"Maybe there's a path they aren't on," Okra said.

"Yes, maybe there is," Ida agreed. "We have only to find it, and then we can go straight up and not have any trouble. No Maenads, no Python."

Mela started to object, but realized that it was pointless.

They had to go up the mountain, and hope that they did not encounter its menaces. Why make the others afraid?

Even if they were doomed to be caught and eaten, there was no point in proceeding with fear. Okra believed that major characters never had anything really bad happen to them; that would be nice, if Mela could be sure that she herself was a major character. Considering the death of her husband, Merwin, way back when, she doubted that she could be major.

So she had no security, and neither did Ida. The only way to avoid the dangers was not to go up the mountain, and then they wouldn't complete their quests.

But she did think it was cruel of Naldo Naga to send them on this dangerous mission. He should have gone himself, but instead was saving his hide by making them do it. Maybe he really had no solutions for them, but figured he would not have to provide any, because they would not survive this mission.

No, that was unfair. The naga folk were honorable, and he was a prince, therefore responsible. So he would honor the deal. But he had certainly driven a cruelly hard bargain!

Okra and Ida were searching for a good path. Mela joined them, with less enthusiasm. She was older than they were, and versed in the horrors life could bring, such as the death of one's spouse. But it was better to leave them their relative innocence as long as possible.

"I found it!" Okra cried. "It's an invisible path!"

"Wonderful!" Ida exclaimed "Then how did you find it?" Mela asked more critically.

"I sniffed it out. See, here it is." Okra gestured to an impenetrable thicket of brambles.

Mela was trying not to be unduly negative, but was having a problem.

"That doesn't look like a very good path."

"That's because you can't see it. Watch me." Okra stepped forward and disappeared in the brambles.

"Wait, you'll get all scratched!" Mela protested.

"No I won't," the ogress replied. "The brambles are illusion. The real brambles don't grow here because they think this s.p.a.ce is already filled. That's what makes this such a good path: no one uses it, because no one can see it. The Maenads probably don't want to get scratched either. It probably goes right to the top of the mountain."

Mela poked a cautious finger at the ma.s.s of brambles.

It encountered nothing. She put a foot in. Nothing. It really was illusion-which meant it was also a serviceable path. If it continued far enough.

Meanwhile Okra was forging ahead, ogre fashion. So Mela nerved herself and followed. Ida came last, smiling.

She had been so sure there would be a path, and lo, there was. Mela feared that Ida's optimism would inevitably be disabused, but she didn't want to be the one to do it. Folk tended not to be as nice, after disabus.e.m.e.nt.

Okra followed her nose, and found the curves and twists of the path.

Anyone without such a keen sense of smell would surely quickly go astray and wind up amidst real brambles. But the invisible path was kempt, not unkempt, with no blockages or gaps. Who had made it, and who used it?

When they were perhaps a third of the way up the mountain, they heard a scream. There was one of the fierce wild women! The Maenad stood on an intersecting path, and had spied them. She was as naked as a nymph, and proportioned like a nymph, but her pretty face was distorted into a grimace of hate. Her hair extended in a stormy cloud around her head.

Her scream was not because of any horror, but was to alert her companions. In a moment the whole motley crew would be in pursuit.

"Run!" Mela cried. She hoped the Maenads would not discover the invisible path.

Okra ran, and the other two followed as closely as they could. The Maenads charged for them, but did not take the invisible path; instead they cut straight across, through the brambles. In a moment they were howling with pain as well as rage, for they were getting sorely scratched. It seemed that, much as they delighted in scratching others, they did not like being on the receiving end. Mela realized that if she thought about it, she might remember others with similar att.i.tudes. So she didn't think about it.

It was working! The wild women did not know of the path, and it seemed that their sense of smell was not as acute as that of the ogress, so they couldn't sniff it out. So they thought that brambles were the only way. They were fighting through them, but losing ground.

Soon the Maenads were out of sight behind. But the three moved on quickly, despite panting with the effort, to be sure that they were truly clear of the threat.

Mela seemed to remember that snakes had acute senses of smell. If the Python happened by ...

But their luck held, and no monster snake appeared.

They slowed to a walk, and continued up the slope of the mountain. They seemed to have had a bit of the luck normally reserved for major characters, as if the script had slipped.

Finally they came to what seemed to be the end of the path. It ended in a blank stone cliff. The cliff seemed to extend indefinitely to either side; probably it circled the mountain, so that they could not go around it. They had to find a way up it.

"Maybe Okra could bash some steps out of the stone," Ida suggested.

Mela started to protest that that was impossible, but remembered that male ogres could bash stone. Okra was a far cry from a male ogre, but she had been able to nullify the dragon's breath on the Iron Mountain, so maybe it was possible. "Maybe she can," she agreed.

