Isle of View

by Piers Anthony

  "Here is the problem," Chex said after a bit. "Cheiron simply is not going to allow our foal to be held in this manner. If Che has a commitment to the goblins, Cheiron is prepared to void it by eliminating the goblins."

  "But that's worse than ever!" Jenny protested. "They aren't such bad folk, really, not like the horde, and Gwenny truly is nice. And so is Godiva, when you get to know her. And this way the goblins will get better. It's not just Gwenny, it's that it's right to do."

  "I think perhaps it is," Chex said. "But Cheiron is right too. Do you see any way out of this impasse?"

  "I just wish they could all be friends and not fight any more," Jenny said tearfully.

  "So do I!" Chex agreed fervently. "So it is up to us to find a way to make that possible. Now Cheiron will not relent until Che is home with us. While Godiva—"

  "It's not her, really," Jenny said. "I mean, it was, maybe, because she started it by foal-napping Che. But she gave him his choice, after we met Gwenny. He could have gone home then. But."

  "But Gwendolyn would have died, in due course," Chex said. "So it was Che's decision, even if you made it. He wanted someone older and more objective than he was to make it, so he could be sure it was right. And perhaps it was right, for him. So now it is Che on the other side. We have one male centaur against another, and we as females must find a way to resolve it."

  "But how can we?" Jenny asked plaintively. "Che has to be either with you or with Gwenny."

  "Unless we went to join him in Goblin Mountain!" Chex said, with a short and not very mirthful laugh.

  "You wouldn't fit in there," Jenny said, with a trace less unmirth. "But you know, Che can visit you. Once he gave his word—"

  "True. But he would have to return, and it is obvious that he will have to spend a lot of time with Gwendolyn, because any slip would be disastrous. Cheiron wants him free of Goblin Mountain entirely, because there is a great deal of education he must have. There simply isn't time to accommodate both Che's centaur heritage and full-time companionship with Gwendolyn."

  "I guess not," Jenny agreed sadly. "Unless she could come along."

  "Come along?"

  "And be with him while he learned," she said. "She wants to get out and see things, only she can't. She's never been out of Goblin Mountain. Because she can get by in her room, alone, or maybe in a tunnel where she knows exactly where everything is. But outside it would be hopeless."

  "Unless she had a competent companion." Chex sighed. "I do see the problem."

  "Of course, with Che she could do it, because he would tell her what to see. Only he wouldn't tell her, he'd have some sort of signals only a centaur could memorize, that nobody else knew about. That's why it has to be a centaur; they have mental powers others don't."

  "True," Chex said. "I could do it. But of course a grown centaur wouldn't. We have other business. So does Che, actually."

  "Other business?"

  "He is destined to change the course of the history of Xanth. That's why he has to be free, even if he wasn't a centaur and our foal. We cannot allow the goblins to interfere with that. Indeed, we feared that his abduction was a plot to prevent his destiny from being achieved."

  "But if Gwenny gets to rule the goblins, wouldn't that change things? I mean, there's never been a female goblin leader before. With the magic wand she could do it, if she could see well enough to use it, or have someone tell her."

  Chex was stunned. She almost fell out of the sky. She had to pump her wings vigorously to recover equilibrium, while Jenny hung on.

  "To change the history of Xanth—by enabling a goblin woman to become a chief!" Chex said after she got straightened out. "We assumed it was human history or centaur history. We never thought of goblin history!"

  "Well, maybe it isn't," Jenny said. "Or maybe the goblins will do something that will affect the others."

  "All this time we were trying to protect Che for his destiny—and we may be interfering with that destiny now!" Chex said. "I must tell Cheiron!"

  "Will that change his mind?" Jenny asked.

  Chex, making a sweeping turn to go back to Goblin Mountain, paused. "No. He is already committed. It is just one more reason to find some peaceful way through this picklement."

  Jenny considered. "You said that any centaur could help Gwenny, outside. But they wouldn't."

  "That's right. We centaurs are busy with our own concerns. Cheiron and I are trying to raise Che, for example."

  "But suppose Gwenny visited you. Would one of you help Gwenny while the other educated Che?" "We could. But for what reason?"

