Skeleton Key

by Piers Anthony

  “I think this is a job for Super Child,” Win said. “Douse the sail, tie me to the mast and let the shield down.”

  “That could be dangerous,” Santo warned her.

  “Are we going to follow the trail, or not?”

  Santo shrugged. “Be ready to restore the shield in an instant,” he told the peeve. “If she is in trouble.”

  “Got it,” the peeve said, perching on the dogfish who would actually control the shield.

  Squid and Larry went topside with Win. Firenze had already folded the sail, leaving only the standing mast. Squid used cord to wrap around Win, binding her to the mast. “I don’t like this,” Squid murmured. “It looks as though I am tying you so I can—” She stifled the rest of it.

  “Squid, don’t worry about it,” Win said. “I know you wouldn’t kill me without good reason. We’ve been friends and siblings ever since we met.”

  “I don’t want to kill you at all!” Squid cried, and dissolved into tears as she hugged her and the mast.

  Win patted her back. “It was only a bad dream anyway.”

  Squid hoped that was the case. But she had a sick premonition that it wasn’t.

  When Win was secure and all other hands were below decks, the shield faded. The winds buffeted the boat worse.

  Then Win turned on the wind. Originally it had been a mere nuisance, the wind always at her back, blowing her hair forward in her face. But it had been quietly enhanced to near Sorceress level. The wind blew forward, first a breeze, then a gale, then a hurricane. There was no push back, just the powerful blast of air, still increasing.

  Until at last it blew away the storm. There was only the air rushing forward, carrying everything before it.

  The storm was gone, but the boat wasn’t moving, as there was nothing to propel it. Win could not ease up, because then the storm would return. She could not blow the boat itself forward, when the sail was not spread.

  “Oarsmen,” Santo said.

  “But we’ll be blown away!” Firenze protested.

  “No. Win’s wind is narrow at the source, broadening only with distance. You can come up behind her and to the sides, out of the main thrust.”

  “Got it,” Firenze said. He headed topside, along with Piton, Benny, and Fox. Two older boys, two men.

  They ducked down, staying clear of the torrent of wind, and took their places on either side of the boat. They lifted their oars, then stroked them. There was no apparent water surface, but the boat nudged forward. It was working. The storm still raged, but they were in a kind of cone cleared by Win’s wind, and it could not get at them.

  They increased their strokes, rowing harder, and forward progress increased. They were now moving smartly through the alien welkin. “Still ahead,” Fox panted.

  Until they came to a crease in the sky. They crossed it, and were in another environment. The storm was gone.

  In its place was a logjam. Logs of every size were jammed together in a giant tangle.

  Win’s wind eased and quit. “What now?” she asked.

  “The trail goes through it,” Fox said.

  “My turn,” Firenze said. He went to the prow and leaned forward so that his head was in front of the boat. Then he turned on the heat.

  “Wow!” Benny said. “That’s what I call a real hothead!”

  The girls had come topside when the wind abated. “That’s his talent,” Squid said. “It was once his curse, but now it is under control, thanks to Ula.” Indeed, Ula was there with him now, helping to steady him so he wouldn’t fall in front of the boat.

  Firenze’s head got hotter, turning red, then white. “Nudge the boat forward,” Ula called back.

  Win resumed her place at the helm, and Piton went to haul up the sail. It caught fire, burning brightly in a pentagon outline. The wind caught it, and the boat nudged forward.

  Firenze’s head touched the closest log. The wood burst into flame.

  The head touched the next. That too flared up, dissipating into ashes.

  In fact Firenze was burning his way through the logjam, forming a charred tunnel the boat used.

  In due course they emerged from the far side.

  Only to discover a broad plain under a low ceiling, as though it were a space between too giant plates. It was supporting an army. There were hundreds of grim armed men. A number of them carried torches of the type that looked to be designed to set fire to boats.

  “The trail leads dead ahead,” Fox said. “Right through that contingent.”

