Part 25 (2/2)

Haggy's ugly mouth gaped. ”She knows him!”

Gorbage was equally astounded. ”She's really been with a hippogryph?”

”She must have been,” Haggy screeched.

The two of them looked at Irene. ”What do you know of this claim?” Gorbage asked.

”It's true,” Irene said. ”Chem traveled with Xap.”

”Then she's worse than any of us!” Haggy screeched indignantly.

”She sure is!” Gorbage agreed.

The two looked at each other, startled. They were agreeing! ”Have you noticed,” Chem said, ”how few goblins and harpies there are, compared to what there used to be? And how many crossbreeds there are, and how vigorous they are?” Now both goblin and harpy were sullenly silent. ”Did it occur to you that maybe your close inbreeding is weakening both your species?” Chem continued. ”The straight human beings were losing power in Xanth, until they reopened the border and mixed with fresh new Mundanes. Human folk didn't want to do that, for they have always been afraid of the Mundane Waves, and contemptuous of the Mundane inability to do magic. But they did interbreed--and now the human folk are strong, and goblins and harpies are weak, when once it was the other way around. Before long, historically, you'll fade away entirely--especially if you keep killing one another off. You would both do better as species if you made peace and let your people interbreed, any who wanted to.”

”Ludicrous!” Haggy screeched.

”Appalling!” Gorbage shouted.

Again they looked at each other, finding themselves in unsettling agreement.

”Let me show you something,” Chem said. ”You both know that neither goblins nor harpies have magic powers. That's another reason neither is prospering in Xanth now.”

Mutely, they nodded.

”Please watch what Hardy and Glory do together.”

”Oh, no, we won't!” Haggy screeched. ”We're respectable creatures! We won't sit still for that kind of obscenity, will we, Gorbage?”

”Certainly not!” the goblin chief agreed emphatically. ”We're decent, natural-law-abiding folk!”

The harpy spread her wings, and the goblin edged across the wall, both ready to jump down into the enclosure to preserve decency as they knew it. But the Gorgon turned to face one and then the other, her hand at her hood, and they settled back without further protest. Decency wasn't that important!

Hardy and Glory joined hand and claw--and disappeared.

Haggy almost fell off the wall.

”So that's how they got away!” Gorbage said. ”I thought they found some vanis.h.i.+ng cream or something.”

”Together, they can do magic,” Chem said as the two reappeared. ”Together they have power that no other person in either of your species has. For the first time, goblins and harpies can compete with the human folk and the centaurs in magic. But only together. Apart, you are merely ordinary creatures, losing out to the ones who can do magic.”

Haggy stared as the couple joined hands again and vanished. ”What I wouldn't give for power like that!” she screeched faintly.

”Would you join with a goblin for it?” Chem asked.

”Never!”

”What--never?”

”Well...”

”But maybe you could see your way clear to let other harpies seek their magic, in whatever manner they wished,” Chem said.

”Maybe...” Haggy grudged, looking as if she were tasting a stinkworm.

”And you,” Chem said, turning to Gorbage. ”Your older daughter married a goblin chief and got a magic wand that makes things fly. Your younger daughter has the chance to marry a prince and to do magic without the wand. Would you deny her that?”

”Well--” Gorbage said, looking as if the stinkworm had crawled into his own mouth.

”And what of their offspring?” Chem continued. ”Maybe they will combine the best of both species. They could be winged goblins, able to fly like harpies without sacrificing their legs. Maybe they will have magic talents by themselves, as human folk do. Maybe they will make your line strong again, able to do things no other creatures can do. Your descendants may once again dominate the Land of Xanth. They may once again achieve greatness. Will you deny your daughter and your species that chance?”

Gorbage scowled. ”I never thought of it that way.” He was violent and opinionated, but he did want what was best for his daughter.

”So why not end the war and give your blessing to the union of these two fine young folk? It could be the dawning of a new age for your kind.”

”Well, maybe, but the scandal--”

Glory jumped up and down, clapping her fine little hands. ”That's his way of saying yes!” she cried.

”And you?” Chem asked Haggy.

”I don't have any power over any male of our species,” the harpy screeched reluctantly. ”I'm just a common fighting hen.”

”Which is her way of saying yes,” Hardy said. ”All the old battle-axes are alike. If Haggy goes along, they all will, even the Queen hen.”

”Good enough,” Chem said, and Irene realized she was moving it along so the longtime enemies would not have a chance to change their minds. ”Let's declare this interminable internecine war over and be on our way.”

”Now hold on, horsefoot,” Gorbage said. ”Wars are not just stopped like that! Tradition must be upheld.”

”Of course, I realize there will have to be conferences with the other chiefs and formal agreements made,” Chem said. ”But there's no reason not to start--”

”I mean there has to be a bash,” Gorbage said.

”And engagements aren't just started cold,” Haggy screeched. ”There has to be a big flap.”

”We need a whoop-de-doo!” the goblin cried.

”And a p.o.o.p-de-poo!” the harpy agreed.

”Not on my head!” Gorbage said. He turned around on the wall and waved to his troops. ”War's over,” he bawled. ”Come on in for the whoop-de-p.o.o.p!”

Haggy flew up and screeched similarly to her flock about the p.o.o.p-de-poo.

Soon goblins were swarming over the south wall and harpies were flapping over the north wall, ready to fling a wing-ding.

”I hope this is as positive as it's supposed to be,” Irene murmured nervously.

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