Zombie Lover (32 page)

"They're stirred up because the Zombie King Xeth kissed me awake and wants to marry me," Breanna said "I told him I'm only fifteen, but that doesn't bother him He likes my firm living flesh So I'm fleeing, and the zombies are chasing me, and the Good Magician says I can escape them on the Isle of Women, so that's where I'm

going "

"But if you escape them, they will continue to be stirred up," Dor said "We need them to settle before the big wedding "

' 'What big wedding r'

"The one at Castle Roogna next week We don't know who is getting married, but we all have important roles to play in it We suspect it is a royal occasion, for it will be a prince or king marrying a common girl We don't want zombies attending "

"For sure," she agreed

A horrible thought has occurred to me
   
Justin said
   
Could that be your marriage to Xeth?

"No'" Breanna cried

Immediately the men crowded solicitously around her "Are you all right9" Dolph inquired anxiously

"I—I'm all right, I guess 1 just had a horrible thought Suppose— suppose the royal groom is King Xeth—the Zombie7 After he catches

me9"

All three had the grace to look appalled "Oh, Breanna, we wouldn't want that." King Dor said "We must help you escape "

"We saw some zombies a while ago/' Prince Dolph said 'They must have been looking for you "

"For sure," Breanna agreed weakly
 
"1 had a spell to make them not see me, but that must have worn off by now, so they're picking up my scent again They can feel my magic talent of seeing in black ness
 
They home in on it
 
So I have to keep running
 
But I can't run

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Irom here, because I have to be here when the Isle of Women comes "

"We\e been looking tor it all day ' Pnnce Dolph said 'We keep finding the wrong islands How can you find it7"

"It's supposed to be the island we can see from this dock I didn't realize there were several

King Dor nodded "We have been traveling north along the coast Maybe we were simply in the wrong position to see the right island "

"And I'm supposed to take the boat," Breanna continued "Were you using a boat7"

"No," Prince Dolph said with three-fifths of a smile

"Maybe the isle won't show, unless someone's by the right boat," she suggested

King Dor nodded ' That seems possible So we will wait here with you for it '

But then four figures showed up Breanna recognized them instantly "Zombies'"

"More zombies," King Dor agreed, looking "Others must be orienting on your talent We might hold them back a while, but perhaps you had better get in the boat now, so as to be out of their reach ''

"I can't do that " she protested "The magic is wrong when the island's not there Paradox—oh, never mind 1 must wait "

King Dor looked at Prince Dolph "Can you stop them without hurting them9"

"I can carry them away, two by two "

King Dor nodded "Do that Bink and I will try to stall the other two "

Then the prince disappeared, and a roc bird appeared in his place Breanna was so surprised her jaw dropped

The roc bird spread its wings and launched into the air It swooped toward the zombies It caught two in its huge claws and carried them away But the remaining two came straight on

"Why—why don't you want to hurt them7" Breanna asked

"They mean no harm," the young-looking Bink said ' The Zombie Master is our friend His creations don t try to hurt living folk, and we don't try to hurt his folk We just prefer to exist apart from them "

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PIERS ANTHONY

How well she understood1 But the zombies weren't letting her live apart from them

The two men stepped out to intercept the two zombies "What is your business here9" King Dor demanded of them

"Bzeenna," one replied, spitting out part of its tongue

There was no doubt of their mission
 
to fetch her back to Xeth

"She does not wish to go with you," King Dor said "You must leave her alone "

"Bzeenna," it repeated It tned to push on past King Dor spread his arms and blocked it

Breanna shuddered The thought of physical contact nauseated her She was coming to understand that the zombies were entitled to their own lifestyle, if that was what it could be called, but she couldn't stand to be part of it

Several more zombies were converging from other parts of the beach, and the roc bird wasn't back yet Now she was surely done for1 The island is appearing
  
Justm said

"The Isle'" Breanna repeated
 
"Oh, thank you, Justm1"

Bmk turned to glance at her
 
"Justm9"

In her excitement she had spoken the name aloud There was no help for it now but to tell the rest of it "He's a tree He's with me, sort of He gives me good advice "

"I know Justm," Bmk said as he fended off his zombie ' 'We have been neighbors for a long time " True
   
Justm said

"Well, the Isle of Women is appearing," Breanna said "We'll have to get in the boat together I think there's room "

