"No," Jenny said, growing excited. "They are round—and they have five fingers too. I mean, I never actually saw one, but I remember the stories. Round ears and extra fingers. And they're big—half again as tall as we are." She looked at Electra. "In fact, the same size as the ones here. They're the same, except—" She looked away from Electra.
"They're not friendly?" Electra asked.
"Not with us," Jenny agreed. "We're enemies, mostly. We have a long history of fighting, and our kind is seldom friendly with their kind. It started when we first came to their world, and we were civilized and they were primitive; and they attacked us and slaughtered us, and they were so big and strong and vicious that despite our magic and organization we suffered terribly and had to flee to the forest and hide, and form into scattered tribes, and ever since then—"
She broke off, looking around. "Oh, I'm sorry! It's not like that here, I think."
"It has been like that, sometimes," Electra said, and Bud nodded. "When I was young—I mean, around nine hundred years ago—" She faltered as she saw others staring at her.
"She slept for a number of centuries," Godiva explained, "owing to an enchantment. She is no older than she looks, in terms of the life she has lived."
"Yes," Electra said, grateful for the woman's clarification. Somehow it sounded normal, when Godiva said it. "There was more fighting between human beings and other creatures. I don't know about elves, specifically, but—"
"They wanted to clear land for their villages," Bud said. "They wanted to cut down elms."
"They wanted to burn our holt," Jenny agreed. "That—it's a tree we live in, but we don't get stronger near it, except that we fight harder to save it, because—"
"I think we have affinities," Bud said. "Perhaps, when this ugly business is done, you will visit our Flower Elm, Jenny."
"I—I'd like that," Jenny agreed.
"Now would you like to see the foal?" Godiva asked Electra. "Before you return to the surface."
Electra had almost forgotten her mission, distracted by the developments. "Yes, we'd better."
"I regret meeting you in this circumstance, Electra and Gloha," Naldo said.
"I feel the same," Bud said. "But perhaps a compromise will be worked out."
"I hope!" Electra said fervently. What would Nada say when she learned that her brother was on the other side?
Godiva led the way out of the chamber, and Jenny, Gloha, and Electra followed. Naldo remained, perhaps to talk further with Bud Elf. The naga and the elves, supporting the goblins—this changed things!
They came to another chamber, guarded by a male goblin. "Idiot!" Electra exclaimed, recognizing him.
"Hello, 'Lectra," the goblin said. "Who's your friend?"
"Gloha, meet Idiot," Electra said, smiling. She had never liked goblins, but the females had impressed her, and the three males in Godiva's party had turned out to be all right too, once allowance was made for their ugliness.
"Hello, Idiot," Gloha said, smiling shyly.
"Open the door, Idiot!" Godiva snapped.
The goblin hastened to lift the bar. They trooped in, and the door closed behind them.
Inside stood another goblin girl, beside Che. "This is my daughter, Gwendolyn," Godiva said. "Gwendolyn, these are Electra and Gloha, from the surface. As you can see, Electra is a human girl of about your own age, and Gloha is a winged goblin girl of fifteen. Gloha has been here before, but you have not actually met before; she is my first cousin. They are here to verify the status of Che Centaur."
"Hello, Electra," Gwendolyn said. "Hello, Gloha."
Jenny crossed immediately to join Gwendolyn. "Yes, those wings of Gloha's really work," she said. "She's like Che, only older, so she can fly. A crossbreed."
"Oh, how nice," Gwendolyn said, a bit vaguely.
"I have asked Che Centaur to be my daughter's companion," Go-diva said. "As you can see, he is not being mistreated, and I believe they are getting along well."
Something was slightly odd here, but Electra couldn't pin it down. Gwendolyn seemed like a nice girl, and both Jenny and Che seemed to like her. But why did she need a winged monster for a companion? Why this particular one, who was bringing war to Goblin Mountain? It just didn't seem to make sense to go to such extraordinary trouble for such a minor thing. There were surely plenty of goblin girls available and plenty of harmless animals.