Okra made a fist and pounded the stone, tentatively. A chip of stone flaked out. She hit the stone again, harder, and a larger flake was loosened. "I can do it!" she said, surprised.

"Maybe you just never tried it before," Ida said.

"Maybe. I thought stone would hurt my hands. I'm really not much, as ogres go."

"You're enough for us," Ida said warmly. "Maybe you just never knew your own strength."

"Maybe that's right," Okra agreed, staring at the damage she had done to the face of the cliff.

Then she got serious. She used both fists, and bashed them alternately at the rock, and fragments fairly flew out.

She was doing it!

In due course Okra had made a crude stone stairway, set in the rock like a relief carving. She even made stone handholds so they could climb the stairs without the danger of falling off. Mela had never really appreciated ogres before, but she was acquiring a taste for this one.

They wended their way up the stairs, and reached the upper level of the mountain. This was a slope leading directly to the gigantic tree at the top. They were in sight of the Tree of Seeds!

They approached it cautiously. They saw the tremendous bird sitting on a branch. The rays of the late afternoon sun refracted from her feathers iridescently. Then the bird turned, spying them. Mela was suddenly in a state midway between overwhelming nervousness and moderate terror.

AND WHO ARE YOU, WHO CLIMB MY MOINTAIN UNINVITED? the Simurgh's powerful thought came. the Simurgh's powerful thought came.

"We-we are three maidens in distress," Mela said.

The great head turned, and a piercing eye fixed on them.

YOU ARE NO MAIDEN, MELA MERWOMAN. YOU HAVE BEEN MARRIED AND WIDOWED.

"I meant two maidens and a woman," Mela said falteringly. "We have come to tell you something important."

I HAVE SEEN THE UNIVERSE DIE AND BE REBORN THREE TIMES, the Simurgh thought. the Simurgh thought. WHAT DO YOU THINK COULD BE IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO WARRANT MY ATTENTION? WHAT DO YOU THINK COULD BE IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO WARRANT MY ATTENTION?

"Maybe nothing," Mela confessed. "But Naldo Naga sent us to you, to tell you-" She hesitated, fearing another overwhelming thought, but the Simurgh waited. "To tell you that Roxanne is about to-to eat Che Centaur."

There she had gotten it out, somehow.

WHAT? The thought was so strong it almost blew the three of them off the mountain. But Mela tried again. The thought was so strong it almost blew the three of them off the mountain. But Mela tried again.

"Roxanne is-"

I HEARD YOU, BRAVE CREATURE. I MUST CERTAINLY SET THIS RIGHT. BUT FIRST LET ME LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU. HOW CAME YOU TO BRING THIS MESSAGE TO ME?.

"The three of us went to the Good Magician Humfrey with our Questions, but instead of giving us Answers he sent us to Nada Naga, who sent us to her brother, Naldo Naga, who told us he would grant us our desires if we took this message to you. So-"

HOW DID NALDO NAGA KNOW ABOUT ROXANNE?.

"His friend Draco Dragon had it from the winged monsters. But they aren't allowed to fly here, or to interfere with your designs, so-"

JUST SO. WHAT WAS YOUR QUESTION FOR THE GOOD MAGICIAN?.

"How can I get a good husband? All I want is the handsomest, nicest, smartest prince-"

TO BE SURE. THE ONE YOU MARRY WILL ALSO HAVE A CERTAIN SENSE OF HUMOR.

Mela frowned. "I suppose I can live with that, if he has the other qualifications." Mela was developing a slow thrill, realizing that there really was a husband for her.

She had begun to doubt.

HE DOES. NOW LET ME ACQUAINT MYSELF WITH YOUR COMPANIONS, WHO ARE NEW TO ME. The huge bird aimed her eye at Ida. Mela saw the Simurgh blink, almost as if startled. What could account for that? Ida was a nice but ordinary young woman, pleasant company but without any evident magic. The huge bird aimed her eye at Ida. Mela saw the Simurgh blink, almost as if startled. What could account for that? Ida was a nice but ordinary young woman, pleasant company but without any evident magic.

What could there possibly be about her to surprise the wisest creature of Xanth? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR QUEST IS? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR QUEST IS?

Ida made the effort to speak. "I--I think I am Ida. I was raised among the otterbees. I came to seek my destiny. I don't know what that is, but I hope it's nice."

IT IS AS NICE AS ANY DESTINY POSSIBLE IN XANTH. BUT IT MUST WAIT ITS TURN, FOR YOU HAVE THINGS TO ACCOMPLISH FIRST.

"I do? What are they?"

