The Neverending Story (37 page)

Bastian thought it over, then shook his head. “I can’t do what you ask of me just yet. I’ll help you later on. But first I must go to the Childlike Empress. I hope you will join us and help me to find the Ivory Tower.”

The creatures didn’t seem at all disappointed. After brief deliberation they agreed to accompany Bastian on his journey. Whereupon the procession, which by now had the look of a small caravan, started out again.

Throughout the day they were joined by new adherents, not only those Atreyu had sighted the day before, but many more. There were goat-legged fauns and gigantic night-hobs, there were elves and kobolds, beetle riders and three-legses, a man-sized rooster in jackboots, a stag with golden antlers who walked erect and wore a Prince Albert. Many of the new arrivals bore no resemblance whatsoever to human beings. There were helmeted copper ants, strangely shaped wandering rocks, flute birds, who made music with their long beaks, and there were three so-called puddlers, who moved by dissolving into a puddle at every step and resuming their usual form a little farther on. But perhaps the most startling of all was a twee, whose fore-and hindquarters had a way of running about independently of one another. Except for its red and white stripes it looked rather like a hippopotamus.

Soon the procession numbered at least a hundred. And all had come to welcome Bastian, the Savior of Fantastica, and beg him for a story of their own. But the original seven told the others that they would first have to go to the Ivory Tower, and all were agreed.

Hykrion, Hysbald, and Hydorn rode with Bastian in the lead of the now rather impressive procession.

Toward evening they came to a waterfall. Leaving the plateau, they made their way down a winding mountain trail, at the end of which they found themselves in a forest of tree-sized orchids with enormous spotted blossoms. These blossoms looked so frightening that when the travelers stopped for the night, they decided to post sentries.

Bastian and Atreyu gathered some of the deep, soft moss that lay all about and made themselves a comfortable bed. Falkor protected the two friends by lying down in a circle around them. The air was warm and heavy with the strange and none too pleasant scent of the orchids. That scent seemed fraught with evil.

  he dewdrops on the orchids glistened in the morning sun as the caravan started out again. The night had been uneventful except that more and more emissaries kept trailing in. The procession now numbered close to three hundred.

The farther they went into the orchid forest, the stranger grew the shapes and colors of the flowers. And soon Hykrion, Hysbald, and Hydorn discovered that the fears which had led them to post sentries had not been entirely groundless. For many of the orchids were carnivorous and big enough to swallow a whole calf. True, they could not move of their own volition—it hadn’t been really necessary to post sentries—but if something or someone touched them, they snapped shut like traps. And several times when a blossom seized the hand, foot, or mount of a fellow traveler the knights were obliged to draw their swords and hack the blossom to pieces.

Throughout the ride Bastian was besieged by all sorts of fantastic creatures who tried to attract his attention or at least get a look at him. But Bastian rode on in withdrawn silence. A new wish had come to him, and for the first time it was one that made him seem standoffish and almost sullen.

He felt that despite their reconciliation, Atreyu and Falkor were treating him like a child, that they felt responsible for him and thought he had to be led by the nose. But come to think of it, hadn’t they been that way from the start? Oh yes, they were friendly enough, but they seemed to feel superior to him for some reason, to regard him as a harmless innocent who needed protecting. And that didn’t suit him at all. He wasn’t innocent, he wasn’t harmless, and he’d soon show them. He wanted to be dangerous, dangerous and feared. Feared by all—including Atreyu and Falkor.

The blue djinn—his name, incidentally, was Ilwan—elbowed his way through the crush around Bastian, crossed his arms over his chest, and bowed.

Bastian stopped.

“What is it, Ilwan? Speak!”

“My lord,” said the djinn in his eagle’s voice. “I’ve been listening in on the conversations of our new traveling companions. Some of them claim to know this part of the country and their teeth are chattering with fear.”

“What are they afraid of?”

“This forest of carnivorous orchids, my lord, belongs to Xayide, the wickedest and most powerful sorceress in all Fantastica. She lives in Horok Castle, also known as the Seeing Hand.”

“Tell the scaredy-cats not to worry,” said Bastian, “I’m here to protect them.”

Ilwan bowed and left him.

A little later Falkor and Atreyu, who had flown far ahead, returned to Bastian. The procession had stopped for the noon-day meal.

“I don’t know what to make of it,” said Atreyu. “Three or four hours’ journey from here, in the middle of the orchid forest, we saw a building that looks like a big hand jutting out of the ground. There’s something sinister about it, and it’s directly in our line of march.”

Bastian told them what he had heard from Ilwan.

“If that’s the case,” said Atreyu, “wouldn’t it be more sensible to change our direction?”

“No,” said Bastian.

“But there’s no reason why we should tangle with this Xayide. I think we should steer clear of her.”

“There is a reason,” said Bastian.

“What reason?”

“Because I feel like it,” said Bastian.

Atreyu looked at him openmouthed. The conversation stopped there because Fantasticans were crowding in from all sides to get a look at Bastian. But when the meal was over, Atreyu rejoined Bastian. Trying to make it sound casual, he suggested: “How about taking a ride with Falkor and me?”

