They went outside. There were Justin and Breanna with Para. "Boat!" "Duck!" "Foots!" cried the three children respectively, running to overwhelm the boat with attention. Para seemed to like it.

There was just room for the six adults, with the children scrambling around the edges. "To Com Pewter's cave, please." Grey said. The boat started moving, but it was somewhat slow and clumsy. There was too much weight for the ten feet to handle comfortably.

"I will Enhance you," Ivy said. She put a hand on the side of the boat.

The craft steadied, and the motion became smooth and swift.

"That's her talent," Breanna explained. "Enhancement. She can make anything do better."

Edsel was interested. "If I may ask. what's your talent?" he asked Grey.

"I nullify magic. Of course I don't use it unless there is a magical threat."

"Danger ahead." Pia said tersely.

"Her talent is to know what's inimical," Edsel said. "Just as mine is to modify or deflect other talents. We'd better check."

"There appears to be a break in the path ahead," Justin said.

They looked. It seemed that a recent storm had washed out the magic markers, and part of the enchanted path had been erased. A fire dragon was lurking there. waiting tlo pounce on whoever entered the unprotected section.

Para halted, Grey got out of the boat and walked to the bad section. The dragon pounced, seeming about to devour him. Then the dragon fell over, whimpering, its tail twitching like that of a wounded snake.

"These morsels are not for you," Grey told it. "Go and hunt elsewhere, and your powers will return."

The dragon struggled back to its feet and limped away. As it did so, it recovered, and soon was fully functional again. It turned to face Grey, inhaling. It was about to blast him from a distance.

"I wouldn't." Grey said calmly.

The dragon reconsidered. It turned about and departed "Good decision," Ivy said. "Dragons are magical creatures, and will soon die without their magic."

Grey found the scattered markers and replaced them along the sides of the path. "These are depicted." he said.

Ivy went there and touched each marker. "She's Enhancing them," Breanna said. "So they'll be as good as new."

Edsel was impressed. Neither Grey nor Ivy had magic that showed ordinarily, but when they had reason to use it, it was powerful. That was of course why they were called Magician and Sorceress.

The journey resumed. "This robot golem I'm to ident.i.ty with." Pia said "Exactly who and what is she?"

"Robota," Grey answered. "This requires some background. Seven years ago, there was a Game of Companions, wherein two Mundanes visited, and one won a talent."

"I know," Pia said. "That was Kim. We know her"

"That was when Dug helped the Black Wave find a good place to settle in Xanth," Breanna said.

"Yes. in 1092. That game required considerable cooperation from a number of ent.i.ties, among which was Com-Pewter. In exchange for that a.s.sistance, he was given a number of magical parts, from which he and his mouse Tristan a.s.sembled Robota. She is endowed by her creator with a portion of his magic ability to change local reality. She can do it only in relation to herself, however, and even so her power is limited. That might be considered her talent. She also has a remarkably a.n.a.lytical mind, oriented on weather, as she is a weather golem. This mission will be the completion of her training and education. Thereafter she will be to weather what Grundy Golem is to languages."

"Grundy?" Pia asked.

"He was made from wood and string," Ivy said. "But later the Demon X(A/N)th made him real, and he married Rapunzel. Their child, Surprise, can do almost any magic once-and only once. Grundy is a translation golem, so he can speak to and understand any living creature, including insects and plants. It would put him in contention for Magician status, if he were a man."

"But you said he was made real. So isn't he a man now?"

Ivy was surprised. "Why yes, I suppose he is."

"And how am I to identify with a creature who isn't alive?"

Grey stepped into the dialogue. "In Xanth, the distinction between living and nonliving can be obscure."

"For sure," Breanna said. "Consider the zombies."

"Robota is animate," Grey continued. "She is not flesh, but she is conscious and motivated."

"But if she's a machine-" Pia said.

"Machines are people too. Your connection will enable you to see through her eyes, hear through her ears, and feel through her hands and feet. You will not have to think of her as alive, if you prefer not to. but we feel its not a relevant issue."

Pia let it go, but seemed unsatisfied.

Meanwhile they were moving rapidly thiough the forest It seemed that Com Pewter's cave was not really far from the Good Magician's Castle, and the enchanted path facilitated travel. Before long, they approached the area.

An awful noise sounded. "Ooo-gah!"

"That's the invisible giant," Grey explained. "He guards the cave."

Pia sniffed. "What is that bleeping stench?"

"He doesn't wash often enough," Ivy said "But soon we'll be in the cave."

The ground shook. "Ooo-ga!"

"He has a heavy tread." Breanna said "But he won't step on us. He knows us." She lifted her hand and waved upward. "Hi. Giant!"

"Hi!" returned from the sky, deafeningly.

"You look great as ever," Breanna called.

The invisible giant laughed. The sound rolled around the landscape, clashing off mountains and flattening valleys.

They came to a hole in the wall. Para ran in, and they were surrounded by darkness. Then it opened into a chamber where a collection of junk lay. With a gla.s.sy screen sticking up in the center. The boat stopped and they got out. The children cl.u.s.tered around the screen. "h.e.l.lo, Com Pewter." Grey said. "We have come with observers to handle the mission."

The screen lighted. h.e.l.lO, MAGICIAN GREY MURPHY. WHO?

"Two Mundanes who will not be affected by changes in Xanthly circ.u.mstance."

