human form, so that she could stand on her own without getting in deeper.
Electra put her hands to her head and ran some current through it, making her brain strain. This enabled her to force out an idea. “Maybe if we could get the jam to go somewhere else,” she said, “and leave us here.”
“But that's the problem,” Nada objected. “It can't move anywhere very fast.”
“The traffic berries in it can't move fast,” Electra said. “But maybe the whole thing can—if it wants to.”
“But what could make it want to?”
Electra fished in her knapsack. “I saw something in my calendar about a festival or something.” She pulled out a battered copy of a Xanth calendar and leafed through it. “Yes, here it is! A jamboree!”
The traffic jam quivered.
“But isn't that—” Nada started.
“Yes. It will occur in the Gap Chasm.”
The jam began to move. It slid slowly, then more swiftly out of the hall, carrying Nada along with it. Soon it was going at a respectable speed. Electra grabbed onto Nada again, and hung on, and the jam moved onward so rapidly that it lost cohesion and let her feet go.
A moment later they watched the jam sliding on across the moat. There was no question: it was headed for that jamboree. Electra had guessed right; no jam could resist something like that.
“Didn't you make a teeny fib?” Nada asked. “There's no party at the Gap!”
Electra showed her the calendar. “I didn't say it was a party. I said it was a Jamboree. And here it is.” She pointed to it.
“The month of Jamboree,” Nada said, “But—”
“Right here in the calendar,” Electra agreed. “It occurs in the Gap, just as it does everywhere else in Xanth at the same time. The traffic jam is sure to find it, in due course.”
Nada shook her head. “I suppose that jam wasn't going anywhere else fast anyway,” she said, resigned.
“But we are—quick while the passage is clear.” She hauled Nada along into the castle. The naga woman let herself be towed, deciding it wasn't worth further protest.
The passage ended in steps that led to a door, and beyond the door was Ivy. She was in a yellow dress that complemented her pale green hair. She was Nada's age, but not as luscious. In that respect she fell more or less between Nada and Electra. “Oh, how wonderful to see you two again!” she exclaimed, hugging each in turn. “Why didn't you tell us you were coming?”
Both Nada and Electra stared at her, caught between astonishment and outrage. Then Ivy's mouth quirked, and in a moment all three were lost in girlish laughter.
“Well, come on,” Ivy said as they subsided. “I think Grey's had time to research the Answer now.”
Electra nodded. There was reason for the challenges. Not only did they discourage those who weren't really serious, they gave the Magician time to get the necessary information. Few folk knew this, but Nada and Electra were Ivy's closest friends and were privy to some pretty formidable secrets.
Grey Murphy was in the upstairs chamber with the Book of Answers. There were those who claimed there was no such book, but that was just because they hadn't seen it. It had answers to every question; the only problem was figuring out how to read them and understand them. Grey had been working on it for three years now and was getting better, but he still had to scramble at times.
“We'll dispense with the year of service,” Grey said with a smile. “Ivy says her friends are exempt, or else.”
“We thought as much,” Nada agreed with an answering smile. “Are you ready for our Question?”
“I think so. But I'm afraid you won't much like the Answer. Are you sure you want to ask?”
“Yes,” Electra said. “We don't have much time.”
“Very well. Ask.”
“Where is Che Centaur?”
Grey stared at her. “What?”
“She said, 'Where is Che Centaur?' ” Nada said. “You know, Chex's foal.”
“But—” Grey looked baffled.
Nada frowned, managing to look
Electra put her hands to her head and ran some current through it, making her brain strain. This enabled her to force out an idea. “Maybe if we could get the jam to go somewhere else,” she said, “and leave us here.”
“But that's the problem,” Nada objected. “It can't move anywhere very fast.”
“The traffic berries in it can't move fast,” Electra said. “But maybe the whole thing can—if it wants to.”
“But what could make it want to?”
Electra fished in her knapsack. “I saw something in my calendar about a festival or something.” She pulled out a battered copy of a Xanth calendar and leafed through it. “Yes, here it is! A jamboree!”
The traffic jam quivered.
“But isn't that—” Nada started.
“Yes. It will occur in the Gap Chasm.”
The jam began to move. It slid slowly, then more swiftly out of the hall, carrying Nada along with it. Soon it was going at a respectable speed. Electra grabbed onto Nada again, and hung on, and the jam moved onward so rapidly that it lost cohesion and let her feet go.
A moment later they watched the jam sliding on across the moat. There was no question: it was headed for that jamboree. Electra had guessed right; no jam could resist something like that.
“Didn't you make a teeny fib?” Nada asked. “There's no party at the Gap!”
Electra showed her the calendar. “I didn't say it was a party. I said it was a Jamboree. And here it is.” She pointed to it.
“The month of Jamboree,” Nada said, “But—”
“Right here in the calendar,” Electra agreed. “It occurs in the Gap, just as it does everywhere else in Xanth at the same time. The traffic jam is sure to find it, in due course.”
Nada shook her head. “I suppose that jam wasn't going anywhere else fast anyway,” she said, resigned.
“But we are—quick while the passage is clear.” She hauled Nada along into the castle. The naga woman let herself be towed, deciding it wasn't worth further protest.
The passage ended in steps that led to a door, and beyond the door was Ivy. She was in a yellow dress that complemented her pale green hair. She was Nada's age, but not as luscious. In that respect she fell more or less between Nada and Electra. “Oh, how wonderful to see you two again!” she exclaimed, hugging each in turn. “Why didn't you tell us you were coming?”
Both Nada and Electra stared at her, caught between astonishment and outrage. Then Ivy's mouth quirked, and in a moment all three were lost in girlish laughter.
“Well, come on,” Ivy said as they subsided. “I think Grey's had time to research the Answer now.”
Electra nodded. There was reason for the challenges. Not only did they discourage those who weren't really serious, they gave the Magician time to get the necessary information. Few folk knew this, but Nada and Electra were Ivy's closest friends and were privy to some pretty formidable secrets.
Grey Murphy was in the upstairs chamber with the Book of Answers. There were those who claimed there was no such book, but that was just because they hadn't seen it. It had answers to every question; the only problem was figuring out how to read them and understand them. Grey had been working on it for three years now and was getting better, but he still had to scramble at times.
“We'll dispense with the year of service,” Grey said with a smile. “Ivy says her friends are exempt, or else.”
“We thought as much,” Nada agreed with an answering smile. “Are you ready for our Question?”
“I think so. But I'm afraid you won't much like the Answer. Are you sure you want to ask?”
“Yes,” Electra said. “We don't have much time.”
“Very well. Ask.”
“Where is Che Centaur?”
Grey stared at her. “What?”
“She said, 'Where is Che Centaur?' ” Nada said. “You know, Chex's foal.”
“But—” Grey looked baffled.
Nada frowned, managing to look
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