Part 32 (1/2)
The mountain shuddered. Pinatuba was aware of them, and not pleased. Of course nothing pleased this mountain, but this made her nervous. Suppose it decided to throw them off?
”You know us!” the bat chittered at the mountain. ”Com-Bat and ComPete! We are coming to admire your peak.”
The shuddering eased. Pinatuba was satisfied that these weren't intruders. Did it know about Cube? How would it react if it caught on? She had heard that it was a pretty ornery mountain.
The climb became steeper. How could the serpent stay on without sliding down? She was virtually hanging by her hands. She saw into the sky, and the cloud was already touching the top of the mountain. Were they too late?
”Here!” the bat chittered. The serpent followed him into a vertical creva.s.se in the side of the mountain, wedged his sides against the sides of the creva.s.se, and powered on upward. Now they were traveling straight up, and Cube was hanging. She felt her grip slowly slipping.
Then they emerged at the top--and there was the interior of the crater, filled with water. Cube had forgotten about that; Nepherina had explained about the cone filling with water, and the stream originating from that. This was a huge lake.
On the far side of the crater, the cloud was just pa.s.sing the rim. They were too late!
But Pete launched from the rim and dived into the lake. Horrified, Cube hung on; she knew she'd drown if she lost her grip. The water surged around them, tearing at her body. She tried to scream, but water filled her mouth.
Then the serpent rose to the surface, and was undulating smoothly across the lake. Cube choked and coughed, clearing her lungs. Was the cloud still there? She couldn't tell; her eyes were too teary.
Pete reached the far side and slithered up the rim. He crested it and stopped at last. Cube looked, blinking.
There was the cloud, just below, moving away from the peak. It was the right one; she saw the castle on it. ”Thank you, boys!” she cried, and flung herself off the peak.
For two instants she fell through the air. Then she landed on the rear fringe of the cloud, and bounced. She was falling off the edge! She reached out, and her fingers caught fluff. She grabbed handfuls, swinging in closer, and in a moment was buried in cloud stuff. She scrambled up, and soon lay panting on the surface. She had made it.
She sat up, facing toward the mountain. There were the serpent and bat, poised at the rim. She waved. ”Thanks,” she repeated. The serpent flicked his tail, then slithered over the rim and out of sight inside the cone.
”h.e.l.lo, Cube.”
Cube jumped, but managed to stay on the cloud. There was a lovely woman with greenish-yellow hair and perfectly fitting blue dress standing behind her. ”Who--?” she asked somewhat stupidly.
”I am Chlorine,” the woman said. Naturally her voice was dulcet. She made Cube seem absolutely drab in comparison. ”You seem to have made some effort to reach us. Now you can make your case to Nimby.”
”Nimby,” Cube agreed blankly. ”I--”
”Of course. This way, please.” Chlorine led the way toward the castle. It wasn't far, because this was not a large cloud.
Cube looked down at herself. Her clothing was a grimy mess, and her face and hair were surely no better. ”But I'm not--”
”Yes you are,” Chlorine said. And suddenly Cube was exquisitely garbed in a sparkling red gown that strove valiantly to make even her dull body esthetic. She felt clean, and her hair was fresh and fluffy.
”Uh, thank you,” she said, not questioning her condition further. It was evident that these folk did have magic, plenty of it.
They came to the moat. Cube didn't make the effort to question how a water-filled moat could be on the top of a cloud. Obviously it could be, at least in this instance.
She gazed into the water and saw her reflection. Her dress was lovely, of course, and she wore a matching tiara. If only her face weren't so plain, and her body so dull. Chlorine's dress enhanced her notable curves, while Cube's dress lacked anything to work with.
”Before we meet Nimby,” Chlorine said, ”let me tell you something about him. I presume you don't know his nature.”
