fasten it back in the place it had been. There was a pin on the back of the sequin that needed to be poked through the material and fastened to its clasp. But he was mannishly clumsy, failing to get it right.
Then Kandy realized it wasn’t just butterfingers. His position put him barely a hand-span in front of Astrid’s vaguely visible panties, and their power was stronger at close range. He was also breathing her perfume.
CLOSE YOUR EYES. HOLD YOUR BREATH.
He obeyed. That helped. He was finally able to get the sequin fastened. The dress went opaque.
NOW BACK OFF. BREATHE. OPEN YOUR EYES.
He did so. In a generous moment he was able to stand. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and looked around. “Wow!”
For half an instant Kandy thought he was expressing appreciation for the restored dress. Then she realized it was more.
They were no longer on the enchanted path. They were in a clearing in a forest near a hillside cave. There was a horrendous aroma.
“I recognize that smell,” Astrid said. “Invisible giant.”
Whose body odor was said to be like that of a hundred fat men sweating in unison. Indeed, this was every bit as bad. Invisible giants didn’t wash much.
Uh-oh. Kandy remembered stories about a place where an invisible giant herded stray travelers into a cave. It was best not to go there.
“I don’t like this,” Ease said. Then a bulb flashed over his head. “The sequin! When one gets put back on, it triggers an Event. This must be an Event.”
“It must be,” Astrid agreed. “We had better depart before the giant comes.”
There was a not-distant-enough yell. “ A-OOO-GAH! ” followed by the sound of splintering trees. Kandy saw a swath of trees depress as if being stepped on by a giant foot. As if? That was the giant!
RUN!
They got the message. Ease and Astrid took hands and ran away from the crunch.
Crash! Another invisible foot crushed a swath of trees ahead of them. The giant, taking a giant step—what else?--had cut them off.
“The cave!” Ease said. “He can’t get in there, or crush the rock. I think.”
Kandy remembered more. DON’T GO THERE! THAT’S COM PEWTER’S CAVE!
“Who is Com Pewter?” Astrid asked.
Any reply Ease might have made was drowned out by a third crushing footstep, this one perilously close.
Ease and Astrid dived into the cave.
Kandy knew that now they were in for it.
“Com Pewter is a nasty machine,” Ease belatedly answered. “He doesn’t much like people, and seeks to use them for nefarious purposes.”
“Machine?”
“He’s not exactly alive. He’s made of Pewter and stuff.”
“Pewter?”
“Well, I’m not sure exactly what pewter is. Some kind of metal.”
ALLOY OF TIN AND LEAD Kandy thought.
“Tin and lead,” Ease said. “And maybe other stuff. Anyway, he’s dangerous to be around.”
“He is?” Astrid was evidently intrigued, suspecting a fellow traveler.
“Maybe. The giant’s gone. Let’s get out of here.”
They turned and stepped toward the cave exit.
Printed words appeared across the air before them. TRAVELERS GO TO CENTRAL ANNEX.
The two people turned around and marched into the mountain.
Bleep, Kandy thought. Pewter had become aware of them.
“Why are we going the wrong way?” Astrid asked.
“Because Pewter controls reality in his vicinity,” Ease said. “He types it out, and we do it, whatever it is.”
“Maybe we should tell him no.”
She had much to learn about some aspects of Xanth.
They came to a central lighted chamber. There was a bank of metal boxes surmounted by a glassy screen. On the screen was printed WELCOME TRAVELERS.
“Are you Com Pewter?” Astrid asked. “We don’t feel welcome. We were driven in here by a smelly invisible giant and then couldn’t get out. That’s not nice.”
WHO ARE YOU?
“We don’t have to tell you that,” Astrid said.
TRAVELERS TELL ALL
“I am Ease,” Ease said. “My companion is Astrid. We’re on a Quest for the Good
Then Kandy realized it wasn’t just butterfingers. His position put him barely a hand-span in front of Astrid’s vaguely visible panties, and their power was stronger at close range. He was also breathing her perfume.
CLOSE YOUR EYES. HOLD YOUR BREATH.
He obeyed. That helped. He was finally able to get the sequin fastened. The dress went opaque.
NOW BACK OFF. BREATHE. OPEN YOUR EYES.
He did so. In a generous moment he was able to stand. He took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and looked around. “Wow!”
For half an instant Kandy thought he was expressing appreciation for the restored dress. Then she realized it was more.
They were no longer on the enchanted path. They were in a clearing in a forest near a hillside cave. There was a horrendous aroma.
“I recognize that smell,” Astrid said. “Invisible giant.”
Whose body odor was said to be like that of a hundred fat men sweating in unison. Indeed, this was every bit as bad. Invisible giants didn’t wash much.
Uh-oh. Kandy remembered stories about a place where an invisible giant herded stray travelers into a cave. It was best not to go there.
“I don’t like this,” Ease said. Then a bulb flashed over his head. “The sequin! When one gets put back on, it triggers an Event. This must be an Event.”
“It must be,” Astrid agreed. “We had better depart before the giant comes.”
There was a not-distant-enough yell. “ A-OOO-GAH! ” followed by the sound of splintering trees. Kandy saw a swath of trees depress as if being stepped on by a giant foot. As if? That was the giant!
RUN!
They got the message. Ease and Astrid took hands and ran away from the crunch.
Crash! Another invisible foot crushed a swath of trees ahead of them. The giant, taking a giant step—what else?--had cut them off.
“The cave!” Ease said. “He can’t get in there, or crush the rock. I think.”
Kandy remembered more. DON’T GO THERE! THAT’S COM PEWTER’S CAVE!
“Who is Com Pewter?” Astrid asked.
Any reply Ease might have made was drowned out by a third crushing footstep, this one perilously close.
Ease and Astrid dived into the cave.
Kandy knew that now they were in for it.
“Com Pewter is a nasty machine,” Ease belatedly answered. “He doesn’t much like people, and seeks to use them for nefarious purposes.”
“Machine?”
“He’s not exactly alive. He’s made of Pewter and stuff.”
“Pewter?”
“Well, I’m not sure exactly what pewter is. Some kind of metal.”
ALLOY OF TIN AND LEAD Kandy thought.
“Tin and lead,” Ease said. “And maybe other stuff. Anyway, he’s dangerous to be around.”
“He is?” Astrid was evidently intrigued, suspecting a fellow traveler.
“Maybe. The giant’s gone. Let’s get out of here.”
They turned and stepped toward the cave exit.
Printed words appeared across the air before them. TRAVELERS GO TO CENTRAL ANNEX.
The two people turned around and marched into the mountain.
Bleep, Kandy thought. Pewter had become aware of them.
“Why are we going the wrong way?” Astrid asked.
“Because Pewter controls reality in his vicinity,” Ease said. “He types it out, and we do it, whatever it is.”
“Maybe we should tell him no.”
She had much to learn about some aspects of Xanth.
They came to a central lighted chamber. There was a bank of metal boxes surmounted by a glassy screen. On the screen was printed WELCOME TRAVELERS.
“Are you Com Pewter?” Astrid asked. “We don’t feel welcome. We were driven in here by a smelly invisible giant and then couldn’t get out. That’s not nice.”
WHO ARE YOU?
“We don’t have to tell you that,” Astrid said.
TRAVELERS TELL ALL
“I am Ease,” Ease said. “My companion is Astrid. We’re on a Quest for the Good
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