  “We can’t fly over it,” Santo said. “We can’t go around it. And I doubt we can fight it.”

  “Something there is that really, really doesn’t like a trail,” Noe said.

  The soldiers spied the boat. A bugle sounded a green note, and they marched forward.

  “My turn,” Hilda said, busily knitting. Soon she had what looked like a flag, only it was in the shape of a giant panty. “Who is big enough to put this on?”

  “That must be me,” Dori said. “Panties work best when worn by grown women with mature behinds.”

  “I’ll add some elastic,” Hilda said, sewing some more.

  The army was almost upon them. Dori almost leaped into the panty, donning it over her skirt, and the elastic tightened it around her middle. Then she went to the mast. “Douse the fire,” she told Firenze, who was back with the sail. The fire flickered out. Dori took hold of the dry material. “Now hoist me up.”

  Firenze worked the cords and the sail rose, carrying Dori with it. She squirmed around to present her backside to the army. Then she bent over, stretching the fabric tight.

  The closest men freaked out so hard they fell backwards. They knocked down the next row, which was freaking out similarly. They were like dominoes, freaking and falling in an ever-widening semicircle. Before long the entire army was on the ground, gazing sightlessly up at the upper plate.

  So were the men and boys of the boat.

  “Now that’s what I call a panty flash,” Dori said, satisfied. She climbed down. “May I keep this too?” she asked Hilda. “Along with the veil?”

  “Keep it,” Hilda agreed. “You earned it.”

  They woke the boys and men of the crew and resumed their forward motion. Beyond the fallen army was the next window.

  They sailed through it. There was a pleasant island covered with bushes and trees. In the distance rose the graceful turrets of a castle.

  Data stared. “That’s Caprice!”

  The others in turn stared at her. “You recognize it?” Noe asked. “You’re sure it’s not another Animalian castle with a similar outline?”

  “I’d know it anywhere. Ask Piton.”

  “It’s Caprice Castle,” her brother agreed.

  “It is solid green,” Fox agreed.

  They had arrived.

  Chapter 16

  Chaos

  “Stop right there,” Santo said. “We must reorganize before we go any farther.”

  “Indeed we must,” Fox agreed. “As you explained before, it is not safe for an adult to approach that castle.”

  “It may not be safe for a child, either,” Noe said. “We’re really just guessing. But Squid, Laurelai, Hilda, and Ion were there before, in their changed genders.”

  “We really don’t know what rules the Demons are following,” Squid said. “It’s just our best guess that children are immune.”

  “It does make a certain sense,” Dori said. “All they can do now is try it and see.”

  “So we three adults will depart your group now,” Benny said. “And if you escape with the castle, Fox will track you down for a later reunion.” He paused. “But that leaves a question, Hilda. Do you wish to go with me now, or the siblings?”

  Hilda grimaced. “Bad phrasing. What I wish is one thing. What I must do is another. I wish I could be
with you, Benny, but the siblings may need me.”

  “I understand. When we get together again, then you can decide whether to introduce me to your royal family. I will understand if you decide not to.” He smiled a bit wanly. “I am, after all, a pretty ordinary guy, a crossbreed without a known talent.”

  She ran to him and hugged him. “Oh, Benny, I have decided that! If I live, I will live with you.”

  “More than that, I can’t ask.” It was a simple statement, not especially emotional, but Squid felt the surge of emotion within him. He was close to loving her, and not simply because of her royalty or her Sorceress talent or the fact that she was completely human. He had come to know her as a person, and he liked that person. She would become his ideal woman when she matured. The main thing that restrained him now was her youth, though of course time would take care of that. If she elected to stay with him, he would devote his life to serving her interests.

  “I’m not adult,” Vinia said. “But neither am I a sibling. I don’t know where I should be.”

  “With me,” Ion said firmly. “I need you for every step I take.”

  She looked at Santo, wanting his stance. Ion did have his magic carpet, so could manage without her, physically.

