heart-breaker.
Finally every heart was tamed. Electra was a little sad to see the last one drift contentedly off, but she knew it was only heartache. She had surmounted the second challenge.
She went to the moat and washed off the blood. She hoped the tame hearts found good bodies to occupy, because they seemed very warm and friendly and would probably do good service if treated well. She couldn't blame them for being wild, when they were cast out into the world alone.
They emerged from the moat and walked on. Nada's dress was now as wet as Electra's, because she had had to wash it, but it still looked ten times as good on her as anything Electra had ever worn had ever looked on her. They came to an arched gate and went through it, into the castle. There was a long narrow hall ahead.
But there was something oozing from the far gate. It looked lumpy and red and sticky, as if a thousand wild hearts had been squished and dumped in a sodden mass. Was this where the hearts had come from? No wonder they had been wild!
Nada sniffed. Then she reached down and put a finger to the mess, and tasted it. “I thought so: strawberry.”
“You mean it's edible?” Electra asked, amazed. “We're supposed to eat our way through it?”
“I hope not! Strawberry jam is horribly fattening.”
“That wouldn't stop me. I can't put on weight no matter how much I eat. That's my problem.”
“That's not your problem!” Nada flared. "You're beautifully slender!''
“I'd trade my figure for yours anytime!”
“If I eat any of that jam, you won't want my figure,” Nada said. “I'd be so fat I could roll without pulling in my arms or legs.”
Electra tried to picture that, and found it hilarious. But it didn't come out as a healthy laugh, or even a girlish giggle, just a foolish titter.
She dipped a finger and tasted the jam. “No, this isn't strawberry, quite. It's too metallic. Not hayberry either. And look—those aren't exactly berries. They're moving around.”
Nada peered. “You're right! Some are bigger than others, and they're sort of square. They keep nudging up to each other and stopping.”
“Until something else gets out of the way,” Electra added. “Only things seem to be much better at getting into the way than out of it.”
“And the total effect is one of absolute gooey crawl,” Nada said. “Not one berry can get where it's going before all the others do, so they are all made maddeningly slow.”
“I think I tasted something like this, once, hundreds of years ago,” Electra said. “It was a kind of berry growing in a circle, a—a traffic circle. The berries just kept rolling around and around it until they wore out.”
“Those must have been crazy berries!”
“Traffic berries. They're always moving around, except when they get stuck in—”
“Traffic jam,” Nada concluded. “And this is one big mess of jam!”
“Yes, it's awful. How can we get by it?” They watched the jam ooze its way onward. “There's no help for it,” Nada said reluctantly. “We'll just have to slog through it. I hope I can take a bath at the other end.”
Electra sighed. “I'll go first. I have less to lose.”
“No, you don't! You have more to win.” Nada stepped into the jam.
Immediately she slowed to a crawl. She tried to move her feet, but there was always something in the way. The jam wouldn't give her any chance to get anywhere. “This is no good!” Nada gasped. “I can't move!” Electra reached out to take her hand. “I'll pull you out.” But though she did pull, Nada remained stuck in the traffic jam.
“There has to be a better way!” Nada said. “I'm just getting caught worse!”
“Change into a small snake, so I can lift you out,” Electra suggested.
Nada did so. She became a garter snake, whose garters had nothing to attach to. Electra closed her hand carefully about the body and pulled, but the snake's tail was hopelessly caught. She just couldn't get free. Finally she changed back to
Finally every heart was tamed. Electra was a little sad to see the last one drift contentedly off, but she knew it was only heartache. She had surmounted the second challenge.
She went to the moat and washed off the blood. She hoped the tame hearts found good bodies to occupy, because they seemed very warm and friendly and would probably do good service if treated well. She couldn't blame them for being wild, when they were cast out into the world alone.
They emerged from the moat and walked on. Nada's dress was now as wet as Electra's, because she had had to wash it, but it still looked ten times as good on her as anything Electra had ever worn had ever looked on her. They came to an arched gate and went through it, into the castle. There was a long narrow hall ahead.
But there was something oozing from the far gate. It looked lumpy and red and sticky, as if a thousand wild hearts had been squished and dumped in a sodden mass. Was this where the hearts had come from? No wonder they had been wild!
Nada sniffed. Then she reached down and put a finger to the mess, and tasted it. “I thought so: strawberry.”
“You mean it's edible?” Electra asked, amazed. “We're supposed to eat our way through it?”
“I hope not! Strawberry jam is horribly fattening.”
“That wouldn't stop me. I can't put on weight no matter how much I eat. That's my problem.”
“That's not your problem!” Nada flared. "You're beautifully slender!''
“I'd trade my figure for yours anytime!”
“If I eat any of that jam, you won't want my figure,” Nada said. “I'd be so fat I could roll without pulling in my arms or legs.”
Electra tried to picture that, and found it hilarious. But it didn't come out as a healthy laugh, or even a girlish giggle, just a foolish titter.
She dipped a finger and tasted the jam. “No, this isn't strawberry, quite. It's too metallic. Not hayberry either. And look—those aren't exactly berries. They're moving around.”
Nada peered. “You're right! Some are bigger than others, and they're sort of square. They keep nudging up to each other and stopping.”
“Until something else gets out of the way,” Electra added. “Only things seem to be much better at getting into the way than out of it.”
“And the total effect is one of absolute gooey crawl,” Nada said. “Not one berry can get where it's going before all the others do, so they are all made maddeningly slow.”
“I think I tasted something like this, once, hundreds of years ago,” Electra said. “It was a kind of berry growing in a circle, a—a traffic circle. The berries just kept rolling around and around it until they wore out.”
“Those must have been crazy berries!”
“Traffic berries. They're always moving around, except when they get stuck in—”
“Traffic jam,” Nada concluded. “And this is one big mess of jam!”
“Yes, it's awful. How can we get by it?” They watched the jam ooze its way onward. “There's no help for it,” Nada said reluctantly. “We'll just have to slog through it. I hope I can take a bath at the other end.”
Electra sighed. “I'll go first. I have less to lose.”
“No, you don't! You have more to win.” Nada stepped into the jam.
Immediately she slowed to a crawl. She tried to move her feet, but there was always something in the way. The jam wouldn't give her any chance to get anywhere. “This is no good!” Nada gasped. “I can't move!” Electra reached out to take her hand. “I'll pull you out.” But though she did pull, Nada remained stuck in the traffic jam.
“There has to be a better way!” Nada said. “I'm just getting caught worse!”
“Change into a small snake, so I can lift you out,” Electra suggested.
Nada did so. She became a garter snake, whose garters had nothing to attach to. Electra closed her hand carefully about the body and pulled, but the snake's tail was hopelessly caught. She just couldn't get free. Finally she changed back to
Similar Books
