The Dastard (4 page)

“I don't understand,” Melody said. “What happened to the centaur?”

“Oooo,” Harmony continued. Four O's was all she could manage alone. “I think I know. That stick--he moved that stick.”

“And that means the night mare didn't stumble over it,” Rhythm concluded.

“So the sleeping man didn't wake,” Ted said.

“And so he received the bad dream, just as he was supposed to,” Monica said.

“And there was no meeting in the love spring,” Melody added.

“So they didn't signal the stork,” Harmony said.

“And no centaur was delivered,” Rhythm finished.

They sat on the bed, mulling it over. “That man in the shirt,” Ted said. “He did it on purpose!”

“He traveled back and stopped the mare from meeting the man,” Melody said.

“He unhappened it,” Harmony said.

“What a dastardly deed!” Rhythm said.

Ted for once was thoughtful. “If he did that to the centaur, what will he do to other folk he doesn't like?”

“Suppose he doesn't like us?” Melody asked.

That made them all thoughtful. “Maybe we better tell Mother,” Harmony said.

“But she always says no,” Harmony said.

“Maybe we better do something about it ourselves,” Melody said. “That man can travel in time; nobody else can do that, except maybe us.”

The more they considered it, the more they thought they should. For one thing, it would alleviate the boredom.

They marshaled their arguments, then called Mother. Princess Ivy listened to them, then watched the replay of the unhappening on the Magic Tapestry. She called Father Grey.

“What do you think?”

“I think they should go ask the Good Magician,” he said. “It will be good practice for them, sharpening their talent, and his advice should be good.”

“But what about the year's service he charges for an Answer?” Ivy asked.

“Maybe he will waive that, if their mission is important enough.”

They weren't saying no! That was almost suspicious, but the girls didn't hesitate. “Yes, we'll go,” Rhythm said.

Grey glanced down at them. “But maybe this should be our secret,” he said. “So that Queen Irene doesn't hear about it.”

Grandma Irene would absolutely, positively, definitely say no. “Secret,” Melody agreed.

“That includes you two,” Ivy said to Ted and Monica.

“Sure!” the two half demons agreed together. They liked secrets almost as well as mischief. “We'll help!” Ted added.

“It's a great secret,” Monica said.

“What's this about a secret?” Demon Vore inquired, materializing. He had come to pick up the half demons and take them home, as usual.

Grey and Ivy exchanged most of a glance. “Can't readily keep secrets from demons,” Grey said.

“Perhaps tell only the demon parents,” Ivy suggested.

So they told D. Vore, and he agreed that D. Metria would be the only other person told. Then he swept up Ted and Monica and faded out.

So it was that the three little princesses made their first excursion on their own. Next morning they sang and played a large magic carpet into existence, and climbed onto it. It was a bit unsteady at first, and listed to one side, but they kept working on it until it was firm. Then they floated out the window. They were on their way.

They floated not too far above the ground, being nervous about going very high. They also did not go very fast, afraid the wind would blow them off. This was quite enough adventure, for now.

Once they had the carpet stable and moving steadily, they lifted it to just above tree height and headed toward the Good Magician's castle. They knew it would take a while, but they were satisfied.

Then they had time to reconsider. “How come they didn't say no?” Melody asked.

“Maybe they realized we're big enough to do our own things,” Harmony said.

Rhythm burst out laughing. After a moment the other two joined her. Obviously the adults had some other reason.

“Maybe they want us out of the way so they can rest,” Harmony said.

That seemed reasonable. Then Rhythm came up with the best one: “They must want more time to signal the stork.”

That certainly explained it. Satisfied, the three forged on.

A cloud appeared ahead. “Oopsy,” Melody said. “That looks like Fracto.”

“In a bad mood,” Harmony said.

“He's always in a bad mood,” Rhythm said.

They tried to avoid the notice of the bad cloud, but Fracto had already spied them. He floated toward them, puffing larger.

“He's going to try to blow us away,” Melody said.

“Or wet on us,” Harmony added.

“Or lose us in fog,” Rhythm concluded.

A huge face formed on the cloud. Wind whistled through the big mouth. “AAAALLL OF THEEEE ABBOOOOVVE!” it gusted.

