The Dastard (25 page)

Still, she was glad for the reprieve. So she answered. “You want to marry a princess, I think. But you would really be marrying the Sea Hag in another body. She's not a princess. So it wouldn't be real. If you truly want to marry a princess, you will have to find one who isn't Possessed by a malignant spirit.”

The Sea Hag jumped back into control. “That's more than enough, my pet,” she said angrily.

“Oh, you're back,” the Dastard said.

“Yes, I'm back. The princess was talking nonsense.”

“I'm not sure it was. She seems to have a good mind.”

“Who cares about minds? Kiss me, handsome man, and take off my dress.”

His eyes flicked toward the dragon girl, knowing she would intercede the moment she had to. Not enough time had passed. “Let me talk to the princess some more.”

“You don't need to waste your time on that. Consider this.” She put her hand to her blouse and drew it down to expose more of her bosom.

The Dastard jerked his eyes away just in time. It seemed that breasts did not freak him out as strongly as panties did, but they did have considerable effect. “Let me talk to the princess,” he repeated.

“To what conceivable point? She is my slave.”

“She's a nice girl. I like her. I want to get to know her better.”

Melody was amazed. The Dastard was stalling, but he didn't have any reason to lie, since he had a fair amount of control of the situation. Did he really like her for her mind rather than her body? Or for her royalty?

“Oh, all right, numskull,” the Sea Hag said ungraciously. She turned the head back over to Melody.

“Hello,” Melody said. She smiled at him. “Thank you.” She drew her blouse back up. The Hag had inadvertently freed her arms too.

“I want to get to know you better,” he repeated.

“The Sea Hag has a point,” she said. “If your intent is to ravish me, there's little point getting to know me.”

“I like my women willing,” he said. “I want them to respect me.”

And he would never have respect from the Sea Hag! “Respect has to be earned.”

“I don't know how to earn it.”

That had to be honest! “Is it true that you lack a soul?”

“Yes. I traded it for my talent.”

“I didn't realize that was possible.” She forced another smile. “How did it happen?”

“It was a demon. But enough about me. What is it like, being a princess?”

The irony was that he seemed really interested. “I wouldn't know. I've been a princess all my life, so I have nothing to compare it to.”

He continued to question her, and she continued to answer. He was no dummy, she realized, and now that he was trying to be nice, he was succeeding. Had the situation been otherwise, she could almost have liked him.

Finally the Sea Hag lost patience again. She took over the head. “You are boring me to death! Let's get the @ @ @ @ on with it.” She reached out to embrace him.

He drew back. “The princess would never use a word like that.”

“The Princess would never #### you either,” she returned. “I will. Now let's get on with it.”

“True,” he agreed. He put his arms around her.

The dragon charged. “Beastly girl!” the Hag raged as they were carried away again.

This time the Dastard waited less time before unhappening it. He returned to the time just before the Sea Hag had taken back control of the head. “Will you allow me to kiss you?” he asked quietly.

The Sea Hag, about to lose patience, was mollified; something was starting to happen. She held off, to see where this would lead.

Melody, remembering what had just unhappened, realized that it was best not to provoke the Hag, with the ensuing intervention and unhappening. She also realized that a similar thought was prompting the man. “You may,” she breathed.

He kissed her--and she was surprised to find that she rather liked it. The man did know how to kiss.

But that was as far as it could go, and not just because of the dragon girl. They were walking a fine line here, trying not to trigger undesirable consequences.

Unfortunately, the Dastard wasn't satisfied with just one kiss. He tried for another, and when she said no, he grabbed her--and the Sea Hag eagerly made her body grab back. The dragon girl charged.

After the next unhappening, Melody suggested that they take a walk while they talked. The Sea Hag was fit to be tied, but for a reason Melody didn't quite understand, she had not quite taken over again.

There was a noise, and something was there before them. “Sister, come with us,” a voice said.

“Harmony!”

“And Rhythm,” her other sister said. “Stiffen your elbows; we're picking you up.”

Immediately the Sea Hag took over. “The other princesses! I'll not go with you!” She raised her hands, her fingers curving as claws.

