Golem in the Gears (29 page)

take Rapunzel alive."

"So all you have left to worry about is your Quest," Threnody said. "And though I hate to say it, I fear

that—"

There was a roar from the entrance to the Retreat. The

remaining Fauns and Nymphs screamed and scattered

into the dusk.

It was a giant, tiger-headed man. "Aha!" the tigerhead

growled in tigerhead-tongue. "Delicious, juicy prey! I'll massacre them all!" He strode forward confidently.

But as he passed the bed, a big hairy hand shot out and grabbed his ankle. There was a horrendous roar.

The tigerhead was so startled he leaped high into the

air, then turned tail and fled.

The Nymphs rushed back to the bed. "Snortimer saved us," they cried, dangling their fair legs down and laughing

as he grabbed. "He's a hero!"

Stanley Steamer, who had just roused himself, ready

to fight the intruder, made a low growl of disgust.

"Unless—" Jordan said.

Grundy jumped at the notion. He hurried over to the bed. "Snort, how would you like to stay here and protect the Fauns and Nymphs from molestation?" he asked. "With that sliver of reverse-wood, you could operate by

day or night and at other times you could just, uh, grab at pretty legs. I think that might be pretty, uh, romantic."

"Romance!" Snortimer agreed blissfully. "I have found it at last!"

Grundy turned to Stanley. "Which means that you can finally return to Castle Roogna and make Ivy happy, knowing the Fauns and Nymphs are safe."

Stanley brightened. He liked that notion.

"We'll go together, the three of us," Rapunzel said. "Now I think it won't bother me to meet the human com- munity there."

Chapter 15. Elf Quest

They had declared their love, but Grundy's doubts returned as his mind reverted to normal. Rapunzel thought she loved him—but she still hadn't been exposed to the elven or human cultures. Was it fair to have her make her decision on the basis of ignorance?

They were traveling on Stanley's back toward Castle Roogna, charting a course between Parnassus and Lake Ogre-Chobee, hoping to avoid the hazards of either region. It was not easy to hold on as the dragon whomped along, but they were doing it by using vines looped about Stan- ley's body. Perhaps this jogging about caused some of Grundy's doubts to fly loose, for Rapunzel picked them up. "You're thinking again!" she accused him.

"Well, suppose we get married, and then you discover it's a mistake?" he asked. "That you really belong in the elven society, for example, with an elven male?"

"It's not a mistake!" she insisted.

"But you have no direct experience with the elves! How can you be sure?"

She pondered. "Well, why don't we stop at an Elf Elm, then, and see? That should satisfy you."

She assumed that she would not be moved by the elves. He was not at all so sure. But her suggestion was good. If she was going to go to the elves, this was the time to find out. It was already too late for him, for his heart was lost, but perhaps not too late for her. He loved her and wanted her to be happy—in whatever way was best for her. "Yes. I will ask about."

He did so. The local trees did not know of any nearby Elf Elms. Grundy was half-relieved. Suppose there were no elves along their route? Then—No. He could not afford to take Rapunzel by default. She had to meet the elves and decide for herself and then meet the human com- munity and decide again. Only then would it be all right.

They camped for the night, and foraged for food and drink. They had no fear of predators, because Stanley was now a fairly formidable dragon. Hardly anyone both- ered a dragon; those foolish enough to try had been culled out of the realm of the living in the course of many cen- turies. They made a nest of pillows to sleep on, and Stan- ley formed a circle around them, nose to tail, gently steaming. They were safe enough.

Rapunzel took his hand, as she always did. "I know you're trying to do the right thing, Grundy," she said.

"Trying," he agreed.

"I understand that men are mostly logical, and women are mostly feeling."

"I suppose."

"I've got the feeling this is a mistake."

"But you were the one who suggested that—"

"Now I've had time to change my mind."

"Change your—?"

"That's easier to do, now that my hair is short."

Grundy suspected that would not make an awful lot of sense to him if he reflected on it too long. Still, much of her magic had been tied up in her lovely long hair, and perhaps the length of it did contribute to the length of her determination. "But it just wouldn't be right to—"

"To love me without giving me a proper chance to explore my other avenues," she said. "I understand. But still, I wish I could avoid this process."

"I can't say I like it much myself," he said. "But sup- pose I—you—we—and then—"

"Suppose we gave ourselves to each other, and then discovered it was a mistake," she said, as usual phrasing his thought better than he could.

"Yes. And—"

"And so we would be sorry and very sad for our fool- ishness." She sounded so calm and rational! "Yes."

She turned to him. "Oh, Grundy—let's do it!" "What?"

"Oh, don't play the innocent with me!" she said reprov- ingly. "I'm the innocent, not you! Let's be foolish and see if we're sorry later."

Temptation tore at him. That would certainly be a way to settle it! His doubt was about to be overwhelmed. With no more than a semblance of sincerity, he temporized:

"You can't mean that!"

She sighed. "Of course I don't mean it, Grundy," she agreed. "I knew you'd be noble."

Noble! His words had mocked his intent—but she had accepted the words, and now he was committed to them. He was not only insignificant in body, he was insignificant in spirit. He felt worse than ever.

"It was wrong of me to try to be a temptress," she continued. "I'm not good at it, because I don't have any

experience."

"You're not good at it because you're a truly beautiful

person," he corrected her.

"No, just inexperienced. You're the beautiful one, because you know what's right and wrong and choose the

right."

"No! I'm nothing of the kind! When you said—I wanted

to—I only—"

"I think you have an inferiority complex, Grundy. You

don't even believe in your own good motives."

