Part 17 (2/2)
”Hungry. I'm about to pa.s.s out on my feet.”
Hugo conjured a handful of raspberries. ”We have lots of fruit.”
”I really haven't eaten since yesterday!” the woman exclaimed, as if this were highly significant news. There was a certain flair in the way she spoke; it was part of her beauty.
”Sit down and eat and tell us your story,” Ivy invited her. ”I'm Ivy and this is Hugo.”
The goblin girl accepted the raspberries and sat delicately on a mossy stone. ”I'm Glory, daughter of Gorbage, chief of the north-slope Gap Goblins. My story is very poignant.”
Hugo and Ivy were perplexed now. ”What kind of ant?” Ivy asked.
Glory smiled briefly as she chewed on a raspberry whose juice was no darker than her lips. ”Poignant. It means piquant.”
”Another kind of ant?” Ivy asked. ”We did see some gi-ants in the coven-tree.”
The woman frowned, still looking quite pretty. ”I meant to say sad,” she clarified. ”Pointed and sad.”
”Oh,” Ivy said. ”But I don't like sad stories. Couldn't you make it happy?”
”Possibly it will have a happy ending,” Glory said.
”Oh, goody!” And Ivy settled back to listen, while Hugo conjured more fruit for their new acquaintance.
Chapter 11: Dread Seeds.
Irene was beset by doubt. First she worried that they would drop the bag of seeds in the course of the frequent pa.s.sings back and forth; when that didn't happen, she was concerned that she would misplace her grip and fall herself. In between, she was nervous about the impression she was making on those below, climbing down the vine in her blouse and green panties. At age fifteen, she would have loved the excuse; now it bothered her considerably. She wasn't certain whether it would be worse to have people admiring her exposed legs and whatever--or to have people condemning them. She had tried to keep trim and firm, but...
They made it safely. Xap and Chem and Zora were waiting, together with several of the Muses.
As soon as she and the seeds were safely down, Irene grew a dress plant and a new pair of lady-slippers, then clothed herself properly. But her worries were only replaced by others. Where was Ivy now? Had the Cyclops eaten her? No, of course not; the little ivy plant--what a contrast between the one she wore and the one she had climbed!--remained healthy. But it would still take at least a day to get back, unless she grew another flying plant and flew back. Chem wouldn't be able to come along, then, or Zora Zombie, and she needed these friends. Also, none of her flying plants could handle the additional burden of the big bag of seeds. Better to ride back as they had ridden in, though the loss of time chafed.
Suppose they encountered the Python again, or the maenads? There were so many hazards between her and her child!
Irene got a grip on herself and checked her big new bag of seeds. She picked out several familiar ones and several unfamiliar ones, just in case. She had used up so many of her regular seeds that she could no longer depend on them.
The Muses were friendly, civilized, intelligent women, and Irene would have loved to visit with them, but she had no time for chitchat. Any delay could be horrendous for Ivy! As it was, there might not be enough time. Everything was so uncertain! ”Let's get moving!” she snapped.
The others looked askance at her but didn't argue. They bade hasty farewell to the Muses and set off down the best path.
Still Irene was agitated. Suppose Chem stumbled and broke a leg? So many things could go wrong!
Grundy looked back at her. ”Anything wrong, Irene?” the golem asked. ”You looked scared.”
”Shut up, you little rag blob!” she snapped.
”He only asked if--” Chem started.
”You too, animal rump!” Irene said.
Hurt, the Centaur was silent. Irene had never before addressed her in such manner, and the language was undeserved.
”The seeds!” Xavier exclaimed. ”The big bird said to remember what they were!”
Suddenly it connected. ”Doubt, Dissension, and War!” Irene exclaimed. ”I've been doubting ever since I got them!”
”That isn't all,” Grundy muttered sullenly.
Irene realized that it wasn't enough just to know the cause of her problem. She had to find a way to eliminate the bad effects of the seeds.
”We can carry them,” Xavier said helpfully. ”Pa.s.s them out, one to a person, so it won't be too bad for none of us.”
Despite her doubt, irritation, and growing inclination for violence, Irene saw the merit in the suggestion. The lout was actually pretty smart. She handed the seed of Doubt to Grundy, the seed of Dissension to Xavier, and the seed of War to Zora. She didn't want the two steeds to have them; they were too important for transportation, and Xap would be too dangerous if he developed warlike notions.
Irene felt immediate relief as the seeds left her. Confidence and equilibrium returned. They would make it.
”Lot of bad things on the way,” Grundy said. ”Maybe we should take another route.”
That was the seed of Doubt. It helped to know that; she could ignore the golem.
”Come on, Xap, get your gait straight,” Xavier said irritably. ”You're bouncing us all over the place, you birdbeak!”
”Don't let the seed of Dissension govern you!” Irene warned, having felt its effect herself so recently.
”Shut your yap, you middle-aged broad!” he snapped at her.
Irene felt the color cruising up her neck and face. She knew the cause of his language, but it was all she could do to hold her tongue.
She looked apprehensively at the zombie, who now rode behind Xavier again. Zora seemed as sanguine as only a zombie could be, despite the fact that zombies had very little blood. Apparently the seeds did not affect the undead. ”Give your seeds to Zora,” Irene called. ”She can handle them.” At least Irene hoped so.
It was done. The problem seemed to be solved. One thing Irene now realized--the three dread seeds would do Xanthippe little good! That must be why the Simurgh had decided to send them to the witch.
With the seeds under control and the route known, the travelers should be able to make good progress back to the region where Ivy was lost. Irene began to feel faintly confident. With luck-- Luck was not with them. The Python lay coiled in their path. The huge snake was bruised and had patches of skin missing, but had survived the onslaught of the wild women. The deadly head lifted and the huge jaws gaped, ”We ain't off Parna.s.sus yet!” Xavier muttered.
Quickly Irene fetched out her new dragon seed and threw it down before the Python. ”Grow!” she cried.
The seed sprouted vigorously--but something happened to Irene's head. She put her hand to her hair--and discovered plants growing there. She had missed three seeds hidden in her hair, and her command had started them off! Normally only the seed she directed her attention to grew, which was why the big bag of seeds wasn't sprouting; but there was some peripheral effect, and seeds actually in contact with her body could also be set off, though at a slower rate. She was starting a garden in her hair!
Worse, there was another seed hidden in her bosom. It must have fallen there during the original spray from the Tree. It was growing inside her blouse, curling around an unmentionable area. She plunged her hand down her neckline, fis.h.i.+ng for the plant.
”What a place this is!” a sneering voice exclaimed from inside her dress. ”Are these mountains, pyramids, or bags of sand?”
Worse and worse! That was a devil's tongue plant! She had to catch it and get it out before the others noticed.
”I've heard of cushy locations,” the tongue said, slurping around some more. ”But this is entirely too much of a good thing! I can't get my roots properly grounded in all this cheesecake.”
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