xanth 40 - isis orb (28 page)

Then he saw the snakes on her head. It was the gorgon, in her natural state! Just like the picture in the box. “You!”

“We gorgons are distantly related to the sirens. We can issue the call when we choose to. Only our target can hear it.”

“That ooOOoo?” Only when he tried to emulate it, it sounded more like OOooOO, horribly atonal.

“Come to me, Hapless,” she said. “I promise I won’t molest you or wash you out. I just want to talk.”

He might be crazy, but he trusted her. “I am coming to you, Carmen.” He waded into the water.

“Moonlight is too weak for my power to work,” she said. “You can safely look me in the face.”

He reached her, and looked into her eyes. They were like bottomless pools, drawing him in.

She kissed him. He clasped her in the water. She was all woman above, no woman below. “I promised not to molest you,” she said. “As you can feel, it’s impossible when I’m in this form.”

“Impossible,” he agreed faintly.

“It requires a liquid hour to convert my tail to legs, and another hour to change back, so I don’t do it casually. But I will do it for you if you truly want it.”

“Uh, I wouldn’t put you to that trouble.” Because he suspected that if she made legs and he got between them, he might never get free of her.

“This way.” She swam out into deep water.

“Uh, I’m not sure how far I can swim. I’m not good at that either.”

“I’ll tow you. Relax.” She swung an arm around his neck, drew his head close against her left breast facing up, and swam backstroke, hauling him along with ease. Her powerful flukes propelled them so rapidly they left a dark wake in the water. He might have been alarmed, but the support of her breast pacified him and he was at ease.

Soon they came to a moonlit islet in the lake. They sat in the shallow surf, facing each other. She was absolutely lovely; even her snakes formed esthetic curls around her face.

“Uh, what—” he asked, exerting his penchant for sparkling dialogue.

“There’s something about you, Hapless. I want to be your girlfriend.”

His girlfriend! “What, because of my nonexistent musical ability?”

“Actually it is a formidable talent, conjuring musical instruments and enabling others to play them. I felt its power when I played the water bowls. But it’s more than that.”

“It can’t be my masculine appeal. I’m not good at anything.”

“True. But you are a virgin. That’s rare in a man, and has considerable appeal to an experienced female like me. I’d dearly like to be your first intimate experience. But it’s more than that, too.”

She could tell that he’d never made it with a woman? “Uh, more?”

“Yes. It relates to your personality.”

“My gumption?”

“Yes. There is some way that you are almost unique among men. I would revel in your continued company, and treat you very well. I am centuries lonely for the association of a man I could respect. All the considerable resources of the water realm could be yours. For example, I could enable you to breathe water so that you could explore the deepest seas without drowning. If you will only be mine.”

She was serious? The idea was wickedly tempting, and not just because of the evocative breast she had provided for a pillow. “I am fated to have two good girlfriends and one bad girlfriend. You must be the bad one.” Maybe that would turn her off.

“I must be,” she agreed. “Though I am not a bad person, Hapless. I don’t wash out anyone without reason. I protect the Region of Water from pollution and exploitation. It’s a worthy calling.”

Indeed, it seemed so. But there was that in him that could not accept it. “We are here to capture you and render you into the Water Totem, that we need to complete our Quest.”

“I thought it might be something like that. That’s why I changed and intercepted you, the moment your party entered my realm. But I’m not interested in being your Totem; it would interrupt my lifestyle.”

“Well, that’s the way it is. I must complete my Quest.”

“You will not be moved?”

“Yes, I won’t.” Would that cause her to wash him out immediately?

“Even if I put on my legs and wrap them around you?”

She would do that? He’d be doomed. But still he resisted. “Yes. You could seduce me, but you couldn’t divert me from my quest.”

“Oh, you are so infernally desirable when you are determined to do what you believe is the right thing. I do want to win you for my own.”

“No.” Though his passion was crying yes!

She sighed. “So it seems we must be opponents. Very well, I will return you safely to your camp, as I regard this session as a de facto truce. But thereafter it will be war.”

Bleep. He hated the thought, quite apart from its deadly danger. “War,” he agreed.

