Part 32 (2/2)
They tried a combination. ”Swell Foop, rise,” Justin said. To no avail.
”It occurs to me that we may be trying the wrong testing procedure,” Che said. ”The Foop may not do things to itself, but rather it must affect demons.”
The others nodded. ”Then Metria can indeed be of a.s.sistance,” Justin said. ”If the Foop makes her do something not of her own choosing-”
”How can we tell?” Breanna asked. ”She may choose to humor us.”
”It is a risk we shall have to take.”
”I'll cooperate,” Metria said. ”Because this is interesting.”
”Hold on,” Cynthia said. ”If we try things on her, and they work, it may simply be because she is cooperating, not because of the Foop.”
”Excellent point,” Justin said. ”Metria, you must help us by being completely perverse. Don't do anything we ask you to, unless you are compelled.”
The demoness smiled. ”This may be fun.”
Justin tried, with the Foop Rings the same as they were. ”Demoness, turn around.”
”No way,” Metria said.
They tried another combination. ”Turn.”
”No.”
They tried another. ”Turn.”
”Go jump.”
Justin, uncertain whether she was teasing them, was becoming quietly pained. They had thought they had success when they got the Foop; now failure was looming. He tried another combination. ”Turn.”
”Ouch!”
All of them were startled. ”What's the matter?” Justin asked.
”I got a sudden pain in my posterior. But I'm not turning.”
She was starting to be truly uncooperative. He hoped they found the right combination soon.
Breanna touched the Foop. ”I'm disgusted. We're not getting anywhere.”
”You and me both,” Metria said, turning mottled gray. ”We're all wasting our time.”
”I came all the way here to Xanth, and braved the Void, for nothing?” Jaylin asked sorrowfully. She touched the Foop. ”For this dull stone?”
”The thought makes me cry,” Metria said, and bright tears flowed down her face.
Justin suspected that they were being mocked. He tried a new combination. ”Turn.”
”No, it's your turn.”
Several combinations later, they still had no results.
Then Sim thought of something. ”For a moment there, we had emotions,” he squawked. ”And the demoness shared those emotions.”
A glance of sheer amazed surmise circled them. ”Emotions!” Che exclaimed. ”It generates Demon emotions!”
”And little d demon emotions,” Metria agreed, surprised. ”I'm excited.”
”And you're faking it,” Breanna said. ”This isn't that setting.”
”Curses! Foiled again.”
”But is that the same as controlling demons?” Justin asked.
”I believe it is,” Che said. ”Human beings are ruled by their emotions, and even centaurs have been known to be strongly influenced.”
”But merely feeling pained or disgusted or sad does not necessarily govern what a person does.”
”Why are you marrying Breanna?” Cynthia asked.
”Because I love her. But that doesn't mean-” He paused. ”Love is an emotion! I am indeed governed by it. Still, I also feel a certain, um, attraction when Metria displays her, shall we say, infernal charms, but I don't act on that.”
”Really?” the demoness asked. ”I have been holding back, out of deference for the defects of mortals, but-”
”For the whats?” Breanna asked, frowning.
”Imperfections, weaknesses, faults, failings, flaws-”
”Foibles?”
”Whatever. But if I chose to be seriously seductive-”
”Don't bother!” Breanna snapped.
But she was too late. The demoness had already faded her outfit to bra and panties, and Justin's eyeb.a.l.l.s had locked into place. Those tiny bits of cloth barely constrained incredibly luscious quivering ma.s.ses of healthy sculptured flesh. He reached for that divine form, unable to help himself.
Then the vision was cut off by Breanna's body. ”Point made, demoness,” she said as Justin's eyeb.a.l.l.s broke free of their ruts and resumed mobility. ”Men are ruled by their emotions. But we women aren't.”
”Then why did you intervene?” Metria asked evenly.
”Because it griped me all to bleep to think of my man making out with a vamp like you.”
”You were governed by jealousy. That's an emotion.”
Breanna stared at her for a moment and a half. ”Bleep!”
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