Geis of the Gargoyle (40 page)

"We didn't really compile it," Iris said.
 
"We simply reenacted what the ancients did.
 
They knew what they were doing; we merely pantomimed.
 
They could have summoned and bound demons into it.
 
All except the one that sneaked out.
 
By the time they realized what had happened, it was too late; they couldn't recompile for a thousand years, so had to patch it up here and there."

"And that worked well enough," Mentia said.
 
"Until the Time of No Magic, when the inner spell dissipated.
 
The main external Interface must contain mechanisms of restoration, so reappeared when the magic returned, and the gargoyles of course remained loyal.
 
But the spot spell containing the madness was gone, and slowly the effects of that loss manifested.
 
Now at last we know the whole truth."

"Now we know why the Good Magician sent us here," Iris said.
 
"He wants us to deal with it."

"To save Xanth from madness," Hiatus agreed.

"And help ourselves in the process," Gary said.

They gazed at each other.
 
"This," Mentia said soberly, "may be the most important quest any of us have ever dreamed of."

"The most important quest anyone in Xanth ever undertook," Iris added.
 
"And we're such a motley crew."

"And we don't even know what to do," Gary said.

The others nodded agreement.

13

FUTURE

So we shall simply have to try again to find the philter, and incorporate it in a recompiled Interface," Iris concluded.
 
"That will not only abate the Geis of the Gargoyle, it will enable us to leave the madness safely."

It occurred to Gary that finding the philter might not be any easier than it had been before, and incorporating it into the Interface might be still more difficult, if they could figure out how to do a recompilation for real instead Of in emulation.
 
But he did not want to be negative, so he remained silent.

"But we looked for it before," Hiatus said.
 
"And got nowhere."

"On the contrary," Iris said.
 
"We got here.
 
We have made enormous strides in understanding and vision.
 
So we must be on the right track.
 
We must continue our search."

Gary had to agree with that.
 
But he had a question of his own.
 
"We looked everywhere we could think of before.
 
Where else is there to look?"

"We looked everywhere in the present ruins," she said.
 
"Now we have seen the history of the city of Hinge.
 
We

must look throughout that history.
 
Somewhere along it we are bound to find the philter."

"But there is so much to search!" Hiatus said.
 
"How can we possibly cover it all?"

Iris nodded.
 
"We shall have to split up again, to multiply our efficiency.
 
With five separate searches-"

"I don't think so," Mentia said.
 
"Remember that the philter is aware of us, and is trying to stop us.
 
We don't know the extent of its powers, but I am the only one of us who is proof against the mischief of a demon.
 
It would be foolhardy to let it attack us individually."

"Um, fair point," Iris agreed.
 
"But we do need to increase our efficiency of searching.
 
I'm not sure how else to do it."

"Efficiency is no use if the philter picks us off individually," Hiatus said, looking around nervously.

"I hate to say it," Gary said.
 
"But there is another consideration.
 
The philter doesn't seem to be able to focus on two things at the same time.
 
That is, when Desi is animate, Hanna is on autopilot, and vice versa."

Iris eyed him.
 
"So you and Hiatus can't be seduced simultaneously.
 
Can't you live with that?"

"If we remain in one party, the philter can easily watch us.
 
But if we make several parties, it can watch only one at a rime.
 
Then the others can search without distraction."

"Now there's a point!" Mentia said.

Iris nodded.
 
"A point indeed.
 
So it seems we must take the risk for the sake of an additional benefit.
 
Suppose we break up into two groups? Three would be better, though.
 
Maybe you, Mentia, could search alone safely."

"I could, but I'm not sure the rest of you could make safe pairs.
 
I should probably be with one of you."

Gary had an idea.
 
"Gayle Goyle-if we stop drinking water from the pool for a while, she can go off duty.
 
Maybe I could search with her.
 
Because she's a gargoyle, I know I can trust her.
 
And when I explain the situation to her, I'm sure she'll agree to help us."

"And she should have an excellent notion where the philter might be," Mentia agreed.
 
"Because she's been here for three thousand years."

"But only on the island in the pool, in the enclosure," Iris pointed out.
 
"That's not a good place to see anything."

"Only illusions," Gary agreed ruefully.
 
"Still, she's secure against the demon, because it can't pull her soul from stone, and a gargoyle in its natural state fears no other creature.
 
Except maybe a roc bird that could pick up a gargoyle and drop it from a great height so that it cracks into pieces-which I'm sure this philter demon can't do."

Iris exchanged a glance with the others.
 
