Part 46 (1/2)

She addressed the nickelpede. ”This is Ray. He is a friend. Go with him and protect him.” Then she proffered the bug.

Ray, understandably hesitant, slowly put out his hand. The nickelpede crossed over and perched there, not attacking. The man stroked it with a finger, very gingerly. It still did not attack. ”Maybe it's in a stupor,” he said suspiciously.

”Threaten it with a stick,” Cube suggested.

Ray bent down to pick up a small stick from the ground. He struck at the nickelpede. The nickelpede's claw whipped across and cut the stick in two by gouging out a nickel-sized section of its center.

Ray nodded. ”How many?”

”Three.”

”Done.”

She summoned two more nickelpedes, attuned them to the man and gave them to him. They perched amicably on his shoulders and head. ”Now where's the way?”

”This way,” he said, stepping over the brink. But this time his feet did not stick to the visible surface; they sank into it. Knee-deep in rock, he turned back to face her. ”There is a broad ledge here, leading down, masked by illusion. Try it.”

She tried it, and found it was true. The way had been there all along--right where the thread was. She should have had more faith in the thread.

She walked down the gradually sloping ledge, scuffing with her feet to ascertain its extent. It was indeed broad enough for the horse. ”Come on, Charles,” she called.

The horse followed. She saw his front legs disappear into the seeming stone, then his rear ones.

”It goes down to an old deserted building,” Ray said. ”It's a good place to hide.”

”I'm sure it will do. Thank you.”

”Thank you for the bugs.” He scampered away across the face of the cliff.

Soon they were entirely covered by the illusion, and could see the stone ledge as it was. It tracked down the cliff, covered by what looked from below like a tarpaulin. This was really interesting; who had set it up, and why?

They came to a building set into the vertical stone, reminiscent of the city of Petra. There were a number of cubic chambers, all empty. Cubic--as if waiting for her, Cube. Was this coincidence?

The thread led into the center of the main chamber and stopped. It didn't go into the rock, it simply ended in mid air. That suggested that it truly ended here.

But this was obviously not Counter Xanth. Her route had not ended. So what did this mean?

”Time for a consultation,” she said aloud. She put her hand to the pouch. ”All.”

All her Companions slid out and stood around her. ”Don't go outside yet,” Cube warned them. ”This is a house on the wall of the Gap Chasm.”

”Wow!” Metria said, sailing out to look.

”But it is not Counter Xanth,” Cube continued. ”The thread ends here.”

The three little Princesses investigated. ”She's right,” Melody said.

”It stops here,” Harmony agreed.

”And goes directly to Counter Xanth,” Rhythm concluded.

”So how do we get there?” Karia asked.

”Sidestepping,” Cory said.

”This must be the proper avenue for it,” Tessa agreed. ”The most feasible route between the two lands.”

”Before we blithely go there,” Karia said, ”there's a matter that disturbs me. I understand that this land was won from Demoness Fornax, who is the mistress of contra-terrene matter. So Counter Xanth is surely of that nature. As I understand it, normal matter is incompatible with contra-terrene matter. So how can we go there, regardless of the Route?”

”It must be possible,” Ryver said, ”or the Good Magician would never have set up this Quest.”

”And Mother would never have let us go,” Melody said.

Metria popped back in. ”That's why there's no direct land route between the two,” she said. ”They'd both go up in a quasar.”

”A what?” Harmony asked.

”Explosion, detonation, ka-boom, blast, eruption--”

”Total conversion of matter to energy?” Rhythm asked.

”Whatever,” Metria agreed crossly. ”Hey--how can a little tyke like you come up with such language?”

”A little what?” Melody asked.

”Child, tot, kid, juvenile, brat--”

”Princess?” Harmony suggested.

”Whatever. How--”

”I made it up,” Rhythm said smugly.

”Nevertheless,” Karia said firmly, ”She has a point. There can be no direct contact between the two, lest mutual destruction result. Sidestepping must enable us to transfer from one to the other without suffering that fate.”

”Are you sure?” Ryver asked.

”No.”

Silence settled in about them as they pondered that. This time Cube broke it. ”I'll go alone. If I am destroyed, no one else need follow.”

For a s.p.a.ce between an instant and a moment, all eyes focused on her. Then Karia spoke. ”Are we agreed?”

There was a chorus of nods, including even Charles Horse. ”Then we'll all return to the pouch,” Ryver said. ”Except for Cory, Tessa, and Cube.”

”But I don't want to leave the pouch behind,” Cube protested. ”I never want to risk losing it again.”