Golem in the Gears (24 page)

With that they all agreed. But Rapunzel was more thoughtful than the others. "I wonder—I wasn't told much about the Ever-Glades, but there is something—they're not as big as they seem."

"That doesn't make much difference," Grundy said, "if we can't get out."

"I think we should experiment," she said. "You see, we watched you go northwest, but you came up behind us, from the southeast. Maybe if we had watched the other way—"

"Say, yes," Grundy agreed. "Let's try it again, only this time you watch both ways."

And so they did. He and Jordan headed northwest toward the other copse, while Rapunzel dismounted and watched them go, and Threnody went to the opposite side of the island and watched for what might occur there.

About halfway across, Grundy's sharp eyes spied something. "There's someone there!" he said.

Jordan peered ahead. "That's Renee!" he said.

Grundy turned to look back. Because he knew exactly where to look, he was able to spot little Rapunzel. "They're both places," he said.

They proceeded on past the allegory and reached the

new copse. "You never left, right?" Jordan asked Thren- ody.

"Correct," she agreed. "I simply crossed, and saw you

coming from the other island."

Now it was definite: it was all the same place, no matter how they moved. Grundy crossed over to the northwest side, leaving Jordan and Threnody where they were, joined Rapunzel, and looked across to the other copse. There he was able to spy two figures, male and female, standing

at its southeast edge.

"We are all here—and there—and everywhere,"

Grundy said, amazed.

"Now I think I remember," Rapunzel said. "It's a—a

little universe in itself. We simply go round and round it,

never escaping."

"And all our long treks—were simply round and round,"

Grundy agreed. "We should have saved our energy."

Jordan and Threnody came up. "How the blank are we going to get out of here?" Jordan asked, bewildered.

The others shrugged. They had no idea. It seemed that they really were stuck in the Ever-Glades forever.

Chapter 13. Fauns & Nymphs

They ate and rested, as they were all tired and there seemed to be nothing better to do at the moment. Grundy and Rapunzel slept on the bed, while Jordan and Threnody settled elsewhere in the copse.

In early afternoon they woke. Rather, Grundy woke;

the damsel was already awake, because she was kissing him.

"I suppose this is a silly question," he began when she was through. "But—"

"I was just thinking," she said, addressing his question skew-fashion. "Here we are, lost in the Ever-Glades because we just can't seem to find out how to get any- where. And here we are too, you and I, for the same reason."

"The same—?"

"If I knew how to get anywhere with you, I'd do it. But I can't figure out how."

"Rapunzel, you don't need to get anywhere with me!" he protested. "You have two whole futures to choose from!"

"Because I just can't make you listen. And I wish I could."

"But—"

"So I kissed you," she concluded simply. 193

Evidently that made sense to her. Grundy sighed and

got up.

"Suppose we never do find our way out of here?" she

inquired after a moment. "Would that be so bad? I mean, I was trapped in the Ivory Tower for most of my life, and I got along all right, and so I'm used to it, only now I have company, and maybe in time you would accept it

too."

To be sealed away forever, with plenty of food, and her for company? No, it wouldn't be bad! But he knew he had no right to want that. "I have a Quest," he reminded her. "I promised to rescue Stanley Steamer."

"Yes, of course," she agreed. "You're very conscien- tious."

They foraged for another meal. "I wonder where that

Hag of yours is?" Jordan said.

"She must be trapped here too," Grundy conjectured. "Unless she knows some way out."

"I don't think she would have come here, if she didn't know a way out," Rapunzel said. "I'm sure she knew the

nature of the Ever-Glades."

The allegory nosed up to the island. "I certainly did,"

it said in reptile-talk.

Grundy jumped. "You!" he exclaimed.

"You mean that's the Sea Hag, now?" Threnody asked.

"Yes," Grundy agreed heavily. "It seems she took over that body, after the hawk died."

"I'll kill it!" Jordan said grimly.

"No, that will only free her for another form," Grundy warned. "Better to keep her in the form we know."

"But it's a dangerous form," Threnody said nervously.

"Any form is dangerous, when it's the Sea Hag," Grundy

said.

"Yeah, I guess so," he agreed, looking at Threnody.

She continued to heal, but the marks remained on her body. It was evident that Jordan was more upset by the injuries she had received from the Hag than the far worse ones he had received. Considering his own talent, this was understandable.

The allegory was listening to them, evidently under- standing human speech though it could only talk in rep- tilian. "And I know the way out of here," it hissed. "If you want to escape the Glades, I can tell you how." "Fat chance!" Grundy hissed back. "You know what I want, Golem," it said. "What's she saying?" Rapunzel asked, worried. "You know what she's saying," Grundy said. "Oh." Again her hand went to her mouth, in that maid- enly alarm he found so attractive.

"Don't worry," he reassured her. "That's one deal we'll never make."

"But if she can get you free—" "No!"

"Yes," the reptile hissed. "Not today, not this week perhaps. But after a month, a year of idleness, of bore- dom, however long it takes, you will be ready to deal. Send her back to the Ivory Tower, and I will show you the way out of the Glades."

"Jordan," Grundy said sharply. "I've changed my mind. I think this creature should be killed."

Jordan smiled. He drew his sword. But the allegory moved with surprising swiftness, splashing back into the water and zipping away, out of reach.

"At least we know there is a way," Grundy said. "There is a way," Rapunzel agreed, gazing at him. In the later afternoon Threnody approached Grundy. "I'm getting better," she said. "I could change to a form that could go after that allegory, and—"

"To what point?" he asked. "We really shouldn't kill it, and it certainly won't tell us what we want to know. Not without a deal I won't make."

