Swell Foop (21 page)

Putre set hoof on the outermost strand. Immediately there was a vibration as something large came toward them. Putre tried to remove his hoof so he could back off, but it was stuck to the strand.

Belatedly Jaylin realized that this was of course the way it would work: Anything touching the Web would be stuck there until the proprietor came to gobble it up.

"Save yourself!" the speech balloon wrote. "Get off me. Don't touch the Web!"

Jaylin was tempted, but two things stopped her. First, she didn't want to desert the loyal horse. Second, she realized that the Web and spider had to be braved in order to get the Ring. So she remained mounted, and cudgeled her quailing brain for some bright idea what to do.

The spider charged toward them, its eight hairy legs touching the intersections of the Web without a miscue. When it came close, she saw that it had a human face. Amazed, she spoke without thinking, which was just as well, because otherwise she would have been tongue-tied. "What are you?"

The spider stopped at the edge of the Web, looming over them. "I am Arachid, a human/spider crossbreed, of course. Now if you are satisfied, I will just truss up and haul away this carcass for later consumption." It strung out some web and faced Putre.

"No!" Jaylin cried.

"No? Why not?"

"He—he's my horse. I need him to carry me away from here."

Arachid gazed down at her with eyes she realized were multifaceted.

"I think you need have no concern about that, since you will not be going anywhere."

"But—"

The spider flung a loop of silk that lassoed her neatly, tightening stickily around her arms and pinning them to her sides. "You appear to be a delectable morsel. It will be a real pleasure sucking out your juices."

Jaylin was too appalled even to scream.

A huge speech balloon appeared over Putre's head.
"YOU CAN'T DO THAT!"

Arachid glanced at him, unimpressed. "You prefer me to suck out yours first?"

"She's the designated holder of the Ring of Void."

"Sure, and I'm the Night Stallion. Now if you are quite done entertaining me with fanciful stories—"

"LOOK AT HER!" the speech balloon wrote urgently.

"Oh, very well," Arachid said gruffly. It brought its face down close to Jaylin's, and she saw its vampirish sucking teeth. She quailed. "Cute face, nice dark hair, tender exposed neck. Ideal appetizer."

"Look into her eyes," the balloon wrote, though Jaylin wasn't sure how she could read it with the spider's horrible face in the way.

Then their eyes met. "Well, swat me for a buzzing bug and wrap me in flypaper," Arachid said. "It's true."

Jaylin managed to take a breath. "I—I have come for the Ring," she gasped.

Arachid sighed. "And I have to give it to you and let you go. What a waste of edible flesh!" It reached into its own mouth and drew a band from a fang. "Here it is."

She tried to reach for it, but the lasso prevented her. The spider jerked it with one leg, and it loosened and sailed off her body, freeing her. Then she took the Ring of Void and put it on her little left finger, where it fit perfectly.

"I guess that's it," she said shakily. "Uh, thank you, Arachid. You have been a great help."

The spider shook its head ruefully. "And she's polite. She must be excruciatingly sweet to the palate."

Jaylin felt almost—but not quite—sorry for it. "Maybe a nice fat fly will come along soon," she said.

"You speak as if you are unaware of the properties of the Ring."

"I guess I don't know much about it, just that it's needed for the Swell Foop."

"It controls the dream realm, and all that is within it. You can make the fattest of all flies come, if you wish, merely by invoking the Ring."

"I can?" She lifted her hand and looked at the Ring. "Fat fly, come here."

There was a sudden buzzing, and a plane, no a bird, no a fat fly the size of a pig came zooming in. It crashed into the Web and got stuck. "And that's only the beginning," Arachid said as it hurried over to secure the morsel. "You can rearrange the dream sets, summon all the night mares, or arrogate special powers to yourself. You can make of this entire realm a lucid dream."

"A what?"

"A controlled dream," Putre's speech balloon wrote. "The Ring governs everything, even the local rules of magic."

"Gee." She considered, then addressed the Ring again: "Give us the power of flight."

Then she floated from the Net, and so did Putre. His front hoof stuck for a moment, but the stickiness stretched and finally popped back to the Web, freeing him. Neither of them had wings, but they were flying.

"This way," the speech balloon wrote. The colt set off for the edge of the giant canyon they hovered over.

She flew after him. "Say, this is fun!"

His speech balloon formed and drifted back to her. "Dreams aren't bad when you control them."

"I'll say! Usually when I dream I'm flying, I have trouble getting off the ground and there's a pack of vicious dogs snapping at my feet."

"Yes, the night mares aren't in the business of bringing enjoyable dreams."

They soon came to the edge of the chasm and flew through the leprechauns' forest. They could have risen above the trees, but Jaylin wanted to say goodbye to the little men, so she flew at about twenty-foot elevation, dodging the branches.

And there they were. "Bye, leprechauns!" she called.

