Faun and Games (64 page)

Forrest understood what they meant.
 
The lines went up to the top of

Castle Roogna, then bent at right angles, and came down after another

bend to intercept the ground.
 
Only with that last bend did they become

actual walls.

So if we climbed to the top of the Wizard's castle, we could intercept

the lines and talk to you," Forrest said, getting it straight.

"Yes.
 
That is how the Blue Wizard does it."

However, it seemed enough of a challenge just to crawl into the dungeon

from the ground.
 
Trying to get to the top of the castle seemed

pointless.

They got the margins to agree to stop in a day and a half, and crawled

back out.
 
One Wizard to go!

Outside, Jfraya cast about uncertainly.
 
"I can't find a suitable

passage to open a door to," she complained.
 
"There just don't seem to

be passages to the bottom face."

"It wasn't a place the goblins wanted to go to," Ghina said. "Mother

commented about that.
 
It's all stormy and cold."

"That's right," Jfraya agreed, remembering.
 
"Because it never gets any

direct sunlight, and 's always in shadow.
 
By most accounts, it's this

world's dullest face.

"But trying to trek all across this face to the edge, and then all

across the gray face, would take days," Forrest said.
 
"We have to move

faster than that."

"It will have to be on the surface," Jfraya said.
 
"There aren't any

safe passages."

"Maybe we could get rides," Dawn suggested.

"On cooperative centaurs," Eve added.

"Can you locate such centaurs, quickly?" Forrest asked, feeling halfway

desperate.

"I think so," Dawn said, touching a tree.
 
"They pass by here often

enough."

"And their prints form paths," Eve said, touching the ground.

"So let's go and ask them a favor," Forrest said.

"Is that wise?" Imbri asked.
 
"We are all smaller than we were."

"If we don't accomplish the mission, our size won't much matter," he

pointed out.

The others nodded.
 
"I'm sorry I couldn't find a suitable door to make,"

Jfraya said.
 
"This seems to be the best alternative."

"They are said to live in the Atlas Mountains," Dawn said, reading her

tree.

"Which are beyond the tropical depression," Eve said, reading her

ground.

"Are they within ready crawling distance?"

"Yes, if we go straight there," Dawn said.

"Which means going through the depression, which isn't fun," Eve said.

"We aren't here for fun," Forrest said.

They started crawling in the indicated direction.
 
Imbri, who just

couldn't crawl well, decided to wait where she was; they would arrange

to pick her up later.

Soon the ground sank lower as they entered the depression.
 
Exotic warm

weather plants grew in it.
 
But Forrest started feeling extremely sad.

Was any of this worthwhile?
 
Or would it be better just to quit trying?

"Oh, I'm depressed!" Jfraya complained.

"That's because of the tropical depression," Eve said.
 
"Just crawl on

through it."

Forrest was glad he hadn't spoken.
 
He had assumed that it was just a

warm low place.
 
Now he knew better.

Beyond the depression rose the peaks of mountains, shown outlined

against the dimly illuminated sky.
 
Then they reached the base of the

first mountain-and discovered that it consisted of piled books. Atlases.

What else had he expected?

"Watch out for the bookworm," Eve warned.

They paused in their crawling as a large worm crawled across their

route.
 
Its segments consisted of books.

At last they reached the centaur village.
 
Centaurs came bearing

torches.
 
"Don't you folk of the red face know you can't travel redily

here?" one demanded.
 
"You're just not red-dy for the blue."

Forrest dispensed with explanations.
 
"We need to be carried to the gray

face," he said.
 
"There is also a mare who will require several to carry

her."

"Are you asking for favors?"

I'Yes."I "And you know the consequence?"

I'Yes."I

"Then we are glad to help.
 
I am Chaz Centaur." He looked around.

"Chalice-you take the faun."

An earthy brown-blue mare trotted up.
 
She was as well endowed as the

usual centaur filly, which was impressive by the standards of lesser

females.
 
Forrest tried to mount her back, but couldn't; his angle was

wrong.
 