“I will give you a day or three to reconsider, and welcome you to my embrace if you do. But do not try to approach me if you mean to Totem me. I think this is fair warning.”

“Fair warning,” he echoed. Why couldn’t he just accept her wonderful offer and embrace her in love? But he couldn’t; it would be betraying his Quest. Not to mention Feline and Merge.

“Time to return,” she said. She put him against her breast again and towed him back across the lake. If this was intended to remind him of what she offered, it was effective; he was completely reminded.

She kissed him again and turned him loose in the shallows. “Oh—here is a trinket to remember me by. It will tell me where you are. If you decide you want no part of me, above or below, ever, simply throw it away.” She removed a clear gem-like stone from her ear and touched it to his ear. It took hold, and it was cold; he realized it was ice, but it was pleasant rather than painful. It did not melt.

She kissed him a third time. Then she was gone. She had made her case.

He returned to the blanket where Feline still slept; he hadn’t actually been gone long. He set his hand back where she had left it, and sank back into sleep. He didn’t wake until morning. He was back in his shorts; had they ever been off?

When Feline stirred, waking him, he knew he had to tell her. “Uh—”

“Uh?” she repeated as she sat up. “Are you trying to be communicative?”

“I saw the gorgon in the night. Her song summoned me. She said she wanted me for a boyfriend.”

“Oh, you dreamed it! I suppose she does have some curves that might appeal to a sleeping man.”

Had he dreamed it? “Uh—”

“What’s that on your ear?”

He remembered. There was the confirmation. “She gave me an ice gem to remember her by. She said to throw it away if I completely rejected her.”

“And will you throw it away?” Her voice was deadly neutral.

He considered, and realized that he couldn’t. “No.” And waited for the storm to break.

“So it’s like that. The bad girlfriend. Indeed, it is past time for me to deal with her. I’d better stop pussyfooting.”

He had escaped the storm. For now.

After the morning ablutions, and his explanation to the others about the ice gem, the two of them followed the path on around the lake. Then it deviated, picking its way through a thicket of water rushes to a narrow pass between misty mountains to a private valley with a smaller pond. There it was: the perfect spot for seduction.

What made him nervous was that he knew that Carmen the Gorgon was nearby, surely in the pool beyond, and watching. But they had to pretend they didn’t know. That it was coincidence they had come here at this time.

“It’s lovely,” Hapless said, speaking a line they had rehearsed. “But what is here that you wanted to show me?”

“Put on your blindfold.”

He put on the bandanna he had brought. Its thin material covered his eyes without blinding him; he could see fuzzily through. “Now what?”

“This,” Feline said, removing her shirt.

He stared. It was the first time he had seen her bare topped when she wasn’t washing. Her curves were phenomenal. He would have freaked out without the protective bandanna. “Uh, that’s really something. But you could have shown me back at the camp.”

“Yes. But others would be watching. I couldn’t do this.” She took his right hand and made it stroke her front. That would have freaked him out, but for the translucent thin gloves he wore for this occasion.

“Oh, Feline!” he said. “What are you doing?”

“I am seducing you. Before anyone else gets you, like that lady dog gorgon. Now get your clothes off.”

“But Feline!”

“Do I have to do it for you?” She started removing his shirt.

“That’s more than enough!” It was the gorgon’s voice. She was striding out of the water in wet natural splendor, having evidently rendered her tail into legs during the night. She was in fighting trim, with no bluffing concerning her ability to seduce him. Her hair snakes were rampant. She was not about to let another woman steal his precious virginity.

“It’s the gorgon!” Feline cried. “O, woe is us!”

“No, woe is
you
, cattail,” the gorgon said, coming up to them. “Him I’m saving for ultimate pleasure. You thought you could poach on my territory? Look at me, strumpet!”

“Now!” Feline hissed, averting he gaze.

Hapless belatedly remembered. He conjured her kit and handed it to her.

“Get away from her,” Carmen snapped. “I’ve got better things for you than she does.”

“No!” Hapless exclaimed, turning away as if to escape. “I’ll—I’ll toss the ice!” He reached for his ear.