They pondered, considered, and thought, but time was too short to allow them to contemplate. They had to act quickly.

“Let's each think of something,” Melody suggested.

“And each make it exist,” Harmony agreed.

“And use it to mess up Fracto,” Rhythm finished.

They concentrated. Melody thought of a cold snap. She snapped her fingers, and the carpet and air around them turned cold. That didn't help, because it made them cold without bothering Fracto, who reveled in cold air and hot air and turbulent mixings of the two.

Fracto's mouth blew out more gusts: “HHOOO HHOOO HHOOO!” it laughed.

Harmony thought of a compact disc. She formed it and held it before her. It was small but marvelously shiny. She threw it toward the cloud, and it skated along, whirling, and when it struck the cloud it compacted the cloud flat. Fracto went whoosh and became a big spinning disk. But that didn't stop him long; he whirled so fast he flew apart, and then reformed as a larger, fiercer cloud. Now he was annoyed.

“NNNNOOO MOOOORRE MIISSTTER NNNIICCCEEE GGUUYYY!”

Rhythm knew she needed something more effective. She conjured something she had barely heard of. It looked like a line of obscure numbers.

“What do you have?” Melody asked.

“It's a Dow Jones.”

“What does it do?” Harmony asked.

“It's supposed to make things rise or fall when certain magic words are spoken.”

“What are the words?” Melody asked.

“I can't remember!” Rhythm wailed.

Meanwhile, Fracto was looming almost over them. In a moment he would fog them, wet them, and blow them away.

They guessed desperately at words. “Hello and good-bye,” Melody said, but nothing happened.

“Eye Scream and chocolate sauce,” Harmony said. Nothing happened.

“Hugs and kisses,” Rhythm said. Nothing.

Fracto surrounded them, marshaling his fog.

“Joy and grief.”

“Buttons and bows.”

“I think it's animals,” Rhythm said, almost remembering.

Fracto filled a bowl-shaped cloudlet with water, sailed it directly over them, and began to tilt it. They were about to be wet on. This wasn't exactly a fate worse than spinach for supper, but they hated to let the mean cloud win.

“Dragons and griffins,” Melody cried.

“Werewolves and night mares,” Harmony called.

“Spiders and bugs,” Rhythm shouted.

The water came down on their heads, soaking them. “Eeeek!” Melody shrieked, putting all the E's into it her age allowed. Next year she would be able to manage five.

“We're all wet!” Harmony cried, pulling off her soaking brown dress.

The others did the same. “We're all bare,” Rhythm said, shivering. Then a light bulb flashed over her head. “Bear!” she exclaimed.

The carpet dropped toward the ground. She had found one of the words. Bears crunched down.

Fracto pursued them, pouring more water.

“What's the other word?” Melody asked as she clutched the sinking carpet.

“Yes, what makes things rise?” Harmony asked as she hung on to their loose dresses.

Rhythm remembered. “Bull! It leaps up!”

The carpet stopped falling and started to rise.

Fracto blew at them. The Dow Jones flew from Rhythm's hand and disappeared into the boiling mist. They had lost it.

But now they had the word. Quickly they got together. Melody hummed, Harmony played her harmonica, and Rhythm beat her drum. “BULL!” they sang together.

Fracto suddenly rose straight up, trailing cloudlets of fog. He rose so high that the weird magic of perspective came into play, making him small. The bright sun was uncovered, and shone down warmly. They sang and played to enhance the warmth, drying their dresses, and soon everything was all right.

“I guess that blew him away,” Melody said with satisfaction.

“I guess that parade dried up his rain,” Harmony agreed.

“I guess that fogged his bottom,” Rhythm said, and they all burst out laughing.

Much cheered, they resumed their flight to the Good Magician's castle. They had proven once again that while any one of them might be bested despite being a Sorceress, the three of them together were something else.

Soon the castle came into sight. They landed and let the magic carpet fade away.

The Good Magician's residence was familiar in its unfamiliarity; each time they saw it, it was different. Oh, it had the usual turrets and spires and parapets and all; they were just in a different arrangement. The moat was there, but this time it was surrounded by a garden of S-shaped flowers. A sign identified it: NATURE. There was a fierce looking animal chained before the drawbridge. A sign there said ITION. A woman relaxed on a deck chair at the edge of the garden. A sign by her said A. CAUSE.

