They set about it, the Droms now as dedicated to welcoming the visitors as they had been against it before. The politics had changed.

  Soon the members of the Quest were ensconced in a multiple suite approximately similar to the one they had had in the Queendom of Thanx. Details differed, such as toilet accommodations, as the Droms did not eliminate in the same way, but overall it would do.

  The evening meal was something else. The Droms sucked in nutritive mist, while the Questers settled for local berries and water. The point was not the food but the occasion.

  Then came a serious session. Nydia clarified their mission, concluding, “So we need to reach the Demoness Andromeda and find out why she is messing up the Elements, and persuade her to stop. This may be a doomed operation, but we have to try.”

  “We are suffering too,” Favew flashed. “Our land is being ravaged by fire, and we know the other lands are suffering from other elements. Other planets here as well. It is not just your galaxy. We don’t believe it is the Demoness. She is helpless.”

  “A capital D Demoness can’t be helpless!”

  “Unless constrained by a Demon bet or the equivalent.”

  Oh. Nydia paused, assimilating this. “We know Demons make bets with each other for status, using mortals to help decide issues. It is like wagering that an ant will turn one way or the other. But this is way beyond that.”

  “Way beyond,” Favew agreed. “Perhaps our mythology will clarify it.”

  “Ants do make turns,” Anthem murmured. “In reality as well as mythology.”

  “Mythology!” Nydia exclaimed. Was he joking?

  “Steady,” Rob cautioned mentally. “I am unable to follow Drom thoughts well, but this is serious and probably relevant.”

  So it seemed. She needed to maintain an open mind, even for the unlikely. “Perhaps we should learn this mythology.”

  “Maybe we can experience it, in our fashion,” Ecstasy said. “Let Rob unify us mentally, putting us in the scene the way I gather Anthem did when you explored Nerine’s past. It may be the best way to learn the whole story efficiently. Nuances can count.”

  This method could perhaps pick up the feel of it, as well as the narrative. Nydia did appreciate Nerine’s story better because of experiencing it herself, as it were. She looked around. “Shall we try?”

  There was general agreement. The others might be as uncertain about mythology as Nydia was, but the Quest was in largely uncharted territory and could not afford to dismiss anything.

  Nydia closed her eyes as the scene took hold, so that it seemed she had them open in a new venue, in the manner of a dream. As a nymph she had not dreamed, but as a woman she did. Now she was a Demon girl, secretly listening as her parents talked in the next chamber. She knew Demons were timeless and had no families as such, and Droms had no girls as such, but this was also a story of human-seeming folk. Demons might have no gender either, being creatures of the underlying forces of the universe, but for this purpose they did, and it was convenient to experience this as a girl. Others could fit into their roles as was comfortable for them.

  “It’s bad,” her father Cepheus was saying. He was the king of the country, so his alarm meant that something really serious was afoot. Nydia recognized the voice of Oakley playing this role. “Poseidon, god of the sea, is really angry.”

  “All because I compared myself to his daughters, the Nereids, in beauty?” her mother Cassiopeia asked. That was the voice of Ecstasy, who, as the loveliest member of the Quest, was obviously suited to this role. “That was figurative, actually a compliment, because the truth is that I am lovelier than those sea spawn are.”

  “But he is a god. Gods don’t like being compared to mortals, except to show how superior they are to them. His pride is pricked, and now he seeks revenge.”

  “So he is throwing a fit,” she said derisively. “Like a balked child. What can he do, since we are not creatures of the sea?”

  “He has caused floods to harm our land and a sea monster to ravage our coast. The damage is horrendous. Our people are suffering. We cannot oppose him. We have to appease him somehow.”

  Cassiopeia began to be concerned. “Appease him? How?”

  “The word from the Oracle is that only the sacrifice of our most beautiful woman to the sea monster will suffice.”

  Cassiopeia froze. “But that means—”

  Cepheus nodded. “He wants revenge on you for supposedly insulting his daughters. He is going to keep on harassing us until he gets it.”

  She sighed. “If that is the way it must be, I am ready.”

  Cepheus/Oakley was horrified. “But you’re my wife and the woman I love!”

  “I may nevertheless have overstepped in this case. I do not want our kingdom to suffer grievously because of a stupid god’s misinterpretation.”

  He put on a canny look. “There may be a loophole. You are not specifically named, only the most beautiful woman. There just might be a prettier girl somewhere in the kingdom.”

  “Doubtful,” she said seriously. “You married me because I was the prettiest.”

  “I did indeed, and so you were, and so you are today. But that was twenty years ago, and though you have kept your beauty, popular fancy has it that youth is a significant aspect of it. There just might possibly be a girl who did not exist then, who is now as lovely as you were, as well as being young. She just might do for the sacrifice.”

  Cassiopeia/Ecstasy considered, moved by the distant chance of survival. “We must hold a beauty contest of all the girls in the kingdom. Maybe a candidate is there.”

  “That was my thought.”

  Andromeda/Nydia turned away, covering the knothole that was her listening post. She had heard enough. Her mother was undeniably beautiful, but tended to speak too freely, and on occasion there were consequences. This was such an occasion. Now it was going to lead to the horrible death of some innocent girl. But what could she do? She was only a princess without power. She merely officiated at royal events, more show than substance. That would change when she became queen, but that could be a long time hence.

