He realized she was right. Xanth did not follow Mundane rules. "What kind of magic?"

"Well, once I met two brothers. One could turn himself into ice The other could turn anything else to ice. Maybe those brothers live in the mountains."

"Maybe so." he agreed. That seemed just crazy enough to suit this magic land. "But you know, there seems to be an awful lot of fortunate coincidence in Xanth. Like the way certain people meet." Without moving his head, he flicked his eyes in the direction of the youth and the woman in the center of the boat.

"For sure I've thought about that. I think maybe the Land of Xanth is female, so she does nice things for her people."

"But the Demon X(A/N)th is male."

"Yes, mostly. Actually demons are any gender they want to be. But the Demon is not the Land. The Land is more like his daughter."

Edsel nodded. "Now that makes sense. Maybe that's why marriages last forever in Xanth."

"For sure. It you could arrange to stay in Xanth with Pia-"

"I don't think so. We have obligations in Mundania, and these are borrowed bodies. But sometimes it rubs off on people. Dug and Kim are just as much together now as they ever were, and they don't spend much time in Xanth."

"Maybe they drank some love elixir."

"If that's magic, it shouldn't work in Mundania." She nodded.

"Maybe not. Still, it might be worth trying. If we pa.s.s love spring, you might save some of its elixir, and try it on her. I hear that diluted love elixir and a finder spell can enable a person to find her true love."

They came to the lake. "Oh, wonderful!" Alexandra exclaimed. "I'm so dry." She jumped out of the boat, ran to the water, and dived in. As she struck the water her clothing disappeared and her body became roughly fishlike. She had a.s.sumed her dolphin aspect.

Gabriel ran after her. "I love to swim," he said.

"But there might be sharks or serpents in that water," Breanna warned him.

"They won't bother me," he said, pausing at the edge to rip off his clothing. "Not with a dolphin friend protecting me."

"He's got a point." Breanna said.

"You're not supposed to look." Edsel said, smiling.

"I meant-" She paused. "Oh, you're doing it again. You rogue."

Para moved to the lake, and into it without pause. Now there were three of them swimming: dolphin, boy, and boat.

"Our turn!" Ted said. He was now in trunks, and Monica had a shower cap.

"No, wait," Breanna said sharply. To Edsel's surprise, they obeyed.

"There's a shark!" Pia cried. She was especially nervous about them, since one had snapped at her hand.

Then the sleek dolphin circled, intercepting the shark before it could reach the boy. The shark veered away, it knew better than to tangle with such a foe.

"Isn't she great?" Gabriel called. "What a creature!"

"I think this is going to work out," Breanna said "you can swim," Breanna told the children. Even as she spoke they were leaping off the side, making small cannonball splashes. "But not close to the boat."

Para paddled joyfully around, then moved back toward land. A centaur stood there.

"h.e.l.lo," Justin called as they walked out on land "Are you the centaur Magician?"

"I am," the centaur replied. "My name is Rempel, My talent is to know the talents of others."

"I thought all centaurs had names with CH sounds." Edsel said.

"That is the custom, not the rule," Rempel said. "We who are outside the norm do not necessarily follow it."

"Outside the norm?"

"Conventional centaurs do not have magic talents." he said. "Let alone strong ones."

"They consider personal magic obscene," Breanna murmured. Something moved through the gra.s.s. "What's a shark doing on land?" Pia cried, alarmed.

Rempel looked. "Those are a variety of shark called skates," he said. "They are harmless to ordinary folk, unless stepped on."

Now Edsel saw that the creatures were forming hoops and rolling along the ground. "Skates?" he asked.

"Roller skates." He should have guessed.

The boat halted by some sweet smelling rose bushes The roses were all colors. Breanna had hauled the children in; now she got out and went to smell a brown one-and suddenly floated into the air above it. There was a shrill of laughter from Ted and Monica.

"Beware," Rempel said "Those roses have the talent of levitating things their own color."

Edsel went and caught Breanna's flailing arm. He drew her away from the rose, and she fell back to the ground. "I'm getting in trouble, l.u.s.t like a Mundane." she muttered. "Maybe it's contagious." Edsel said.

Breanna looked around. "What's that? It doesn't look quite like a centaur."

Edsel recognized the creature immediately, but decided not to speak.

Rempel smiled "Indeed, it is not. That's Ally, short for B B Allusion, a chestnut copper marc, just visiting." When Breanna still looked blank, he said "A horse. A member of one of my ancestral species."

"Oh." Breanna said, embarra.s.sed. "Like a night mare. only less magical."

"For sure." Edsel agreed.

Rempel suddenly galloped to the edge of the lake. "Away! Away!" he cried, splashing the water with his forehoofs.

Edsel and Breanna walked across to see what was going on. There was only a rather blobby sea creature feeding on what looked like weeds at the edge.

"This is Hugh." Rempel said. "He is a manatee. Sometimes the sharks come after him. Then I have to drive them off."

"Awww," Ted said. His sympathy was for the sharks.