  "In case that's his destiny. Then you could keep his destiny, and educate him, and Gwenny wouldn't suffer."

  "Do you mean, bring her to live with us?" Chex asked, astonished.

  "I guess it wasn't a good idea," Jenny said, abashed.

  Chex considered it rationally—and suddenly everything fell into place. Cheiron could be satisfied, and Che's destiny would not be compromised—whatever it was—and the goblin girl would be safe, for none of them would betray her secret. It could be done—if Godiva let her go.

  "I think it's an excellent idea," Chex said. "I'll go tell Cheiron right now." She resumed her turn and winged powerfully for the mountain.

  Then something else fell into place in Chex's mind. "Jenny, you will have to go in and talk to Godiva, because the rest of us are fighting the goblins. But you will need to talk to Che and Gwendolyn too."

  "Yes," the girl agreed faintly.

  "I want you to take a message to Che that perhaps will help him understand."

  "Oh, of course!"

  "It is this: remember the Night Stallion's creed."

  "Remember the Night Stallion's creed," she repeated. "I'll tell him. But what does it mean?"

  "That would be complicated to explain, for I suspect you do not have night mares in your world. But I think he will fathom it, and then tell you."

  "Oh. All right."

  The girl did not push for further clarification, and Chex was glad, because she wanted this decision to be Che's.

  As they approached the mountain, they saw the rocs circling, carrying boulders. Each would swoop low, release its boulder at high speed, then fly up while the boulder crashed into the mountain at an angle. The mountain would shudder, and several tunnels would be crushed in. Then the first roc would head off for another boulder, while the next swooped in.

  Meanwhile the dragons were hovering. When all three rocs completed their runs, the fire-breathers swooped in for strafing runs, sending flames shooting into the exposed tunnels. The steamers did likewise, only their steam was intended to soften the substance of the mountain so that the boulders did more damage. Finally the smokers approached. Their attack would be the worst, because their smoke would penetrate far into the mountain, bringing misery and even death to those it caught. The other winged monsters were relaxing, waiting for their turn. Some were licking their chops, evidently having a taste for smoked goblin.

  "But the naga are collapsing the tunnels, so nothing can get through," Jenny said. "The smoke won't smoke them out."

  "Cheiron will send in the cockatrices," Chex said. "They will freeze the goblins and naga with their glares, and the tunnels will not be collapsed. Cheiron has studied siege technique; he will counter all their ploys. That's one more reason I don't want this to continue; I know how bad it will be for all concerned."

  "The goblins will retreat to the caverns of the calli—calli—"

  "Callicantzari," Chex said. "They are like exaggerated goblins, grotesque monsters with some of their limbs installed backwards. Only desperation would make the goblins go there."

  "But they are allies now, because of the covenant. And I guess they'll take Che along with them."

  "We have to stop that. The callicantzari will be treacherous allies. They could put them all into the pot." Actually, Cheiron had probably anticipated that ploy also, and would send the cockatrices first to the lower chambers to prevent the goblins from moving a
nyone out.

  Chex folded her wings and angled down, her increasing weight lending her velocity. If she didn't flick herself with her tail every so often, she eventually became too heavy to fly. But it was a good thing, because otherwise she would never be able to be comfortable on land. She zoomed down toward Cheiron, then spread her wings and braked abruptly just before lowering her hooves.

  "Cheiron!" she said. "Stop the smokers! There is another way."

  Cheiron paused, as he always did for her. "I shall be satisfied with no less than the return of our foal, unharmed. If the goblins think that night will stop us, they are mistaken; we have fireflies to illuminate the scene."

  "We can bring them both to our residence," Chex said. "Che and Gwendolyn. He can be her companion in our glen."

  He was startled. "Why I suppose he could. But we would then be obliged to take care of her, which could be a burden."

  "Che's destiny," she said. "It may be to enable the goblins to have a female chief. That could change the history of Xanth."

  That made him pause. He realized that his efforts might be counterproductive. "Very well. I will suspend the attack for an hour. If Godiva will let her daughter go, we will do it. But she must answer promptly, for I will not be stalled." Horses could be stalled, but not centaurs.