The roc bird reappeared King Dor signaled it, and pointed to the boat The roc nodded and came down for a landing Prince Dolph reappeared "Zombies all over," he reported "Dozens of them "

"Maybe we better link hands." Breanna said "The dock—just link hands'"

King Dor and Bmk shoved their zombies back, then turned and took the hands of Breanna and Prince Dolph Together they stepped on the dock The zombies followed, not yet quite there

Suddenly all of them were sliding along the dock as if it were a slippery chute They sailed off the end and landed together in the boat The boat bounced, then started moving

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Two zombies stepped on the dock, and slid along it They fell into the water behind the boat They splashed helplessly Breanna almost felt sorry for them

Water can t kill them
   
Justm said
   
They are already dead They will wade back out

Breanna was relieved She was getting more insights into zombie nature than she had ever cared to have, but slowly the recognition that they were after all people of a sort was gaining ground She could almost wish them well—if only they would leave her alone Dropsy— what kind of a woman had she been, in life9 What kind of a woman was she now, apart from her awful undead status9

Meanwhile the boat picked up speed It had no paddles and no engine, yet was propelling itself smoothly through the water The dock was shrinking behind, and the Isle of Women was expanding before

The young-seeming Bmk looked over the side "What propels this boat9"

"I don't know," Breanna said ' In fact, I'm not sure why this boat is here When I went to sleep it was gone "

"It must have returned while you slept," King Dor said reasonably

"That's for sure," the boat replied "I dumped that mean man on the Isle of Blobs and came back to home base "

Breanna looked around, startled
  
"Who said that9"

King Dor smiled "My talent is to talk to the inanimate, and have it respond The boat responded ''

She looked at the boat
 
"Oh Yes Can I ask it a question9"

"Go ahead, black beauty," the boat said

"What makes you go'"

"My duck feet, dummy What else7"

"The inanimate is too stupid to be polite," King Dor remarked

"Yeah," the boat agreed with gusto "So I can peek up under your skirt and blab the color of your—"

"Stamp on it," King Dor advised

Breanna lifted one toot and stamped hard on the deck The boat was silent But she wrapped her skirt more closely about her legs, so that nothing was visible from below The irony was that she was proud of the black underwear she wore, but she was not about to have a piece of wood think it was getting away with a sneak peek

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PIERS ANTHONY

"/ had forgotten what fun Dor's talent is," Justin remarked. "Girls do have to watch their skirts "

"What do you mean, 'fun'?" she demanded silently.

"No offense intended, Breanna, but seeing under skirts or into shirts is one of the great male pastimes Your best strategy is to pretend to be unaware of it That preserves your innocence even if something accidentally shows "

"Even underage skirts and shirts?" she asked sharply.

"You are very mature in outlook and poise. They obviously regard you as a young woman "

She pondered, and concluded that that was best. Justin had once again found a persuasive way to frame his insight. It wasn't as if she didn't already know that men were hopelessly juvenile in certain respects. "Okay. Anyway, it was the boat that tried to peek, not the men."

"They are all honorable. Still, it is probably best not to put them in an awkward situation Their good wives would be upset"

"For sure." She kept her knees together.

"It is nevertheless a fault that can give women great power over men The sight of an uncovered bosom—"

"You mean breasts?"

"To be sure And the surprise glimpse of well-filled panties can freak out an army Keep that in mind for emergencies."

"I'll do that," she agreed.

Meanwhile the boat was rushing toward the island. Breanna decided to risk another question to the boat. "Who set you and the dock up here?"

"The women of the Isle, dodo. So princes can cross."

What a contrast between Justin Tree and this dead wood! "Princes?"

"Only women and princes can cross to the Isle of Women, idiot. Because it is entirely populated by women who want to marry princes and spend the rest of their lives in comfortable leisure. Everyone knows that."

"Now that's interesting." Bink said. "Our group just happens to consist of a woman and three kings or princes."

"Darn right, stupid. Otherwise I'd have dumped you on some other isle. Those are my orders."

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"So it wasn't just timing that messed up Ralph'" Justin said. "He wasn't a prince or a woman "

"For sure he was neither princely nor female," Breanna agreed sourly.

"Maybe the boat knows what Ralph wouldn't tell you '

"Say, yes! I'll ask." Aloud, she said: "Boat, do you know why the Isle of Woman may not help me escape the Zombie King?" But as she spoke, she got it: "King! He's a king! So he can follow me!"

"For sure, splinter-head," the boat agreed smugly.