The little men looked up—and fell on the ground as if struck down by an unseen hand, staring upward.

Alarmed, Jaylin landed at the edge of the glade and walked back. "Are you all right?"

The leprechauns picked themselves up. "Aye, lass," the spokesman said, dusting himself off. "Sure and you caught us by surprise. You should give a wee bit of warning before you fly over like that."

"I'm sorry," she said contritely. "I guess it was a surprise. You see, I got the Ring of Void, and just learned how to fly. I didn't mean to startle you so badly."

"That too," he agreed.

"There's something else?"

He looked at her. "You don't know?"

"Know what?"

He took her aside. "Lass, here in the dream realm, and in Xanth proper too, a girl's underclothing has a special effect on men. Normally it doesn't show, but when you were above and we looked up—"

"You saw my panties!" she exclaimed. "It freaked you out!"

"Aye, lass."

"Oh, I'm sorry! I never thought—I'm from Mundania, and—I apologize."

"That's all right, lass. Truth be told, we don't much mind such a view. But maybe be more careful in future, aye?"

"I will! Thanks for telling me."

"And welcome."

She took off again, this time flying very low until clear of the glade. "I think I'm going to need a new outfit, if I want to do much flying."

The speech balloon appeared. "When we leave the dream realm, you will no longer be able to fly. But you will be able to conjure dream images."

"It's scary, how much power the Ring has. And it's just one of six!"

"Yes, that is why the Rings of Xanth are normally well hidden. Their power must not be abused."

"I'll try not to abuse mine. I just want to help the others do the job they have to do. But it sure makes me wonder what the Foop does!"

"I am not sure anyone knows, except the Simurgh."

"Well, I guess we'll find out."

Then they reached the portal that was the entry to the dream realm. They flew through it—and found themselves floating above the ground of ordinary Xanth, looking down at their two bodies lying beside the green gourd.

"I don't understand," Jaylin said, alarmed. "Are we dead?"

"No, merely still in the dream. Only our souls entered the gourd, while our bodies slept. See, we are both looking into the peephole. That is the way of it. We must break that connection to wake up."

"I wondered how we were able to fit through that tiny hole," Jaylin said. She looked around, and spied a large fallen leaf. "I'll use this." She landed, and reached down to pick it up. But her hand passed right through it. "Oops."

"Because we are dream images, we aren't fully real," the speech balloon wrote. "We shall have to use a dream barrier."

"All right." She concentrated, and conjured a small wooden board. She set this across the gourd's peephole.

Then she was on the ground, opening her eyes, and Putre was stirring beside her. She felt the full force of gravity, assuming it hadn't yet started to fade. Before her was the gourd, with the board across its peephole.

"How can a dream image be still there, once I'm awake?"

The speech balloon appeared. "You have the Ring."

"Oh. Right." There it was, on her physical finger. She got up and looked around. "I guess you had better take me to the others now."

She climbed onto his back, and he galloped off. This was quite an adventure—and it had barely started.

Che Centaur looked up. "There they come!" he called as Putre galloped into sight carrying Jaylin.

"Does she have the Ring?" Cynthia asked.

"She must, because she's smiling," Breanna said.

"And holding her hand high," Justin agreed.

"With the Ring thereon," Sim squawked. He had good avian eyesight.

Then zombie and maiden arrived. "We got it!" Jaylin said.

Justin went to help her dismount. "We know who you are," he said, "but perhaps we should introduce ourselves. I am Justin Tree. I have the Ring of Idea."

"I've heard so much about you," Jaylin said. "You were a tree for ever so long, until Breanna—"

"Well, I couldn't marry a
tree
," Breanna said. "And as you know, I have the Ring of Fire."

"And this is Sim Bird," Justin said, indicating him. "He does not speak in our language, but you can understand him when you know him. He has the Ring of Air."

"I am glad to meet you," Sim squawked. Sure enough, Jaylin looked blank.

"And these are Che and Cynthia Centaur," Justin said, indicating them. "They are another couple. They have the Rings of Earth and Water, respectively."

"I never thought I'd get to actually meet you," Jaylin said, evidently impressed. "In fact, I never thought I'd find myself in the Land of Xanth. But when Breanna came—"

"We did not know you would join us," Che said. "We had neglected to have a sixth member of our group, so one had to be designated. Breanna tells us that it was largely chance."

"Yes. I had a daydream where I misspoke fell swoop. I didn't think anything of it, until—"

"We understand. None of us anticipated this mission. It started when Cynthia went to ask the Good Magician a Question, and received a disproportionate mission."

"To save the Demon Earth," Cynthia said. "We had tended to think of him as an evil opponent, but now we understand that he is not evil, merely another part of the larger framework. Magic comes from the Demon Xanth, and gravity from the Demon Earth; we need both."

"What comes from the other Demons?" Jaylin asked.

