Zombie Lover (31 page)

"That's probably because they aren't here all the time," Dolph said "If each surfaces for only an hour a day, there could be—" He paused, counting on his fingers, but he ran out of them before coming to a conclusion

"We assumed that the other isles were for the other letters," Bmk said "Apparently there are a number for each letter "

"Worse," Dor agreed "Somewhere else there must be Isles of WA, WE, and WI Xanth must be much bigger than we thought "

"As well as much smaller, considering Ida's moons," Bmk said "Perhaps it is just as well that we are making this journey of exploration This is knowledge we might find useful "

"Yes," Dor agreed as Dolph became winged to take them into the air

There was another island nearby, so Dolph flew directly for it Its vegetation looked oddly woolly, as if a giant sweater had been pulled across it When they landed, the beach was as soft as a woolen mattress

Rather than waste time, Dor addressed the island immediately "What isle is this9"

"The Isle of Wool, bone-skull," the mattress replied

Without a word, Dolph changed back, and they took off There was another close island, so he landed on that This one seemed ordinary, except for a muted wailing sound associated with it

There was a child gathering shells on the beach "What isle is this9" Dor asked him

"The Isle of Woe," the boy replied tearfully

"Thank you " They departed

The next island was overrun by small furry animals Soon they ascertained that this was the Isle ot Wombats They moved on

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When they landed on the next, they saw a huge statue at its near end The statue was a word In fact it said WORD As they approached, it spoke "In the beginning was the Word "

On the next, everyone was too busy working to answer any ques tions, but they got the news from the inanimate
 
the Isle ot Work

The next turned out to be a huge worm, coiled into island shape But the one after that was worse
 
the Isle of Worse
 
Then there was one whose beach was composed of precious stones of every type the Isle ot Worth
 
And one that was so marvelous that they stood and gazed at it in wonder the Isle ot Wonder

At last they returned to the sign on the mainland "There just seem to be more islands than we can fathom," Dor said, dispirited "I'm sure that any of them are worth appreciating on their own terms, but how will we ever find the one we want' There may be hundreds, and the Isle of Women may appear and fade while we are checking some other Isle of WO "

"I hate to say it," Bmk said, "but I think we may need to ask someone else where it is "

Dor shrugged
 
"Let's see who we can find "

They looked around, and saw the dock not far from the sign It wasn't anything fancy, but seemed serviceable, and there was a boat at its end

But before they could check the dock, three humanoid figures appeared "There's someone to ask'" Dor said

"I don't think so," Bmk said
  
"Those are zombies "

"Well, we can try," Dor said He walked to intercept the zombies, who were shambling toward the dock "Hey, zombies'"

They paused One turned its weathered head
 
"Yesh7"

"I am King Dor of the living humans Do you know where I live7"

"I amm Dropsy
 
Wheere yooo hvze9"

Dropsy That sounded female, and now that he came close, he saw that it was indeed female Portions of hei showed that would have locked his eyeballs, had they not been decaying "Do you know where I live'" he repeated carefully

"Yooo hvze I hvzmg deadth " She gestured to her two companions "Zeeze Dee "

"Dee7"

"Dee Composed andz Dee Ceased
 
Zhey deadth too "

Dor realized that he was not getting through, and probably would

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not be able to; the zombie's brain had rotted too far. However, he did not want the zombies going to the same dock that the three living folk were about to check out. "1 talked with the Zombie Master."

"Zjonathzan!"

She understood that much. "Yes. He is looking for a world for you. A zombie world. You should go home, so you can go there when he finds it."

"Zzombiee worlz?"

"Zombie world. New home. Go there." Actually they would not be going there physically, but would lie in their graves and dream of it. But that was too complicated to explain.

Dropsy exchanged a wormy glance with her companions. "Ggo homze."

"Go home," Dor agreed. He knew the Zombie Master would be calling in all the zombies when he returned, so this would give these three a head start.

They turned and shuffled toward the east. He had succeeded in getting them to leave the beach.

They waited until the zombies were out of sight, then resumed their own trek toward the dock. From a distance it had seemed ordinary; from up close it seemed routine. But one never could tell, because even the dullest things could harbor magic.

Dolph peered under the pier. "Say, now," he murmured. "A sleeping beauty."

The others joined him. There was a pretty Black Wave girl of fifteen, sound asleep in a pillowed nook.

"Do you think she knows?" Dolph asked.