"I was thinking more deviously," she said. "I'm not the nicest of women, down inside. I've done some pretty bad things in my time, in a cause I believed was right. I know I can do what I have to do."

Now he was curious. "What's that?"

"I can catch her and make her hurt until she tells us how to get out of here."

"Torture her?" he asked, shocked.

"I told you I wasn't all that nice. If I turned into a water dragon and went after her, I could chew on her bit by bit, one leg at a time, and she would—"

Grundy felt sick. "I don't think I like that way. Any- way, I think she would rather die than tell us, because she can't die."

She nodded. "You're probably right. But I just thought I'd mention it. We're not entirely helpless."

"Are all females like you, underneath?" he asked, grimly intrigued.

"Of course not. Most are relatively innocent, and some are truly nice creatures, like Rapunzel."

"She is, isn't she?" he agreed with relief.

"But even that kind can go after what she wants. I remember when I decided that Jordan was the man for me..." She sighed and shook her head.

"But Rapunzel hasn't met any men yet, except for Jordan."

"I think she has," Threnody murmured, smiling in that obscure way women have.

"Oh? Where?"

She laughed. "Never mind. I'm sure everything will work out, in its fashion." She moved away.

Grundy shook his head, perplexed. Then Rapunzel rejoined him, and he forgot whatever he had been trying to be bothered about.

Next day Grundy climbed a tall tree and looked about. All around were the little islands of palm trees, all of which he knew had golems looking about, because all were the same. What a hopeless situation!

Then he spied something else. He squinted at it, trying to make quite sure it wasn't an illusion. But soon he was sure! "Centaur ho!" he cried, scrambling down the tree.

In a moment everyone was looking. It was definitely a centaur forging toward them through the marsh. In due course Grundy was able to recognize him: "Amolde!"

Indeed it was Arnolde, the only nonhuman creature ever to have been the human King of Xanth. He sloshed to the copse and raised a hand in greeting. "I'm glad to find you well," he said. He was old, and his coat was turning gray, but he remained reasonably spry. He wore Mundane spectacles to shore up his declining eyesight.

"But we're trapped!" Grundy exclaimed. "And now you are, too!"

"Not so," Arnolde said cheerily.

"You don't understand. These are the Ever-Glades. There is no way out."

"And I'm a Magician," the centaur reminded him. "My magic can handle this."

"But your magic only works outside of Xanth! It's an aisle of magic. Here it makes no difference."

"Allow me to explain. I have been experimenting with reverse-wood."

"We had some of that, but—" "It reverses the thrust of any magic in its vicinity. Thus, when I carry it, it causes me to generate a Mundane aisle

in Xanth. Now you might not feel this is a useful function;

however—"

Suddenly Grundy caught on. "It's magic that holds us

here in the Glades!" he cried. "If that is nullified—"

"We can get out of here!" Jordan finished.

"That was my supposition," Arnolde agreed. "So if you are ready to travel with me—"

"But how did you happen to come here?" Grundy asked, still hardly believing this good fortune.

"My friend Bink suggested that the Ever-Glades might be the ideal place to test out the Mundane Effect," Arnolde said. "And I was constrained to agree with him. If I did not get lost there, I should not get lost anywhere."

"Bink!" Grundy exclaimed. "I should have known! He's been sending people after me!"

"I'm sure he meant no harm," the centaur said. "His

talent is very special."

"What is his talent? I can't remember." Arnolde looked thoughtful. "Oh. Well, in that case per- haps I shouldn't have mentioned it."

"But you did mention it! That guy seems to be crazy careless and crazy lucky. Does his magic have something

to do with it?"

"I would say that is a fair assessment," the centaur agreed. And that was all he would say on that subject;

instead he deftly turned the dialogue to the group's own

situation.

They explained about Gnindy's Quest, and the manner

he had rescued Rapunzel from the Ivory Tower, and how the Sea Hag was following them and trying to get Rapun- zel to return to her power. "She was giving them some trouble, when we arrived," Jordan said. "Just in the nick

of time."

"When Bink is involved, such coincidences do occur," the centaur said knowingly.

"But now we're stuck in the Ever-Glades," Grundy concluded. "Or were, until you showed up. Are you sure your Mundane aisle can get us out?"

"We shall certainly find out," Arnolde said. "Where are you going from here?"

"To Lake Ogre-Chobee, where the Fauns and Nymphs are. They're holding Stanley Steamer."

"Very well, we shall go there." The centaur stretched. "Tomorrow morning, if that is all right with you. I am not as youthful as I once was, and the day is becoming advanced."

Of course they agreed. Arnolde joined them in a meal of cocoa and nuts, and found a comfortable spot to stand and sleep.

But in the night there was a commotion. The allegory was on the island, scrambling away from Amolde. "Oh my gracious!" the centaur exclaimed. "That animal has absconded with the reverse-wood!"

Grundy knew instantly that that was potential disaster. Without that wood, Amolde would be trapped with the rest of them. He leaped onto Snortimer. "We've got to recover it!" he cried.

The Bed Monster was able to function well in the dark- ness. He scrambled after the allegory, catching it at the edge of the copse. Now, by the dim light of what remained of the moon, Grundy saw that the creature was hauling the wood along on a string, much as the sphinx had with the prior wood. But as Snortimer pounced on the wood, the allegory jumped forward and snatched at it. The two arrived at the same time, and one of Snortimer's hands banged into the allegory's long green nose.