  They announced the contest without revealing its ultimate purpose. The girls of the kingdom flocked to it, each hoping to be crowned the loveliest. Andromeda saw to the arrangements as the girls were systematically sorted, winnowing out the losers who were not as beautiful as they had believed or hoped. If only they knew that the ultimate loser would be the winner.

  At last there were six finalists: interpreted as Noletta, Nerine, Anthem Ant in human illusion, Wanda Wand, Noe, and Lilith. All lustrous maidens. Nydia herded them to the judges’ stand, where Flame, Flood, and Moonroe sat. “But it is traditional to have seven competitors for the final ballot,” Moonroe protested.

  Oops. One of the finalists had been disqualified for suspicion of irrelevance, and in the press of arrangements, Nydia had not thought to get a replacement.

  “No problem,” Flame said. “Andromeda, kindly step into the lineup.”

  What? “But I’m the organizer, not a candidate,” Nydia protested. “I’m not even garbed for show.” Indeed, the contestants were in elaborate gowns, with lustrous tresses, while she was in utility clothing with her hair in a bedraggled bun.

  “Your status has changed,” Flood said. “We are capable of assessing beauty regardless of the garb.”

  Embarrassed by her error and dishabille, Nydia stepped into the lineup. Now it was complete.

  The trio of judges questioned the maidens closely, including Andromeda, and had them assume particular poses. It seemed ludicrous to pose in work wear, though she did unbind her hair. She had to at least pretend to be a competitor. Then they decided.

  “The winner is Princess Andromeda,” Flame announced. “She far outshines the others and is indeed the loveliest maiden in the Kingdom.”

  What? Was he joking?

  “No,” Rob said in her mind. “True beauty makes even the most rudimentary clothing shine. Only so-so ladies need exterior enhancement. You certainly don’t. They are correct.”

  There was applause. The throng of spectators agreed. She had the honor of representing the kingdom. She would save it from the dreadful ravaging. She was the heroine of the day.

  Cassiopeia was in tears. Her slip of the tongue had doomed her daughter. But there was nothing she could do at this stage.

  Nydia was duly feted, then quietly conducted to the shore and chained by an ankle to a massive rock at the edge of the sea. Her feet touched the surface of the deep water, for this was the channel the massive monster would use. All she had to do was wait for it to sniff out the bait. That would not take long, as such things went.

  She was doomed.

  They emerged from the mythology. Now they understood that Andromeda was the chained lady, set out as a sacrifice for the monster. She had been there for eons, but time was largely meaningless to Demons. It might as well have been yesterday or tomorrow.

  Now they also understood that the agitation of the Elements was merely a peripheral effect of the larger situation. It was because the approach of the monster disturbed the fundamental nature of local reality. When the behemoth arrived and feasted, things would settle down.

  Andromeda was less the cause than the effect. Once her mother had spoken carelessly, the end result was locked in. Similar problems would have resulted had any other maiden been sacrificed.

  Would the mischief really stop when Andromeda died, or suffered whatever it was that happened when a Demon was sacrificed? And if it did, when would that be in mortal terms? A century hence? A thousand years? A million? Would there be anything left of the world as they knew it?

  They had assembled a formidable team for any nearly normal purpose. Did it make any sense to disband it unused?

  “The notion rankles,” Anthem said with a somber note.

  “It does indeed,” Wanda said.

  “I wish a thrust of my blade could destroy the idea,” Knife Knight said. “But this is beyond my power.”

  She agreed with the three of them. Something needed to be done. But what?

  “You’re the protagonist,” Anthem said with a more positive tone. “That means you are the one in a position to do something.”

  “If you can only figure out what it is,” Wanda said.

  Nydia formulated a conclusion. “We’ve got to save Andromeda. She is blameless here.”

  “Yet Andromeda is a Demoness,” Ecstasy reminded her. “We are hardly even ants in comparison.”

  “Literally,” Anthem said with an ironic pitch.

  Ecstasy smiled, evidently picking up on the thought. “No offense intended. What can we do?”

  “I have no idea,” Nydia confessed. “But we have to try.”

  “Try what?”

  “We have to get to Andromeda and ask her what we can do. She should know, if anyone does. She has surely thought about it and has motive.”

  “Surely so,” Ecstasy agreed.

  There seemed to be next to no point in further arguing the case. If they did nothing, the awful mischief would continue. The chance of an ant was better than no chance at all.

  “Amen,” Anthem agreed with a background of distant hopeful music.

  Meanwhile they soon learned that mischief was striking home more immediately. A raging fire was sweeping down on the town, too fierce for any Droms to attempt to oppose.

  “That, at least, we can abate,” Noletta said. She glanced at Flame. “If you are quite through crowning Nydia the winning beauty instead of me, despite her not being dressed for it, and sending her to be consumed by a monster, how about dealing with that fire?”

  Flame smiled, knowing she was teasing. “Immediately.”