"Che," Electra said, "your sire is preparing to destroy the mountain, level by level, if he doesn't get you back. I'm sure Gwendolyn is a nice girl and happy for your company, but how do you feel about this captivity?"
"I had some trepidation about entering the mountain," Che replied. "But my concern has been abated. I am being well treated, and I like Gwenny. I am in the process of deciding whether to agree to be her companion."
"But that doesn't count, when they are holding you captive!" Gloha protested. "Cheiron won't accept that."
"It is a problem," Che said. "Because it proved to be beyond me, I have delegated the decision to another."
Godiva was startled. "You have? Who?"
"Jenny Elf."
Electra, Gloha, and Godiva stared at Jenny. "You are deciding for him?" Godiva asked.
"Well, he asked me to," Jenny said, abashed.
"And what do you propose to tell him to do?" Godiva asked.
"I don't know. I haven't decided either."
Godiva shared a look of bafflement with Electra. They were on opposite sides, but neither saw much sense in this.
Electra returned to Che. "What happens to you if you agree?"
"I will remain here as Gwenny's companion, but we may travel outside if we wish, later."
"But she can go outside by herself or with another goblin!" Electra protested. "She doesn't need you!"
Che shrugged. "That is as it may be. Jenny will decide."
"How can you be party to this, Jenny?" Electra demanded. "I thought you were his friend!"
"I am his friend," Jenny replied.
Gloha was equally baffled. "What happens to you if you say no?"
"I am uncertain. It may be that I will be released."
Electra turned grimly to Godiva. "What happens if he says no?" she repeated.
"I haven't decided," the gobliness said.
"Mother!" Gwendolyn said angrily.
Godiva paused. Then, reluctantly, she answered. "I will release him."
"Good!" Electra said. "Jenny, tell him to tell her no, and we'll all leave now, and the siege will be lifted and no one will be hurt."
But Jenny shook her head. "I can't tell him that. I haven't decided."
"Which side are you on?" Electra demanded, baffled and upset.
"Why don't you marry Dolph?" Jenny asked her in return.
"Because I can't just—" Electra broke off and regrouped.
"That has nothing to do with this!" But she was shaken, for it was the last response she had expected from Jenny. Was the elf in some similar situation?
She pondered. Suppose the goblins had threatened to kill them all, Electra and Gloha included, if Che refused what they demanded? But Che didn't want to do it. Then he would be unable to say either yes or no. So he would say he hadn't decided. In which case Electra and Gloha had better get out of here as fast as they could.
But that question about marrying Dolph. Jenny knew the decision wasn't Electra's to make. Maybe the decision on staying wasn't Che's to make either, but that was only because he had passed it on to Jenny. That wasn't any good parallel. The whole situation of the marriage was complicated, and no one would know how it would turn out until it happened. Though they all had a pretty good idea.
Was there something more complicated here? Not a threat but some other factor? For Godiva simply did not seem like the kind to break her word, which was what she would be doing if she dishonored the truce and did anything to Electra or Gloha. In fact, it was Electra's definite impression that Godiva was telling the truth: that she would let Che go if he refused to be Gwendolyn's companio
n.
Then why was Che balking—and Jenny too—despite what they knew of the siege and Cheiron's determination to free his foal? If Che agreed, it seemed he would be well treated and even free to go outside, because a centaur's word was his bond. If he declined, he would be freed. So he had every reason to decide promptly. Yet he was not doing so—and neither was Jenny.
Electra shook her head, unable to make sense of it. She would just have to go back out and make her report.
"I guess that's it," she said. "We'll go now."
They moved to the door. "Tell Cheiron of our allies," Godiva said. "The land dragons too are coming to support us."
Worse and worse!
They walked up the tunnel and finally emerged into bright daylight. Squinting, they walked to the winged monster camp.
Cheiron met them there, with Chex beside him, and Prince Dolph and Princess Nada in human form. They all looked grimly hopeful.
"It—it's complicated," Electra said heavily. "They aren't letting Che go, exactly, but they aren't exactly holding him either. They want him to decide whether to be the companion of Godiva's daughter, Gwendolyn, and he hasn't decided."
