ever the gracious hostess. She was now in her early seventies, in terms of active living time, and in her eight hundreds chronologically. Like Electra, she had taken a number of centuries out, remaining her then-age of seventeen. She was still a lovely woman. Her talent was sex
46 PIFRS ANTHONY
appeal, and age had masked but not abolished it. Dor remembered how she had been his baby-sitter when he was twelve, and how her beauty and talent had affected him then. He was still a little bit in love with her, but he had it well under control. Her present physical age helped.
Her tee and crumples were delicious, of course. The tee was in cups shaped like the letter T, and the crumples were twisted and crunched bits of pastry that looked like failed efforts but weren't. They were appropriate for a place in which zombies thronged. "And to what do I owe the honor of this visit?" she inquired.
"Actually, we came to see your husband," Dor said. "But perhaps you can help us."
"Jonathan is away right now. What is your need?"
"We wish to know why the zombies are stirred up and walking all over Xanth."
"Oh, are they? I didn't realize. I haven't been out recently, because we don't like to leave the castle unattended. What are they doing?"
"Just walking everywhere. They don't seem to be doing any harm, but ordinary folk are bothered, you understand."
She smiled, and Dor felt the lure of her again. What a creature she had been, in her physical twenties, when he was in his impressionable childhood! "I understand. I do love Jonathan, but somehow I never quite became accustomed to his business of making zombies. Of course it's not the zombies' fault that they are rotten; some of my best friend are zombies. But they do lack social grace."
That was a substantial understatement. "Yes. We would like to ascertain what is rousing them, so as perhaps to put it to rest."
"Quickly," Dolph said.
"Of course," Millie agreed. "But I really can't think what the matter might be. The zombies have been doing well recently. They even elected a king from their own number, so as to form their own kingdom. He is Xeth—Zora and Xavier's son."
"Xeth!" Dolph exclaimed. "That's what that zombie was trying to say."
"He is a fine figure of a man now: you would hardly know he is part zombie. But he's a responsible person: he would not try to stir things up in the living world. Not without considerable reason."
ZOMBIE LOVER 47
"A zombie king," Dor said thoughtfully. "He could stir them up, if he did have reason. Perhaps we should talk with him."
"I don't know where he is. Jonathan knows where all the zombies are; that's part of his talent. But he is away, in a manner of speaking, and I don't know how soon he will be back."
"We have an important wedding to attend to in a week." Dor said. "We really need to get this straightened out soon."
"Oh, I see." Women related well to weddings. "But it would be very difficult to find Jonathan right now."
"Exactly where is he?" Bink asked.
"That's complicated to explain."
"We will try our best to understand," Dor said firmly.
"I will try, then. Of course you know about Princess Ida's moon."
"Ptero," Dor said.
"Last year we learned that it is more sophisticated than we supposed. It is actually the manifestation of her talent of the Idea. All the folk who ever lived on Xanth, or ever will live, or ever might exist, are there, in their soul forms."
Dor was startled. "All the folk? But what about those of us who are here, now?"
"You are there too, only with the current year of your lives absent there. And time is different there; time is geography. But that's only part of it. There is an aspect of Ida herself there, and she has her own moon. And on that moon is another Ida, with—"
"Please," Dor said. "My comprehension is being strained. What has this to do with your
46 PIFRS ANTHONY
appeal, and age had masked but not abolished it. Dor remembered how she had been his baby-sitter when he was twelve, and how her beauty and talent had affected him then. He was still a little bit in love with her, but he had it well under control. Her present physical age helped.
Her tee and crumples were delicious, of course. The tee was in cups shaped like the letter T, and the crumples were twisted and crunched bits of pastry that looked like failed efforts but weren't. They were appropriate for a place in which zombies thronged. "And to what do I owe the honor of this visit?" she inquired.
"Actually, we came to see your husband," Dor said. "But perhaps you can help us."
"Jonathan is away right now. What is your need?"
"We wish to know why the zombies are stirred up and walking all over Xanth."
"Oh, are they? I didn't realize. I haven't been out recently, because we don't like to leave the castle unattended. What are they doing?"
"Just walking everywhere. They don't seem to be doing any harm, but ordinary folk are bothered, you understand."
She smiled, and Dor felt the lure of her again. What a creature she had been, in her physical twenties, when he was in his impressionable childhood! "I understand. I do love Jonathan, but somehow I never quite became accustomed to his business of making zombies. Of course it's not the zombies' fault that they are rotten; some of my best friend are zombies. But they do lack social grace."
That was a substantial understatement. "Yes. We would like to ascertain what is rousing them, so as perhaps to put it to rest."
"Quickly," Dolph said.
"Of course," Millie agreed. "But I really can't think what the matter might be. The zombies have been doing well recently. They even elected a king from their own number, so as to form their own kingdom. He is Xeth—Zora and Xavier's son."
"Xeth!" Dolph exclaimed. "That's what that zombie was trying to say."
"He is a fine figure of a man now: you would hardly know he is part zombie. But he's a responsible person: he would not try to stir things up in the living world. Not without considerable reason."
ZOMBIE LOVER 47
"A zombie king," Dor said thoughtfully. "He could stir them up, if he did have reason. Perhaps we should talk with him."
"I don't know where he is. Jonathan knows where all the zombies are; that's part of his talent. But he is away, in a manner of speaking, and I don't know how soon he will be back."
"We have an important wedding to attend to in a week." Dor said. "We really need to get this straightened out soon."
"Oh, I see." Women related well to weddings. "But it would be very difficult to find Jonathan right now."
"Exactly where is he?" Bink asked.
"That's complicated to explain."
"We will try our best to understand," Dor said firmly.
"I will try, then. Of course you know about Princess Ida's moon."
"Ptero," Dor said.
"Last year we learned that it is more sophisticated than we supposed. It is actually the manifestation of her talent of the Idea. All the folk who ever lived on Xanth, or ever will live, or ever might exist, are there, in their soul forms."
Dor was startled. "All the folk? But what about those of us who are here, now?"
"You are there too, only with the current year of your lives absent there. And time is different there; time is geography. But that's only part of it. There is an aspect of Ida herself there, and she has her own moon. And on that moon is another Ida, with—"
"Please," Dor said. "My comprehension is being strained. What has this to do with your
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