Night Mare Part 24

Arnolde turned to Imbri. "Now I must have a conference with you, good mare. I realize you are tired--"

"So are you, your Majesty," Imbri sent.

"Then let us handle this expeditiously so we both can rest before my brethren arrive."

"Of course," Imbri agreed, wondering what he had in mind. The play of his intellect had already dazzled her, and she knew he would be an excellent King, even though he could perform no magic in Xanth.

They retired to a separate chamber for a private conversation. Imbri wondered why Arnolde should wish to exclude the others, such as Queen Iris, who surely needed to be kept advised of official business.

"Does it strike you as odd that King Bink, who was immune to harm by magic, should nevertheless fall prey to the spell of the Horseman?"

"Yes!" Imbri agreed. "He should have been invulnerable! He believed he was! His talent was working with marvelous subtlety and precision. He wanted the Horseman to approach him, believing that--"

"Yet he evidently was not immune," Arnolde said. "Why should this be?"

"He was very tired after fighting Hasbinbad and getting wounded and dragging himself almost to the bridge path. Maybe his talent had been weakened."

"I question that. His talent was one of the strongest known in Xanth, though it wasn't known."

"Yet it failed to protect him from magical harm--"

"There is my point. Could it be that Bink was not actually harmed?"

Imbri glanced toward the room where the Kings were laying. "I don't understand. He was ensorcelled."

"You a.s.sume the enchantment was harmful. Suppose it was not? In that event, Bink would not be proof against it."

"But--" Imbri could not continue the thought.

"Let me approach the matter from another perspective," Arnolde said. "It strikes me that the symptoms of these ensorcelled Kings are very like the trance inspired by the hypnogourd."

"Yes!" Imbri agreed, surprised. "But there is no gourd."

"Now suppose the Horseman has the talent to form a line-of-sight connection magically between any two places," the centaur said. "Such as the eye of a King and the peephole of a gourd. Would that account for the observed effect?"

Imbri was astonished. "Yes, I think it would!"

"Then I suspect we know where to look for the missing Kings," Arnolde concluded. "Would you be willing to do that?"

"Of course!" Imbri sent, chagrined that she had not seen this obvious connection before.

"Rest, then. When you are ready, you may return to the gourd and investigate. Only you can do this."

"I must do it now!" Imbri sent. "If the Kings are there--"

"We still would not know how to get them out," the Centaur King finished. "We must be wary of exaggerating the importance of this notion, which perhaps is fallacious. This is why I have not mentioned it to the grieving relatives. I do not wish to deceive them with false expectations."

Imbri understood. "I shall say nothing to them until we know. Still, I must find out. I can rest after I know and after I report to you." She started out, using the door so as not to appear too excited to the others.

"That is very nice of you," Arnolde said.

Imbri almost b.u.mped into the Mundane archivist, Ichabod, who was on his way in. He had evidently been summoned to the King's presence for another conference. Imbri understood why; Ichabod was Arnolde's closest friend in Xanth, possessing similar qualities of intellect and personality, together with his comprehensive knowledge of Mundanes. He would be an excellent person to discuss prospects with, since he could be far more objective about Xanth matters than the regular citizens of Xanth could. She sent him a dreamlet of friendly greeting, and Ichabod patted her on the flank in pa.s.sing.

Imbri found the nearest gourd patch and dived into the World of Night. Because she was alone, there were no special effects. She trotted directly to the pasture of the Night Stallion.

He was waiting for her. "It's high time you checked in, you idiotic mare!" he snorted in an irate dream, the breeze of his breath causing the lush gra.s.s to curl and shrivel. "You were supposed to serve as liaison!"

"King Arnolde sent me," she replied, intimidated. "A lot has happened recently, and he--"

"Out with it, mare! Ask!"

"Have the lost Kings of Xanth--?"

"Right this way." The Stallion walked through a wall that abruptly appeared in the pasture, and she followed.

They came into a palatial, human-style chamber. There were all the Kings. King Trent was playing poker with Good Magician Humfrey and the Zombie Master. King Dor was chatting with the furniture, and King Bink, a recent arrival, was asleep on a couch.