  "Jenny has access to the mountain. She can go in and ask. This could solve everything and make the entire course of this incident have meaning."

  "Let her go in, then," he said. "But she must have an answer. If she does not return within the hour, the attack resumes, and it will be swift." He leaped into the air and flew off to attend to the halting of the attack.

  "It's up to you, now, Jenny," Chex said. "You will do us all a phenomenal favor if you bring this to pass."

  The girl looked scared. "I'll try," she said. "I'll try my very best."

  Chapter 14. Jenny's Judgment

  Jenny was terrified as she approached the mountain, carrying Sammy. She had been with company before, but now she was alone except for the cat; and the surface of the mountain was mostly rubble, and the feel of warfare was in the air. Suppose the goblins thought she was an enemy invader and threw stones at her?

  Then she had a moderately bright notion. "Sammy, find a safe way in," she said, setting the cat down.

  Sammy seemed irritated to have his snooze interrupted, but he picked his way to one of the smaller tunnel holes and went in. Jenny had to get down on her hands and knees to squeeze past the rubble partly blocking the hole, and she got her nice blue dress—actually it was Gwenny's dress—smudged in the effort, but she made it.

  Inside it was terrifyingly dark. She should have thought to bring a torch! How was she to find her way in such blackness? "Sammy, wait for me!" she called, fearful of being left behind. The cat would surely find a safe way in, but that wouldn't do her any good if she didn't keep up with him. It was so much harder here in Xanth, where she could neither send nor receive Sammy's mind.

  There was a faint meow. Jenny went toward that, and her foot caught a stone and she almost fell. Then she stepped over an edge and did fall. Screaming, she slid into some sort of slick pit, unable to catch herself.

  Then she realized that it was not a sheer drop, but a steep tunnel. In fact it was a slide! She was sliding down and around and around, swiftly but not horrendously. This was the safe way in!

  After a while her descent slowed. She was sure the back of her dress was horribly soiled, but at least she was all right. Now she saw light, and in two and a half moments came to rest by one of the guttering torches. Sammy was waiting for her there, licking the dirt off his fur.

  "Now find Godiva," Jenny told him. "Slowly!" She took the torch out of its holder and followed as the cat set off again.

  A male goblin intercepted them. "Hey, schnook! Where you going?"

  Jenny adjusted her spectacles and looked at him. She did not recognize him. "Who are you?"

  "What do you mean, who am I?" he demanded. "I'm the one doing the asking here! Where are you going, glass-eyes?"

  "I'm going to see Godiva," she said. "Now get out of my way, because this is important."

  "Oh, yeah, elf?" he demanded, making the "elf' sound like an epithet. "Why you wanna see that female dog?"

  Jenny realized that this was a juvenile goblin. Not only was he smaller than she was, he didn't know the terms forbidden by the Adult Conspiracy of this world. "I don't have to tell you anything."

  "Is that so, point-ears!" he said belligerently. "Well, I'm Gobble, son of the chief, and I want to know what you have to say to that, hair ball."

  So this was Gobble Goblin, the ten-year-old son of Gouty! According to Gwenny, the brattiest brat who ever existed. She could believe it. She remembered that he would become chief if Gwenny didn't.

  Ordinarily Jenny tried to be polite to folk, but she was in a hurry, and this one was just not worth it. "Disappear, brat!" she said, and pushed past him.

  "Oh no you don't, freckle-bottom!" he cried, grabbing her spectacles from her face.

  Suddenly Jenny could hardly see. "Give those back!" she demanded, grabbing for him.

  "Nyaa, nyaa, you can't get them!" he cried tauntingly, staying out of her reach.

  Jenny lurched after him, but only banged into a wall. It scraped the side of her face and hurt horribly.

  Gobble laughed uproariously. "Hey, your snoot looks better already, furriner! Why don't you do the other side too?"

  Jenny was furious and humiliated. Worse, she knew she could not catch him, and she could not see where she was going without those spectacles. She was in real trouble. But she knew that if she started crying, the brat would be even happier.

