Five Portraits by Piers Anthony

Author:Piers Anthony
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
Published: 2014-07-31T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10:

Gotcha!

They had hardly gotten settled before the Queen arrived, identified by her crown and royal robe. Her hair was a golden yellow mane, unusual for a goblin. She immediately oriented on Astrid. “Are you the basilisk? I have heard good things of you via the grapevine.” She held up a grape to illustrate that it was literal.

“I am,” Astrid agreed cautiously, hoping this was not more mischief.

“I am Queen Golden Goblin. Welcome to Goblin Annex.”

“I am Astrid Basilisk-Cockatrice. Goldie said it would be all right to come here. We do not man to intrude.”

“We seldom recover captives of the Dragon King alive. Goldie has been battered and ill-used, but she is alive and should recover her spirit in time. She escaped because of you. We appreciate that.”

Astrid smiled. “We can’t claim credit. We did not know she was following us.”

“She followed you because you treated her courteously. Not everyone does that, in or out of the Dragon Castle.”

“No one deserves the sort of treatment I suspect she got at the castle. A werewolf bitch also escaped with us. I hope we can arrange for her safe passage back to her Pack.”

“Goldie has already asked for that. She said Wesla treated her kindly, being a fellow captive of an esthetic aspect. That meant unkind male demands. We will see that the bitch gets home safely.” The reference clearly was not pejorative. “Our association with the Pack has been mixed. Perhaps it will improve hereafter.”

“It surely will, Your Majesty,” Wesla said.

“Goldie tells me you did not know her identity.”

“Her identity?” Wesla said. “She was just another captive, like me. A common girl. We got along because we faced a far greater horror than any differences of species or personality we might have had.”

“Ditto,” Astrid said.

“She is my daughter. Princess Goldie.”

Astrid and Wesla looked at her, mute.

“We made no commotion, because that would have been counterproductive. But I was sore of heart to lose her, and measurelessly gratified to have her back. Now relax. Be assured that you will not be ill treated here.” The Queen departed.

“I believe her,” Wesla said. “Now I realize that Goldie was too refined to be common. But the Dragon King would have held her for ransom had he known, and tortured her if it was not promptly paid. He tortured her some anyway; it was routine. But it could have been worse. She had reason to conceal it.”

“She had reason,” Astrid agreed.

Wesla lapsed into wolf form and went to sleep.

Astrid saw to the welfare of the children, then slept herself.

In the morning the goblins had a fine breakfast awaiting them. Then a contingent of armed males supervised by an elite female—Goldie herself—made ready to conduct Wesla safely to Wolf Country.

They both hugged Astrid as they parted. “I knew I could trust you when you spoke well of Wulfha,” Wesla said. “She does not bestow her friendship lightly.”

“We hope to escape Storage,” Astrid said. “But if we do not, and we survive, we hope to return to associate with the Pack.

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