquawk.”
”Why shouldn't I like that? It's a very nice castle, and she's a nice girl.”
”You'll be soo-ree, p.o.o.p-for-brains!”
”Is it really necessary to be so offensive?” he squawked.
”Of course it is, stink-feather!” she screeched. ”I'm a zombie harpy with a rotten disposition. It's my spoiled nature to be fowl-mouthed. Or hadn't you noticed, dullard?”
Sim knew himself to be dull neither in feather nor mind; in fact, he was the prettiest and smartest young bird in Xanth. Nevertheless, this ugly creature was beginning to get to him. So he drew on his mental power to handle it, making her seem to be a lovely bird with an endearing manner. Reversing impressions was a straightforward perceptive exercise that could be useful on occasion.
”Thank you for the clarification,” he squawked.
”You are welcome, beautiful chick,” she murmured dulcetly.
Mildly startled by his success, he glanced at her. She now resembled the historical figure Heavenly Harpy, the loveliest harpy ever. Her wings were shapely, her feathers bright, her face beautiful, and her bare bosom would have freaked out a human male. Sim realized that he had underestimated his own powers of reverse imagination.
”Let us go,” he squawked.
”With pleasure,” she agreed sweetly. ”Though I must confess I feel slightly odd.”
Was she catching on? ”That's quite all right.”
They spread their pretty wings and lofted upward. When they were at cruising elevation, they looped about and oriented on Castle Maidragon, which was not far as the crew flowed. Oops, his reversal was extending too far, messing up even his thoughts. As the crow flied. Flew. Whatever. Shades of the Demoness Metria!
He pumped his wings and zoomed onward.
”Please!” the dulcet voice came from behind. ”I am unable to keep up with your magnificent strokes.”
Oh, of course. No ordinary bird could pace Sim as he flew, and harpies were clumsier than birds, and zombies worse yet. He looped back, slowing his pace so that she could fly abreast.