"A decision made under duress would not be valid," Cheiron said. "He knows that."
"Yes. But this doesn't seem to be that, exactly. He—he's having Jenny Elf decide for him, and she hasn't made up her mind. They'll treat him well if he agrees, and let him go if he doesn't. He—seems satisfied. Just not decided."
"There has to be duress," Cheiron said grimly. "We know how to deal with that."
"But there's more," Gloha said. "They have allies."
"Allies? Who? More goblins?"
"The Flower Elves," Electra said, hating it. "The callicantzari. The land dragons. And the naga."
"What?" Nada demanded, shocked.
"Your brother, Prince Naldo, was there. There's an ancient covenant. They have to help the goblins against the winged monsters." There: it was out.
"My own people!" Nada cried, appalled. "I forgot about that covenant!"
Cheiron turned to her. "There is such a covenant?"
"Yes. But it's never been invoked in our time—not for centuries, in fact. We hate the goblins! That's how I got betrothed to Dolph!"
Chex shook her head grimly. "It seems we have a problem."
Electra had to agree, feeling empathy for them all. She knew about difficult situations!
Chapter 12. Dolph's Diagnosis
Dolph was stunned. Not only were the goblins intent on holding Che, they had summoned Nada's people to help them. That meant that if Cheiron's forces attacked again, they would be going up against folk who were allied to Castle Roogna. He could see how shocked Nada was. He wanted to cheer her up, but couldn't think of anything sensible to say.
"We had better verify this," Cheiron said grimly. "We should be able to spot land dragons on the move."
"Yes," Chex agreed. They walked toward the clearing being used as a runway for takeoffs and landings.
"I'll go with you!" Gloha exclaimed.
Dolph was torn. Should he change to a winged form and go with them or remain to console Nada? He turned to Nada—and saw her tearfully hugging Electra.
Nada was closer to Electra than she was to him. Why did that jar him so? Electra was always sympathetic to the problems of others.
He decided to go with the centaurs.
Cheiron ran onto the field, leaped, spread his wings, flicked his tail, and flew up. Chex followed, but paused as a roc came in. It was best to give the big birds plenty of room, because they didn't always see small creatures, and their downdraft could be horrendous.
Gloha went out, then turned back to Dolph, who hadn't yet decided what form to assume. "Prince Dolph, I don't feel easy in the air with the larger monsters, and I can't keep the pace. May I go with you?"
"Oh," he said, surprised. "Sure." So he assumed the form of a winged centaur, because that would be easiest for her to ride. Also, he could talk with her in that form. He had practiced it, after attending the wedding of Cheiron and Chex, and now could handle it well enough. He could assume any living form—and on occasion a borderline form, like that of a ghost—but it took practice to make each form function perfectly. Thus his repertoire was limited, but growing. However, there was one extra thing he needed in this form.
Gloha hopped on. She was a light little thing, and as shapely as a nymph in her goblin aspect. She evidently knew how to ride, for her position was secure; he didn't have to worry about her falling off.
He trotted up to join Chex as she waited, the wind from the landing roc blowing back her brown mane. "When we get to take off, will you make me light?" he asked her.
Chex glanced at him, noting his change of form and his rider. "Of course, Dolph."
The roc touched ground, bounced, and slid along the hard surface, its claws sending up sparks as they braked against rocks. A small brush fire started, but a steamer dragon was ready to douse it with several well-aimed bursts. The roc finally came to a stop and hopped off the landing strip. It held a small beerbarrel tree trunk in its beak: evidently this bird was on the beverage committee.
"Go ahead," Chex said, touching Dolph and Gloha with two flicks of her tail. Immediately both Dolph and the goblin girl became light. Dolph trotted onto the field, spread his wings, and jumped into the air. He was airborne, not as neatly as the real winged centaurs managed it, but well enough. He flew up to join Cheiron, who was circling overhead.
In a moment Chex was coming up behind him. When the three were at a suitable elevation, they spread out and flew south, watching the ground.