"Seems viable to me, if she cares to help you search." She considered.
 
"That leaves four of us to make two parties.
 
We should have one strong person in each party."

"None of us are-" Hiatus began.

"In the sense of being able to handle the demon philter," Mentia said.
 
"Perhaps I should accompany you.
 
Hiatus."

"I'll do my best to protect you," Hiatus said.

Mentia made an obscure smile.
 
"Thank you." Gary realized that it was the demoness who would protect the man.

"Which leaves me with Surprise," Iris said.
 
"I can keep alert, and she has enough magic if it is required.
 
Now where shall we spread out to search?"

"Since we have no idea where to look, maybe we should just follow our noses," Hiatus suggested.

"And meet here by evening," Iris agreed.
 
"But Mentia-if you would, you might pop back and forth every so often, to make sure that none of the parties are in trouble.
 
We don't know what the philter will be up to, but we can be fairly sure it doesn't want to be found."

"And if we see either of those two illusions again," Mentia said grimly, "remember that they aren't just illusions, and they aren't our friends."

"And that they are going to try to prevent us from finding the philter," Gary said.
 
"And steal our souls.
 
So that's not the time to push the search too hard.
 
But if we can take up their attention for a while, the other two parties may be able to get through the standing illusions better."

"Yes," Iris agreed.
 
"If we're smart, we can turn the situation to our advantage, and distract the philter instead of letting it distract us.
 
But watch it; remember that it can read our minds, when one of its figures is close.
 
So try not to think of what we're doing then."

"Which is one tricky order," Hiatus said.
 
"But I know one way to do it.
 
Think instead of how the figures may be there to try to destroy us."

"That should be effective," Iris said.
 
"Thank you so much for giving us that lovely notion." She looked around, as nervous as any of them.
 
But it was the way it had to be.
 
Where were those two philter figures? Were they planning some special mischief, or was the philter merely resting?

They left the palace.
 
Gary felt the intensity of magic increase as they stepped outside; Hanna and Desi had been right about that.
 
But he could handle it, when there wasn't a madness storm.

He made his way to the charmed inner circle.
 
Then he swam across the pond.
 
In the middle of his swim, Hanna appeared.
 
"What are you up to, Gary?" she inquired, walking on the water beside him.

He glanced up at her-and right up under her flaring skirt, along her legs, almost to her knees.
 
He lost his swimming stroke.
 
There had been a time when he wouldn't have noticed such a display, which display he suspected was not accidental.
 
But he had been in this human form too long, and was reacting as it did.
 
Only when he started to breathe water did he manage to yank his clinging eyeballs away from the sight.
 
But now he couldn't answer, because he was too busy sputtering.

"You poor thing," she said solicitously, squatting before him.
 
"Let me mop your face." A handkerchief appeared in her hand, and she dabbed at his watering eyes.

The odd thing was that it helped.
 
In a moment his vision cleared, and he looked-straight between her slightly spread knees.
 
And tried to breathe more water.
 
Only sheer luck and some strategic shadow had prevented him from seeing her panties.

"My, you really have a problem," she remarked in dulcet fashion.
 
"Perhaps you should get out of the pool before you drown."

"Just get out of my way!" he gasped, desperately resuming his forward motion.

Unfortunately she did not.
 
She remained squatting on the water, and his face passed right through her flesh, heading for the darkest shadow.
 
Only an emergency clamping of his eyelids prevented him from getting his eyeballs petrified.
 
And of course that was her intention.
 
As a creature mostly of illusion she couldn't do him much physical damage, or perhaps did not want to while there was any hope of stealing his soul, but she could threaten to freak out his mind.
 
Maybe she thought that if he lost his mind, she would be able to get his soul.
 
He wasn't absolutely sure she was wrong.

Yet he knew she did not really exist.
 
She was an animation crafted by a cynical demon.
 
Legs and panties meant nothing to her; they were merely presented to make mischief for him.
 
So why was he taking it so seriously? The answer was that he shouldn't.
 
She hadn't actually shown him anything critical, and whatever she had was not real anyway.
 
After all, he had seen her whole bare body in the bed.
 
Of course that was an important qualification; there had been no panties on it, so his brain hadn't gone into overload.
 
Probably there weren't any on it now; it was all a bluff.
 
Yet considering what Mentia had told him about such things-maybe now that he knew-such a sight would indeed freak him out.

He felt the slope of the center island coming up beneath him.
 
He had made it across.
 
So he put down his feet and opened his eyes, ready to wade out of the pool.