Read Online Question Quest by Piers Anthony - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Piers Anthony
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down, and we made haste to get out of it, not even dressing. At least it had not harmed us; I had been right to avoid alarming MareAnn with my fell suspicion. We carried our knapsacks and clothes bundled in our arms.
We found ourselves in the middle of an unfamiliar village. The folk were just getting up and out. They stared at us. Evidently they hadn't seen the house settle into place, but they saw us clearly enough, in underpants and nightie and generally disheveled. The unicorns were not present; they probably had no idea where the house had gone. Neither did we.
“Uh, where is this?” I inquired in my typically bright fashion.
“This is the South Village,” the nearest man said. "How did you get your house built so quickly? It wasn't here last night. And aren't you two rather young to be indulging in that sort of sport? Are you sure you belong to the Adult Conspiracy?''
I exchanged most of a glance with MareAnn. Then we turned as one and went back into the house. It would remain fixed in the day; we had been foolish to run out unprepared. I had resolved always to tell the truth, but I was discovering that there were occasions where the truth was nobody else's business. It was a realization I would remember later in life when folk would pester me for information.
Inside, we dressed. I turned my back so as not to see her don her panties. MareAnn brought out a comb and sorted out her hair, and then mine. Actually, I thought she looked intriguing in her wild style, but this was good too, and I liked the way she fussed over me. That was another truth best left unsaid, since it behooved me not to prejudice her valuable innocence.
“Do you know anything about the South Village?” she asked me.
As it happened, I did. “That's where King Ebnez lives.”
“The King?”
“He assumed the throne in the year 909. He has been King for almost forty years. His talent is adapting magic things. He adapted the Deathstone to the Shield-stone, to stop the Waves, so we don't get invaded anymore.”
“I knew that! I mean, this is the capital city?”
“There are no cities in Xanth. This is the capital village.”
“What are we doing here?”
“It's where the werehouse brought us. Well south of the Gap.”
“South of the what?”
“The—well, I don't exactly remember.” This was my first experience with the action of the Forget Spell, because I had now been far and long enough away from the Gap to lose my immunity. “Anyway, it's in southerb Xanth, and I fear it will be a long, hard trek to return to the north. Can your unicorns find you here?”
“Not the same ones. But maybe it doesn't matter. We wanted to travel, to get away from our situations. Well, we traveled farther and faster than we expected. Let's make something of it.”
“Something of it?” I asked blankly.
“Let's go visit the King. Maybe he will have something for us to do.”
“But I don't know how to do anything!”
“Yes, you do. You're very good at finding useful things.”
“But that's hardly a profession!”
“And I will keep house for you and help keep you warm at night.”
Suddenly I found myself persuaded.
So we went to visit King Ebnez. As it happened, he was at home and not busy, so he welcomed the company. He was a portly man in his sixties, with impressive sideburns under his crown. He treated us to a very nice breakfast of greenberries from the greenberry fields and marshmallows fresh from the mallow marshes.
“And what is your business here?” he inquired after we had pretty well stuffed ourselves.
“Humfrey would like employment,” MareAnn said immediately.
“Oh? And what is your talent?”
“Curiosity,” she said.
The King turned a bland eye on her. “And what is yours, pretty miss?”
“Summoning equines,” I said.
Ebnez nodded. “So you would be able to travel readily.”
“Yes,” MareAnn agreed. “And I will travel with him, to keep his socks dry.” I realized that she did not want to remain
We found ourselves in the middle of an unfamiliar village. The folk were just getting up and out. They stared at us. Evidently they hadn't seen the house settle into place, but they saw us clearly enough, in underpants and nightie and generally disheveled. The unicorns were not present; they probably had no idea where the house had gone. Neither did we.
“Uh, where is this?” I inquired in my typically bright fashion.
“This is the South Village,” the nearest man said. "How did you get your house built so quickly? It wasn't here last night. And aren't you two rather young to be indulging in that sort of sport? Are you sure you belong to the Adult Conspiracy?''
I exchanged most of a glance with MareAnn. Then we turned as one and went back into the house. It would remain fixed in the day; we had been foolish to run out unprepared. I had resolved always to tell the truth, but I was discovering that there were occasions where the truth was nobody else's business. It was a realization I would remember later in life when folk would pester me for information.
Inside, we dressed. I turned my back so as not to see her don her panties. MareAnn brought out a comb and sorted out her hair, and then mine. Actually, I thought she looked intriguing in her wild style, but this was good too, and I liked the way she fussed over me. That was another truth best left unsaid, since it behooved me not to prejudice her valuable innocence.
“Do you know anything about the South Village?” she asked me.
As it happened, I did. “That's where King Ebnez lives.”
“The King?”
“He assumed the throne in the year 909. He has been King for almost forty years. His talent is adapting magic things. He adapted the Deathstone to the Shield-stone, to stop the Waves, so we don't get invaded anymore.”
“I knew that! I mean, this is the capital city?”
“There are no cities in Xanth. This is the capital village.”
“What are we doing here?”
“It's where the werehouse brought us. Well south of the Gap.”
“South of the what?”
“The—well, I don't exactly remember.” This was my first experience with the action of the Forget Spell, because I had now been far and long enough away from the Gap to lose my immunity. “Anyway, it's in southerb Xanth, and I fear it will be a long, hard trek to return to the north. Can your unicorns find you here?”
“Not the same ones. But maybe it doesn't matter. We wanted to travel, to get away from our situations. Well, we traveled farther and faster than we expected. Let's make something of it.”
“Something of it?” I asked blankly.
“Let's go visit the King. Maybe he will have something for us to do.”
“But I don't know how to do anything!”
“Yes, you do. You're very good at finding useful things.”
“But that's hardly a profession!”
“And I will keep house for you and help keep you warm at night.”
Suddenly I found myself persuaded.
So we went to visit King Ebnez. As it happened, he was at home and not busy, so he welcomed the company. He was a portly man in his sixties, with impressive sideburns under his crown. He treated us to a very nice breakfast of greenberries from the greenberry fields and marshmallows fresh from the mallow marshes.
“And what is your business here?” he inquired after we had pretty well stuffed ourselves.
“Humfrey would like employment,” MareAnn said immediately.
“Oh? And what is your talent?”
“Curiosity,” she said.
The King turned a bland eye on her. “And what is yours, pretty miss?”
“Summoning equines,” I said.
Ebnez nodded. “So you would be able to travel readily.”
“Yes,” MareAnn agreed. “And I will travel with him, to keep his socks dry.” I realized that she did not want to remain
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