Bastian realized that Atreyu wanted a private talk with him. They hoisted themselves up on Falkor’s back, Atreyu in front, Bastian behind him, and the dragon took off. It was the first time the two friends had flown together.

Once they were airborne, Atreyu said: “It’s been hard seeing you alone these days. But we have to talk things over, Bastian.”

“Just as I thought,” said Bastian with a smile. “What’s on your mind?”

Atreyu began hesitantly. “Have we come to this place and are we heading where we are because of some new wish of yours?”

“I imagine so,” said Bastian rather coldly.

“That’s what Falkor and I have been thinking,” said Atreyu. “What kind of wish is it?”

Bastian made no answer.

“Don’t get me wrong,” said Atreyu. “It’s not that we’re afraid of anything or anyone. But we’re your friends, and we worry about you.”

“No need to,” said Bastian still more coldly.

Falkor twisted his neck and looked back at them.

“Atreyu,” he said, “has a sensible suggestion. I advise you to listen to him, Bastian Balthazar Bux.”

“Some more of your good advice?” said Bastian with a sardonic smile.

“No, Bastian,” said Atreyu. “No advice. A suggestion. You may not like it at first. But think it over before you turn it down. We want to help you, and we’ve been wondering how. The whole trouble is the way the Childlike Empress’s amulet affects you. Without AURYN’s power you can’t wish yourself ahead, but with AURYN’s power you’re losing yourself and forgetting where you want to go. Pretty soon, unless we do something about it, you won’t have any idea where you’re going.”

“We’ve already been through that,” said Bastian. “So what?”

“When I was wearing the Gem,” said Atreyu, “it was entirely different. It guided me and it didn’t take anything away from me. Maybe because I’m not a human and I have no memory of the human world to lose. In other words, it helped me and did me no harm. So here’s what I suggest: Let me have AURYN and trust me to guide you. What do you say?”

Bastian replied instantly: “I say no!”

Again Falkor looked back.

“Couldn’t you at least think it over for a moment?”

“No!” said Bastian.

For the first time Atreyu grew angry.

“Bastian,” he said, “think sensibly! You can’t go on like this! Haven’t you noticed that you’ve changed completely? You’re not yourself anymore.”

“Thanks,” said Bastian. “Thank you very much for minding my business all the time. But frankly, I can get along without your advice. In case you’ve forgotten,
I
saved Fantastica, and Moon Child entrusted her power to
me
. She must have had some reason for it, because she could have let you keep AURYN. But she took it away from you and gave it to me. I’ve changed, you say. Yes, my dear Atreyu, you may be right. I’m no longer the harmless innocent you take me for. Shall I tell you the real reason why you want me to give up AURYN? Because you’re just plain jealous. You don’t know me yet, but if you go on like this—you’ll get to know me.”

Atreyu did not reply. Falkor’s flight had suddenly lost all its buoyancy, he seemed to be dragging himself through the air, sinking lower and lower like a wounded bird.

At length Atreyu spoke with difficulty.

“Bastian,” he said. “You can’t seriously believe what you’ve said. Let’s forget about it. As far as I’m concerned, you never said it.”

“All right,” said Bastian, “let’s forget it. Anyway, I didn’t start the argument.”

For a time they rode on in silence.

In the distance Horok Castle rose up from the orchid forest. It really did look like a giant hand with five outstretched fingers.

“But there’s something I want to make clear once and for all,” said Bastian suddenly. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m not going back at all. I’m going to stay in Fantastica for good. I like it here. So I can manage without my memories. And if it’s the future of Fantastica you’re worried about, I can give Moon Child thousands of new names. We don’t need the human world anymore.”

Falkor banked for a U-turn.

“Hey!” Bastian shouted. “What are you doing? Fly ahead! I want to see Horok close up!”

“I can’t,” Falkor gasped. “I honestly can’t go on!”

On their return to the caravan they found their traveling companions in a frenzy of agitation. They had been attacked by a band of some fifty giants, covered with black armor that made them look like enormous two-legged beetles. Many of the traveling companions had fled and were just beginning to return singly or in groups; others had done their best to defend themselves, but had been no match for the armored giants. The three knights, Hykrion, Hysbald, and Hydorn, had fought heroically, but without making a dent in any of their assailants. In the end they had been disarmed and dragged away in chains. One of the armored giants had shouted in a strangely metallic voice:

“Xayide, the mistress of Horok Castle, sends greetings to Bastian Balthazar Bux, the Savior of Fantastica, and makes the following demands: “Submit to me unconditionally and swear to serve me with body and soul as my faithful slave. Should you refuse, or should you attempt to circumvent my will by guile or stratagem, your three friends Hykrion, Hysbald, and Hydorn will die a slow, shameful, and cruel death by torture. You have until sunrise tomorrow to make up your mind.” That is the message of Xayide, the mistress of Horok Castle. It has been duly delivered.”

Bastian bit his lips. Atreyu and Falkor had wiped all expression off their faces, but Bastian knew exactly what they were thinking. What he minded most was their mask of secrecy. But this was hardly the time to have it out with them. That could wait. Instead, he addressed the company in a loud voice: “I will never give in to Xayide’s blackmail! We must set the prisoners free, and without delay.”