"I think it's true," Gloha said. "We really did see Prince Naldo and Bud Elf down there, and they told us about the covenant."
"But that won't make Cheiron give up his foal," Dolph said. "More likely, he will launch a desperation attack to get Che back before any more goblin allies come."
"But with the naga there—"
Dolph sighed. "I guess that makes it my problem. I mean, it already was, but now even more so. We can't start killing naga! Especially not Nada's brother!"
"Or elves," she said.
Dolph remembered Jenny Elf. "I don't think that's the same. Jenny's not the same kind of elf."
"But humans have never warred with elves!"
Oh. "Yes, not that I know of. They keep mostly to their elms, and once our kind learned to leave the elms alone, that was that. About four hundred years ago Jordan the Barbarian made a deal with Bluebell Elf—I don't know exactly what it was, but the stork brought her a crossbreed baby, and Rapunzel is their distant descendent. So I guess humans and elves can get along when they try. Certainly we don't want trouble with them. But if we support Cheiron, and the goblins won't let Che go—"
"I'm not sure Che wants to go," Gloha said.
"Well, as Cheiron said, if there is duress—"
"I'm not sure there is. For one thing—well, how well do you know Jenny Elf?"
"Not that well, really. But she seems all right, and Che really seems to like her. She didn't have to go with him into Goblin Mountain, but she did."
"So if it's a hard decision for him to make, because maybe there's a threat or something," she said carefully, "what about Jenny? Would it be hard for her too? I mean, if she doesn't have to stay there?"
"I guess if she really likes him, and doesn't want him hurt, then maybe it could be pretty hard for her too." "And Jenny—when Electra asked her why she couldn't tell Che to just say no and she said she couldn't and Electra asked her which side she was on, she said 'Why don't you marry Dolph?' and that sort of floored Electra. So maybe there's an answer there, if we can just figure it out."
Dolph was amazed. What did his possible marriage to Electra have to do with whether Che remained with the goblins?
"It doesn't make sense to me," he admitted.
"I guess maybe it's because Electra can't just decide to marry you," Gloha said. "Because you're the one who has to decide."
"Right. So if Jenny c
ouldn't decide, because it was Che's decision, that would make sense. But if he told her to make it, then she can make it, can't she?"
"I would think so. But something must be stopping her." She pondered. "Dolph, suppose you told Electra to decide? I mean, you wouldn't decide, she would, and she would tell you which of them to marry? Her or Nada. Would that be the same?"
"Well she'd just tell me to marry her. Everyone tells me to marry 'Lectra!"
"Would she really?"
"Wouldn't she?" What was Gloha trying to get at?
"I don't know. But I think maybe Jenny Elf knows. It sure set Electra back! So if you can figure out what Electra would say, maybe you can figure out what Jenny's saying. Why she's not deciding about Che, yet, despite everything. And why Che lets her."
"That's another mystery! Why doesn't Che make his own decision, before things get really bad?"
"Why don't you?"
"That has nothing to do with it!"
"I think maybe it does," she said. "I think maybe it was such a tough decision that Che couldn't make it himself, so he asked Jenny to make it, and it's still so tough she can't make it either. Just as maybe it would be too tough for Electra, if you told her to decide. Maybe it's not quite the same problem, but maybe close enough so the same principle holds. All we have to do is figure out what it is."
She was making more sense. "How come you're making better progress on this than I am?" he asked.
"Well, everyone knows that girls think better than boys do," she said shrugging.
"I didn't know that!"
"Well, you're a boy."
Why did that seem to make so much sense? "Okay. So maybe there is a similar principle. But I don't think they have any love triangle."
"Not a marriage triangle," she agreed. "But it could be love."
"How could it be love? They're children!"
"And we're not?" she asked archly.
"Well, I'm not! I'm going to be married within a week!"
"I'm the same age as you, you know. If you cared to assume winged goblin form, I could show you a thing or two."
Dolph realized that she was indeed a fine figure of a goblin girl. He was tempted to do just that: become a winged goblin, and see what she looked like then. "How about showing me your panties?" he asked.
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