"They're all right!" Imbri projected, gratified. "Right here in the gourd! Why didn't you send another night mare out to advise us?"

"It is not permitted," the Stallion replied. "To tell the future is apt to negate it, likewise to divulge what can not be known through natural channels. You were the designated channel; it had to flow through you. There was no other way to handle this situation without supernatural interference, so I had to stand aside and let it proceed undisturbed. All I could safely do was try to warn Xanth about the Horseman."

Imbri snorted. "That didn't make much difference!"

"Precisely. The future was not spoiled, because people seldom believe the truth about it. It shall not be spoiled, though critical revelations remain to be unveiled. Now that a King of Xanth has figured out the riddle of the Kings, that information is no longer privileged. Perhaps he will figure out the rest in time to save Xanth. I leave you to it." He paused, giving Imbri a meaningful stare. "Still, beware the Horseman."

"I am wary of him!" Imbri protested. But the Night Stallion walked back through the wall and was gone, leaving her with the uncomfortable feeling that she was missing something vital, as she had done before. Yet what more could she do except watch out for the Horseman and not trust him at all?

The three Kings quickly concluded their poker game-- the Magician of Information, naturally, seemed to be well ahead, and had a pile of oysters, bucksaws, and wilting lettuce to show for it--and turned to Imbri. "How goes it Xanthside?" King Trent inquired politely, as if this were a routine social call.

"Your Majesty," Imbri sent, still halfway overwhelmed by this discovery of the lost Kings. "Do you want the whole story?"

"No. Only since Bink was taken. We know it to that point."

Imbri sent out a dream that showed her search for King Bink, their return to Castle Roogna, the ascension of Arnolde Centaur, and his solution of the riddle of Kings and designation of Queen Iris and Queen Irene as the next Kings.

"Marvelous!" the Zombie Master exclaimed. "That is one sensible centaur!"

"That accounts for two Kings to follow him," Humfrey said. "But there is supposed to be a line of ten. Who are the other two?"

King Dor joined them. "The Dark Horse knows," he said. "But he won't tell."

"He is right not to tell," the Zombie Master said. "We must figure it out for ourselves. Only then can we break the chain and finally save Xanth."

"Is there no way to get you back to Xanth?" Imbri asked.

"Not while the Horseman is free," Humfrey answered. "I believe the only way to stop him from enchanting people is to end his life--but even he may not be able to reverse a line of sight he has made. It seems to be a limited talent, one-way, like the one-way bridge across the Chasm. He is not Magician caliber."

"Yet what mischief he causes!" the Zombie Master exclaimed. "As long as a single gourd exists, his power remains. Perhaps we are lucky he did not strike years ago."

"He probably did not know about the gourds," Humfrey said. "Many people don't."

"The gourds!" Imbri sent, appalled. "I told him about the gourds, or at least about the World of Night. He thought the gourd was merely an oddity, but after he knew its nature--I showed him how to imprison the Kings!"

"This is the nature of prophecy," King Trent said philosophically. "You carried the message, but did not understand the nature of the threat. None of us did. You are no more culpable than the rest of us. You have certainly done good work since, and your Night Stallion seems to feel that you hold the key to the final salvation of Xanth."

"Me!" Imbri sent, astonished.

"But we do not know in what way," Good Magician Humfrey said. "This is an aspect of information that has been denied to me, along with the specific nature of my own colossal folly. Perhaps it is simply in your position as liaison. I dare say the wives will be pleased to know we remember them."

Dor laughed. "Mine may say good riddance! I certainly didn't pay her much attention after we married."

"She won't sulk long," King Trent said. "My daughter is a creature of femalishly mercurial temperament, like my wife." Then he did a double take. "My wife! I referred to Queen Iris!"

Humfrey elevated an eyebrow. "After a quarter century, it's about time, Trent. You can't live in the past forever."

Imbri remembered how King Trent had loved his Mundane wife, not the Queen, and the sorrow this had brought to Iris.

"It may be a bit late for such a revelation, but yes, it is true. It is time to relate to the present, without renouncing the past. Iris has been worthy." King Trent returned his attention to Imbri. "Please convey that message. Mare Imbri."

