it.”
“Okay!” Monica agreed gladly, holding out her hand.
Pia gave her the locket.
“It's magic,” Monica said. “It holds all of anything.”
“But it's tiny,” Pia protested.
“I'll show you.” The child grabbed a handful of dirt and poured it into the open locket. The dirt went in and disappeared. She picked up a stone that was triple the locket's diameter and crammed it in—and it fitted.
“How do you get the things out again, if they have disappeared inside it?” Pia asked.
“You just wish them out.” the child explained. “And you can wish them in, too, so what you have already doesn't fall out when you want to add something. You don't have to open it.”
Ted dashed back. “Here's the stink horn!” he called, holding out a horn-like object.
There was a terrible smell, like a festering zombie whale with ballooning indigestion. But Breanna saved the day: she grabbed the horn and shoved it into the locket. Then Monica flipped the lid shut. The smell dissipated.
“Awww,” Ted said, disappointed.
“But we'll have the stink horn for when we need it,” Monica told him.
He brightened. “Yeah.”
“But keep the locket closed, after this,” Breanna said. “We don't want that horn falling into someone's soup.”
Both children went into titillations of mirth. They loved the idea of such an accident.
“I hope we don't regret this deal.” Breanna said. “But that locket is the kind of thing children can really have fun with. It doesn't seem to weigh any more than it does empty.”
“It doesn't,” Monica agreed. “ 'Cause it's magic. I told you.” She dashed off with Ted, intent on finding more choice items to collect.
The adults resumed their walk. Edsel and Justin were waiting nearby, having their own dialogue.
“Look, maybe it's not my business—” Breanna said, pausing artfully.
“Go ahead and ask,” Pia said.
“I heard from Edsel that you two are married But when you—”
“I said we are associates,” Pia agreed. “Because our marriage is rocky, and we want to get the feel of separation, in case we want to divorce.”
“Divorce! I haven't heard that word since—since I left Mundania. It doesn't happen in Xanth ”
“Oh? What do couples do when they don't get along?”
“But they do get along. I think there's magic. When I marry Justin. it will be for ever and ever until we fade out.”
“How can you be sure of that? I understand he's somewhat older than you. Maybe his interests are different.”
“He's about eighty three years older than me,” Breanna agreed. “He's from another time, and he knows all about trees and everything else I never heard of. And he's diffident to the point of aggravation. But I love him. That's all that counts.”
“That's not all that counts ” Then, recalling that this sounded argumentative, she added “In Mundania.”
“Maybe that's the problem—in Mundania. If you lived in Xanth you'd never break up.”
“Even when the love is gone?”
“It doesn't go. It doesn't matter how different you are, once you love, you stay that way. If you're married.”
“I find this hard to believe. No offense.”
“Well, you're Mundane. No offense.”
Pia laughed. Breanna's attitude was refreshing. She wasn't looking for a quarrel, but she simply didn't take any guff from anyone. “I am Mundane.” she agreed “And I don't think Edsel and I are going to make it. We made a deal: we visit Xanth. and if that doesn't change our minds, then we divorce. But I want to feel what it would be like to be single, so we won't be acting married while we're here. I want us just to be associates, and we can date others if we want.”
Breanna shook her head. “That's weird. I can't imagine wanting to be with anyone but Justin. My only problem is I can't make it with him already.”
“You can't—?”
“Technically I'm under the Age of Consent, so I'm not supposed to know what's in the Adult Conspiracy. But I came from Mundania, and I
“Okay!” Monica agreed gladly, holding out her hand.
Pia gave her the locket.
“It's magic,” Monica said. “It holds all of anything.”
“But it's tiny,” Pia protested.
“I'll show you.” The child grabbed a handful of dirt and poured it into the open locket. The dirt went in and disappeared. She picked up a stone that was triple the locket's diameter and crammed it in—and it fitted.
“How do you get the things out again, if they have disappeared inside it?” Pia asked.
“You just wish them out.” the child explained. “And you can wish them in, too, so what you have already doesn't fall out when you want to add something. You don't have to open it.”
Ted dashed back. “Here's the stink horn!” he called, holding out a horn-like object.
There was a terrible smell, like a festering zombie whale with ballooning indigestion. But Breanna saved the day: she grabbed the horn and shoved it into the locket. Then Monica flipped the lid shut. The smell dissipated.
“Awww,” Ted said, disappointed.
“But we'll have the stink horn for when we need it,” Monica told him.
He brightened. “Yeah.”
“But keep the locket closed, after this,” Breanna said. “We don't want that horn falling into someone's soup.”
Both children went into titillations of mirth. They loved the idea of such an accident.
“I hope we don't regret this deal.” Breanna said. “But that locket is the kind of thing children can really have fun with. It doesn't seem to weigh any more than it does empty.”
“It doesn't,” Monica agreed. “ 'Cause it's magic. I told you.” She dashed off with Ted, intent on finding more choice items to collect.
The adults resumed their walk. Edsel and Justin were waiting nearby, having their own dialogue.
“Look, maybe it's not my business—” Breanna said, pausing artfully.
“Go ahead and ask,” Pia said.
“I heard from Edsel that you two are married But when you—”
“I said we are associates,” Pia agreed. “Because our marriage is rocky, and we want to get the feel of separation, in case we want to divorce.”
“Divorce! I haven't heard that word since—since I left Mundania. It doesn't happen in Xanth ”
“Oh? What do couples do when they don't get along?”
“But they do get along. I think there's magic. When I marry Justin. it will be for ever and ever until we fade out.”
“How can you be sure of that? I understand he's somewhat older than you. Maybe his interests are different.”
“He's about eighty three years older than me,” Breanna agreed. “He's from another time, and he knows all about trees and everything else I never heard of. And he's diffident to the point of aggravation. But I love him. That's all that counts.”
“That's not all that counts ” Then, recalling that this sounded argumentative, she added “In Mundania.”
“Maybe that's the problem—in Mundania. If you lived in Xanth you'd never break up.”
“Even when the love is gone?”
“It doesn't go. It doesn't matter how different you are, once you love, you stay that way. If you're married.”
“I find this hard to believe. No offense.”
“Well, you're Mundane. No offense.”
Pia laughed. Breanna's attitude was refreshing. She wasn't looking for a quarrel, but she simply didn't take any guff from anyone. “I am Mundane.” she agreed “And I don't think Edsel and I are going to make it. We made a deal: we visit Xanth. and if that doesn't change our minds, then we divorce. But I want to feel what it would be like to be single, so we won't be acting married while we're here. I want us just to be associates, and we can date others if we want.”
Breanna shook her head. “That's weird. I can't imagine wanting to be with anyone but Justin. My only problem is I can't make it with him already.”
“You can't—?”
“Technically I'm under the Age of Consent, so I'm not supposed to know what's in the Adult Conspiracy. But I came from Mundania, and I
Similar Books
