husband?"
"Each little moon is different," she explained. "With different magic. Jonathan thought there might even be a zombie world. If so—"
"I see. That would be the perfect place for the zombies to be. Especially if they had a kingdom. Their own world!"
"Exactly. So Jonathan is exploring to see if he can find such a world. He does what he can for his flock."
"Maybe the zombies are looking for it too, in regular Xanth," Bink suggested.
"No, I don't think so. They were supposed to wait."
"How long will it be before the Zombie Master returns?" Dor asked.
48 PIERS AXTHONI
"I don't know. He said to wake him up if he is gone more than three days, and it's only been one day."
All three of them did a quick reassessment. "He is sleepwalking?" Bink asked.
"No, just sleeping. In our bedroom. 1 check on him often, just in case."
"But then how can he be exploring worlds?"
"He made an arrangement with Princess Ida and the Night Stallion to explore them in the dream realm," she explained. "It's more convenient that way, and safer, because he can't truly be lost or hurt, and he can search more efficiently."
Dor was having trouble with comprehension again. "But if he's only dreaming, it isn't real. So whatever he finds won't actually be there."
"Oh, no, it's real. He's not real, while there, but the worlds are exactly as they are. I think. It is a controlled dream, relating to reality. He just won't be able to take anything from there, except information."
"He's like a ghost," Dolph said. "You must have thought of that."
"Why yes, I did," she agreed. "I have had experience. He seems real while there, and can talk with the people, but can't stay. If he gets chomped by a dragon, he'll be gone, though, and will wake on his own, and maybe unable to return. So I'm sure he's being very careful. I understand that there are remarkable sights there."
"There are some here in Xanth too," Dolph murmured, rubbing a bit of glaze off an eyelash.
"I don't think we can wait two days," Dor said. "We need to get the zombies settled well before the big wedding. Could you wake him early?"
"Oh, I wouldn't do that!" Millie said, horrified. "He said not to disturb him for anything short of an emergency, because he might not be able to find his way back to a choice site if he doesn't have time to mark the way."
"Mark the way?" Bink asked. "How can a dream be marked?"
"It's part of the magic the Night Stallion lent him. He can draw a glowing chalk line around something, that will stay in place after he leaves. So he can return later and make sure it's what the zombies want. But he can mark only one place at a time, so he has to be careful."
ZoMBit LOVER 49
"Could we go after him?" Dolph asked. "So we can find him, and ask him, without interrupting his search?"
"Why, I hadn't thought of that." Millie said. "I suppose if you sniffed the sleep spell, you could."
This, weird as it was, seemed to be a way. "Is there enough of that spell for all three of us?"
"Oh, yes, we have plenty of it."
"But how would we find him, in that dream realm?" Dor asked.
"Oh, that wouldn't be hard. He leaves glowing footprints. That's so I can find him, if I need to."
"Then why couldn't he follow his own footprints, on another visit?" Dolph asked.
"They won't stay after he goes. So he has to remember the way, and mark his place."
"Then perhaps that is our best course," Dor said. "We can find him, ask him, and return in time to get the zombies settled."
Millie had no problem with that. "You can use a guest chamber," she said. "I will bake more crumples for your return."
That seemed like an excellent arrangement.
3
SOLITAIRE FOR Two
B
reana woke at dusk, refreshed. It was time to go see the jood Magician, since she was now satisfied, for no sason she knew, that this was her only feasible
"Each little moon is different," she explained. "With different magic. Jonathan thought there might even be a zombie world. If so—"
"I see. That would be the perfect place for the zombies to be. Especially if they had a kingdom. Their own world!"
"Exactly. So Jonathan is exploring to see if he can find such a world. He does what he can for his flock."
"Maybe the zombies are looking for it too, in regular Xanth," Bink suggested.
"No, I don't think so. They were supposed to wait."
"How long will it be before the Zombie Master returns?" Dor asked.
48 PIERS AXTHONI
"I don't know. He said to wake him up if he is gone more than three days, and it's only been one day."
All three of them did a quick reassessment. "He is sleepwalking?" Bink asked.
"No, just sleeping. In our bedroom. 1 check on him often, just in case."
"But then how can he be exploring worlds?"
"He made an arrangement with Princess Ida and the Night Stallion to explore them in the dream realm," she explained. "It's more convenient that way, and safer, because he can't truly be lost or hurt, and he can search more efficiently."
Dor was having trouble with comprehension again. "But if he's only dreaming, it isn't real. So whatever he finds won't actually be there."
"Oh, no, it's real. He's not real, while there, but the worlds are exactly as they are. I think. It is a controlled dream, relating to reality. He just won't be able to take anything from there, except information."
"He's like a ghost," Dolph said. "You must have thought of that."
"Why yes, I did," she agreed. "I have had experience. He seems real while there, and can talk with the people, but can't stay. If he gets chomped by a dragon, he'll be gone, though, and will wake on his own, and maybe unable to return. So I'm sure he's being very careful. I understand that there are remarkable sights there."
"There are some here in Xanth too," Dolph murmured, rubbing a bit of glaze off an eyelash.
"I don't think we can wait two days," Dor said. "We need to get the zombies settled well before the big wedding. Could you wake him early?"
"Oh, I wouldn't do that!" Millie said, horrified. "He said not to disturb him for anything short of an emergency, because he might not be able to find his way back to a choice site if he doesn't have time to mark the way."
"Mark the way?" Bink asked. "How can a dream be marked?"
"It's part of the magic the Night Stallion lent him. He can draw a glowing chalk line around something, that will stay in place after he leaves. So he can return later and make sure it's what the zombies want. But he can mark only one place at a time, so he has to be careful."
ZoMBit LOVER 49
"Could we go after him?" Dolph asked. "So we can find him, and ask him, without interrupting his search?"
"Why, I hadn't thought of that." Millie said. "I suppose if you sniffed the sleep spell, you could."
This, weird as it was, seemed to be a way. "Is there enough of that spell for all three of us?"
"Oh, yes, we have plenty of it."
"But how would we find him, in that dream realm?" Dor asked.
"Oh, that wouldn't be hard. He leaves glowing footprints. That's so I can find him, if I need to."
"Then why couldn't he follow his own footprints, on another visit?" Dolph asked.
"They won't stay after he goes. So he has to remember the way, and mark his place."
"Then perhaps that is our best course," Dor said. "We can find him, ask him, and return in time to get the zombies settled."
Millie had no problem with that. "You can use a guest chamber," she said. "I will bake more crumples for your return."
That seemed like an excellent arrangement.
3
SOLITAIRE FOR Two
B
reana woke at dusk, refreshed. It was time to go see the jood Magician, since she was now satisfied, for no sason she knew, that this was her only feasible
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