"To save Hugh Manatee," Edsel said.

"Precisely." Then the centaur paused thoughtfully, glancing at Edsel.

"He does that." Breanna said. "At least it bypa.s.sed the children."

Alexandra and Gabriel emerged from the lake. She changed to clothed human form in one motion; clothes seemed to be part of her magic. Thus she wasn't violating the Adult Conspiracy by showing him any panties. Gabriel had to clothe himself the ordinary way, but since Alexandra was of age, it didn't matter what she saw.

They walked toward Edsel, Breanna, and Rempel. "I'm going to have sore muscles," Gabriel said. "I haven't swum like that in a long time."

Rempel trotted a short distance to pick something from what looked like a pea plant. He brought it back and gave it to Gabriel. "Try this."

"What is it?" the boy asked doubtfully. "A thera pea. It is good for sore muscles." The children t.i.ttered.

"I thought it made you p - "

"Demon Ted!" Breanna snapped, silencing the boy. It occurred to Edsel that some day she would make a good mother; she had the maternal reflexes.

Gabriel popped it into his mouth. In a moment he smiled. "The soreness is gone!"

Rempel shrugged. "It is convenient to know the talents of things. I can show you a lie-lack bush if you wish; a person near it can't tell a lie. Or a ruler; that writing device takes control of the person who uses it."

"Why is it that you are out here in the wilderness?" Edsel asked. "Surely many folk would like to have you and your talent near."

"I prefer nature."

Edsel nodded. "I can appreciate that." He looked at Breanna. "I suppose we had better be getting on, if we want to reach the mountains today."

"If you plan to spend the night in the mountains, you will need much warmer clothing," Rempel said. "Unless your love keeps you very warm."

Edsel realized that there was a natural confusion. "Breanna and I are not a couple. Our significant others are the other two." He gestured toward the boat, where Justin and Pia were talking and looking around.

"I apologize." Rempel said "The compatibilities seemed otherwise "

"Opposites attract," Breanna said. "So I'm attracted to Justin Tree. I'm young and he's old." She glanced around. "And we are involuntary baby-sitters for these two half demon children."

"For sure." Monica said, mimicking her.

"Do you have any advice on the best route to the mountains?" Edsel asked.

"The path forks." Rempel said. "You will want to take the right path, to avoid mischief and find warmer clothing."

"For sure." Breanna agreed, as the children t.i.ttered. "Thank you."

"If you get on the wrong path, you will need both your talents, for there will be darkness and magic to be deflected."

"Thanks," Edsel said. They walked back to rejoin the others.

"This is a beautiful place." Pia said. "Justin has been pointing out its novelties. For example, there's a chemis-tree."

They looked. The tree's fruit seemed to be in the form of colored fluids in little beakers.

"And a water chestnut tree." Pia said, indicating another. The nuts were in the shape of damp little chests.

"You are becoming a naturalist." Edsel remarked.

"I really am." she agreed. "I never cared, before I met Justin. He's teaching me so much."

"We have to get moving, if we want to catch the mountains today." Breanna said. Her voice seemed just a trifle tight.

Justin called to Gabriel and Alexandra. "Do you wish to ride farther with us?"

"No thanks," Gabriel called back. "We like it here."

"Maybe we'll get married," Alexandra agreed. Then the two of them dived back into the lake.

"It's definitely working out." Pia said. "In the Xanthly way."

They got into the boat. The duck feet carried them along the path up the river "We need to take the - " Edsel began.

"Oh look!" Pia cried. "There's an adder " She reached for a nearby snake.

"Oooo, great!" Monica exclaimed.

"But that's poisonous!" Edsel protested.

Too late Pia caught the snake and lifted it into the boat. Edsel kicked desperately around for a stick, but there wasn't even a paddle.

"What's two plus two?" Pia asked the snake as the children crowded close.

The adder struck at the side of the boat. There was the sharp bong of a h.e.l.l. Now there was a mark on the wood: the number four. Edsel relaxed. It was after all harmless.

Pia lifted the adder and set it outside the boat. It slithered away. She glanced back at Edsel. "What were you saying?"

"Just that we should lake the right path."

"Did we take the wrong one?" Justin asked. "There was a pitchfork back near where we saw the adder."

"A pitchfork?" Edsel asked, concerned.

"From a pine needle tree, technically. The smallest needles make tuning forks, the middle ones make pitchforks for farmers to use. and the largest make forks in the road. They are all sizes of pitchforks, really."

So a pine needle tree could make a fork in the road. Now he got the punnish logic of it. And they had pa.s.sed right through that fork while distracted by the adder. Should he ask Para to go back and check that fork?

An awful shape loomed behind them. "Haaa!" it roared. It looked like a centaur, except that it had black horns, bat wings, red skin, and green stripes.

"What is that?" Edsel asked, more than concerned.

"It's a demon centaur," Breanna said "This is mischief." She faced forward. "Get moving. Para; we're in trouble."

"Great." Ted said.