And she did believe—in his good motives. She was too good even to recognize the evil in another person's

mind.

"Inferiority," he agreed.

"Still," she said, "I have a deep misgiving about this elf matter. I fear some nameless evil that is not of our

making."

"If you really don't want to—"

"Oh, no, I'm sure you are correct. I should meet the elves. But I'll be very glad and relieved when it's over and we're back on the way to Castle Roogna. I'm not as worried about the human community, now, since I met Jordan and Threnody. They were all right. I can get along

with their kind."

"Then maybe—"

"But I don't love their kind," she concluded. "I love you, Grundy. And if this elf business finally satisfies you, then it will be worth it."

Then it would be worth it... He held her hand, and drifted into a somewhat troubled sleep.

Next day they threaded the separation between lake and mountain and ferreted their way through the thick- ening jungle. Tangle trees were more common here, and others that seemed equally menacing, but when any started inching their foliage toward the travelers, Stanley jetted steam, and they withdrew.

Then Grundy picked up news of an Elf Elm. He sighed, inwardly; how convenient it would have been if there had been none! But now they had to go to it—a prospect he dreaded, though for no intuitive reason. He simply feared that Rapunzel would like the elves too well and would conclude that her proper home was there. But he had to provide her that chance.

They zeroed in on it, but the elven demesnes were extensive, and they did not reach the Elm by nightfall. So they camped and foraged and settled down.

"Oh, I feel it worse!" Rapunzel lamented.

"The elves won't hurt us," he reassured her. "Not when we explain. They are sensible folk."

"I know. It is not precisely their motives I fear."

But she didn't know exactly what she did fear. So she kissed him and held his hand tightly and slept, and in due course he slept too.

In the morning the elves were there.

"And what be ye doing in these our demesnes?" their leader inquired sternly in the human-tongue. He carried a hefty wooden mallet.

Grundy jumped up. "I can explain!"

"Ye'd better!"

"We were coming to see you, honored Elf," he said

quickly. "Because one of our number is of elven deriva- tion."

"That were not lightly claimed," the elf said, grimacing.

Grundy brought Rapunzel forward. She was busily brushing out her short hair, making herself presentable in the female manner on an emergency basis. "This is Rapun- zel, who—"

"She be not elven-size."

"Show them," Grundy told her.

Rapunzel was abruptly elven size, still trying to comb a tangle from her hacked hair.

The leader squinted at her. "Aye, she be fair enough! But size change be magic, no proof of origin."

"But her magic is in her hair, that—" Grundy realized that he could not prove anything by her hair, as she had

lost her phenomenal tresses.

"My ancestors were Jordan the Barbarian and Bluebell Elf, of the tribe of Flower Elves," Rapunzel said, finally

getting the tangle out.

There was a stir. "You claim good lineage, girl."

"The best," she agreed. "And you?" the elf asked of Grundy. "I am a golem. My talent is linguistics. And this is Stanley Steamer, formerly the Gap Dragon." Stanley

puffed a ring of steam.

"A tame dragon?" the elf's bow arched. "He is Princess Ivy's companion, in the human realm.

We are returning him to her."

"Do ye several folk stand by your statements?" the elf

asked gravely.

"Of course we do!" Rapunzel exclaimed indignantly.

"What do you think we are?"

"Then we shall take ye to our tree for confirmation. If ye be confirmed, ye'll have no fear of us."

And if not? Grundy wondered, but didn't ask.

"We be of the Tool Tribe," the elf said. "I be Mallet, and these be Chisel—" Here he indicated an elf with a chisel. "—and Hoe and Wrench and Awl." He continued around the circle, each elf made obvious by his tool. But it was evident that those tools could quite readily serve as weapons.

Then the elves escorted the party to the Elf Elm. This was an enormous tree, its crown of foliage seeming small because it was so far away.

They halted a moderate distance away. "You who claim elven descent," Mallet said. "Carry that rock."

Startled, Rapunzel obeyed. She remained elven-size, so the indicated rock was larger than Grundy could have handled, but it was no easy thing for her to carry. She staggered forward with it toward the tree. Then, oddly, the burden seemed to grow lighter, and she carried it with less distress. As the others paced her, she relaxed, finally setting the rock on her shoulder so as to free one hand. "It's not as heavy as I thought," she confessed.

"Enough," Mallet said. "Your claim is verified."

"But you haven't examined your records!" she pro- tested.

"Know, crossbreed, that the strength of elves varies inversely with our distance from the elm," he explained. "Your strength be not as great here as ours, but the effect be manifest. You are of elven descent, whatever your other lineage."

She set down the rock. "I was not told of this!" She seemed pleased.

Grundy scowled inwardly. Naturally the Sea Hag had not educated her about this aspect of the elven culture;

it might have made her eager to experience it. It also

augured unfortunately well for her acceptance here and her possible decision to remain.

More elves descended from the high foliage, on thin lines, seeming to have no trouble holding on. The first to land on the ground was a handsome male elf whose beard was not yet full. "What have we here?" this one demanded.

"We have a girl of elven descent. Prince Gimlet," Mal- let said. "With her entourage of golem and dragon."

Prince Gimlet oriented on Rapunzel. "And a fair crea- ture she is, indeed, may I say!" he exclaimed, taking her hand and kissing it. She blushed, flattered. Grundy kept his expression fixed on neutral. Prince Gimlet's gaze passed over Grundy and Stanley. "Feed her companions, while I show our visitor our Tree," he said, making an offhand gesture.