Imbri was happy to agree. Then she turned to Humfrey. "How did the Horseman get you and Bink?" she asked the Good Magician. "You recognized him, so should have known how to stop him, and Bink is supposed to be immune from hostile magic."

"That was perhaps part of my blunder," Humfrey said. "I paid so much attention to setting up my spells that I did not see him enter the tree. Suddenly he was standing there. I only had time to whisper his ident.i.ty before he zapped me. Had I been alert, as I should have been, I could have had a Word of Power ready--" He shook his head, ashamed.

"When did he come?" Imbri asked.

"As I said, I was not paying attention, but I would guess very soon after you and the day horse left. He must have been lurking in hiding, waiting his chance to catch me alone. The cunning knave!"

"And Bink--how did he--?"

"Bink was not harmed by the magic," Humfrey replied, confirming the centaur's diagnosis. "He was only sent to a new awareness, as were the rest of us. We find our present company quite compatible. Therefore his talent was not operative."

Except to the extent of preserving her to rescue Bink's body, Imbri realized. The protective talent had a narrow definition of Bink's welfare; he was in actual physical danger while he was King, and in none thereafter. So it did make sense, though Xanth itself suffered. At least his banishment to the gourd had enabled his successor Arnolde to solve the riddle.

"How can I help?" Imbri asked.

"Just what you plan," the Zombie Master told her. "Liaison. Bear news to the wives. Perhaps we shall have useful advice on the conduct of the war. Tell whatever King is current to request our input if he desires it."

"Or she," Imbri sent. "Queen Iris will be the next King."

The Kings exchanged glances. "We are no longer in direct touch with the situation," Humfrey said. "Perhaps it is best to leave the matter of governance to the centaur; he seems remarkably competent."

"Send my love to my mother and my wife," Dor said sadly. He formed a wan smile. "I'll convey the message to my father myself," he added, glancing at the sleeping Bink.

Imbri bade farewell to the five Kings and set off again for the real world.

She arrived at Castle Roogna near midnight. Some of the people were awake, some asleep. It made no practical difference; she broadcast her glad dream to all. "The Kings are all in the gourd! They are well! They send their love!"

Those who were awake crowded close; those who were asleep woke abruptly. In a moment Imbri was the center of attention. She dispensed all the messages, including King Trent's to the Queen.

Iris seemed stricken. "He said that?" she asked, unbelieving.

"That it is time to live in the present, and you are his wife," Imbri repeated.

"Oh, Mother!" Irene cried, going to Queen Iris and embracing her. "You have become part of the family!" It seemed a strange comment, but Imbri understood its meaning. The tragedy of Xanth was bringing its incidental benefits. Imbri retreated to the castle gardens, where she relaxed, grazed, and slept, catching up on about two days' activity.

Tandy returned safely in the night and was reunited with her ogre husband, who had been pacing the grounds worriedly, idly tearing weed-trees out of the ground and squeezing them into b.a.l.l.s of pressed wood. It was a nervous mannerism of his. But all seemed reasonably well for the moment.

In due course the centaur contingent landed, having made excellent time, and Imbri went to lead them in to Castle Roogna. She had thought Chem or Chet would prefer to do it, since they were centaurs, but this was not the case. Chet and Chem were magic-talented centaurs, and the conventional centaurs would not a.s.sociate voluntarily with their ilk. Chet had actually visited Centaur Isle once; but though he had been treated with courtesy, he had soon gotten the underlying message and had never visited again. In certain respects the separation between magic and nonmagic centaurs was greater than that between Xanth human beings and Mundanes. Thus Imbri, no centaur at all, was a better choice; she could keep the pace, she knew the way, and they didn't care if she had magic. In fact, they held her kind in a certain muted awe, since a mare had been the dam of their species. They revered true horses, while not being unrealistic about their properties.

She met them at the beach. The centaurs used magic propelled rafts that were seaworthy and quite stout. They certainly weren't shy about the use of magic in its proper place. There were exactly fifty of them, all fine, healthy warriors with s.h.i.+ning weapons and armor. Imbri wondered whether fifty were enough to handle three hundred Mundanes, however.

