Cube Route Part 3

"So maybe the Good Magician was forcing you to face what you hated. That was the real nature of the challenge."

Karia frowned. "I suppose so. I think it was unkind of him."

It was apparent that the centaur had lacked the gumption to tackle something she found objectionable. That would never stop Cube, of course, but there was no point in pointing that out. "Where did the other side of the forked path go?"

"I couldn't make head or tail of that. It terminated at a door. I opened the door, but it became a jug in my hand, and there was just a blank wall beyond it. When I moved the jug forward it became the door again, closed. It was no help at all. I was most frustrated."

Cube laughed. "You opened the door and made it a jar!"

"I fail to see the humor."

"A jar. Ajar--open. Another pun."

"Oh," the centaur said somewhat sourly. "No wonder I didn't appreciate it. In any event, it was of no use to me. So I turned around and flew for home."

"I wonder," Cube said. "Couldn't you have used the jar to catch the stickers, so they couldn't stick you?"

"I suppose I could have, had I thought of it. But I was already pretty upset, and it seemed pointless to continue."

"I'm sorry," Cube said. "It must be a big disappointment."

"It is. I so much wanted to have a rousing good adventure, but I can't risk it as long as I have the complication."

"Complication?"

"The side effect. You see, I get carried away when anyone else speaks my name. That can be extremely awkward."

"Another pun!" Cube exclaimed. "Karia. Carry-a! You must really hate that!"

There was no answer. Then she saw that the centaur was floating out of the shelter. She wasn't flying; she wasn't even walking. Her four legs were folded under her as they had been in the shelter, only now she was drifting in the breeze. Her eyes were glazed, as if she were distracted and not paying attention to her surroundings.

In fact, she was being carried away. "Oh, I'm sorry!" Cube said. "I said your name!"

Karia continued to drift. Cube ran after her, catching at a leg. "Please, I'm sorry! Please come back!"

The centaur opened her eyes. "Oh, did it happen again?"

"Yes! I said your name, and you got carried away. I didn't mean to. I didn't realize--"

"That's all right. But now you appreciate my problem."

"Yes I do. I won't speak your name again."

Karia straightened her legs and touched the ground. She walked back to the shelter. "I would like to go where n.o.body knows my name. Then I'd be safe. But there's always the chance I would meet someone unexpectedly, who would say my name, and then I could be in trouble. So I suppose I'll just have to stay home, where folk know to call me 'hey, you.' Not that I like that much either."

"That side effect--it's another pun," Cube said. "No wonder you hate puns!"

"No wonder," Karia agreed wryly. "Why are you going to see the Good Magician?"

"I want to be beautiful."

Karia looked at her more closely. "I suppose you aren't. I hadn't noticed."

"If you were a man, you wouldn't notice me at all. I want to marry and have a loving husband and a nice family and live happily ever after, but it will never happen as long as I'm homely."

"Oh, I'm not sure of that."

"You're not homely. You have a pretty face and a bosom that would make men stare even if it weren't bare."

"Point taken. I have not suffered that particular problem of being unnoticed. Yet I would exchange a portion of my a.s.sets with you, if I could abate my side effect."

"And I would gladly have that portion! If I had your b.r.e.a.s.t.s, no one would notice my face."

"Oh, I don't know. Others do notice my face, and of course my rear."

"Your rear?"

"Like most centaurs, I have a handsomer posterior than face, and of course I am duly haughty about it." Karia reached back and gave her haunch a resounding slap. "I just wish I could see it better."

"I have just the thing for you," Cube said, fishing out the mirror. "Try this."

"I'm not certain how this relates," Karia said, accepting it.

"Try it and see."

The centaur held the mirror up before her face. "Oh, my! Can that be my rump?"

"Yes. It's a rear-view mirror."

"Delightful! It's even handsomer than I thought."

"Keep the mirror," Cube said.

"Oh, I couldn't! I like it, despite the pun, but I have no return gift for you."

"I will be glad if you can keep it. A demoness with a speech impediment gave it to me, and I didn't want it, but I can't be free of it unless I give it away. I gave it away yesterday, but today I had it again. So it may not stay with you anyway, though I hope it does."

Karia considered. "In that case, I will keep it, and hope that it remains with me. If not, I will understand." She paused. "The demoness--would that by any chance have been Metria?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"She's just about the only one who interacts with humans more than briefly, usually mischievously. And she has trouble getting the right word. She doesn't hurt people, merely annoys them. This is the kind of trick one might expect of her."