EXCELLENT.

"Here are Edsel and Pia Mundane," Grey said, introducing them. "On service for the Good Magician. They have almost no prior experience of Xanth, and will return to Mundania soon."

EXCELLENT, the screen repeated. I AM AWARE OF THEIR IDENt.i.tIES, BECAUSE I MAINTAIN THE O-XONE. THERE IS A MESSAGE FROM CHLORINE: THEY SUFFERED AN INTERRUPTION IN CONTACT, BUT LATER IT WAS RESTORED. THEY ARE SATISFACTORY.

"That's a relief." Edsel said.

A puzzle pattern appeared, on the screen, evidently for the amus.e.m.e.nt of the children.

Grey turned to Ivy. "Why don't you and the children return for us this time tomorrow?"

"We will," she agreed, kissing him. She turned to the Companions. "Do you wish to remain here or return with us?"

Breanna hesitated. "I think we'd better stay here. Just in case."

"May we use the boat, then?"

"Sure, if Para wants to go," Breanna said. "He has more than returned the favor we did him."

Ivy departed with the children. Now two new figures appeared. "I am Tristan Troll," the tall ugly one said. "Pewter's mouse."

The other was a tiny woman who resembled Ivy, as an elfin princess. "And I am Robota," she said. "Pewter's golem."

Pia looked down at her. "You look alive."

The small figure fuzed. and reformed in full human size, looking more than ever like Ivy. "It is mostly illusion. I am a creature made for a purpose, given the abilities I need to fulfill that purpose. For example, I have been programmed to speak three Mundane dialects. English. French, and Italian."

"You speak English very well," Pia said, evidently startled.

Robota laughed. "I am not speaking it here. You are not speaking it here."

"But of course I am," Pia said. "It's the only language I know."

"When you enter Xanth," Grey said, "You speak the human dialect of Xanth. All people do, whatever their original languages. It happens automatically. It is part of the magic of Xanth "

"It's true," Breanna said. "It happened to all the members of the Black Wave when we came to Xanth. When you try to talk across the magic boundary, it's like gibberish."

Edsel was as surprised as Pia. "We were never aware of any change."

"There is no need to be," Grey said. "But when Robota and I pa.s.s through Mundania, we will not be intelligible, and will need to handle the local dialects."

"I will translate for you," Robota said. "And speak for you. using your voice."

"Fortunately we won't be there long," Grey said.

"Why go there at all?" Edsel asked "I thought you were to travel back in time."

Grey smiled. "That is the most convenient way it is done. The interface between Xanth and Mundania is temporal as well as s.p.a.cial. We shall leave in our present time, and re-enter in the time of the Storm King. Robota is attuned to the key times."

"This is weird," Pia said.

BUT FEASIBLE, the screen printed.

"Like the Adult Conspiracy," Breanna muttered.

"So what do we observers do?" Edsel asked.

"You will be made comfortable here," Tristan said. "Pewter will provide for any special needs you have. Simply tell me, and it will be arranged."

"My credulity is straining," Pia said. "I think I'd like to go home."

Tristan didn't blink. "Describe your home."

Justin smiled. "You will like this "

"Well, it's a garden variety house," Pia said. "We each have an office, so I can do the accounts and he can do the programming without getting in each other's way. We have colored carpeting on the floors, and pictures on the walls." She continued to describe their house in greater detail, evidently feeling nostalgia.

Edsel noticed what she did not: as she spoke, the house was forming around them. She hadn't clarified that their two offices were in different rooms, so here they were side by side, alcoves in the same room, but otherwise correctly appointed. There were pictures of flowers and lakes by her desk, and pictures of his Lemon motorcycle by his desk, plus a s.e.xy pinup calendar.

Pia finally noticed. "Yes, that's it, in a way." she said. "But it's all illusion, of course "

"No. this is temporary reality," Tristan said. "This is my master's power."

"And it's some power," Breanna said.

"Reality? Of course not," Pia said. She walked to her desk and slapped at the chair, probably expecting her hand to pa.s.s through without resistance. Instead it struck the chair.

She stared. Then she touched the desk, more carefully. Then she lifted a picture from the wall. "It's real!"

"For sure. I told you."

Edsel walked to his section. His things were real too. He tried to modify it, using his magic talent, but nothing happened.

"Ordinary magic can not overrule Magician caliber magic." Tristan said. "Com-Pewter is supreme in this cave, except for Magician Grey, of course. But if you wish anything changed-"

"No, this is just fine." Pia said. "It really is pretty much like home."

"Then perhaps we should begin," Grey said.

"If the two of you will touch the two of them, the connection will be established," Tristan said to Edsel and Pia.

"Wait!" Pia cried, alarmed. "Do we lose our souls or something?"

"I a.s.sure you, this is not the case." Tristan said. "This is merely a link between you, so that the two observers will always know what the subjects are experiencing."

"And do they also know what we're doing?" Pia asked sharply.

"No. This is one way only. My master has been as yet unable to develop the magic required for two way temporal communication."

"That a relief," Pia said. Edsel agreed, though he didn't say so. They went to stand before Grey and Robota. Edsel extended his hand to Grey, and Pia extended hers to Robota. When Edsel's fingers touched Grey's he felt an electric tingle. That was all.

"That's it?" Pia asked, sounding almost disappointed. "Close your eyes and look," Tristan said.