"We are centaurs," their leader said proudly, as if that made the question irrelevant. He did not deign to introduce himself. The arrogance of these warriors was unconscious, and she did not allow it to disturb her. She led the contingent to Castle Roogna by nightfall.

"Thanks to the very kind and competent a.s.sistance of Ichabod and Queen Iris," Arnolde reported, "we have located the second Mundane army. He a.n.a.lyzed their likely course, and her illusion can project her image briefly to almost any region of Xanth, so that she can see the enemy." It seemed that Queen Iris was going all-out to help the Centaur King, being quite grateful to him on more than one count. "The Horseman is with them, south of the Ogre-fen Ogre Fen. We do not know how he reached them so rapidly. He did have two days to travel, which would be enough for a healthy and able man who knew the route-- but he must have crossed some of the wildest terrain of Xanth to get there. I checked it on Chem's map; there are flies, dragons, goblins, griffins, and ogres, as well as virtually impa.s.sable natural regions. I must confess I am at a loss even to conjecture how he managed it."

Imbri shared his confusion. She had been to those regions of Xanth and knew how difficult they were. The Lord of the Flies took his office seriously and was apt to have intruders stung to death, and the other creatures were no less militant. "He must have used his talent to stop any hostile creatures, and maybe to cow a griffin into transporting him. He is a very efficient rider; he can tame anything with his reins and spurs." Oh, yes, she knew!

"That must be it. At least he is no present threat to us here." Arnolde did not comment on the implication that the Horseman believed the Centaur King would be ineffective, therefore was not worth sending to the gourd. Imbri suspected the Horseman had made a bad mistake there.

The centaurs of the Isle contingent declined to enter Castle Roogna. They camped in the gardens, foraging for fruit from the orchard and pitching small tents. They did not need these for themselves so much as for their supplies. "Tell us where the Mundanes are," their leader said coldly. "We shall march there in the morning and dispatch them."

Imbri showed him the enemy location in a dreamlet map, since Chem was not encouraged to approach with her more detailed magic map. The prejudice of the Centaur Isle centaurs against their talented brethren was implacable.

"They are in ogre territory?" he asked, surprised. "The ogres of the fen are wild and hostile; how could mere Mundanes have bested them?"

"These are very tough Mundanes," Imbri explained. "They beat back the Gap Dragon in the Chasm."

"The what in the where?"

It was that forget-spell operating again. "A ferocious monster in a crevice," she sent.

The centaur was unimpressed. "Any of us could do that More likely the Mundanes made a deal with the ogres, promising them plunder if they joined the invasion."

"Such deals occur," Imbri agreed, determined not to be antagonized. "Such as the promise of autonomy--"

"Are you attempting humor, mare?" he demanded coldly. It seemed the centaurs' reverence for horses had limits. King Arnolde had immediately granted the Isle centaurs local autonomy, remarking that it made no practical difference, but they did not express overt appreciation. Certainly this particular centaur remained p.r.i.c.kly!

"Of course not," Imbri demurred, keeping her ears forward and her tail still. She was getting better at such discipline. Social politics made her master new things. "I merely fear that we may be up against more than Mundanes. When the human King of Xanth sought help from the other creatures, most expressed indifference, feeling that it was a human-folk war, not theirs. So there could be a tacit understanding with the Mundanes, in which the Punic army is allowed to pa.s.s through monster territory without impediment, provided no damage is done in pa.s.sing. It is also possible that some animals chose to ally themselves with the Mundanes. In fact, their current leader, the Horseman, did that; he is a Xanthian turncoat."

The centaur spat to the side, contemptuous of any kind of turncoat. "We'll handle it," he decided, with what she hoped was not an unwarranted confidence. "Now leave us; we shall march at dawn."

Imbri retreated to the castle. Chameleon was up and alert now, less pretty and more potent mentally, restored from her grief by the news that her husband and son were well, if enchanted. "Imbri--do you think you could carry a person into the gourd to visit the Kings?"

Imbri paused, considering. "I suppose I could. I hadn't thought of it. Mostly it is only the spirit of a person that goes into the gourd, but I have been carrying people through on the way to far places. I could take you to see your family."

"Oh, I don't mean me, though I certainly would have been tempted in my other phase. I mean Irene."

"Irene?"