Carmen tackled him. They fell to the sand together. “Feel this!” she said, grabbing his hand and hauling it to her body. He knew she was about to freak him out with a panty touch. If she had panties on. He could not resist her. She meant to get him out of the fray and captive so she could deal with Feline directly.

Then the music started. Feline was playing her little violin with all the skill his presence bequeathed.

He felt the gorgon freeze, transfixed by the music. He was able to crawl out from under her touch. He did not look at her. “Oh, bleep!” she swore helplessly. “In my rage I forgot about that detail.”

The music continued, getting louder as Feline closed on the mesmerized gorgon. Then suddenly the gorgon was gone. In her place was the Water Totem, in the mermaid form.

“Gotcha.” Feline said with immense satisfaction, picking up the Totem.

“I guess the seduction is over?” Hapless asked, trying to make a joke of it. That didn’t work.

“Do you want it to be?” Feline asked.

“I, uh—”

“That’s what I thought. Well played, Hapless; it almost seemed as if you wanted it.”

It had been an act, yes, to lure the gorgon in, but he
had
wanted it. He had somehow fumbled it away, as usual. Now he had lost his chance with both Carmen and Feline. He felt a dark depression coming on.

She put a soft hand on his shoulder. “Yes, I am teasing you, Hapless. But there will come a time, I promise. Maybe not long, now; someone’s going to take your virginity, and it might as well be me.”

The depression sprouted wings and flew far, far away.

They returned to the camp. “We got the Water Totem,” Feline announced, brandishing the miniature figure of the gorgon.

“Great!” Zed said. “That leaves only one to go.”

“One to go,” Faro echoed grimly. She would be the next to face the challenge, probably the worst one of them all.

“What powers does it give you?” Nya asked.

“I don’t know. Let me see.” She held the totem in her hand, concentrating. “The power to make waves. And—” She broke off, looking astonished.

“To turn folk to water with a look?”

“Yes,” Feline agreed faintly. “Only I don’t have to do it. Only when I focus on it. So the rest of you aren’t in danger.” Then she paused, surprised.

“And?” Nya asked.

“And I can bring Carmen back to full life, only under my control. She will help us any way she can.”

“Can you trust her?” Zed asked.

“Yes. She is my slave for the duration, until I free her.”

“I think it was too easy to capture her,” Zed said. “Especially considering that opal she gave you, that informed her where you were at all times.”

“Opal?” Hapless asked.

“The water gem on your ear. The clear opal. It’s valuable apart from its magic. Such gifts are not carelessly given. She must really like you.”

“Uh—”

“Maybe we should talk with her.”

“If you wish.” Feline touched the Totem, and it expanded to the gorgon. Who promptly fell down, because her tail could not support her on land.

“Oh. Sorry,” Zed said, reaching down to lift her up. He set her on a stone, where her tail sufficed to brace her. She made a remarkably pretty figure. The several males were obviously impressed, the females less so.

“To answer your question,” Carmen said, adjusting her dark glasses, the only apparel she wore. “Yes, there was some ambiguity. I realized that Hapless was not going to give up the Quest. So if I wanted to continue my association with him, I would have to join the Quest. Otherwise I would lose him entirely. I did not want to do that. There’s something about him.”

“There is,” Feline agreed.

“I knew that I would not be allowed to join the Quest in my wild state. So I had to accept the tame state.” She sighed impressively. “It’s a nuisance, but what else is there?”

“That smells like love,” Faro said.

Carmen shrugged, as impressively. “Or fascination. It can be compelling.”

“It can,” Feline agreed. Then the gorgon shrank back into the Totem, and the males’ eyeballs reverted to normal. A cynic might almost have suspected that the cat woman was not completely at ease with the gorgon’s tame state.

At any rate, they had the fourth Totem. But the worst was still to come.

Chapter 13:

Void Horn

It was Faro’s turn. “Let’s do it,” she said.

Hapless opened the box. The picture was of a floating megaphone, with the words VOID TOTEM. The path led north.

“One thing we need to be aware of,” Zed said, drawing on his centaurly store of background information. “The perimeter of the Region of the Void is what is known as an event horizon. It is a one-way crossing. It is possible to enter the Region, but not to leave it. If we cross, we will be completely committed.”