B07RX3S1Z3 (F) by Piers Anthony

Author:Piers Anthony [Anthony, Piers]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2019-08-27T12:58:32+00:00

Chapter 9

PRINCESS FROMA

The peeve heard it first. “Someone’s crying for help,” it said. “Probably another spook, but I’ll investigate.” It took off, flying quietly.

Now Squid heard it. “A girl,” she said. “Maybe not a spook. I could tell if I got closer.”

“Don’t do it,” Dell said. “It could just be a new way to get you off the boat. You were able to avoid the spooks before, but now they know who you are and will be alert for you.”

“Probably so,” she agreed with regret.

The peeve returned. “This is weird.”

“Another spook?” Squid asked.

“I’m not sure. I didn’t dare get within grabbing range. But she looks exactly like the ten-year-old who tried to tempt you, Santo.”

“Why would she assume that form when not in sight of us?” Nia asked.

“That’s it. She’s not trying to tempt anyone. She’s just sitting there crying. Every so often she calls out ‘Help!’ without really seeming to expect anything. She looks miserable.”

Dell got an idea. “Could she be a real girl, lost in the swamp, and the spook copied her form to try to tempt Santo?”

They considered that. “We’d better investigate,” Nia said.

Win steered the boat in the direction the peeve indicated, and in due course or slightly under it they approached the girl. She was sitting on a hammock looking miserable, her hair and eyes the color of despair. She did look just like the spook they had seen.

“Maybe I should tackle this,” Santo said. “Since I’ve been sorta involved.”

“Take Tata,” the peeve advised. “He’ll sniff her and know.”

“Good thought.” Santo stepped off the boat onto the hammock, and lifted the dogfish over the gunnel to the ground. “Hello!” he called.

“Oh!” the girl exclaimed, startled and fearful. “Are you another spook?”

“I was wondering the same thing about you,” Santo said, smiling. “Do spooks talk?”

“Not in this swamp. They just look, and sometimes growl. And chomp.”

“Then we must be real people.”

“Yes!” she agreed. She lurched up and hugged him.

“Uh—” he said, obviously feeling awkward.

She let him go. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was just so glad to see a real person. It’s been so awful. I know I’m a mess.”

Dell, watching, had to agree. The spook had been halfway pretty. The original girl was weary, smudged, and her hair was in tangles.

“This is Tata,” Santo said. “He’d like to sniff you.”

“Oh, you have a dogfish!” She squatted and extended her hand.

Tata sniffed her fingernails, which were technically inanimate, similar to hair. Then he wagged his tail. She was legitimate.

Dell, watching, was sure he was not the only one to breathe a sign of relief.

“I am Santo. I am with a party from another world. We mean no harm to anyone, but there seems to be a war on.”

“Yes, there is. I am Noe. I was walking home from the park, and wasn’t paying attention, and the swamp made the illusion of a path, and I followed it without thinking. Then the path faded out and I was left in the middle of the swamp, hopelessly lost. I

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