Read Online Demons Don’t Dream by Piers Anthony - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Piers Anthony
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ever make it the length of the ship and to the other censer. She would just have to try.
"Oh, brother, the other one," Dug said, staring across at it "I don't think I can make it."
As her mind cleared, Nada realized something. "Dug! You're in the scene!"
He looked around, startled. "I guess I am. How did that happen?"
"It means you believe," she said.
"I don't believe! I just couldn't stand to see you struggling like that, when I'm the one who got us into this thing. It wasn't fair."
"You must believe I'm real, or you wouldn't care."
He stared at her. "I guess maybe I do, men." He shook his head, not really believing his own belief. "Maybe it's just that when I realized this was serious, I had to believe. I couldn't let censorship win, even in a joke land like this." He smiled. "Well, maybe we can make it to the other censer together."
"Maybe we can," she agreed. “Take my hand."
He took her hand. Then they walked together across the deck. It was much easier now. There was far more strength in unity than she had imagined. Also, she now knew that the solution worked, and that gave her more courage. What they were doing wasn't pointless; all they had to do was do it right, and the censorship would be finally defeated.
The fumes intensified, but their effect was no longer overpowering. The two of them forged onward, not even slowing. They reached the grim censer, and Dug lifted up the pail and poured out more of the solution.
The fumes stopped. A glow came from the censer, but not of burning incense. It was the glow of clean daylight The gloomy cloud surrounding the ship was dissipating, and the deck was brightening. They had defeated the second censor censer more readily than the first.
Nada looked at it Its letters said IGNORANCE.
"Hatred and ignorance," Dug murmured, awed. “The two pillars of bigotry. And I'll bet this is the ship of fools, too. Because only fools would let such bad things govern them."
"And only fools would try to stop all others from saying or even thinking what they wanted to," Nada said. "Fortunately we don't have a lot of that in Xanth."
"We have plenty in Mundania, though," he said. “I guess that's what makes it such a dreary place." He looked around. "Damn! I'm glad to be here!" Then he laughed. "Hey, I swore! It didn't get bleeped out. The censorship really has been beaten."
"It really has been," she agreed. "For now. But it will surely be back, once it returns to its source and gets its censers restored."
"I guess so. Too bad. But let's get off it and get back to Isthmus Village . We have a whole adventure to get through."
So they did. This was only the beginning.
Chapter 4 WATER
Kim was glad to get out of the Ogre fen Ogre Fen. She knew herself to be a smart, and therefore unattractive, girl, but it had taken all her ingenuity to outsmart those stupid ogres. She wanted no more such encounters. This was after all supposed to be a fun game, wasn't it?
"So which is the fastest way to the Good Magician's castle?" she asked Jenny Elf.
"Well, it's south, but we shouldn't go that way."
"What do you mean, shouldn't go that way? Why not?" Kim remembered how Jenny had warned her against messing with the ogres, and in retrospect she appreciated that advice more than she had in futurespect. Henceforth she would pay more heed to the advice of her Companion.
"Because of the elements."
Kim remembered. "Oh, yes! Those five regions in north-central Xanth. Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and the Void, going from south to north."
"What?" Jenny asked, seeming confused.
"What's the problem?"
"That's not the order."
"Of course it is! I read it in the Visual Guide. There's a map."
"Well, the guide is wrong. Is it a Mundane book?"
"Of course."
"That explains it Mundanes don't know about magic."
"Well, I've have to see it to believe it We should be closest to the Void, and south of that is Earth."
"You're right about the Void, but the next one down is Water. The Water Wing, in the shape
"Oh, brother, the other one," Dug said, staring across at it "I don't think I can make it."
As her mind cleared, Nada realized something. "Dug! You're in the scene!"
He looked around, startled. "I guess I am. How did that happen?"
"It means you believe," she said.
"I don't believe! I just couldn't stand to see you struggling like that, when I'm the one who got us into this thing. It wasn't fair."
"You must believe I'm real, or you wouldn't care."
He stared at her. "I guess maybe I do, men." He shook his head, not really believing his own belief. "Maybe it's just that when I realized this was serious, I had to believe. I couldn't let censorship win, even in a joke land like this." He smiled. "Well, maybe we can make it to the other censer together."
"Maybe we can," she agreed. “Take my hand."
He took her hand. Then they walked together across the deck. It was much easier now. There was far more strength in unity than she had imagined. Also, she now knew that the solution worked, and that gave her more courage. What they were doing wasn't pointless; all they had to do was do it right, and the censorship would be finally defeated.
The fumes intensified, but their effect was no longer overpowering. The two of them forged onward, not even slowing. They reached the grim censer, and Dug lifted up the pail and poured out more of the solution.
The fumes stopped. A glow came from the censer, but not of burning incense. It was the glow of clean daylight The gloomy cloud surrounding the ship was dissipating, and the deck was brightening. They had defeated the second censor censer more readily than the first.
Nada looked at it Its letters said IGNORANCE.
"Hatred and ignorance," Dug murmured, awed. “The two pillars of bigotry. And I'll bet this is the ship of fools, too. Because only fools would let such bad things govern them."
"And only fools would try to stop all others from saying or even thinking what they wanted to," Nada said. "Fortunately we don't have a lot of that in Xanth."
"We have plenty in Mundania, though," he said. “I guess that's what makes it such a dreary place." He looked around. "Damn! I'm glad to be here!" Then he laughed. "Hey, I swore! It didn't get bleeped out. The censorship really has been beaten."
"It really has been," she agreed. "For now. But it will surely be back, once it returns to its source and gets its censers restored."
"I guess so. Too bad. But let's get off it and get back to Isthmus Village . We have a whole adventure to get through."
So they did. This was only the beginning.
Chapter 4 WATER
Kim was glad to get out of the Ogre fen Ogre Fen. She knew herself to be a smart, and therefore unattractive, girl, but it had taken all her ingenuity to outsmart those stupid ogres. She wanted no more such encounters. This was after all supposed to be a fun game, wasn't it?
"So which is the fastest way to the Good Magician's castle?" she asked Jenny Elf.
"Well, it's south, but we shouldn't go that way."
"What do you mean, shouldn't go that way? Why not?" Kim remembered how Jenny had warned her against messing with the ogres, and in retrospect she appreciated that advice more than she had in futurespect. Henceforth she would pay more heed to the advice of her Companion.
"Because of the elements."
Kim remembered. "Oh, yes! Those five regions in north-central Xanth. Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and the Void, going from south to north."
"What?" Jenny asked, seeming confused.
"What's the problem?"
"That's not the order."
"Of course it is! I read it in the Visual Guide. There's a map."
"Well, the guide is wrong. Is it a Mundane book?"
"Of course."
"That explains it Mundanes don't know about magic."
"Well, I've have to see it to believe it We should be closest to the Void, and south of that is Earth."
"You're right about the Void, but the next one down is Water. The Water Wing, in the shape
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