it--with the help of others. I could tell you about it if you became a Companion. The Good Magician said those who participated would be appropriately rewarded. Do you want to be part of this effort?”
Metria considered. “What is the nature of this dependency?”
“This what?”
“Province, colony, demesne, possession--”
“Territory?”
“Whatever,” she agreed crossly.
Cube was pretty sure now that Metria was going to sign up, so she answered. “The Good Magician described it as 'contra-terrene.'”
“Oh,that territory! Our side won it from the Demoness Fornax one year ago. Counter Xanth.”
“You know of it?” But obviously she did.
“Sure. But not where it is. It's the opposite of Xanth, inverted, or something. If someone touched it and Xanth at the same time, he'd detonate.”
“He'd what?”
“Fire, burst, blow up, blast, explode--”
“I think you had it right the first time, after all.”
“Whatever,” the demoness agreed crossly. “So there has to be a way to get there without touching any part of Xanth. You don't want to grab both ends of the charge together.”
Cube was coming to appreciate the problem. There would have to be a very special route there. “So do you want to help?”
“Of course not. Demons don't help mortals, they torment them.”
“Even if they lose the reward?”
“What is the reward?”
“He didn't say. Just that there would be one. Is there anything you are in need of?”
“No.” But Metria hovered thoughtfully. “I wonder what it could be?”
“You can find out by earning and receiving it.”
The demoness exploded into a generous slew of smoky fragments. “You bleeping mortal! You have aroused my insatiable curiosity. I want to know what I'm missing.” The voice came from a fragment that had been left behind.
“Then give me your word.”
“Bleep!” The fragment puffed into smoke, which swirled and formed a word: BLEEP! It floated across to touch Cube's hand. “Here is my word, you conniving creature. I'll keep the secret.”
Score one for the home team. But there was still a possible hurdle. “You will have to travel in this.” She brought out the pouch.
“But I can't get out of that on my own! That's one of Humfrey's old magic socks.”
“True.” Actually Cube hadn't realized that it would hold demons in too. “You will truly be committed.”
Metria sighed. The sound blew the word into tatters of smoke. “All right,” a tatter said. “Put me in.”
“Not yet. First I need to contact Karia Centaur. Find her and ask her whether she would like to join me in a search for that territory.”
“That would blow the secret.”
She was right. “Maybe then just whether she would like to join me in an adventure. But don't speak her name.”
The fragment swelled into the form of the demoness. “Does she know how to find it?”
“Probably not. But she can help us search.”
“You have got hold of my curiosity, and you are using it to make me cooperate,” Metria accused her.
“I thought you understood that when you agreed to join me.”
“You must have a bit of demon blood in you.”
“Do demons have blood?”
“No.” There was a pop as she disappeared.
Cube resumed walking along the enchanted path. She did not know where she was going, but she would get there faster if she kept moving.
In a moderate while--whiles were difficult to measure precisely--the demoness reappeared. “The centaur is on her way. She will meet you at the rest stop closest to the castle.”
“Wonderful!” Just like that, she had recruited her first assistant, or maybe her second if Metria counted. “Now do the same with
Metria considered. “What is the nature of this dependency?”
“This what?”
“Province, colony, demesne, possession--”
“Territory?”
“Whatever,” she agreed crossly.
Cube was pretty sure now that Metria was going to sign up, so she answered. “The Good Magician described it as 'contra-terrene.'”
“Oh,that territory! Our side won it from the Demoness Fornax one year ago. Counter Xanth.”
“You know of it?” But obviously she did.
“Sure. But not where it is. It's the opposite of Xanth, inverted, or something. If someone touched it and Xanth at the same time, he'd detonate.”
“He'd what?”
“Fire, burst, blow up, blast, explode--”
“I think you had it right the first time, after all.”
“Whatever,” the demoness agreed crossly. “So there has to be a way to get there without touching any part of Xanth. You don't want to grab both ends of the charge together.”
Cube was coming to appreciate the problem. There would have to be a very special route there. “So do you want to help?”
“Of course not. Demons don't help mortals, they torment them.”
“Even if they lose the reward?”
“What is the reward?”
“He didn't say. Just that there would be one. Is there anything you are in need of?”
“No.” But Metria hovered thoughtfully. “I wonder what it could be?”
“You can find out by earning and receiving it.”
The demoness exploded into a generous slew of smoky fragments. “You bleeping mortal! You have aroused my insatiable curiosity. I want to know what I'm missing.” The voice came from a fragment that had been left behind.
“Then give me your word.”
“Bleep!” The fragment puffed into smoke, which swirled and formed a word: BLEEP! It floated across to touch Cube's hand. “Here is my word, you conniving creature. I'll keep the secret.”
Score one for the home team. But there was still a possible hurdle. “You will have to travel in this.” She brought out the pouch.
“But I can't get out of that on my own! That's one of Humfrey's old magic socks.”
“True.” Actually Cube hadn't realized that it would hold demons in too. “You will truly be committed.”
Metria sighed. The sound blew the word into tatters of smoke. “All right,” a tatter said. “Put me in.”
“Not yet. First I need to contact Karia Centaur. Find her and ask her whether she would like to join me in a search for that territory.”
“That would blow the secret.”
She was right. “Maybe then just whether she would like to join me in an adventure. But don't speak her name.”
The fragment swelled into the form of the demoness. “Does she know how to find it?”
“Probably not. But she can help us search.”
“You have got hold of my curiosity, and you are using it to make me cooperate,” Metria accused her.
“I thought you understood that when you agreed to join me.”
“You must have a bit of demon blood in you.”
“Do demons have blood?”
“No.” There was a pop as she disappeared.
Cube resumed walking along the enchanted path. She did not know where she was going, but she would get there faster if she kept moving.
In a moderate while--whiles were difficult to measure precisely--the demoness reappeared. “The centaur is on her way. She will meet you at the rest stop closest to the castle.”
“Wonderful!” Just like that, she had recruited her first assistant, or maybe her second if Metria counted. “Now do the same with
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