Zombie Lover (49 page)

"Yes!" Krissica agreed. "That must be it."

"We must take immediate action, because we don't know which way that cloud is moving. It could settle on the center of the Isle and ruin it. Krissica, go fetch as many women as you can, with bags. They must scoop up colored dust and bring it here."

"Yes," she agreed, and ran off.

Voracia arrived. Jeremy hardly glanced at her. "Voracia—go gather all winged creatures on the Isle. Bring them here as fast as

possible."

"Winged creatures?"

"Time is of the essence! Do it!"

She turned and ran off.

"And we must enlist the help of the kings," he said. He glanced at Jenny. "Get on."

He changed, and Jenny leaped on. He ran swiftly back toward the center of the Isle. This was a side of him she hadn't seen before, but she realized that it had always been there. He was a prince, and surely had had some princely training, before getting cursed. He was a natural commander, who knew how to take charge in an emergency. This was certainly that.

They reached the boat, where the others were waking. Jeremy changed to man form as Jenny slid off his back. "Cloud of love and hate elixir," he said. "I've got one crew gathering colored dust, and anothei assembling winged creatures. Will you help?"

"I'll join the winged monsters," Prince Dolph said.

"I'll get the inanimate cloud to identify itself," King Dor said.

"I had better go with you," Bink said.

"For sure!" Breanna agreed, for some reason.

Dolph became a roc bird, and the two other kings grabbed onto his

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feet as he spread his wings and took off. The werewolf bounded back toward the shore. Jenny and Breanna were left behind.

"What can we do?" Breanna asked.

"Maybe direct traffic," Jenny said. "We can use the boat."

They got in the boat. "Do you know where the colored sands are?" Jenny asked. The boat was silent, and she realized that it couldn't talk when Dor wasn't present. But she hoped it could hear. "Take us there."

The boat splashed out of the pond and ran through the forest. It did seem to know where it was going. They passed a woman on her way somewhere. "Hey, Molly Coddle!" Breanna called. "We're on a mission to save the children from something dreadful. We can use your help."

The woman quickly joined them in the boat, and they hastily explained about the deadly invisible cloud.

They reached the colored sands section. A number of women were filling bags of it, but they were heavy. "Pile them in here!" Jenny called. "And come along; we have to hurry before that cloud moves."

The women did so, filling the boat. It ran on, slewing somewhat as it navigated curves, and came to the beach.

"Ho, ho!" a voice said, seeming from the air. "I'm going to put you into a killing mating frenzy!"

"Screech to a halt!" Jenny yelled at the boat. "That's the edge of the cloud talking, thanks to King Dor's presence. Don't cross into it."

A figure bounded through the woods toward them. It was Jeremy in wolf form. He changed in mid stride to manform. "Give the bags to Prince Dolph," he said. "Better yet, stay in the boat; he'll pick you up."

Then the roc appeared. The huge feet reached down, took hold of the boat, and lifted it into the air as the wings kept the bird hovering. The downdraft was fierce, blowing the women's hair across their faces, but they seemed too distracted to notice.

"It's all right." Jenny said reassuringly. "Prince Dolph won't let us drop."

They rose up high over the Isle. Then the roc squawked. "Same to you, birdbram!" the invisible cloud responded.

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Guided by that sound, the roc flew directly over it, then circled in place. "Dump the dust!" Jenny cried, realizing what it was for.

They opened their bags and emptied them over the sides. The dust wafted down onto the cloud below, and the vapor became visible. It had a certain cohesion, so that the dust tended to stick to its edges, outlining it as a huge blob.

"Now we can see it," Jenny said. "Now we can blow it away."

The roc flew down beyond the edge of the cloud and set down the boat. Then it flew to join the winged monsters of the Isle. All of them were rather pretty women; the term "monster" referred to a type rather than being derogatory. They watched as the creatures anchored themselves to the ground and began flapping their wings strongly. They made a draft that pushed against the cloud.

"Hey. watch what you're doing!" the cloud protested.

"We are," Jenny called back with satisfaction. "We're blowing

you away."

And slowly, with continued effort, they did just that. They blew the cloud away from the beach and the Isle, until it drifted offshore. Finally it got caught in a natural wind, and was swept away. The dire

threat was over.

The women went limp with relief. Some went to the aid of the ones who had been caught in the awful vapors, and who were no longer trying to do anything deadly or obscene to each other.

