Dream a Little Dream by Piers Anthony Page B

she was accumulating she didn’t know; every time she borrowed the card before she kept a close eye on the credit balance and didn’t run up more on the card than she could pay off within a month, so as not to incur the ruinous interest rate, not to mention incurring the wrath of her abusive boyfriend. But she had no choice now.
    They spent the next three days together, talking. They went to the beach often to visit Spirit. Nola would bring him food and ridehim for a while. That was a glorious experience. She and Mich would race him on foot down the beach, only to trip and fall in the water, laughing.
    The fifth day, they went back to the beach. Spirit was there, waiting for them. He knelt in the sand and tossed his head, indicating that Nola should get on his back. She grabbed a handful of his mane and pulled herself up.
    She looked down at Mich. He was staring up at her, smiling broadly. She noticed that he looked rather pale.
    She had a flashback from one of her dreams. She suddenly discovered a way to settle her indecision about Mich. In her dreams, Nola would often see people who admired Spirit and would try to steal him or would ask for a ride. Every time she offered a ride, Spirit would buck and kick and sometimes bite them. Once, she remembered, she was on Spirit’s back while he flew below a cliff. A friend of hers had jumped from it, trying to commit suicide. Nola turned him around and tried to maneuver beneath her falling friend. Spirit turned away at the last moment and her friend fell to her death. The only person who could ride Spirit, besides herself, was Mich. Spirit would often fly Nola to his bedroom window in the castle and always let Mich ride.
    “Why didn’t I think of this before?” she blurted out.
    Spirit stiffened beneath her. That was not a good sign. She stretched a hand toward Mich and gestured for him to mount up behind her.
    “I don’t think—”
    “Come on. You want me to believe you, don’t you? This’ll prove it. If you are really who you claim to be, then he will not hurt you.”
    “What assurance do I have of that? I don’t know him!”
    “You trust me, don’t you? If you are not lying, then he won’t hurt you, I promise.”
    “Of course I trust you!” He reached up to take her hand.

    Spirit flared his nostrils and tossed his head, but Mich did not let go. He pulled himself up and sat behind Nola. Nola sat still a moment, waiting for a response. There was none. Then, Spirit took off down the beach. Mich threw his arms around Nola to keep from falling off. They galloped on and on, until the beach came dangerously close to a housing area. Then they returned to the private part of the beach and dismounted.
    Later that night, Nola discussed what had happened with Mich. Mich was disappointed to learn that Nola still had strong doubts. While they rode Spirit, she seemed very happy and sure. But as they walked home, she seemed more and more distant.
    Sometime in the middle of the night, Mich awoke in an ice-cold sweat. He complained that he was terribly tired and he couldn’t get comfortable in bed. He got out of bed, shaking and walking back and forth.
    Nola finally believed him in one thing: he had not been sleeping. Not the way she did. And he still hadn’t come on to her. He never tried to join her in bed in the night. What was with him?
    “Please, Nola, come back to Kafka with me. I will not leave without you! If I stay here, I’ll die. Let me use the spell now.”
    Nola felt very sorry for him. Even though he was crazy, he was in real pain. What harm would it do to humor him?
    “Okay. Use it. Take me with you.”
    “Oh, thank you, Nola!”
    “Don’t mention it. Say, don’t you have to be in bed with me?” Maybe now he would make his play.
    “No, I’m a Kafkian. The spell will find both me and Spirit. Only you need to be on the bed. Here is the spell.”
    He handed her a globe about the size of a baseball. She wasn’t sure where he had hidden it all this time.