There was a faint tune, and a faint beat. Then Melody's body became light, and the Hag was unable to prevent them from picking her up. Melody floated into the air.

“What's going on?” the Dastard cried.

“I'll handle this,” Harmony murmured.

“While I stifle the witch,” Rhythm concluded.

“You'll do no such--” the Sea Hag cried. But then her voice faded out. She had been stifled by the magic of a Sorceress. In fact, she became invisible as the magic continued.

They had recovered Melody's body. But that would neither free it of the Possession by the Sea Hag, nor stop the Dastard from unhappening this event.

Then Melody saw Harmony become visible. She looked exactly like Melody. She was taking Melody's place--only she was not Possessed.

As Melody and Rhythm floated invisibly away, she saw Harmony on the ground, walking with the Dastard. Could she possibly fool him? Oh, yes; she knew Melody's mannerisms perfectly, and now that she had her appearance, she would be perfect. So she would make the Dastard think that she was Melody, so that he did not know that Melody and the Sea Hag were gone, and would not unhappen the exchange.

You'll never get away with this! the Sea Hag thought violently.

Melody was afraid that was true. But she really appreciated her sisters' effort to rescue her. What did they have in mind? At least they now knew of Melody's Possession, and were bringing their powers to bear. Probably the Hag had not had to fight two Sorceresses before. The situation had changed. But had it changed enough?

Soon she realized that they were not flying magically, exactly; they were being carried by invisible Sim. That had been why there was noise when the exchange was made: Sim's landing. Still, though they could take Melody and the Hag far from the Dastard, it wouldn't free Melody from her dreaded captivity.

That's right, my pet. They are bound to lose.

Yet Melody had confidence in her sisters. They must have something in mind. They were after all Sorceresses.

So am I, my pet. The only magic I ever encountered that could unPossess one I Possessed is that of the Dastard. And even he can no longer do that. Not that he wants to.

They flew to a giant tree. There, nestled in its topmost foliage, was a huge nest. That would have been made by a roc bird. Sim landed in it and carefully set them down. Rhythm became visible.

“Now Sim and I have to go fetch the one who can expunge the Sea Hag from your body,” Rhythm said to Melody. “We were afraid that it couldn't be done, but we found a way. But it requires preparation and equipment and some delicacy. So we shall have to store you in a safe place while we get set up. There is no safe way down from here, so I don't think we need to tie you up.”

That's what you think, my pet!

Melody tried to speak, to warn her sister that the Sea Hag had devious ways to escape. But she couldn't make a sound.

Invisible Sim squawked.

“Oh,” Rhythm said. “Do you really think so? The Hag can escape by throwing Melody's body to the ground and killing her? Then trying to take over one of us instead? We don't want that! Then we shall have to find a better place. What do you think will do?”

Sim squawked again.

“A mutant lair?” Rhythm said. “All right, if you know where one is.”

Sim picked them up, and flew across the forest to another location. This time he landed by a boulder at the base of a mountain. He squawked again.

“I see,” Rhythm said. “Yes, this should do very well. I'll put her inside.” She turned to Melody. “Sister, this is a Mut Ant nest. It has no entrance and no exit; it is entirely sealed in stone. Only sorcery can get into it--or escape it. So you should be safe here, while we set up.”

Melody tried to speak, but still could not. She was silent as her sister ensorceled her into the boulder.

She was inside a hollow stone sphere: the deserted Mut Ant nest. It was of course like no other nest.

“And now, my pet, we shall depart,” the Sea Hag said with Melody's mouth. “They thought I could not draw on your powers of sorcery. But of course I can. Sing us out of here, dear.” She turned Melody's mouth over to her.

Melody tried to resist, but the pain started. It soon became intolerable. She didn't want to, but she had to use her magic to phase them out of the Mut Ant nest. If only her sister had realized how much control the Sea Hag had over her Possessions! She opened her mouth and sang, concentrating on the stone, thinking it into vapor. Her magic acted through her mind and voice, and the stone became cloudy, and they walked through it into daylight.

“Now turn us invisible and fly us that way,” the Hag said, pointing in a direction. Again Melody tried to resist, but again the pain welled up until she couldn't bear it. If only she could resist, she might keep the Hag here until her sister returned but she couldn't. That's what Rhythm and Sim hadn't known.

