Swell Foop

by Piers Anthony

  They struggled, each shoving the other forth and back. Their bodies came together, hands still locked. They were in a kind of dance, but it wasn't friendly.

  Then it changed. Demoness Venus was with Breanna, and she was suffused with love. That love transferred, making Fornax feel it too. She loved Venus.

  "Feel that desire!" Venus breathed. She kissed Fornax on Jaylin's mouth.

  Fornax kissed back. "I love you," she whispered.

  Then Breanna pushed her violently away. "The bleep you do!" She retreated, breathing hard.

  Jaylin remembered that the mortals controlled the bodies of the lesser pieces. Breanna had asserted herself and broken up the clinch. "Thanks," Jaylin said.

  Breanna's lips quirked. "It's Justin I want to do that to, no offense."

  Fornax, having tasted the interaction of their emotions, was now reconsidering. "Yes, it is Demon Earth I desire, not another female."

  "Go desire some other man," Breanna snapped. "This one's mine!"

  "Not while the game continues." Without warning, Fornax spun about and threw herself on Justin. She wrapped Jaylin's arms around him, bearing him back against the wall, pressed Jaylin's front to his, and kissed him fiercely. Unable to retreat, Justin sank to the floor, but she stayed with him, wrapping Jaylin's legs around his and tearing at his buttonless shirt.

  Breanna made a sound like that of a tiger whose tail had been trodden on. She pounced on the pair, taking handfuls of whatever was there. That happened to be Fornax's robe, which was coming apart. She brought her face down, baring her teeth for a vicious bite of whatever else.

  Again, the Demon emotions took hold. Now there was a melding of extreme desire, love, and hope. It was clear by the Demon thoughts that all of them felt all three. Instead of biting off someone's nose, Breanna kissed someone's mouth. It wasn't clear whose. Instead of trying to push away a torso, Justin's hand stroked an anonymous breast. Meanwhile clothing was getting shredded.

  And again, Breanna fought back. "Break it up!" she cried, shoving away someone's face and someone else's chest. "This isn't what any of us want!" She got a knee in between several legs and wedged them apart.

  Fornax rolled on the floor, ejected from the cluster. She jumped up. Breanna and Justin climbed back to their feet, panting. The three of them stared at each other at close range, then backed away, giving themselves more room. Justin's shirt was half off, Breanna's skirt was rolled up around her waist so that her black panties were exposed, and Jaylin's robe was open to the floor.

  Justin shrugged. "You ladies are showing more than you ought," he said, as he tucked his shirt back into his waistband.

  Breanna started to untangle her skirt, but paused. "Justin, why aren't you freaked out?"

  He smiled. "This is not Xanth. The magic is limited. I think what you are both showing is most interesting indeed, but hardly sufficient to make me forfeit my consciousness." That realization had evidently made him largely immune to the effect that had mesmerized him before.

  Jaylin and Breanna exchanged a glance, then completed their reassembly. A significant weapon had been nullified. "So we have a standoff," Breanna said. "Nobody can score."

  "I think not," Fornax said. "The object for me is to prevent Demon Earth from departing this castle today. I can do that by clasping him-"

  "If you do, I'll clasp you," Breanna said. "The way I just did, making it a threesome."

  "And suffer the consequences of unfettered desire, love, and hope?"

  "If that's the way it's gotta be, to stop you from molesting him."

  "I think you have not thought this through," Fornax said smugly.

  "Yeah? How not?"

  "First, your contact will not prevent what you quaintly call molestation, but augment it as you yourself participate in it. The assigned emotions will merge and govern."

  "Bleep," Breanna swore, conceding the point.

  "Second, if we indulge in reckless passions indefinitely, as seems likely given the power of the emotions and the Demons involved, the time will expire without Earth's escape, and the victory in the game will be mine."

  "Double bleep!"

  "So why don't you save yourselves embarrassment and concede the game? Then, Venus, you may join in, if you wish, indulging your love without distraction. And you, Breanna, may in due course take Justin back to your homeland, because he is merely the carrier, not the object of the game. I have no designs on him personally. There is no need for us to quarrel further."