Jenny, Breanna, Jeremy, and the three kings returned to the boat, and the boat waddled back toward the center pond. "That was good thinking on your part," King Dor told the werewolf.

"Jenny nudged me," Jeremy said. "She made me realize that the situation could be serious, and that I was the best person to take immediate action."

They looked at Jenny. Suddenly she was blushing. "I just—Kris-sica was so upset—Jeremy knew what to do."

"Once nudged," Dolph agreed.

"Actually it was all such a coincidence," Jeremy said. "That such an unlikely threat should occur right when there were folk visiting the Isle who could handle it."

"Say, that's right," Dolph said. "A real stroke of luck. Things could have been much worse."

Dor glanced at Bink. Bink looked elsewhere.

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Breanna perked up. "Justin says no. it was bound to happen sometime, with that Selfish Steam Isle next door. If the women hadn't been distracted by trying to impress Jeremy, they probably would have handled it well enough themselves."

"I guess so," Dolph agreed, not seeming much concerned.

They reached the pond, and the boat settled down again. The parade of hopeful women resumed. Jenny prompted Jeremy to say nice things about each one, and he was getting better at such social graces. That made the process go more smoothly, though none of the women were right for him. In fact he also complimented Jenny on her help.

But Jenny was increasingly uneasy. Finally she could handle it no more. "Breanna, can you take over here?" she whispered. "I have to go."

"But you're doing a great job," Breanna protested. "He's much better since you took over."

"Please."

"Okay. But come back soon."

Jenny got out of the boat and walked away. She blinked, trying to conceal her tears. She didn't want to make a scene.

She walked into the forest, sick at heart. What was she going to do?

Then someone followed her. It was Bink, so old yet looking so young. "Jenny, what is the matter?"

"Nothing, really," she said bravely. "It doesn't matter."

"You have been so helpful, and done so well. You have really helped Jeremy learn to impress women."

"That's the problem."

"The problem?"

She tried to stifle it, but it burst out anyway. "He's impressing me too."

"Well, of course. He's a werewolf prince. The two of you get along wonderfully."

"As a man." There: it was out.

Bink was silent for a moment, piecing it together. "So you are coming to like him yourself, and it's hard for you to help him impress other women."

"Yes. I know I have no right to be jealous, and I do want to help him. But I know I'll start messing it up, because my heart isn't in it

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anymore. So it's better if 1 just stay away, so as to give him the best chance. Breanna is pretty sharp; she can do it well enough."

"Jenny, she isn't as good at this as you are. She's too young. How old are you?"

"Twenty one in a few days. What has that got to do with it?"

"The day of the big wedding?"

"Yes, not that it matters. It's a coincidence."

"A coincidence." he repeated thoughtfully. Then he returned to the subject. "Jenny, you have to go back. You relate to him better, because you're a wolf-rider. He was pretty much hopeless, until you came, and then he started improving. There is a continuing frisson between you. You can't desert him now."

"But I can't do it anymore!"

"Then you must tell him why."

"I can't do that. It would just make him feel guilty, and that would mess him up too. My best course is to quietly get out of his way."

"No. He needs you. You must help him. or tell him plainly why

not."

"You tell him. Then he'll know, and I won't make an embarrassing

scene."

He shook his head. There was a strange glow in his eyes. "I think this is something you have to do yourself."

Jenny started to protest again, wiping the tears from her face. Then another person came along the path. Bink looked over her shoulder. "Oh. hello, Jeremy," he said, as if this were only to be expected.

Jenny tried to run. but Bink caught her, gently but firmly, and turned her around to face the werewolf prince. "Tell him."

Others were approaching. This was becoming public. She burst into

worse tears.

"Jenny," Jeremy said solicitously. "What's the matter?"

"I can't do it." she blubbered.

"Jenny, I need your help. When you left, 1 started getting clumsy, as I usually am in manibrm. You understand me, and keep me looking good. Breanna says you have the touch, and you do. I need you."

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

There was no way out. "Because I love you myself!" She was horrified when she heard herself speak; she hadn't meant to blurt it out like that.

He stared at her. Oh, she had done it; she had made the worst possible scene. How would this stupid little elf girl ever live this down?

"You're the one." he breathed.

Everyone was staring.

"I'm so sorry to have messed you up," she said through her tears. "I never wanted to do that. But you are just so nice, and so competent, and you're a wolf. I just got swept away. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She turned and stumbled blindly out of the circle of people. Where could she hide?

"You're the one!" he repeated. "Jenny, wait! Don't you understand?"