Part 38 (1/2)
Ida brought a plate of blue cookies, and a gla.s.s of blue drink. Cube tasted and sipped, and found that they tasted normal: blue chocolate and blue lemonade.
”I should explain that my name is not really Seren,” she said. ”But I carry a magic amulet, and it changes my name and causes me to find things I'm not looking for.”
”That is intriguing. May I see it?”
”Of course.” Cube handed her the pacifier. ”I traded a rear-view mirror for it. My name is really Cube.”
”And my name is Seren,” Ida said. ”Oh, I see what you mean; now it has changed mine.”
Cube smiled. ”And it may cause you to find something you are not looking for. I should take it back before there's any mischief.”
”Oh I have no fear of mischief. My life is dull; some mischief would enliven it.”
”But you're a lovely Sorceress!” Cube protested. ”How can your life be dull?”
”My talent is the idea. What I believe is true, becomes true, even if it wasn't before, as long as someone who doesn't know my talent says it. That means I can't improve my own reality, and so I remain unmarried and alone. That is dull.”
”Your talent is the idea? I didn't know.”
”My Xanth self would not have told you, because then she could not have helped you as much.”
”She did help me. She believes that my Quest will be successful, and I will become beautiful.”
”Then you surely will succeed, and be beautiful. But what man, knowing my talent, would be interested in me? He wouldn't dare get any ideas. I'm so blue.”
Cube was amazed. Here was a Princess and a Sorceress--they did go together--who was alone and lonely, in much the way Cube had been before starting this Quest. ”Maybe if he didn't know your talent, it would work.”
”I would not deceive him. My talent is too strong to allow him to be ignorant. In fact, I think no one but a Magician would care to a.s.sociate with me at all, and he would surely know.”
Cube wondered if the thread had brought her here to help solve Ida's problem. Yet how could she, a mere ordinary person, presume to try to solve the problem of a Sorceress? ”I wish I could help,” she said. ”But I have no idea how.”
Ida smiled ruefully. ”I wish you had had an idea, because then I could have agreed with it. So now we know you can't help me. But I thank you for the thought.”
”Maybe that pacifier could help you. It can bring about some remarkable coincidences.”
”Oh, I wouldn't keep it. I am merely looking at it. On this world, anyone who gives a gift gains stature, while anyone who receives it loses stature.”
”This is a social thing?”
”No, a physical one. If you gave me this charm, you would become larger and I smaller, unless I gave you something of equivalent value in return.”
Physical size change! That was indeed different from Cube's experience. The folk of this world would have to be very careful about gifts. She was glad she had learned of this before accepting anything from anyone. Except-- ”You gave me refreshments. Does that change our sizes?”
”No, that is ordinary hospitality. My refreshments for your company; it balances. Balance is important.”
Obviously true. Still this situation bothered Cube. The thread had taken her to remarkable places, and did not seem to be done yet. She suspected she could not continue until she did help Ida. There had to be something else. ”How is it you have the moons? Aren't they like a talent?”
”They relate to my talent. The moons are filled with all the ideas that haven't made it to Xanth proper. They have nowhere else to go, you see, so they exist on their own worlds.”
A dim bulb flashed over Cube's head. ”All the might-be folk--they're ideas! Until they make it to Xanth proper.”
”Exactly. And I'm an idea too, a derivative of my Xanth-proper self. That way she doesn't have to hold all the ideas in her own head; she can store them in the moons.”
”I'm astounded that there can be so many worlds and ideas and people. Each one seems as big as all Xanth. Is there any end to them?”
”None we know of. Perhaps someday someone will explore all the way to the last world. There used to be travelers back and forth, but recently there haven't been. That's another reason it has become dull. You are the first in some time.”
”I hope nothing has happened to the others.”
”I hope so too.” Ida got up and walked to the fireplace. ”It is cool here; I'll light a log.”
”There's no need just for me. I don't mean to be a burden.”
”You're not a burden, dear, you're a visitor. You are alleviating the dullness. I will be sorry when you go on your way.” She fished a small knot of wood from a wood bin, set it in the fireplace, and snapped her fingers. A fire formed, igniting the knot. It blazed up vigorously, and she carefully set sticks of wood over it to burn.
There was a knock on the door. ”Another visitor!” Ida said. ”Would you answer that, dear? I'm afraid the fire will go out if I leave it too soon.”
”Yes, certainly.” Cube got up and went to the door and opened it.
A handsome red man stood there. ”Would not,” he said.
”Excuse me?”
”You misunderstand. That's wood as in a tree, and knot as in tied string. Wood knot. I smelled the wood smoke, and came immediately.”
”Came for what?” Cube asked, confused.
”To marry you, of course. It is fated that I marry the one I would not, I mean wood knot.” He gazed at her more closely. ”Perhaps a small spell can improve your appearance.”
Cube began to get a glimmer. ”Oh, I'm not the mistress of this house. I didn't burn the knot. You are looking for Seren.”
He looked relieved. ”I do not know this name.”
”She's really a Princess, but there's a spell--”
”Say no more. I understand. May I come in?”
”I--”.
”Who is it, Cube?” Ida called.
”What a lovely voice,” the man said. ”We must be properly introduced. I am Magician Jaycn.”
”Uh, yes, I will introduce you,” Cube said. ”Do come in.” She led him inside.
Ida was just rising from the fire. ”h.e.l.lo,” she said, surprised.
”This is Seren,” Cube said, finding that she still was unable to speak Ida's real ident.i.ty. ”A very fine person with remarkable magic.” Then, to Ida: ”This is Magician Jaycn. He has come to marry you.”
”Marry me!” Ida exclaimed. ”But first I have to tell him--”