"We aren't sure," Che said. "But I suspect that the strong nuclear force associates with the Demon Jupiter. The weak nuclear force may associate with the Demoness Venus, and the electromagnetic force with the Demon Mars."

"These sound like scientific concepts," Jaylin said. "What are they doing here in the magic realm?"

"All forces are needed to make the universe. A Demon's own force is more visible in his domain, but he does need at least some of the others. That is why we must rescue the Demon Earth; without the force of gravity, all the local Demons are in trouble."

"What about Saturn?"

"I think she associates with Dimension. That is not exactly a force, but it is essential to the well-being of the universe. Nothing can exist without some dimension of space and time."

"She? Saturn is female?"

Che shook his head. "No Demon is precisely male, female, or neuter; all can assume any guise at will. But the display is so pretty that I think of her as female. This really has no meaning beyond my private fancy."

"No, I like it. In my schoolbook Saturn is the ancient god of agriculture. Women did most of that, historically, tending crops while the men went out to hunt. Saturn probably was female, if we knew the truth."

"Perhaps so," Che agreed, finding himself liking this girl. "And females tend to associate with practical things, so quantities and timing also fit."

"But now we need to get this mission the bleep out of the way, so I can marry Justin," Breanna said briskly. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," Justin echoed. They kissed.

"Yes, the mission," Che agreed. "We now have the Six Rings of Xanth, so can fetch the Swell Foop. But this may not be easy."

"Nothing ever is," Cynthia said. They also kissed.

"I don't think their minds are on it," Jaylin murmured to Sim. He squawked agreement.

"Yes they are," Che said. "We must now take the Six Rings and put them in line."

"What for?" Breanna asked.

"We can locate the Swell Foop only by sighting through the Rings."

"But we can't remove them until the mission is done," Justin protested.

"Yes we can," Breanna said. "At least, when it is mission-related."

"Oh. My error."

"Maybe the demon Type-O wandered by."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Type-O causes errors to appear."

Jaylin tittered. "Typo! He must visit Mundania, because I do that all the time."

"To be sure," Justin agreed. "I understand that Mundania also has the Post Orifice, where all the spare letters and articles go."

"Letters?" Cynthia asked, perplexed.

"
A, B, C,
and so on through the alphabet. There has to be a storage place for them when they are not in use."

Cynthia looked as if she had swallowed a bad prune. "And the articles?"

"
The, a, an.
They also must be stored."

"You must have been exposed to some really rabid puns recently," Breanna said severely.

"I was. Punny and Unpun. Nice enough folk, actually."

"You found the origin of puns!" Sim squawked, delighted.

"The origin of some puns," Justin said, qualifying it. "As well as the termination of a similar number. I doubt that this particular weed will ever be eradicated, however. Puns are fundamental to Xanth."

"Yes, they are the lowest level," Sim squawked.

"The basest bottom," Justin agreed.

A small black cloud was forming over Breanna's head. This time it extended to cover Cynthia's head as well. Che was having trouble keeping a straight face, and he saw that Sim's beak was trying to twist into a smirk.

"It's like a bad movie," Jaylin said, evidently not taking the matter as seriously as the other females were. "Every time you think it's bottomed out, another silly ass appears."

Putre looked indignant. "She didn't mean you," Che said quickly.

"She surely means the move-E," Justin said, his own face marvelously straight. "A thing that moves around to block your way. It can be destroyed only by a cri-tick, but that may have the perverse effect of making it seem larger."

"If you silly asses are quite done," Breanna said tightly, "let's get the bleep on with the mission. We need to remove our Rings so we can sight through them."

The others sobered, regretfully, agreeing that it was time. Each of them removed a Ring from a finger or toe. Che used thread to tie them together in the shape of a tube. Then he looked through it.

"What do you see?" Cynthia asked.

"Nothing, except a flying goblin child with rainbow-colored wings," he replied, swinging the tube around as he peered. Sure enough, in a moment the goblet passed close enough for the others to see.

"Hi!" she called. "I'm Megan. Can you tell me where the nearest rainbow is? I like to play on rainbows."

"You can do that?" Che asked, surprised.

"Oh, sure. Goblin/harpy crossbreeds have talents, you know. Mine is playing on rainbows."

"I think you will have to look for intermittent rain," Che said. "Rainbows seem to prefer that environment."

"Thank you." She flew on.

Che resumed his search through the Ring. Then he saw a vague brightness. "That direction."

"Nice going, hooves-for-brains," Breanna said. "You have just indicated the entire jungle to the north."

"Perhaps you will have better success," Che said, modestly nettled. He gave her the tube.

Breanna took it and swung it around. "All I see is a funny ogre."

"Ogre's aren't funny; they are stupid," Che said. "And justifiably proud of it."

"I know that, four-foots. But this one is different."