”I don't,” Cube agreed, embarra.s.sed. ”I met a Mundane woman, Kim, and she mentioned you and Nimby, saying that you liked to go around doing favors. I need a favor really badly, so--”
”Of course. Nimby is a donkey-headed dragon who has the power to make himself or his companion be anything that companion wants. When I first met him I was, well, like this.” Suddenly a rather dull and bitter-looking woman stood there, and the dress hung on her awkwardly. Cube remembered Fluorine, who had said she was Chlorine's sister. That seemed likely. Then the original woman returned, filling the dress with deserved pride. ”And my talent was poisoning water,” Chlorine continued. ”So you can understand that when I say I appreciate your situation, I truly do. I asked Nimby to make me beautiful, and he did. I asked him to make me smart, and he did. When I was smart I had much better ideas for self-improvement, and became a better person in every way I could think of. Later I married Nimby--”
”You married a dragon?” Cube had thought it was a prince, or something similar.
Chlorine smiled. ”I asked him to make himself into a princely handsome man, and he did. But I still rather liked the ugly form he had first had, so usually he remains that way. Appearance isn't everything.”
”But it's a lot,” Cube said somewhat bitterly.
”Yes. Which is why I prefer to keep my enhanced form. But I don't require it of Nimby, and he doesn't require it of me. Sometimes we, well, relate when he is handsome and I am my old way, just for the variety. We know each other, you see, so it makes less difference. Once you have it, you don't need it as much.”
”Could he make me beautiful?”
”He could. But that would interfere with your Quest.”
Cube realized it was true. She was good for the Quest because no one noticed her. If she looked like Silhouette or Chlorine, everyone would notice her, women included. Also, a.s.suming that Nimby would help her once, she could not take the aid for herself while her Companions were lost. Anyway, the Good Magician had already promised her beauty when she completed the Quest. ”Yes, I must complete my Quest.”
”Nimby doesn't talk,” Chlorine continued. ”But he understands, the way many animals do.”
”Yes, a big serpent helped me get up the mountain so I could catch this cloud. He could not talk human, but he understood, so we were able to deal.”
”We saw. You really struggled to reach us.”
”Yes. I'm desperate.”
”Nimby will help, I'm sure. Just explain to him what favor you want, and if he is inclined, he will grant it. If he has a question, I will ask it. I understand him.”
”That's wonderful,” Cube said gladly. ”I don't know what I would do otherwise.”
”You may find Nimby somewhat strange, but don't be concerned. He will not hurt you.”
”I know dragons can be friends,” Cube agreed. ”When you get to know them.”
”Exactly. You can trust him. Tell him anything you think he might need to know. Now we shall meet him.” Chlorine led the way to the small drawbridge, and they crossed.
The castle was huge. Cube was amazed that such a ma.s.sive edifice could perch on so small a cloud without sinking it. There was chamber after chamber inside; this building could house an army if it wanted to. How had it come to be used for just a woman and a dragon? Was this another situation like that of Castle MaiDragon, with caretakers? That seemed to make the most sense.
They came to the main reception chamber. Just then there was the sound of a child's cry. ”Oh, that's Nimbus,” Chlorine said. ”He's gotten into trouble again. I must fetch him. Just go on in; Nimby is expecting you.” She hurried away, and in a moment turned a corner and was gone.
Cube entered the chamber. There was Nimby--and he was indeed strange. He was a dragon a.s.s, with a donkey head and a dragon body striped diagonally with pastel pink and bilious green. He was big enough to be dangerous, but that stupid head and coloration made him seem laughable. She was glad Chlorine had warned her; she would not have wanted to offend Nimby by her initial reaction.
”Uh, h.e.l.lo,” she said. ”I'm Cube. Chlorine told me to tell you my situation. I have a favor to ask.”
The dragon gazed at her. When their eyes met, she suffered sudden vertigo. It seemed as if she were falling into a whirlpool, spinning around, and seeing everything and nothing all at once. It also felt as if Nimby had drawn out half her soul. This was no ordinary dragon!
Then things stabilized. Their eye contact had broken, and she was not eager to renew it. So she plunged in. ”I am on a--a Quest for the Good Magician Humfrey. I have nine Companions. They are in a pouch the Magician gave me, and I lost the pouch. I--”
Suddenly the enormity of her problem overcame her, choking off her words. Cube had not really allowed herself to consider it before, being intent on doing something about it. But now that she was telling it, it overcame her.
Chlorine entered the room, leading a three-year-old boy by the hand. That was evidently Nimbus, who would be her son. She took in the situation at a glance. ”What do you need, Cube?”
”The pouch,” Cube said. ”I lost it. I--” She choked off again.