Geis of the Gargoyle (36 page)

That answered one of his questions, but not the others.
 
So he tried another.
 
"Why are you trying to seduce me?"

"I am merely trying to satisfy you.
 
If a massage is all you wish, then that will suffice.
 
But if you should change your mind, I am sure I can be all that you might wish."

That he doubted.
 
But then his doubt wavered.
 
She was an illusion in human form; couldn't she assume some other form? Suppose she chose to resemble a gargoyle? But he did not want her to do that.
 
He already knew the gargoyle he wanted to be with.
 
And there was his third question.
 
"A massage will do nicely, thank you.
 
Who is Grafting you?"

"Desi and I are merely your servants," she said, her hands moving down his back.
 
"We wish only to-" "For a moment step out of the role," he said.
 
"You are helping us reanimate the distant past.
 
What of the present?"

"We are animations of the ambient madness," she said.
 
"We are here to help you-"

"So you said before.
 
But I doubt that madness animates itself to please intruders.
 
There must be some person animating you, directing your images and responses.
 
Who is that person?"

"Some other person?" she asked, sounding bewildered.
 
"You are an illusion.
 
You have no being of your own.
 
You are merely an image, a voice, and a pair of hands being projected for my benefit.
 
Who is projecting you?"

"I can not answer that, any more than you can say who is projecting you.
 
I know my creator no more than you know yours."

Gar considered that, and realized that she had a point.
 
Who among the living could know the true source of his life? So though he wasn't satisfied with her answer, he realized that she had found a refuge from his curiosity.

"We have learned much about the origin and purpose of the ancient stone city of Hinge," he said.
 
"But this has not brought us closer to the completion of our mission."

"But surely it has," she protested as she worked in his legs.
 
She was certainly good at this! "You have to come to understand a great deal.
 
When you grasp it all, you will know the answer to your quest."

"Perhaps," he said, not entirely satisfied.
 
He just wasn't quite comfortable with evasive illusions.
 
But her hands were so soothing that he was soon asleep.

 
*
 
*
 
*

 
Several days later another storm came.
 
They were ready.
 
The five of them hurried out as the city hinged into its defensive configuration, going to the protected circle and its mad island.
 
Gar had wanted to go there before, but every time he thought he had a chance to sneak out, one of the illusions happened by.
 
He did not want to give away his nature, so could not go while they were watching.
 
It was frustrating.
 
But now there was reason, and he would see

Gayle Goyle again.

The storm was fierce.
 
They barely made it to the circle before the buildings sprouted stone tentacles and tried to grab them in the manner of tangle trees.
 
It was all the ogres could do to get the buildings folded down into their secure formats.

Even the safe circle was highly charged.
 
They could all feel the madness laying siege to them.
 
This was a ferocious storm! What would it be like on the island?

"We must link hands and hold tight," Menti said grimly.
 
"Supported by each other, we can survive the intense madness.
 
But if anyone lets go, we shall be lost."

The others nodded, knowing it was true.
 
They linked hands, forming a circle.
 
Gar was between Menti and Iri, with Hiat and Supi completing it beyond them.
 
The intangible pressure eased.
 
It was as if they were stones, making their own protected space.
 
The madness battered at their backs, but their faces were calm.

They came to the pool.
 
"We can't swim while holding hands," Gar said.

"We won't have to," Menti said.
 
"Supi, this is the occasion for that spot spell we discussed."

"Yes," the child said.
 
She was neither mischievous nor childish now; she was as deadly serious as the others.
 
She turned her head and glanced cross-eyed at the pool.

"Done."

"This way," Iri said, stepping toward the water and bringing the others along with her.

They stepped on the water, and it was firm, like a slightly yielding mat.
 
They walked across, holding their circle.

When they reached the island they had to flatten the circle so as to enter the inner passage.
 
Gar found himself pressed face to face against Iri, but there was nothing remotely seductive about it.
 
Her face was tense, and her pupils oscillated from pinpoint to enormous, and back again, constantly.
 
He suspected that his own were doing the same.

They entered the inner chamber.
 
Gayle halted her spouting.
 
"You are here," she said.

"You are at the center," Menti said.
 
"We must surround you."

"But to do that we must break the circle," Gar said.

"Put your hands on me," Gayle said.
 