In a moment the ogre appeared. He did look odd. "Who are you, dimwit?" Breanna demanded.

"Me Stretch, no wretch," the ogre replied, pleased by her compliment.

"Stretch?"

For answer, the ogre stretched. As he did so, his body and arms and legs lengthened, and he became larger. But then he tottered; he had diluted his body and was weaker. So he compacted himself to half size, picked up a stone between two fingers, and squeezed it into a pebble. That was impressive; normally an ogre required a full ham-hand to do that. He had gained strength.

"That's pretty good," Breanna said. Satisfied, the ogre moved on.

She returned to her search and this time found it. "That way."

"That is half of the area Che indicated," Cynthia said.

"For sure," Breanna agreed, evidently feeling a nettle herself. She gave the tube to Cynthia.

Cynthia sighted through it. "All I see is a man touching plants. He is enlarging or minimizing living things."

"I suspect the Rings have spurious results if not closely guided," Che said. "They seem to be orienting on special people or talents."

She continued to look. "There is definitely a brightness in that direction."

"You have halved it again," Justin said. "I believe I perceive the semblance of a pattern here."

"Each new person narrows the focus," she agreed, handing him the tube. "After spying a bogus image."

Justin looked through it. "I see two girls, evidently sisters. They are staggering."

In a moment the girls came into the sight of the others. They were indeed walking in a very irregular manner.

"Hello," Justin said. "Are you in good health?"

"I'm Inebriated," one said.

"And I'm Intoxicated," the other said. "We're twins."

They staggered on past. "You had better not like that type," Breanna told him dangerously as his gaze followed the girls.

"Naturally not." Justin quickly resumed looking through the Rings tube. "I do observe light, in precisely that direction." He pointed.

"Half again," Jaylin said, smiling.

He gave her the tube, and she looked. "I see a nymph lode—I mean a lymph node." But her correction was too late. A piece of metal rose from the ground and flew away. "Oops, I guess I did it again."

"I believe that is metal that is attracted to nymphs," Che said. "It is traveling in the direction of the Faun and Nymph retreat."

Jaylin looked again. In a moment she had narrowed it down similarly. Then she held the tube for Sim as he looked. "There," he squawked.

They now had a definite line, bearing close to north. "If we saw no need for cooperation before, we have it now," Che said. "But I think we had better continue to verify, in case the direction is not constant."

"Now some of us can fly," Justin said. "Some of us can walk. I think we will make swifter progress if all of us fly."

"And how am I going to fly?" Breanna demanded archly.

"Summon the demoness."

"Oh! I forget my Ring." She looked around. "But then we'll have to take it out of the Foop tube."

"That is a problem," he agreed.

"I will carry you," Cynthia said.

"And I will carry you," Che said to Justin.

That left Jaylin. She looked perplexed, then Putre nudged her. The other zombies were gone, but he had remained. "And I'll ride you!" she exclaimed. "Maybe you can't fly, out here in real Xanth, but you can certainly keep up."

They set off. Che kept an eye on the zombie colt, but he did indeed keep up, running as fast as a dream.

They moved a reasonable distance, then stopped to verify. The direction remained north.

The third pause was at the southern brink of the Gap Chasm. The direction remained north.

"Can you cross that?" Che asked Putre.

A speech balloon appeared. "I can run down one side, across, and up the other."

"But I'll fall off!" Jaylin protested.

"No, you can't fall off a dream horse when you have the Ring of Dreams," Che said. "And Putre wouldn't let it happen anyway."

The girl still looked doubtful. Breanna interceded. "It's magic," she said. "You can't be blamed for not really believing in magic, despite seeing it all around; sometimes I wonder about it myself. If you come to mischief, it won't be because of the horse."

"We'll hover near, until you are sure," Cynthia said.

Jaylin did not look completely reassured, but she nodded. Cynthia took off, carrying Breanna over the brink of the chasm, and hovered there.

Putre trotted to the brink, turned the corner, and trotted straight down the cliff. The girl remained on his back, her eyes squeezed shut. After a moment she opened them, realized that they were not falling, and relaxed. It was just as if they were traveling horizontally, thanks to the magic.

After that, Che also took off, carrying Justin, and Sim did too. They circled over the Gap Chasm, watching the horse gallop on downward.

Then Che saw a stir in the depths of the chasm. "Is that what I think it is?" he asked Sim.

"The Gap Dragon," Sim squawked. "He couldn't catch a dream horse anyway, but I will go explain." He flew down toward the dragon.

"Perhaps that is just as well," Justin remarked. "The girl is nervous enough already; she would not care to encounter the Gap Dragon."

Che nodded. He was of course friends with Stanley Steamer, because they were both winged monsters, but it was the dragon's job to patrol the base of the chasm and steam and eat any intruders. Legitimate travelers usually crossed one of the bridges across the Gap, but their own party was in a hurry.