"She might," Bink said. "Because she is evidently waiting for something. Maybe she's a woman going to the Isle of Women."

"Then we should ask her," Dor said. "But she's asleep."

"Well, kiss her awake," the dock said. "That's what you do with sleeping beauties."

"Perhaps if I were young and single," Dor said. "But I am middle aged and married, so I don't feel free to disturb her."

Dolph sighed. "We're all married, so none of us can wake her," he said with regret. "We'll just have to wait. She is pretty, though." "You're all hopeless," the dock said. "If I were a living man, I would know what to do with a pretty sleeping maiden."

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"If you were alive," Bink said, "you would soon develop some notion of the constraints that life and ethics place on individuals."

"Aw, spoilsport!"

Dor studied the girl's face. "Yes, she reminds me of Irene when she was that age, with the appealing health and vigor of youth."

"And she reminds me of Chameleon when she is almost at perihelion," Bink said.

"I wish we could wrap up our mission and get on home," Dolph said. "Wherever that is. I miss Electra."

"Perhaps the maiden won't sleep long," Bink said. "We shall just have to see. Meanwhile, we can settle down for some rest ourselves; we have had a busy day."

They leaned against posts of the dock and relaxed. It was reasonably pleasant here, Dor reflected, and the mystery of the maiden was intriguing.

9

SERIOUS SEDUCTION

w

ake, Breanna, but feign sleep for the nonce " "What's a nonce?" she asked sleepily. "For the time being "

"Being what?"

' There being three men approaching It is too late to escape without being spied, so I think it best to remain stii!"

"Oh." She kept her eyes closed and her breathing even. She was under the dock, and possibly in danger. "I don't think I could escape three men, even with the protection racket."

"Precisely Unless they believe you are sleeping, and then you move very suddenly I should be able to judge when the moment is propitious "

"Okay, I'll fake it. But I hope it's a false alarm."

"So do I, Breanna "

They waited while the men approached. "Say, now, a sleeping beauty," one said.

Breanna tensed, but forced herself to seem relaxed and asleep. But as the dialogue of the three men proceeded. Justin suffered a revelation. "/ know these men1" he exclaimed. 7 have heard their voices before, when they visited my tree They are Magician Bink, his son King Dor, and grandson Prince Dolph "

"Royalty!" she exclaimed silently.

'Indeed They are all Magicians, and good folk We need have no fear of them "

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"What they're saying is interesting. Who is Chameleon at Perihelion?"

"Chameleon is Bink's wife She vanes with the cycles of the moon, alternately extremely smart but physically ugly, and extremely lovely but very stupid He is saying that you remind him of her of the latter stage "

"I'm not stupid!"

"No one implies that you are, Breanna Just that you are beautiful"

She reconsidered. "I think I like this man."

"He is eighty one years old, and his wife is seventy six "

"Oh, ugh!"

"Still, I believe it is time for you to wake We need to check for the island "

"Gotcha." Breanna stirred, sighed, stretched, and slowly flickered her eyes open. She hoped that she resembled a truly beauteous enchanted lovely maiden innocently awakening.

"She's waking!" one of the men exclaimed.

So far, so good. Breanna looked at the men as they came to look at her. One was a mature fifty five, but the other two looked to be twenty four and twenty one. That didn't compute. How could they be three generations?

"/ recognize King Dor and Prince Dolph But the third—why it's Bink, as he was when young1 He must have been youthened "

"Euthanized?" she asked, alarmed.

"Youthened Made young again By about sixty years, it seems "

"Miss," the elder man said cautiously. "Do you know where the Isle of Women is?"

"He is King Dor "

Breanna sat up and worked her way out from under the dock. After all, it was less than enchanting to have mainly her feet visible. Her skirt slid up some, but a little of that was beneficial. "Why yes, King Dor," she said. "I am going there myself."

"Excellent. May we go with you?" Then the man did adoubletake. "You recognize me?"

She wasn't ready to tell them about Justin Tree. Just in case. So she evaded that. "I should hope so." She looked at the prince. "And you are Prince Dolph." And at the third man. "But maybe not you."

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"I am Bink," he said
 
He didn't add more, which meant that he wasn't telling her everything either Okay

"I am Breanna of the Black Wave
 
I'm fleeing my zombie lo\er,

and—''

All three men jumped
 
"The zombies'" Dolph exclaimed Breanna was surprised
 
"You know about them1" "We are trying to find out about them," Dor said
  
"They have gotten all stirred up, and we need to get them settled "