IT WOULD BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO TELL YOU AT THIS POINT, INNOCENT DAMSEL.

"That's what the Good Magician said!" Ida said, sounding frustrated.

"And Grossclout Demon. Naldo Naga claims to know something, but wouldn't tell us right away. Isn't this s.e.xist or something?"

OR SOMETHING, the Simurgh agreed with a wry curve of her beak. BUT NECESSARY BUT NECESSARY. Her eye moved to fix on the ogress. AND YOU? AND YOU?

Okra looked up at the bird. "I am Okra Ogress. My quest is to get rid of Jenny Elf, so I can become a main character."

AND INSTEAD YOU MUST SAVE HER. THAT MAY SEEM LIKE IRONY.

"That seems like nonsense," Okra said. Mela was alarmed, fearing that the ogre girl would bring destruction on her head, but the Simurgh seemed not to take offense.

NEVERTHELESS, THIS IS YOUR COURSE, UNLESS YOU DEFAULT. NOW I SHALL SEED YOU. STEP CLOSE, OKRA.

The ogress stepped closer to the Simurgh. "I don't understand."

NATURALLY NOT. MUCH OF WHAT I DO, I DO THROUGH SEEDS. FIRST I SEED YOU. The Simurgh turned to pull a scintillating feather from her wing. The Simurgh turned to pull a scintillating feather from her wing.

She held this in her beak and brought it down to tap Okra's head. Mela could not see anything happen, and could not fathom the significance of this action.

NOW I GIVE YOU TWO SEEDS. ONE IS TO GIVE TO ROXANNE. HOLD OUT YOUR HAND. The bird jumped slightly, causing the tree to shake, and a single round seed fell down to land in the ogress's outstretched hand. The bird jumped slightly, causing the tree to shake, and a single round seed fell down to land in the ogress's outstretched hand. THIS IS A SEED OF THYME. ROXANNE WILL UNDERSTAND ITS USE. NOW HOLD OUT YOUR OTHER HAND. THIS IS A SEED OF THYME. ROXANNE WILL UNDERSTAND ITS USE. NOW HOLD OUT YOUR OTHER HAND.

Okra obediently held out her other hand. The Simurgh shook the tree again, and a cylindrical seed fell into it.

THIS IS A ROCKET SEED, WHICH WILL ENABLE YOU TO TRAVEL THERE WITH YOUR FRIENDS. STEP INTO IT AND GO THERE NOW.

"But-" Okra started, confused.

Then Mela saw that the second seed was growing. It expanded until it was too large for the ogress's hand. She had to set its flattened end on the ground, but its pointed end kept growing. It was a.s.suming the form of a cylinder, with a st.u.r.dy central section. It was translucent, so that they could see that it was hollow: a cylindrical chamber.

Soon it was large enough to hold all three of them, and it had a panel/door in the side.

So the three of them slid open the panel and got into the seed. It was crowded, but they did fit. The panel slid closed behind them. The seed had become a prison!

But before Mela could work up a decent fright, the thing exploded.

Gwendolyn Goblin stared up at the giant bird.

They had walked right into a trap and were locked into the Nameless Castle with a righteously angry roc. What ever were they to do now?

"Scatter!" Che cried. "It can't catch us all!"

Good strategy! Gwenny ran in one direction, and Jenny Elf in another.

Che himself leaped straight up, flicked himself with his tail, and flew farther up. But Gwenny saw that all three of them still sparkled slightly with the radiance of the egg; they could not hide from the roc, because that sparkle called attention to them. Even if they had been able to flee into a crowd, the bird would have been able to pick them out.

The roc oriented on Che first. Gwenny stood by the ramp and watched, helpless and horrified, and the terrible bird stalked him. The roc was so big that it did not need to fly; indeed, there was little room here in the castle chamber for that. It merely walked, stalking the tiny figure.

It? This was surely a female bird, because she was eggsitting. They had thought her to be a statue; now they knew that she had merely seemed that way, and that their touch of the egg had instantly awakened her.

This was an enraged mother bird.

Che couldn't fly out of the castle, because it was now sealed. He couldn't hide in the small halls and chambers, because these were now shut off. All he could do was try to dodge and elude the huge awful beak of the roc.

"But you're a winged monster!" Jenny cried from the other side of the chamber. "All the winged monsters are sworn to protect Che from harm!"

She was right. But Gwenny saw with dismay that the roc was taking no notice. Evidently she had not gotten the word. Maybe that made sense.

She could have been sitting here for years, out of touch with recent events, so simply didn't know about the Simurgh's requirement. And if she did not understand human speech, they would be unable to make her realize that she wasn't supposed to eat the winged centaur. Maybe some other year she would learn, but that would be way too late.