“This is a Challenge,” Melody said, recognizing the type.

“That means the Good Magician is expecting us,” Harmony agreed. “And will Answer our question,” Rhythm finished.

They reviewed the Challenge. Obviously the toothy creature was there to chomp anybody who tried to use the drawbridge. The garden must belong to the woman, who liked the flowers.

“Maybe we can crawl behind the flowers so the beast won't see us,” Melody said.

They tried it. But the moment they got near one of the flowers, it hissed “Sig!” and waved violently around.

The toothy creature's sharp ears perked up. “Ition! Ition!” it barked. That explained its odd name.

The woman stirred. “What is it, pet?”

“This isn't working,” Harmony whispered.

“The flowers make a commotion,” Rhythm said.

They backed away. The flower stopped waving, and the beast settled down. So did the woman.

“We'll have to use our magic,” Melody said.

“Is that allowed?” Harmony asked.

“I think so,” Rhythm concluded.

They sang and played to make a slumber spell to put the animal to sleep. But it didn't work; instead the animal perked up again and growled, peering all around.

“Maybe not,” Melody said.

“We must have to get through without our magic,” Harmony agreed.

“By figuring out the Challenge,” Rhythm concluded.

They discussed it. It was Harmony's turn to think of something. “Maybe we have to ask the woman to take away her pet,” she said.

“Maybe,” Rhythm agreed.

They walked around the garden and approached the woman. “Please, miz,” Melody said. “Will you take your pet away so we can cross the bridge?”

The woman turned a gaze on them that reeked of adult contempt. “I will not,” she said.

“And maybe not,” Harmony said.

They discussed it some more. They had tried two ideas, and would run out after the next, so it had to be good.

“We tried going around the flowers, and that didn't work,” Rhythm said. “We tried asking the woman, and that didn't work. So maybe we should ask the beast.”

“But it's got teeth!” Melody protested.

“We thought the flowers would be friendly, and they weren't,” Harmony pointed out.

“We thought Miz Cause would be friendly, and she wasn't,” Rhythm said. “Maybe we're wrong about Ition.”

The notion of princesses being wrong was formidable, but after some struggle they agreed that it was remotely possible. They were, after all, little princesses. So they nerved themselves and walked down the center path toward the creature.

“Hello, Ition,” Melody said bravely.

The beast wagged his tail. “Woof!”

He was friendly!

“Will you let us pass?” Harmony asked.

Ition shook his head. It seemed he wasn't quite that friendly.

“Maybe if we do something for you?” Rhythm asked.

The beast wagged his tail.

“Like what?” Melody asked.

Ition strained at his chain.

“Like petting you?” Harmony asked.

He shook his head.

“Like letting you loose!” Rhythm concluded.

The beast nodded.

So Melody nerved herself and went close to the creature. She reached for his collar and found the snap. She unsnapped the chain. She froze, afraid of what might happen next. Normally they could protect themselves against just about any monster, but that was when they had their magic. It was scary being without it.

The creature ran through the garden, picking the peculiar flowers. He gathered a bunch and carried them to the woman. “Why thank you, pet,” she said, accepting them. Then she turned to the three little princesses. “What do you suppose is happening here?”

They were taken aback, but they thought about it. “The beast is bringing you flowers,” Melody said.

“Not necessarily,” the woman said, which was the adult way of saying no.

“Ition is fetching sig flowers for Miz Cause,” Harmony said.

“Perhaps,” the woman said, which was adult for maybe.

Then a bulb flashed above Rhythm's head, as it had before. She was often the one to get the brightest ideas. “Pet Ition is collecting sig natures for A. Cause!” she exclaimed.

The woman smiled. “Certainly.” That was the adult way of saying yes. “You may go now.”

They went--across the drawbridge. But at the other side of it was a huge pile of junk. It completely blocked the entrance to the castle.

“I think this is another Challenge,” Melody said.

They stared at the pile. There were all manner of things in it, ranging from pieces of paper to a kitchen sink. There was far too much for them to move, unless they used magic.

So they tried magic, just in case. They sang and played, trying to make the huge pile light enough to float away, but it just seemed to get heavier, settling down a notch. So magic was not going to do this one either.