"I am proof against the madness, and will secure you for this time."

They broke the circle cautiously, putting their hands on her and moving around her until she was the center of a new circle.
 
Now the worst intensity of madness was at their faces, blasting outward like an intangible furnace.
 
Gar knew that they would not be able to endure this long.
 
But they didn't need to.

"Now I craft the illusion of the template." Queen Iri said.
 
Within their circle appeared a vertical column, translucent, like a wall surrounding Gayle.

"Now I give it substance," Supi said, concentrating.
 
The illusion became tangible, scintillating like a living thing.
 
The madness diminished; it was being absorbed by the circular wall.

"Now I give it roots and antennae," Hiat said, and the wall became firmer below and more sensitive above.

"Now I give it demonly presence to guide it where it must go," Menti said, and the column took on further animation.

"And now I direct it to go out to surround Xanth itself," Gar said.
 
"On the count of three, all of us will send it there." He paused, making sure they were ready.
 
"One.
 
Two.
 
THREE."

The column expanded, leaping outward.
 
It passed them and disappeared, but they could sense its progress because of its demonly awareness.
 
In a moment there was a feeling of a shudder, and of settling.

"It is done," Menti said.
 
"The Interface has been set in place."

"Yes," Gar agreed.
 
"Now we must extricate ourselves as well as we can." For the madness, though much diminished by the energy absorbed by the Interface, remained intense.

"Must you go so soon?" Gayle asked wistfully.

"We must," Mend said.
 
"We can not endure this madness long."

"But perhaps I can visit when the storm has passed," Gar said.

"That will be nice," Gayle said.

They shifted around, breaking and reforming their circle and wending their way deviously out to the lake.
 
They crossed it and stood in the protected circle.
 
The lessening of the intense magic was a relief.

The storm was fading.
 
They stood and watched as it cleared, and the ogres unfolded the buildings.
 
Then they returned to the palace.
 
Gar knew that they had accomplished something truly significant, but he would need at least one good night's sleep and perhaps several days' reflection before he truly understood it.

12

DISCOVERY

I'll just pop off to make sure the Interface is in good order," Menti said, vanishing.

"And the rest of you can simply relax," Desi said, taking Hiatus' hand.
 
The two illusions had not accompanied them to the center of magic.
 
Gary wondered whether they had taken advantage of the occasion to have a private dialogue, but suspected that they had simply faded out for the duration.

Gary retired to his room, fatigued by their recent magical effort.
 
But as he sought to relax on his bed.
 
Queen Iris appeared.
 
"Sh," she said, putting her finger to her lips.
 
"I want to talk with you while Desi's taken with Hiatus.
 
Hanna is out of action now, isn't she?"

"I believe so," he agreed.
 
"She's not here at the moment, and if she were, she'd be unanimated.
 
They usually can't animate at the same time."

"I know.
 
Except when the magic intensifies.
 
So I'm using my own illusion to contact you."

Gary was surprised.
 
"You're an illusion? I took you for real."

"Thank you." She stepped forward and held out one hand.
 
He touched it-and passed through it.
 
"But if you prefer, I can plant the illusion in my chamber, and come here in person."

"No need." He wasn't sure what she had in mind, and her illusion self was likely to mean less mischief.

"We have learned a lot, and I value it," Iris said.
 
"I find it easy to identify with my current persona.
 
But we have not accomplished our mission."

"That's right," Gary agreed.
 
"We haven't located the philter."

"And I think we won't, as long as we depend on the two foreign illusions.
 
They have done everything to help us learn about anything except that, and they have done it with such finesse that we haven't noticed."

"Yes!" he agreed, seeing it.
 
"Hanna's been trying to distract me every night."

"And succeeding."

"No, there was no seduction."

"Succeeding in her mission of distracting your attention," Iris clarified.
 
She looked thoughtful.
 
"I'd like to know her technique."

"Persistence," he said.
 
"You tried to seduce me only once, and stopped when I demurred.
 
She merely gives me a massage, and tries again another day.
 
She arranges to show me her fair bare body often, as if by accident."

"Oh, like this?" Iris inquired, her gown fading out.

Gary contemplated her nude torso.
 
"Yes, like that.
 
I must say, your body is even better formed than I thought."