  They marched out to meet the onrushing conflagration. Flame lifted a hand in a “halt” gesture. The fire froze in place. Then he waved it back, and the fire obediently retreated. Finally he made a gesture of dousing, and the fire fizzled out. Nothing was left but steaming sod.

  The Droms focused their lenses on it, amazed.

  “Now we can move on,” Noletta said.

  “But the fire will soon reanimate once you are gone,” Favew flashed.

  “True.” She considered briefly. “Flame and I may simply have to stay here and stifle it. It will also give us more time alone together.” She glanced meaningfully at Flame, then looked at Nydia. “Agreed?”

  It did make sense. “You had better stay,” Nydia agreed. “We can pick you up on our return trip once we have dealt with the monster.” As if that were mere routine.

  They hugged each other in parting while the Droms’ flashing lenses showed they were amazed in another sense. These galactic visitors had strange customs.

  “I believe I had better accompany you,” Favew flashed. “The translator is not perfect, and I think I know you sufficiently now to help navigate confusions. The mission is also important enough to warrant my direct attention.”

  Nydia glanced at Vinia. “Green?”

  “Bright green,” the girl agreed. Beside her, Noe nodded. That was her impression too.

  “We are glad to have you with us,” Nydia said sincerely.

  Then the rest of the Quest marched on toward the next section of the captive planet.

  Chapter 11

  Contacts

  They came to the edge of a sea. The purple water rippled in the coastal breeze, with white specks reflecting the canopy of stars above. Beyond it, the far shore was visible, low near the water, with mountains behind. It could have passed for local Xanth scenery except—

  “Purple?” Nerine asked, bemused. She was a creature of the water, now land-bound; she noticed.

  “This is the color of open water,” Favew flashed via the translator. “Is it not the same in your galaxy?”

  “Only if there is blood in it,” Nerine said with most of a wince.

  Then they had to explain about blood because Droms did not have it. Favew was polite, but it was apparent that the concept vaguely repulsed him.

  Nydia found herself gazing at the canopy. There was something about it, apart from its brightness. She was accustomed to having light from a single close star rather than a monstrous mat of them, but that wasn’t it. Nor was it the lack of any proper night; she understood about that. Something else. But what? The answer danced just out of mental reach.

  “It’s that you can almost see the near stars moving faster than the far stars,” Rob said, picking up on her thought. “The way leaves in the water of a whirlpool accelerate as they get closer to the center.” He, as a creature normally close to the ground, was attuned to such effects.

  “Yes, that’s it,” she said, relieved. She must have picked up on the slow internal shifting of the glowing mat without being conscious of it.

  “So that’s why I kept looking up,” Noletta said. “I thought I was getting nutty in this unusual setting.”

  “Me too,” Nerine agreed. “We’re feeling the vortex.”

  “You three are the un-nuttiest nymphs I’ve met,” Moonroe said.

  “And how many have you met?” Oakley asked, with five-eights of a smile. The remaining three-eights brushed by the other members of the group, causing their lips to twitch just below visibility.

  Enough of this. “Time for the carpet,” Nydia said, bringing it out.

  “Carpet?” Favew asked.

  That, of course, led to another explanation and demonstration. Favew was evidently amazed; his culture lacked flying carpets, which was not surprising in a region largely devoid of magic. But he had a caution: it would be better to use the established boat system, as crossovers between sections were monitored and travelers duly checked in. The arrival of a flying carpetful of weird aliens could set off an ugly confrontation.

  “Good point,” Nydia agreed, appreciating again the advantage of having a native in their party. They wanted to appear as native as possible, at least in attitude.

  They followed Favew to the established boat dock, where a Drom hailed them. He had gotten news about the visitors, so did not have a problem other than slight awe at their proximity, as his flickering lens hinted. They boarded the ferry, a broad, flat craft like a raft that was hauled smartly along by submerged cables. No need to wait on whimsical winds. Of course, Aery could have summoned some, but that would have further advertised her alien nature.

  Something showed in the distant water, approaching rapidly. It looked like the head of a sea serpent, with a dangerous sucking snout. Did it see them as a plateful of snacks? Nydia suspected that they would not taste very good, being abundantly foreign, but didn’t want to test the case.

  “I will slice off its snoot if it comes within range,” Knight Knife said.

  “If it doesn’t vacuum you up first,” Wanda said. “Best to let the natives handle it.”

  The boat guide had an instrument on the prow. He flashed at it, and it responded by orienting on the serpent and emitting a dappled overripe beam. It splatted the monster on the snout, sending it into a paroxysm of apparent nausea. The creature quickly submerged and was not seen again.

  “What a foul stench,” Moonroe muttered with another fractional smile. “Worse than rotten cheese.”

  “A mottled green noise,” Oakley agreed.

  Nydia felt vaguely nauseous herself. Even the translator looked a bit ill. What a problem a direct strike by that beam must be!

  “We do have our ways,” Favew flashed.

  They arrived safely at the dock. The two Droms aboard flashed explanations to the harbor guard, who flashed understanding. There was no trouble, and soon the party was on its way across this island or continent, guided by Vinia’s invisible green path. No new Droms were with them; it seemed that travelers were generally left alone to fend for themselves if they did not cause mischief.