  Breanna hesitated.

  "Don't do it," Justin said. "Fornax represents contra-terrene matter. If she assumes power in our realm, all of it will be destroyed. There will be no love for us, no marriage, because we will cease to exist."

  "Triple bleep! That's worse yet. We can't let her win."

  "I will not let him go," Fornax said. "If you attempt to join him, I will join you, and we will have the threesome, which will be my eventual victory. I think you would prefer not to indulge in that scenario."

  Breanna paused, evidently consulting with Venus. Jaylin quailed; she saw no way to balk Fornax's victory. Certainly she didn't want to be part of any group passion scene.

  Then Breanna nodded. "There is another option. Justin can just walk out the front gate." She faced him. "Here's the key. Go." She tossed it, and he caught it.

  "I will not allow that, either," Fornax said evenly. "I will clasp him the moment he moves toward that exit, and thoroughly seduce him. He will not be able to leave, even if he should want to."

  "We've been through that already," Breanna said. "I won't just stand by and let you mess with him."

  Fornax shrugged. "A twosome or a threesome; both are intriguing, and both will bring me victory. We shall have to play it out." She took a step toward Justin.

  Breanna leaped, tackling her before she got there. The two of them crashed to the floor in a tangle of limbs and flying hair. "Get out of here, Justin!" she cried as she wrestled with Jaylin's body.

  But Fornax refused to yield. "Remain with me, Earth! We shall satisfy both hope and desire together."

  Justin, evidently prompted by Demon Earth, hesitated. Jaylin wasn't sure which one governed that body. If it was Earth, Fornax might influence him. If it was Justin, Fornax's control of Jaylin's body might influence him. What would he do?

  "Leave the castle!" Breanna screamed as she captured Jaylin's hands and held them tightly, preventing any tag. "The moment you're out, we win. Then we can go home and get married, and I'll give you everything you ever thought about dreaming of, and some you wouldn't even have the nerve to imagine. And the Demon Earth can watch, for all I care. I came from Mundania, after all. Just start walking!"

  Justin nodded, and started walking.

  "Stay!" Fornax called. "Then you can enjoy everything she has now, and everything I have too, all together." She managed to shift about so that the robe was open again, and Jaylin's panties were showing. "Everything! In one swell foop, as it were."

  Justin paused. That was one potent offer, unfortunately. And Fornax wasn't bluffing. She wanted to keep Justin/Earth thoroughly occupied for the rest of the day and night. Jaylin quailed.

  "It's the Swell Foop that got us into this," Breanna cried. "It's time to wrap this up and retire it. Walk!"

  Justin hesitated, then resumed walking.

  Fornax could not free her hands, but she was able to stretch Breanna and herself into a rather naughty position, in the manner of female wrestlers. "Look at this!" she cried. "You will never have another chance! In duplicate, yet. You will love it, I guarantee. Stay and be wickedly delighted."

  Justin paused, looking. He was, after all, a man. He couldn't help it. He seemed to be on the verge of freaking out despite the lack of freakout magic.

  "If you love me, leave me!" Breanna cried, struggling to get something halfway out of sight.

  And that did it. Justin wrenched his gaze away and walked on out of the room. They heard his footsteps moving toward the front gate.

  "Don't goooo!"
Fornax wailed despairingly.

  The footsteps stopped. "Justin was always a sucker for a maiden in distress," Breanna muttered ferociously.

  "Don't gooomph!" Fornax cried, as Breanna stifled her piteous wail with a comprehensive kiss. Woman to woman it might be, but love and desire set Fornax back; she wasn't used to this.

  After a moment the footsteps resumed. Justin continued on out of the castle. Every time Fornax tried to wail after him, Breanna stuffed her mouth with another kiss. Fornax tried to fight it, but the powerful emotions vitiated her effort. She didn't know how to handle them. Neither did Jaylin.

  "You can quit now, girls," Che said. "It's done."

  They paused in their struggle. "Done?" Fornax asked.

  "He's out," Sim squawked. "We won the game. Our folk are no longer nulled."

