lifted out of the water.
“Hi, Sesame,” Melody called.
“Our visitors are leaving,” Harmony continued.
“They’re going on a Quest,” Rhythm concluded.
The monster head eyed Princess Ida questioningly.
“I’m going too,” the princess said. She floated out and petted the head. “Thank you for your concern.”
The head sank down out of sight. Obviously the castle was well-guarded. But how was it that the monster had changed?
“Soufflé’s shift ended,” Ida explained. “So Sesame took over. They wouldn’t want to leave the castle unprotected.”
“That makes sense,” Meryl said. “I’m a sea creature as well as a winged monster. I’ll make sure to introduce myself, if I ever have to come here alone.”
“Now I trust you know where we are going, Wenda,” Ida said gently.
“Yes. The Good Magician gave me a compass that points to it. But it doesn’t ensure that the way is clear or easy, so there may have to be detours. And we’re not supposed to let outsiders know about the Quest. Only folk we know and trust.”
“Naturally,” Ida agreed. “This is why I am traveling incognito.”
“Um, I don’t want to seem critical,” Meryl said, “but you don’t look very incognito to me. Your crown, the moon orbiting your head, and that magic carpet sort of give things away. Folk are bound to guess that if Princess Ida is along, it’s important.”
Ida smiled. “Do you have a mirror?”
“I’m female,” Meryl said. “Of course I have a mirror.” She dug a small one out of her purse.
“Look at my reflection.”
Meryl did, and dropped the mirror. “Oh!”
“What’s the matter?” Wenda asked, alarmed, stooping to pick up the mirror, which was by the unicorn’s hind foot.
“Look at her reflection,” Meryl said.
Wenda did. There in place of the princess was an ancient old ugly crone with wispy white hair, gap teeth, and rags. Her tattered skirt fell to the ground; there was no sign of the floating carpet.
Wenda held the mirror up before Jumper’s face so he could see too, and finally held it for Dipper. All were amazed.
“I apologize,” Meryl said weakly as Wenda returned her mirror. “I forget you are a Sorceress.”
“No need,” Ivy said. “You made a good point. It’s a masquerade spell my sister let me borrow from the closet. The four of you see me as I am, but strangers see only the illusion, as does the mirror. Similarly you hear my name, Ida, as it is, but others will hear it as Haggai, or Hag for short. The rest of you are already anonymous, not being well known.”
But when we speak your name as Ida, won’t that give it away? Jumper asked.
“It will still be heard by others as Hag. It’s a competent spell.”
“Then let’s be on our way,” Wenda said, mounting her bicycle, which she had been walking in the castle.
“No need to carry me farther,” Meryl told Jumper. “I can fly.” Then she paused, reconsidering. “Of course I have to do it bare.”
No problem, Jumper thought. I’ll ride with Wenda.
But Meryl didn’t get off immediately. “Jumper, I’m sorry your big spider and man forms freaked me out. I think that won’t happen again, now that I’m getting to know you. You carried me; would you like me to carry you? You could get quite a view of things, from the sky.”
That would be interesting. If you don’t mind having a spider in your hair.
“Not anymore.” Meryl spread her wings, lifted off him, and hovered.
The unicorn vanished. Meryl put her head down low. Wenda couldn’t see anything, but then came Jumper’s thought. I’m on.
Meryl flew upward. Dipper joined her. In two and a half moments they were high in the sky.
That left Wenda on her bike and Ida on her magic carpet. “Perhaps this is just as well,” Ida said.
“Just as well?” Wenda asked uncertainly.
“We need to talk. I couldn’t do it while Dipper was with us.”
“Dipper’s all right,” Wenda said.
“Of course he is. I mean, he doesn’t know my
“Hi, Sesame,” Melody called.
“Our visitors are leaving,” Harmony continued.
“They’re going on a Quest,” Rhythm concluded.
The monster head eyed Princess Ida questioningly.
“I’m going too,” the princess said. She floated out and petted the head. “Thank you for your concern.”
The head sank down out of sight. Obviously the castle was well-guarded. But how was it that the monster had changed?
“Soufflé’s shift ended,” Ida explained. “So Sesame took over. They wouldn’t want to leave the castle unprotected.”
“That makes sense,” Meryl said. “I’m a sea creature as well as a winged monster. I’ll make sure to introduce myself, if I ever have to come here alone.”
“Now I trust you know where we are going, Wenda,” Ida said gently.
“Yes. The Good Magician gave me a compass that points to it. But it doesn’t ensure that the way is clear or easy, so there may have to be detours. And we’re not supposed to let outsiders know about the Quest. Only folk we know and trust.”
“Naturally,” Ida agreed. “This is why I am traveling incognito.”
“Um, I don’t want to seem critical,” Meryl said, “but you don’t look very incognito to me. Your crown, the moon orbiting your head, and that magic carpet sort of give things away. Folk are bound to guess that if Princess Ida is along, it’s important.”
Ida smiled. “Do you have a mirror?”
“I’m female,” Meryl said. “Of course I have a mirror.” She dug a small one out of her purse.
“Look at my reflection.”
Meryl did, and dropped the mirror. “Oh!”
“What’s the matter?” Wenda asked, alarmed, stooping to pick up the mirror, which was by the unicorn’s hind foot.
“Look at her reflection,” Meryl said.
Wenda did. There in place of the princess was an ancient old ugly crone with wispy white hair, gap teeth, and rags. Her tattered skirt fell to the ground; there was no sign of the floating carpet.
Wenda held the mirror up before Jumper’s face so he could see too, and finally held it for Dipper. All were amazed.
“I apologize,” Meryl said weakly as Wenda returned her mirror. “I forget you are a Sorceress.”
“No need,” Ivy said. “You made a good point. It’s a masquerade spell my sister let me borrow from the closet. The four of you see me as I am, but strangers see only the illusion, as does the mirror. Similarly you hear my name, Ida, as it is, but others will hear it as Haggai, or Hag for short. The rest of you are already anonymous, not being well known.”
But when we speak your name as Ida, won’t that give it away? Jumper asked.
“It will still be heard by others as Hag. It’s a competent spell.”
“Then let’s be on our way,” Wenda said, mounting her bicycle, which she had been walking in the castle.
“No need to carry me farther,” Meryl told Jumper. “I can fly.” Then she paused, reconsidering. “Of course I have to do it bare.”
No problem, Jumper thought. I’ll ride with Wenda.
But Meryl didn’t get off immediately. “Jumper, I’m sorry your big spider and man forms freaked me out. I think that won’t happen again, now that I’m getting to know you. You carried me; would you like me to carry you? You could get quite a view of things, from the sky.”
That would be interesting. If you don’t mind having a spider in your hair.
“Not anymore.” Meryl spread her wings, lifted off him, and hovered.
The unicorn vanished. Meryl put her head down low. Wenda couldn’t see anything, but then came Jumper’s thought. I’m on.
Meryl flew upward. Dipper joined her. In two and a half moments they were high in the sky.
That left Wenda on her bike and Ida on her magic carpet. “Perhaps this is just as well,” Ida said.
“Just as well?” Wenda asked uncertainly.
“We need to talk. I couldn’t do it while Dipper was with us.”
“Dipper’s all right,” Wenda said.
“Of course he is. I mean, he doesn’t know my
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