"That's interesting." Actually Cube had encountered several other mischievous demons, but they had departed once they tricked her into laughing and getting drenched. "But I still hope you keep the mirror."

"We shall see." They composed themselves for sleep.

Chapter 2: Good Magician.

In the morning they prepared to go their separate ways. Karia still had the mirror; she checked. Then she looked into the sky, and quailed. "Oh, no."

"What's the matter?"

"The dragon's there. I had hoped it would be gone overnight."

"A dragon is after you?"

"I am afraid so. That's the real reason I came here for the night, instead of to a camp closer to the home range. I knew it could not pursue me along the enchanted path."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I did not wish to concern you. You are in no danger from it, as long as you remain on the path."

"But I am concerned. A dragon!"

"You are a nice person. But you must be on your way. I shall merely wait here until the dragon tires of the pursuit."

"But surely you want to get home. Can you follow the enchanted path instead?"

"I could hoof it, if the path went where I am going. But it does not. I must fly, when I can. Once I get close to home, I have a friend whose talent is to make any animal friendly for half an hour, and that will enable me to get the rest of the way in peace."

"I have heard that all centaurs are excellent archers. Could you shoot it with an arrow?"

Karia glanced down at her harness. "Ordinarily I could. But it seems this dragon has somehow learned my name."

Cube saw the problem. "It would make you be carried away, and would pounce on you while you are helpless."

"Precisely."

"Maybe I can help you."

"There is no need. I have enjoyed your company, but do not wish to inconvenience you."

"No, I want to help, and I think I can. I'll give you some nickelpedes."

"Nickelpedes!"

"It's my talent: to summon and control them." Cube squatted and put down a hand, summoning a nickelpede, and one came to her from a nearby crevice. She lifted it. "You see, it doesn't gouge me."

"That's remarkable! I should have thought the enchantment would prevent them from coming here."

"I suppose it would, ordinarily. But this one means no harm, so must be all right." Cube set it on her head, and it nestled in her somewhat messy hair, contented. "I can tell them not to bother you. Then you can throw them at the dragon, and it will go away."

"That's an interesting ploy. But I fear I would hear my name and be carried away before I could get close enough to do that."

"Suppose I stay close to you, so I can snap you back?"

"That would do it. Of course if you were with me, you could throw the nickelpedes yourself."

"Yes I could. I'll do it."

"But this would take you off the path, and cost you time. I can't ask you to make that sacrifice."

"It's no sacrifice. I want to help."

"You're so nice. But--" Karia paused again. "There is one thing. There is a good-sized river. The enchanted path of course has a safe crossing, but that is some distance downstream. I could carry you across a shortcut, saving you as much time as I cost you, perhaps more."

"That's great."

"And the dragon would a.s.sume that we were vulnerable while over the river. So it would attack. I will drift, but slowly, and you can deal with it when it gets close enough."

"Done."

"Get on my back and I will take you to the river. Then we shall see."

Karia settled on the ground, and Cube climbed on her back. "I've never ridden a centaur before, or anything else. I hope I don't fall off."

"You will not." The centaur's tail flicked, and Cube suddenly felt very light. "I have made you light so I will be able to fly with you. If by some mischance you did fall off, you would merely drift slowly to the ground."

"Fabulous."

They set off along the enchanted path. Karia trotted competently; she did not need to use her wings. She had made herself light, using the winged-centaur magic, so was using very little energy. Her wings were folded against her back, looking like a feather cloak.

The dragon followed, watching them from the sky. Cube had not realized that dragons preyed on centaurs, but probably it was a matter of opportunity. A healthy alert centaur with bow and arrows was n.o.body's prey, but Karia had her liability, so she was vulnerable. That was all the dragon needed. Cube was disgusted, but realized that this was the way it was with predators. They got their prey any way they could.

They came to the river. It was far too wide to jump across; in fact it would be a fair swim. There were colored fins circling in the water: loan sharks, waiting to take an arm and a leg or two. No swimming there!

The path turned and followed the riverbank south. This was the detour to the safe crossing. Most travelers would follow it, rather than risk the dangers of air and water.

"Are we ready?" Karia inquired in a murmur.

"I think we are."

But the centaur hesitated. "It just occurred to me: Can the nickelpedes come to you if you are in the air? They will have no crawling s.p.a.ce."

"You're right!" Cube said. "I forgot that they need some way to reach me. I'll summon a bagful now."

She dismounted, went to the edge of the path, and held out a cloth bag. Immediately nickelpedes came and swarmed into the bag until it was bulging. Cube held it carefully and remounted. "Now I am ready."

"Hold on to my mane."

"Mane? I don't see one."