  "Bleep!" Fornax said. "I almost had him."

  "There's no call for language like that," Cynthia said. "There will be other games."

  They disengaged and stood up, wild-haired and ragged. "There will be other games," Fornax agreed.

  "We shall be returning to our own galaxy now," Che said. "Do you wish to come along?"

  "What are you talking about?" Breanna demanded as she tried to repair what was left of her skirt. "This bleep of a bleep tried to destroy our whole universe! You're inviting her along?"

  "There was nothing personal in it," Sim squawked. "Demons vie for status."

  "Yes, I am curious to see your environment," Fornax said as the castle disappeared, leaving them standing with Justin. "Perhaps Earth will show me some more mortals." She flounced her robe, in the guise of adjusting it. Jaylin would have tried to blush again at the way her flesh was being flaunted, had she been able. Why hadn't Fornax left her body?

  "Because I will be conveying it to your galaxy," the Demoness replied internally.

  "There is no need," Earth said through Justin's mouth.

  "What, did I not tempt you a little?" Another flounce, this time making sure he saw. He did; Justin's eyes began to glaze. She was getting better at it, or maybe he was no longer fighting it.

  "Cut that out!" Breanna said.

  "You admixed your love with my desire," Fornax retorted. "If you don't want to kiss me more, then allow me to explore other options."

  "Not with my man!"

  "He is merely the shell hosting the Demon Earth at the moment."

  "True." This time it was the Demoness Venus speaking.

  Justin picked up the Swell Foop. Then they were zooming through the universe, seeing stars and clouds of dust zip by. They landed in the main chamber of the Nameless Castle.

  "The mission is done," Cynthia reported. "Demon Earth is with us."

  "True," Earth said with Justin's mouth.

  Chlorine nodded. "Then we can relinquish the Swell Foop and the Rings of Xanth."

  Justin gave her the Foop. She took it-and it vanished.

  "What happened?" Jaylin asked, startled.

  "It hides itself," Chlorine explained. "It will be just as challenging to find next time. Now you must return the Rings to the Zombie Master."

  "But the Rings were on the Foop," Jaylin protested. Then, startled, she looked at her own hand. The Ring of Void was there. She saw the other Rings on the other hands. They had returned to their holders when the Swell Foop departed.

  "Will do," Breanna said.

  The Demons remained with them, apparently interested in the proceedings. But that rang false to Jaylin. "Why should Demons have any concern at all about anything mortals do?"

  "Normally we do not," Fornax replied. "Mortals are useful only in the introduction of random elements for games. But this game introduced emotions. Until they fade, it is not safe for us to leave our hosts."

  "Not safe? But mortals can't do anything to Demons."

  "Emotions can have destructive effect when not filtered through mortal beings. The game is done, but we are not yet free of the effects of the Swell Foop."

  Jaylin decided not to argue the case. She just wanted to get on with things so she could return home. She realized that this was probably an aspect of the Foop-sponsored desire, so Fornax was right: It had not yet faded.

  They moved the party to Castle Zombie. Fornax was using her omniscience to look about, learning details at an incredible (for a mortal) rate.

  "But I thought no Demon had power outside its own bailiwick," Jaylin thought.

  "We do if there is not a game rule prohibiting it," Fornax explained. "At the moment we are between games."

  "You seem remarkably sanguine about losing your game."

  "Demons are. Had the Swell Foop given me the emotion of anger or grief, I would not be as accepting. As it is, I merely wish to explore the further ramifications of desire, before entering the next game."

  They met with the Zombie Master and turned the Rings over to him. "New zombies will hide them," he said, satisfied. "For their next time of need, in a few centuries."

  Jaylin saw Roxanne Roc sitting in sight of Castle Zombie, ready to resume her duties. The big bird had had more of a respite than she might have expected, but she was obviously prepared to return to work.

  "All of you are invited to the wedding," Breanna announced. "Coming right up, or else."

  The assorted guests made their ways to the glade where the wedding was scheduled. "How did everyone get here so fast?" Jaylin asked, perplexed. "How could it be organized, when Breanna just announced it?"