She sang again, willing her body to be invisible, and it faded. Then she sang it light, very light, until it weighed no more than the air around it, and could float. Then she sang webbing between her fingers, and feathers on her hands, so that they could catch the air. She stroked the air with those special hands, and flew up into the sky.

“Very good, my pet,” her mouth said when the magic was complete. “I can see that you will be extremely useful to me, for the rest of your life. Now I will direct us to our destination.” The Sea Hag took over the flying.

Melody wondered why the Hag wasn't returning directly to the Isle of Fellowship, where they had left the Dastard. “Well, I'll tell you, my pet,” her mouth replied. “You have been a difficult host, and I have had to expend some considerable effort to keep you under full control and make you perform. That bitchy dragon girl hasn't helped, and neither has the magic of your stupid siblings. So I shall have to restore my vitality sooner than I would otherwise have required.”

Restore her vitality? “Yes, my pet. My spirit is not limitless, and it loses some of its essence each time I change hosts, and when I have to fight to control them. So periodically I go to a secret place where I maintain a supply of spirit. I restore myself, and then I am good for another decade or so. How unfortunate that you will never have opportunity to tell anyone else about this marginal weakness of mine.”

It would indeed have helped to know, for Melody would have fought yet harder despite the pain. “I know you would have, my pet. But now it no longer matters, because I am close to restoration, and thereafter you will be entirely suppressed.”

They flew where the Sea Hag directed. This was to an obscure section of jungle Melody hadn't seen before. They landed, and walked forward, still invisible. Ahead was some kind of a tangle tree, or--no, it was worse. It was a monstrous monster. In fact she recognized it now: It was the monster from another world that Prince Dolph had jammed into the hole in Xanth. The hole that Jenny Elf had come through, when she first lost her way chasing her cat. That hole had been letting other things through, so it had to be plugged. Dolph had changed into a Sphinx and sat on the monster, squeezing it down until it was firmly stuck, nicely plugging the hole. No one she knew of cared to go there, because the monster was always hungry and had a long reach. But it did make an excellent plug; nothing else had come through that hole.

Yet this was exactly where the Sea Hag was taking them. Had she misunderstood? Was she going to kill Melody by feeding her to the monster, so she could take another body? “No, of course not, my pet. This body is far too good to give up casually, and my deal with the Dastard is too important to pass up. Seldom have my immediate prospects been better. But I shall need all my strength to eliminate your sisters. It has been centuries since I have had to fight more than one Magician or Sorceress at a time, and it's no easy thing.”

They came to a halt safely beyond the monster's reach. “Hello, my pet,” the Sea Hag called. “I have no body for you to eat this time, but I'm sure you will endure. Now I will visit you, or more correctly, the realm just beyond you.” The monster, hearing her, evidently recognized her, as it waved a tentacle.

The realm beyond the monster? That could only be the other side of the hole. Melody had never dreamed of such a thing. Only the Sea Hag would have dared venture there. “Yes indeed, my pet. That's why I set up my cache there, once the hole opened up; it was the safest possible place for it. The monster of course can't interfere, because it is soulless. My spirit passes right through it without resistance. Since most folk who are any conceivable threat to me have bodies that they can't separate from their souls, they can't pass; the monster would eat them. It is utterly convenient for me.”

The Hag quested around, and found a shaded spot among ferns. She lay Melody's body down. “Now I shall leave you, for a brief time, my pet, but never fear; you will not be going anywhere.” With that, she stunned the body; Melody remained conscious, but was unable to move any limb or her face.

I shall return, the Sea Hag said, and her foul spirit departed. For the first time since the Possession, Melody was fully herself. It did her no good; she was locked in place. She could not call out, and since she was invisible, she could not be spied by searchers. She couldn't even cry.

But she could hear and see. Her face was toward the plugged monster, and perhaps because of the Possession she could see the spirit of the sea Hag flitting through the air toward the monster. The spirit looked old and twisted, rather than young and sweet. It went right up to the monster, and through it, and disappeared. The Hag had gone to her hoard of spirit stuff, to refresh herself.