Part 46 (2/2)

”We're going with you,” Metria clarified. ”Except for Charles Horse, who will guard this important site.”

Charles nodded.

”With something to eat,” Melody said. A bale of hay appeared.

”And drink,” Harmony agreed. A bucket of water appeared.

”And something for comfort,” Rhythm concluded. A pile of pillows appeared.

”There's something else,” Cube said. ”The Demoness Fornax tried to blow us off the bridge over the Gap Chasm, but the Demon Xanth stopped her. I don't think Demon Xanth would let us go to destruction after that.”

They were obviously impressed. ”Tell us about it,” Karia said. So Cube did.

”So we were right,” Ryver concluded. ”It was Fornax.”

”And she would not have needed to act, if Counter Xanth was going to annihilate us anyway,” Karia said. ”That is rea.s.suring.” The others nodded.

Then they entered the pouch, leaving only Cory, Tessa, and Cube. It was time to go on to Counter Xanth, whatever happened there.

Cube was both nervous and proud. ”We'll return soon, Charles,” she said.

”This is new territory, in more than one sense,” Cory said. ”We shall have to go slowly and carefully.”

”I wouldn't have it otherwise,” Cube said, dry-mouthed. The new land might not destroy them, but it was bound to be different from their experience.

The two women linked hands and stepped backward, setting up the route. Then Tessa caught Cube's hand, bringing her in. There was the thread, leading out of the chamber and back up the ramp to the surface. That was a relief; at least they knew they were going the right way.

They reached the brink of the cliff, with Xanth stretching out before them to the north. It looked subtly odd. ”Is this really the same?” Cube asked, as they stepped out of the sidestepping channel.

”It's empty,” Cory said. ”Except for plants.”

”Because Xanth will get to colonize it,” Tessa said. ”There are no people.”

”That must be it. It was an easier crossing than I expected, after the deviousness of the thread's prior route. I'll bring out the others.”

Cory and Tessa didn't answer. Cube didn't notice for a moment; she was busy bringing out the others. In a moment they all stood around her.

”What is that?” Karia asked, staring south.

”The Msahc Pag, of course,” Cube replied. Then she paused, startled. ”What did I say?”

”Look south, Ebuc,” Ryver said.

Cube turned around. And stared. The chasm was gone; in its place was a towering mountain range. The peaks reached so high they sc.r.a.ped the clouds and were white with snow. ”But--the Pag was here a moment ago,” she protested somewhat inanely.

”Perhaps not,” Cory said. ”When we reached the surface, we emerged in Counter Xanth. The mountains are where the Gap Chasm is in Xanth.”

”The Gap Chasm,” Cube echoed. ”But I said something else.”

”What is your name?” Karia asked.

”Ebuc.”

”Which is Cube spelled backwards,” the centaur said. ”I believe we are experiencing the effects of reversal. My name is now Airak, not Karia. And the great gulf has become a great ridge. I suspect the mountains of Xanth will be depressions here, perhaps lakes.”

Cube realized that it must be true. ”Demoness Fornax is the Demon of contra-terrene matter,” she said. ”Antimatter. The opposite of what we have, though I understand it looks the same. So things are similar but opposite.”

”Which could be fun,” Metria said. ”At least we didn't detonate.”

”Didn't what?” Melody asked.

”We covered this ground before,” Karia said sharply.

”Apetent report. There could be other surprises.”

”Agreed,” Karia said. ”Lead; we shall follow.”

Cube stepped north, walking toward one of the odd trees. The others followed in single file. The air smelled pleasantly clean.

The tree turned out to be a fruit tree, but of no kind Cube knew of. The leaves were brown and rolled up. The fruits were large and blue, with pale pink stripes. She picked one and bit into it. The flavor was different too, but not unpleasant.

”There's something really weird about this,” Metria said. ”Something's missing.”

”This land seems quite nice,” Karia said. ”It doesn't irritate me.”

”That's it!” Ryver said. ”No puns!”

”That is it,” the centaur agreed. ”Strange geography, strange fruit, but no puns, egregious or otherwise.”

”If that's the worst of it,” Ryver said, ”I'm sure there will be folk willing to colonize.” Then he stared past Cube to one of the other members of their party. ”Who are you?”

”I am a.s.set, of course,” the woman replied.

”But you're taller than I am!”

The others looked. It did look like Tessa, but she was now the tallest member of their party. Beside her stood a much shorter woman. ”Yroc?” Cube asked her.

”I'm short,” Cory replied, astonished.

Now it was apparent: the two had exchanged heights. ”It's another reversal,” Karia said. ”But why didn't it affect the rest of us?”

But it had. When they looked more carefully, they discovered that Cube was now taller than Ryver, and the three little Princesses were now three big Princesses, though they looked just as young as usual. The centaur seemed to be a bit taller, and Drek Dragon was shorter. Tall had become short, and short had become tall, with those in the middle changing less.

”It affects the extremes more than the middle,” Ryver concluded. ”Which maybe makes sense. The question is, is it permanent?”

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