  "What's going on here?" a voice demanded. Jenny recognized it. It was Godiva! She must have been close to the woman's chamber when she ran into Gobble.

  "Aw, nothing," Gobble said, his voice developing a whining tone. "Just playing."

  "You have her spectacles!" Godiva said severely. "Give them back this instant!"

  There was a faint crash and tinkle of something breaking. "Oops, dropped 'em!" Gobble said. "Oops, stepped on 'em too, by accident. I guess they're broke."

  He had deliberately broken her spectacles! How could she get around now? What a calamity!

  "I will deal with you later, Gobble," Godiva said, and there was that in her voice that made Jenny wince. She heard the brat fleeing; evidently he recognized that tone too. "Come with me, Jenny."

  Godiva's hand took Jenny's elbow, and guided her firmly. Suddenly Jenny didn't have to worry about where she was going; Godiva knew exactly how to help her. She must have had plenty of experience with Gwenny.

  In three quarters of a moment they were in Godiva's nice suite, and the woman was sponging off Jenny's face. It stung, but in a good way, for Godiva had a mother's touch. "Why did you return, Jenny?" she asked gently.

  Suddenly Jenny remembered her mission. "Chex Centaur says can Gwenny come to live with her!" she burst out. "She—she knows—I didn't tell her but—"

  "I understand. I knew she had something in mind. She's a mother."

  "If you could let Gwenny go there, then Che could still be her companion, and they wouldn't tell—"

  "Give up my daughter?" Godiva asked, dismayed. "But she must be chief, otherwise—"

  "Otherwise Gobble is," Jenny said, making a face. "But Chex isn't trying to stop that. She understands. She can teach her—I mean Gwenny can learn while they're teaching Che—and when it's time for her to come back here and be chief—Che will come too. They want Che with them, they don't mind if he's Gwenny's companion, and this is a way—"

  "It is a way," Godiva agreed. "They want their child, as I want mine. But mine can have more freedom with them than theirs can have with me. They are centaurs; they can be trusted. Perhaps this is best."

  "Then you'll do it?" Jenny asked. "You'll let them go?"

  "I will do it," Godiva said.

  "Oh, thank you!" Jenny exclaimed, hugging her.

  "You will have to get
another pair of spectacles," Godiva said, turning businesslike. "But what will become of you, Jenny?"

  "Become of me?" Jenny asked blankly.

  "You came, as I understand it, into Xanth by chance, and can not return to your world. You have helped Che Centaur, and perhaps helped my daughter too. What will you do with your life, now that they will be secure in theirs?"

  "Why—why I don't know. I wasn't thinking of myself. I just did whatever seemed best to do." "Perhaps it is time you did think of yourself."

  "First I have to tell Che and give him his mother's message."

  "Oh? What is that?"

  "Remember the Night Stallion's creed," Jenny said before she thought. Then: "Oh, I don't know if I should have told you. I mean—"

  "It is all right, Jenny," Godiva said gently. "I understand that message." She seemed sad.

  "What does it mean?"

  "That is for Che to decide. Come, I will take you to them now."

  They went to Gwenny's chambers, Godiva's firm hand making it easy for Jenny. Godiva opened the door, moved them in, and closed it behind them. "Here are Che and Gwendolyn, and your cat seems to be settling down on a cushion," she said.

  Jenny appreciated that, because the room was just a blur with vague shapes; she couldn't recognize any of them.

  "Jenny—where are your specs?" Che's voice came.

  "I ran into Gobble," Jenny said.

  "That explains it!" Gwenny's voice came. "I didn't see they were missing, until Che commented, but I know what Gobble is like. Now Che will have to help you too."

  "I shall be glad to," Che said.

  "Give him your message, dear," Godiva murmured to Jenny.

  "Che, Chex says Gwenny can come to your home with you," Jenny said. "So you can be home, and still be her companion."

  "Oooo!" Gwendolyn exclaimed, delighted.

  "Why that is very nice, Jenny," Che said. "It does seem to solve our problem nicely, if the Lady Godiva is amenable."

  "I have agreed to allow this," Godiva said. "With the understanding that the same strictures apply to your family, Che."