  “Stay,” Santo said. “He does need you, and you need him. This is the countryside: without him you would soon be choking.”

  “I would,” Vinia agreed gratefully. Squid knew that her love was already absolute.

  “Next question,” Noe said. “As we approach the castle, do you two skeletons go in first, alone, to see if you can take it out of here?”

  “Why should we?” Piton asked. “The presence or absence of the other children shouldn’t make any difference, and you don’t want to get stranded here if we move it out. We’re sure not going to bring it back here for the Demon to grab again if we do get it out.”

  “Apt thought,” Santo agreed. “So, then, we thirteen children will enter the castle, where Piton and Data will see about moving it out. We will not dilly-dally; moving it is our first order of business. Once we save it, we can see about the welfare of the six adults trapped in it. They may be okay the moment the castle is clear and their stasis abates. We hope so. Any other thoughts?”

  “What gender, this time?” Larry asked. “Now that we have a choice.”

  “As we are now,” Noe said. “The fact that we can now change genders at will does not mean that we have to. We should be in our most familiar bodies.”

  “And our adult thoughts,” Fox said. “Just that we outsiders admire your talents and your courage, and wish you success.”

  “And if you succeed, and we rejoin you,” Dori said, “We may want to remain close to you and your associated adults as you achieve adulthood yourselves. You are remarkable folk, regardless of your youth, and an amazing group, not merely because of the royal or Magician caliber members. You are something special. Even your animals, to which I also relate.” She glanced at Tata Dogfish and the peeve.

  “Thank you,” Santo said, quirking a smile. “We agree you are some animal, Dori Doe.” There was general laughter.

  Then the three adults stepped back, and the boat started moving. They waved to each other as they passed out of sight. It was no secret: the children had come to like these adults, and appreciated their assistance on the trail.

  They wove between the trees, not advertising their presence, until they came close to the castle. Surprise was the key element.

  “I just had a nasty thought,” Ula said. “Suppose it is Fibot the Demon is after, to add to Caprice? They are similar devices in some respects.”

  “We considered that,” Squid said. “But if the Demon can’t act unless an adult is aboard, it doesn’t matter.”

  “I mean, suppose it’s not the presence of an adult that triggers the takeover, but the presence of Fibot?”

  They looked at her with dismay. Once again Ula had come up with the unusual perspective. Could she be correct?

  “And if we anchor in the castle courtyard,” Win said, “We’ll be making it easy for them.”

  The craft stopped moving.

  “But if we don’t,” Myst said, “And we see trouble coming, we’ll have to scramble worse to reach the boat, to escape.”

  “If we can escape, at that point,” Piton said.

  “Vote,” Santo said. “How many say to land in the courtyard?”

  The decision was to land in the court, though it was plain that none of them were entirely easy about it.

  The craft resumed motion. It sailed up over the castle, then down into the central courtyard, landing softly.

  “Do we go in together, or single file, or only some of us?” Squid asked.

  “Together,” Larry said, taking her hand. “And in couples or clusters. No one alone.”

  The others agreed, forming exactly such units.

  They exited Fibot together, leaving Tata and the peeve in charge. They walked to the nearest entrance to the castle proper as a close group of clusters. There they paused.

  “If this goes wrong,” Santo said. “I just want to say that it has been an honor to associate with you. All of you.”

  “Ditto,” Firenze said, smiling.

  “Ditto,” the others echoed.

  Then Santo put his hand on the lever and turned it. The door opened.

  The castle was silent, as before. They gathered in the front hall. “Piton, Data,” Santo said. “Do what you know how to do. Myst will help you. The rest of us will go silently admire the frozen figures Squid, Ion, and Hilda will show us.”

  Piton and Data disappeared down a hall, Myst following Piton. Squid stepped forward to lead the others to the central chamber where the folk had been in stasis. Were they still there?

