Faun and Games (10 page)

What had happened?
 
He hadn't seen any monster or hurtling 10comotive or

anything; why had he been so suddenly and awfully afraid?

"I think you have a problem, faun." Sire faded out, satisfied.

He stepped forward again-and was blasted by the fear.
 
He reeled back

again, out the doorway.
 
It was this place: he was afraid to enter it.

But he had to enter it, because it was the only entrance to the castle

he had found.

He stepped close to the entrance, stopping just short of the fear, and

peered in.
 
There was a small man, or maybe an elf, or maybe in between.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious?
 
I am LA, the lost angel.
 
I am here to help you

enter the castle.
 
But first you must conquer your foolish fear."

So it was the third Challenge.
 
All he had to do was nerve himself and

go on through.
 
It seemed simple enough.
 
After all, LA didn't seem to

be afraid, so probably there was nothing to fear.

He tried again, and was balked again.
 
There was nothing to fear except

fear itself!
 
He couldn't enter that chamber.

He pondered.
 
The chamber itself must be imbued with fear, so that

anyone who entered it was terrified.
 
But then why wasn't the lost angel

afraid too'?
 
Was there some secret way to nullify the fear?
 
No,

probably there was a special anti-fear spell on LA, so that he was

immune.
 
It wouldn't make sense to have the folk helping the Good

Magician be afraid to do their duties.

In each case before there had been a barrier or threat of some kind, and

a person of some type, and the person had been the key to the solution.

Could this be the case again?
 
He thought it would make more sense to

have something entirely different, but he wasn't the Good Magician, and

didn't know how the old man thought.
 
So maybe there was a pattern, and

the person would have the answer.
 
But not anything obvious.

What would a lost angel have to do with fear?
 
Maybe angels were beyond

fear, so that was how he was able to be in that dread chamber. But

Forrest was no angel, so he needed something else.
 
Still, maybe he

could talk to LA and learn something, as he had with the other two.

He looked in.
 
LA was just sitting there, completely at ease.
 
"I gather

that there is a way for me to eliminate my fear, and that you know of

it, but won't tell me," he said.

LA nodded.
 
"You seem reasonably smart, for a faun."

"Not everyone considers me so," Forrest said.
 
"I met a damsel and a

dragon, and I think the damsel liked me, but thought I was a bit dull."

"Beauty is often in the eye of the beholder."

"She was extremely beautiful, so I must have been dull in contrast."

Forrest considered how to proceed.
 
"Do you have a magic talent?"

"Why yes.
 
I can change one kind of wood to another kind of wood.

Unfortunately there is no wood here, so I can't show you."

Something nagged at Forrest's mind, but he couldn't place it.
 
So he

talked some more, hoping to learn something useful.
 
"You came to ask

the Good Magician a Question, and he gave you his Answer, and now you

are serving your years's Service for him?"

"Exactly."

"If it is not too personal, what was your Question?"

"It's not personal at all.
 
It wasn't a Question, it was a request.
 
I

asked that a significant village be named after me.
 
He told me that one

already was, but that it was in Mundania.
 
I suppose that's better than

nothing."

"And for this you are glad to serve for a year?"

"It does seem inadequate.
 
But that's what I get for wanting something

stupid.
 
I am learning a whole lot during this Service, and will depart

here a much wiser creature.
 
If I had known how it would be, I would

have dispensed with the Question, and simply come for the Service."

That surprised Forrest.
 
"Is it the same with Dot, and the

psychologist?"

"Certainly.
 
And for the mer-dragon too.
 
And maybe for you, if you

manage to get through."

"The damsel said he would not require a Service of me."

Now LA was surprised.
 
"I find that hard to believe.
 
He always requires

a Service.
 
It's his way of discouraging folk who aren't serious, just

as is this business of three Challenges.
 
Why should you be an

exception?"

"I have no idea.
 
Maybe it's not true."

"Who was this damsel?"

"She called herself Chlorine.
 
She said her talent was poisoning water.

She rode a funny looking dragon."

"Ah, the dragon ass.
 
I have heard of him.
 
They are an odd couple.

Well, maybe they know what they are doing.
 
I have heard that good

things tend to happen when they are around, as if they somehow reverse

the normal perversity of fate."

Reverse perversity?
 
Then, for no reason, Forrest got a notion.
 
Reverse

wood!
 
Could that reverse the fright spell on the chamber?
 
Of course he

d'Idn't have any reverse wood, but if LA cared to cooperate, he could

get some.

"Will you do me a favor?" he asked the lost angel.

"Within reason.
 
What do you want?"

"I would like you to change some wood for me."

"I'd be glad to.
 
But I don't have any wood."

"But I do." Forrest removed one of his sandals.
 
"Will you change this

sandalwood to reverse wood?"

LA smiled.
 
"You are a clever one!
 
Very well: bring it here."

Forrest started to walk into the chamber-and was immediately beaten back

by utter fear.
 
Oh, no-he couldn't do what he wanted, because of the

thing he wanted to eliminate.

But then he found a way.
 
"I will toss it to you."

He threw the sandal.
 
LA caught it and held it.
 
"Are you sure you want

me to do this?
 
There may be consequences."

"I'll risk them.
 
Change it to reverse wood."

"Very well.
 
Done."

The sandal looked the same, but when Forrest tried to enter the room, he

had no trouble.
 
In fact he was drawn into it, delighting in its

ambiance.
 
Not only did he feel no fear, he felt absolutely fearless.

"Thank you," he said to the lost angel.
 
"That worked perfectly."

"Did it?"

"Sure.
 
My fear is gone.
 
I'm having absolutely no trouble with this

chamber.
 
In fact I could stay here forever."

"That's nice." But LA seemed oddly subdued.

"Well, I must move on into the castle proper.
 
But I'll need my sandal.

Please change it back to sandalwood now."

"I can't do that."

"But you changed it before.
 
Why can't you do it again?"

"Because the reverse wood reverses my talent.
 
Now I can't change

anything."

Forrest paused.
 
The angel had warned him that there might be

consequences.
 
He hadn't paid enough attention.

"Maybe I can use it anyway," he said.
 
"Let me put it on."

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"I don't have any magical talent.
 
I'm a faun.
 
So it can't reverse it.

If I take it away from you, your own talent should revert to normal, so

you'll be okay.
 
And who knows-maybe I'll find some future use for

reverse wood.
 
So, yes, this seems the best way."

LA gave him the sandal, and he put it on.
 
But he felt suddenly quite