Finally she picked him up with her arms, pressed him to her

ample bare bosom, twisted him around, and plopped him on her back.
 
Once

firmly set there, he was able to hang on and maintain his position.

"Chafe and Chide-take the girls."

Two sneering young stallions trotted up.
 
The sneers faded when they got

two good looks at the girls.
 
Then they became very helpful. One picked

up Dawn and set her on the other's back; then the other picked up Eve

and set her on the first one's back.
 
The girls, quickly zeroing in on

the situation, were very appreciative and flattering.
 
Two males who

might have been annoying were quickly being tamed.

"Checkers-take the green lady."

A dappled stallion trotted up, and managed to get Jfraya on his back.

Chaz looked around.
 
"Is that all?"

"No," Ghina called.
 
She donned her red cloak so as to become partly

visible.
 
"I am a winged goblin girl from the red face."

"Chenille-take her."

A centaur filly trotted up, and managed to get Ghina aboard.

"Now where is this mare?"

"Across the tropical depression, toward the Blue Wizard's castle,"

Forrest said.

"We'll go around that." The centaurs got moving, while their passengers

hung on.
 
Soon they reached Imbri.
 
"Chicory, Chiffon, Chime, Chip,"

Chaz said, and four more centaurs trotted up.
 
"Chenille, sew a sling."

Ghina's filly brought out cloth, and with magical speed formed a sling

suitable for a horse.
 
The four other centaurs lifted Imbri onto it,

then picked up the four corners, which had been fashioned into

harnesses.
 
These harnesses went over their heads and around their human

torsos, so that they did not need to use their hands to hold on. They

took up their positions and stretched the harness taut.
 
Imbri was

hauled into the air.

"To the Gray border: march," Chaz said.
 
All ten centaurs set off in

perfect step.

They were on their way.
 
But Forrest felt lighter; he and the others

were paying a price for this invaluable assistance.

"How is it that a red faun is traveling here?" Chalice asked him.

"My companions and I are trying to carry out an important mission," he

explained.
 
"Several of us are actually from another world."

Then, to divert her attention, he asked about her.
 
"Where I come from,

not all centaurs have magic talents.
 
Do-"

"Certainly.
 
My talent is with pottery.
 
I can fashion blue-brown clay

into excellent utensils.
 
The other centaurs have talent too.
 
You saw

Chenille's ability as a seamstress.
 
Checkers has great ability with

board games.
 
Chicory is a herbalist.
 
Chiffon can make things

transparent.
 
Chime is an excellent minstrel.
 
And Chip can shatter

objects. He's my foal," she added proudly.
 
"We discovered his talent at

the expense of a vase."

Thus the time passed amicably enough.
 
Soon they came to the edge.
 
"You

know, it's cold around the corner," Chaz said.
 
"Would you like warm

garments?"

Forrest looked at the bleak landscape beyond.
 
"Yes, I think we had

better have that favor too," he agreed with resignation.

In moments Chenille had made warm caps and jackets and trousers for all

of them, including Imbri.
 
The six members of their party were surely

slightly smaller, because of this favor, and Chenille became the largest

of the centaurs.
 
"Thank you," Forrest said.

"You are all welcome," Chaz replied.
 
Then he produced a horn from his

pack.
 
"Here is a bull horn.
 
If you return this way and need more

favors, blow it."

"A bull horn summons centaurs?"

"No.
 
It summons bulls, of course.
 
They graze at the bull market. But

we will hear the stampede of their hoofs, and come to investigate. You

would not want to ask favors of the bulls."

"Are bulls bad folk?"

"No worse than the bears, generally.
 
But these ones can be.
 
Edi and

Para Bull are all right, with their food and stories, but Stum is

clumsy, Trem is fearful, and you wouldn't want to encounter Trou or

Terri.
 
You wouldn't believe Incredi Bull."

"Surely not," Forrest agreed.

They bid parting to the centaurs, and crawled over the edge onto the