  And there they were. Six adult figures in a glassy display case. Picka Bone and Princess Dawn, the proprietors and Piton and Data’s parents. Dell and Nia, proprietors of the fire boat. And Magnus and Jess, guests. All fine people. All trapped.

  Jess, Squid thought. We have come to rescue you.

  The figure did not move, but the woman’s mind came awake. Oh, Squid, you didn’t! There was anguish in the thought.

  We did. All of us. With Fibot.

  But I thought you understood. You are in great danger here.

  I did understand. You were warning us away. But we had to come anyway.

  But why, if you understood?

  That was what she could not say: that this was a setup for Fornax to catch the culprit Demon in the act. If that Demon struck. We just had to try to rescue you and Caprice. We couldn’t let you be captive forever.

  Oh, Squid, Jess repeated sadly.

  Then the castle moved. They felt it lifting and floating in the air. Piton and Data were doing it!

  “We’re flying!” Data called. “We’ve got it on manual so we can move slowly. No fading out and in. Now we’re going over water.”

  Oh, Data! That was a different thought, probably Princess Dawn, horrified about the danger to her daughter.

  There was a jolt as the castle abruptly halted.

  “Oops!” Piton called. “Something’s gone wrong. We’re stalled over the sea. Caprice is not responding any more.”

  The display case dissolved. The six frozen figures came to life. “Bleep!” Dell swore. “The trap has sprung.”

  The children stood as if freaked out, neither moving nor speaking. Squid realized that the trigger had not been the presence of an adult, or the arrival of Fibot, but the movement of the castle. Or maybe there were several triggers.

  But Squid was ready. “Trap?” she asked, though she already knew its nature.

  “They figured that when the skeleton kids came, all the children would come, and bring Fibot,” Princess Dawn said. “That’s the other prize. That’s what they were waiting for. Now they’ve got it.”

 
Squid needed to keep them talking, so she could verify the exact nature of the trap, knowing that Fornax was listening. “Who was waiting?”

  “D NA and R NA, Dwarf Demons,” Jess said. “They can’t operate freely in Xanth proper, so they set their foul snare in the Sometime region nearby and waited for the castle to bring Picka Bone to visit the skeletons. But the boat didn’t enter Sometime proper, so they missed it. Now they’ve got what they sought, by tricking you into coming back. Caprice and Fibot both, together with the folk to operate them as a functioning exhibit. Oh, if only you had stayed away!”

  “Who and who?” Squid asked.

  “Demon NA and Robot NA,” Magnus said. “The Not Announced twins. They’re collectors. They set up displays and charge others to come see them. Now they’ve got a fine set.”

  “I don’t see any Dwarf Demons,” Squid said. “Where are they?” She was playing a role, of a kind, getting things out into the open. There was still too much obscurity.

  Dell and Nia stepped into the center. “We are here, animating local hosts,” Dell boomed in a voice quite unlike his own. “Dwarf Demon Not Announced.” He had a presence that radiated outward like a dirty boulder dropped into a polluted pool.

  “And Robot Demon Not Announced,” Nia said in a voice completely different from her own. “Now line up, brats, so we can label you as supplementary exhibits.” Her voice was like overgrown fingernails tearing up ancient mildewed blackboards.

  Now was the time. “Oh, go away,” Squid said. “We’re not your creatures.”

  Both Demons stared at her as if amazed by her effrontery.

  “Who sez?” Dwarf demanded.

  Squid stood her ground, or in this case, floor. “I say. I am Squid.”

  “You and who else?” Robot scratched.

  Now Larry strode forth. “She and me,” he said. Then he burst out of his male body and expanded into an effulgent queenly display. Only because Squid had long known Fornax and was able to relate to her was she able to see her and understand her thoughts. “Demoness Fornax, popular name for the condition of Anti-Matter.” She gestured, and the two lesser Demons cowered back. “In the name of the Demon Xanth, whose property you have stolen, I am arresting you and sentencing you to eternal degradation.”