Piers Anthony - Juxtaposition

“We are ready for action,” Kurrelgyre said eagerly.

“But where is it? Whom do we fight?”

“I know not,” Stile admitted. “The prophecy decrees it; that is all.”

The werewolf sighed. “Prophecies are oft subject to misinterpretation. I had hoped this would be not that type.”

Stile agreed. “The animalheads are prophesied to lose half their number. I fear this will be typical. I presume much of the damage will be done by enchantments hurled by the enemy Adepts, and by the ravages of their minions. But the other creatures of Phaze will be on thy side—the unicorns, elves, ogres, and such. Do thou gather thy wolves and be ready for action at any time. I know no more. I am but a chip afloat on a stormy sea, doing what I must do without much personal volition.” Sheen smiled knowingly. This was a concept a robot was in a position to understand.

“Surely the enemy will seek to destroy thee,” the wolf said.

“The enemy Adepts have been trying! I hope to jump around swiftly in a random pattern, avoiding them until I return to Proton.”

“I fear for thee, friend. I have a few wolves left who can guard thee—“ “Nay, I’d best travel light. Just be ready with thy Pack when I need thee!”

“Aye, I shall, and the other wolf packs too.” They shook hands.

Stile spelled himself and Sheen to the next stop: the ogres. These ones certainly were ready for action. Each huge creature was armed with a monstrous club and seemed capable of smashing boulders with single blows. This was a truly impressive army. There were perhaps four hundred fighting creatures in view.

As quickly as possible. Stile explained to the ogre leader that the moment for action was just about at hand. “But we don’t know exactly where trouble will begin,” he said. “Only that it will be terrible, horrible, violent, and bloody.” Slow smiles cracked the ogres’ brute faces. They were eager for this sort of fun. Stile knew he had struck the right note.

“Just remember,” he cautioned them. “All the organized creatures of Phaze will be on thy side, except the Goblins. So don’t attack elves or giants or werewolves—“

“Awww,” the leader grumbled. But he had it straight. No unauthorized bloodshed.

Stile spelled on to the vampires, where he consulted with his friend Vodlevile, who was no chief but whom Stile trusted. The flock promised to be alert. So it went, touching bases with the animalheads, snow demons, giants, trolls, and Little Folk. He did not go to the Platinum Elves, fearing an Adept trap there; instead he met with the gnomes of the Purple Mountains. These Little Folk were akin to the goblins of the White Mountains, but had elected to join the compatible elves. It was as, if the more pleasant climate made them nicer creatures. The gnome males were ugly, but the females, the gnomides, were quite pretty little misses, each holding a fine bright diamond. These were, indeed, the workers of precious stones, and their wares were even more valuable than those of the Platinum Mound Folk. They quickly agreed to pass the word among the elven tribes.

“There will be thousands of little warriors awaiting thy call to action. Adept. Only save Phaze, and all is even!”

Stile hoped he could! “Dost thou know of any Adept presence in the Elven Demesnes?” Stile asked as he got ready to leave. “I fear an ambush and marvel that none has occurred.”

“We know of none, and our prophecy book has no mention of harm to thee here. Adept,” the gnome chief answered. “But Adepts are devious—no offense proffered.”

“Devious indeed!” Stile agreed.

“Surely it is the Lady Blue they will stake out,” Sheen murmured.

“Aye. Yet must I see her and advise the Herd Stallion.”

“Send me first, to spring the trap,” she offered. Stile demurred, but she insisted. Conscious of the danger and of his vanishing time, he had to agree. He spelled her to the unicorn herd for two minutes, then brought her back to the gnome demesnes.

“No sign of trouble there,” she reported, seeming exhilarated by the excursion. “Belle, the pretty unicorn mare, is there asking to join the herd. They have not admitted her, but are considering it. Thy friend Clip is quite worked up.”

“He would be. He’s smitten by her. No Adepts?”

“The Herd Stallion is sure there are no Adepts there, and no Adept magic in the vicinity.”

“Good enough.” Stile spelled the two of them to the herd.

It was as Sheen had said. All was peaceful. The unicorns were grazing in a loose circle on an open hillside, with Neysa remaining in the center. Stile and Sheen landed beside the circle, for magic was repulsed within it. “May I go in and meet Neysa this time?” Sheen inquired wistfully.

Stile knew she identified with the unicorn, for Sheen and Neysa had been his two closest companions before he encountered the Lady Blue. “I’ll ask the Herd Stallion,” he said.

He asked, and the Stallion acquiesced with suitable grace. Sheen left them to enter the circle, while Stile briefed the Stallion.

“That’s all I know,” he concluded. “I conjecture that the Adepts will move in force when I try to transport the Phazite, perhaps sending dragons to interfere. Someone will need to intercept those monsters.”

“We shall be there,” the Stallion agreed grimly. The Lady Blue had remained back until Stile finished with the Stallion. Then she came up to kiss Stile.

“So nice to meet the Lady Sheen again,” she murmured. “She will make thee an excellent wife in Proton.” No use to remind her that all he wanted was one wife, anywhere! She knew it.

Sheen and Neysa approached. “We’d like to interview Belle,” Sheen said. “We want to know if she was involved in the luring of Clip, or whether only her image was used without her knowledge. She may be innocent.” Stile was curious about that himself. A few minutes remained. He glanced askance at the Herd Stallion, who blew a short chord of assent, permitting Neysa to depart the circle of the herd briefly for that purpose, since there was no immediate danger.

“I can question her with a spell,” Stile said. “Time is short, but this concerns me too.” For that luring had been part of the trap for him; it had made Clip hostage and brought Stile to the goblin demesnes. If Belle were actually an agent of the Adepts—

Clip joined them. He was the most concerned of all. Belle could never be his, of course; if she joined this herd, she would be serviced by this Herd Stallion. Still, Stile was sure Clip would rather know her to be innocent and have her near and safe.

The five—Stile, two women, two unicorns—approached Belle. Stile worked out a suitable truth-spell in his mind. It would take only a moment to ascertain Belle’s guilt or innocence, and her prospective admittance to this herd probably depended on his finding.

Belle stopped grazing and raised her head as the party drew near. She was indeed the prettiest unicorn Stile had seen. Her coat was a deep purple, and in the bright sun light her mane, tail, hooves, and horn glittered iridescently. Stile remembered how she had changed forms to a large cat and a blue heron during the Unolympics dance. She blew a lovely bells-ringing note of inquiry.

“I am the Blue Adept,” Stile said. “I have come to—“ Belle abruptly shook herself, as an animal would to dry off after a soaking. Droplets flew out all over. Clip and Neysa leaped between Stile and Belle, intercepting the spray. Sheen and the Lady Blue flung their arms around Stile, embracing him from either side, their dresses flaring out to wrap about him.

“Hey, I’m not afraid of a little water!” he exclaimed, struggling free. Both his unicorn companions were wet, and the dresses of both ladies were dripping. The Lady Blue contemplated him wide-eyed. “Who art thou?” she asked. “Do I know thee?”