  "I helped," a nearby man said. "I am a talent agent. My talent is finding talented people. I found people who knew when the wedding would be, and what to do to prepare for it." He looked around, fixing on another man who was straightening some chairs. "Like this one, whose talent is to bring something forward or back in time. He got the chairs from the future, and the wedding ring from the past, which the groom had forgotten about."

  Jaylin shook her head. "It's good to be back in Xanth, where puns and talents abound, and folk are so helpful."

  "It does have a certain naive appeal," Fornax agreed.

  A soft nose nudged Jaylin. "Putre!" she cried gladly, turning to hug the zombie horse.

  But he had bad news. "The Night Stallion will not allow me to remain in Xanth," his speech balloon wrote. "Now that my mission is done, I must be abolished. I came to bid you parting. It was a pleasure to associate with you."

  "No!" Jaylin cried. "He can't do that!"

  "I am originally a dream horse," the balloon wrote. "My fate was postponed while I served duty as the knower for the Ring of Void. A new zombie will take the Ring. I am now expendable. You were kind to me, and I thank you for that."

  "No! It can't be!" Jaylin protested tearfully. "You're a good horse."

  "I am allowed to attend the wedding, as it is a zombie function. Thereafter I will cease to exist."

  She hugged him. "I'll do something," she promised. But she had no idea what. She herself had no magic, and was not going to be in Xanth beyond the wedding, either. She felt tearfully helpless.

  "Fascinating mortal foolishness," Fornax remarked.

  "Oh, shut up! You're no help at all."

  "Perhaps. Would you like to play a game?"

  "What?"

  "A Demon game, whose rules are set and whose outcome is unknown."

  "I'm not a Demon! I'm not even a little d demon. I'm just an ordinary Mundane girl. How can I play any such thing? Anyway, I don't like what you did with my body."

  "Then you will not like this game. I want to borrow your body again."

  "Borrow my body! You tried to use it to seduce Justin Tree!"

  "To corrupt the Demon Earth, to win the game. I will accept reasonable limitations in this instance. This is not really a game so much as a supplementary adjunct to a potential full Demon game, somewhat as was your case in the prior one."

  Despite her horror, Jaylin was curious. "Why in the universe would you want to borrow my body again?"

  "To have a base to visit Demon Earth."

  "He doesn't want anything to do with you.
"

  "That is an exaggeration. I succeeded in intriguing him. Perhaps I can complete the seduction."

  "With my body? No way!"

  "I will agree to leave your body unseduced."

  "I don't understand."

  "The emotions engendered by the Swell Foop are fading. They could have been devastating, had they not been filtered through mortal bodies. Even so, they were moving. It was the dire threat of such emotions that caused me to agree to the game that cost me my captive; the Foop could have ruined me."

  "Ruined you? Those emotions just seemed to be frosting on the cake; you could have played your game without them."

  "But I would not have. The Demon Earth was in my power, and would have had to join me. I had no intention of risking that advantage on a wild gamble."

  "But you played the game!"

  "Precisely. The Swell Foop was like a-" Fornax paused to fish a suitable analogy from Jaylin's mind. "A cannon pointed at my head. It could have given me the unfettered emotion of grief, so that I wished to expire, or of love, so that I would have done anything for those who controlled it. The Foop's active presence doomed me."

  "Then why didn't the other Demons just use it on you, to win without having to risk two more of their own number?"

  "Because if they destroyed me, they would also have destroyed Demon Earth, who was in my power. They needed his gravity."

  It was slowly coming clear. "So they offered you good stakes in a fair game, and you accepted."

  "I accepted," the Demoness agreed. "And lost. But not as much as I would have lost otherwise. As it is, I have now directly felt the power of emotion, and have become interested in mortal affairs. But I cannot intrude on another Demon's terrain hereafter without a normal-matter landing site. I want you to be that site."

  "So you can yank me out of my Mundane life and drag me off to your galaxy?"

  "I will undertake to leave you in your familiar setting. In any event, I may not utilize your site in this century."

  "This century!"

  "Or I may. Time is largely meaningless to Demons. I want the right to use it."