hair. She held something in her hand and was staring at it. Some kind of fruit, or--
It was a gourd. A hypno-gourd! The kind with a peephole that sucked a person's mind inside, locking her in the realm of bad dreams. The woman must have seen the gourd, picked it up, looked at it without realizing its nature, and gotten trapped. She would remain that way until someone else interrupted her line of sight to the peephole.
Cube put her hands on the gourd, blocking the peephole, and lifted it out of the woman's grasp. The woman blinked, looking around. “What happened?” she asked sourly.
“You were caught by a hypno-gourd,” Cube explained. “You would have remained that way until your body died of thirst or starvation. I knew you wouldn't want that, so--”
“Who the $$$$ are you?” the woman demanded irritably.
“I'm Cube. I was walking along the enchanted path and saw--”
“And I'm Fluorine,” the other said wrathfully. “Chlorine's sister. She got to be beautiful and marry a prince or something, but I got nothing. Her measly talent is poisoning water, while I can practically make water explode. Why don't you mind your own business?”
There was something corrosive about Fluorine's personality. “But as I said, you would have remained--”
“I was in a really wild party,” Fluorine said angrily. “There was a pool there, with mermaids who had a special aisle leading to Mundania that only they could use, so they were teasing stray Mundane men mercilessly, flashing breasts and tails, and the stupid men were falling into the water trying to catch them, and almost drowning. Great sport! And you had to come and break it up, you ignorant meddler.”
Cube saw that there was no reasoning with this irascible woman. She preferred her bad dream of tormenting men to the reality of her loss of health and life. She certainly was no prospect for the quest. “Sorry I bothered,” Cube muttered, and walked away.
“Good riddance!” Fluorine yelled after her.
Only when Cube was back on the enchanted path did she realize that she still carried the gourd. She considered throwing it away, but that might just make mischief for someone else, so instead she put it into the pouch. She would dispose of it somewhere else, or use it to stun some dangerous creature if she had to.
Belatedly she wondered who Chlorine might be, who poisoned water. She had married a prince? That almost gave Cube hope for herself.
She passed another woman. She was beginning to lose faith in finding suitable Companions by sheer chance, but some hope remained. “Hello. I'm Cube. I can summon nickelpedes.”
“I'm Amanda. I can change one kind of plant to another.”
Now that might have promise. “You mean, change varieties?”
“Any type to any type.” Amanda looked around. “See that cemetree? Now it's a pie plant.”
Cube was impressed. The tree that looked like a gravestone had become a bush bearing blueberry pies. “I wonder if you would be interested--”
“Sorry, I have to get home now,” Amanda said, and moved on. “Nice meeting you.”
This just wasn't turning out to be easy.
In due course she reached the camp. Just as she did, there was a sound in the air. She looked, and saw Karia gliding down. That was nice timing.
“Thanks for coming!” she called to the centaur.
“I have not committed to anything,” Karia said as she landed and folded her wings. “I hope you are not in trouble.”
“You came because you feared I was in trouble? I may be, but not because of any immediate threat. I made it in to see the Good Magician, and he gave me a mission, but I don't know how to proceed with it.”
“You made it in! I envy you.”
“I think I have a stronger stomach for puns.”
“That must be it,” the centaur
It was a gourd. A hypno-gourd! The kind with a peephole that sucked a person's mind inside, locking her in the realm of bad dreams. The woman must have seen the gourd, picked it up, looked at it without realizing its nature, and gotten trapped. She would remain that way until someone else interrupted her line of sight to the peephole.
Cube put her hands on the gourd, blocking the peephole, and lifted it out of the woman's grasp. The woman blinked, looking around. “What happened?” she asked sourly.
“You were caught by a hypno-gourd,” Cube explained. “You would have remained that way until your body died of thirst or starvation. I knew you wouldn't want that, so--”
“Who the $$$$ are you?” the woman demanded irritably.
“I'm Cube. I was walking along the enchanted path and saw--”
“And I'm Fluorine,” the other said wrathfully. “Chlorine's sister. She got to be beautiful and marry a prince or something, but I got nothing. Her measly talent is poisoning water, while I can practically make water explode. Why don't you mind your own business?”
There was something corrosive about Fluorine's personality. “But as I said, you would have remained--”
“I was in a really wild party,” Fluorine said angrily. “There was a pool there, with mermaids who had a special aisle leading to Mundania that only they could use, so they were teasing stray Mundane men mercilessly, flashing breasts and tails, and the stupid men were falling into the water trying to catch them, and almost drowning. Great sport! And you had to come and break it up, you ignorant meddler.”
Cube saw that there was no reasoning with this irascible woman. She preferred her bad dream of tormenting men to the reality of her loss of health and life. She certainly was no prospect for the quest. “Sorry I bothered,” Cube muttered, and walked away.
“Good riddance!” Fluorine yelled after her.
Only when Cube was back on the enchanted path did she realize that she still carried the gourd. She considered throwing it away, but that might just make mischief for someone else, so instead she put it into the pouch. She would dispose of it somewhere else, or use it to stun some dangerous creature if she had to.
Belatedly she wondered who Chlorine might be, who poisoned water. She had married a prince? That almost gave Cube hope for herself.
She passed another woman. She was beginning to lose faith in finding suitable Companions by sheer chance, but some hope remained. “Hello. I'm Cube. I can summon nickelpedes.”
“I'm Amanda. I can change one kind of plant to another.”
Now that might have promise. “You mean, change varieties?”
“Any type to any type.” Amanda looked around. “See that cemetree? Now it's a pie plant.”
Cube was impressed. The tree that looked like a gravestone had become a bush bearing blueberry pies. “I wonder if you would be interested--”
“Sorry, I have to get home now,” Amanda said, and moved on. “Nice meeting you.”
This just wasn't turning out to be easy.
In due course she reached the camp. Just as she did, there was a sound in the air. She looked, and saw Karia gliding down. That was nice timing.
“Thanks for coming!” she called to the centaur.
“I have not committed to anything,” Karia said as she landed and folded her wings. “I hope you are not in trouble.”
“You came because you feared I was in trouble? I may be, but not because of any immediate threat. I made it in to see the Good Magician, and he gave me a mission, but I don't know how to proceed with it.”
“You made it in! I envy you.”
“I think I have a stronger stomach for puns.”
“That must be it,” the centaur
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