"Yes. We promised him not to take your treasure."

  "Then talk to Enze."

  "Who?"

  "Our fifth sibling, who guards our treasure."

  "But that's not what we want."

  "We'll see. Do you know the consequence of breaking a promise?"

  "We're not going to break a promise," Jumper said.

  "Enze can change a person's gender."

  "We dew knot want to change," Wenda said.

  "That's the least you will suffer if you break a promise to Ande. That's his talent: virtually unbreakable promises."

  Another person appeared. Jumper wasn't sure whether this was male or female, and his view through the clothing didn't seem to help. So he thought of male, for want of certainty.

  "Enze, show them our treasure," Dele said.

  "This way." He led them to a house, and into it, to a curtained room.

  There was a single large chest. He lifted its lid.

  Inside was a length of intricately wound metallic cable. Both its ends were torn and twisted, as if it had been ripped from a longer section. It must have been a considerable impact, because the cable was about a foot and a half thick.

  "That's it!" Jumper exclaimed. "That's the section of the broken cable we need to repair the original cable."

  "That is our treasure," Enzi said.

  And they had promised not to take it.

  Wenda was quicker on the uptake than Jumper. "Can we make a deal for it?"

  "There is only one deal we want," Enze said. "To return to our youth."

  "But you're not old," Jumper said.

  Now the others appeared. "We are all children," Ande said. "But we were curious about the adult state, so Dele changed us all to young adults. It was a disappointment. Then we discovered that we couldn't change back."

  "How did yew get the cable?" Wenda asked.

  "We found it lying in the forest where it had landed. It has an aura of power about it, so we decided to keep it and trade it for our lost youth."

  "We can't give you that," Jumper said regretfully. He thought of Olive and her imaginary friends, but suspected that none could duplicate the age-changing talent. Because this was supposed to be a difficult obstacle, and such a friend would make it too easy.

  "Then go your way," Clare said.

  What could they do? They left the house and cable. They couldn't take it, and couldn't trade for it.

  "Does this mean we can knot complete our mission?" Wenda asked disconsolately as they returned to their base camp.

  "I am afraid it does," Jumper said. "That has to be the missing section. Without it, we can't repair the main cable."

  "The others will knot bee pleased."

  He was sure she was right. "I am not pleased either. But I can't break my word. I don't care what horrendous penalties there may be; I wouldn't break it anyway."

  "Beecause you're a good person," she said tearfully.

  "I almost wish I weren't."

  "I wood knot break it either."

  He truly appreciated her support. "Wenda, I love you."

  "I love yew," she repeated. "Dew yew want to take me?"

  "No. I want you to be happy with your prince. But I want always to be your friend."

  She was happy to accept that. "Then kiss me, and we will tell the others the bad news."

  He kissed her, and she was wonderfully soft and sweet. But as his hands pressed against her back, he paused, startled. The back of her shirt was loose, covering nothing. "Wenda! Your back is gone!"

  She felt behind her with her own hands. "Oh, no! I have reverted. Because it was only for the mission, and the mission has failed."

  "I'm so sorry," he said.

  "We will all be sorry," she said tearfully. "We will all lose what we borrowed."

  They disengaged and trudged sorrowfully back toward the camp.

  Jumper realized that probably they would not have to tell the others; they would already know, because of the effects on them.

  All because he refused to break his word. He was ashamed.

  14

  DESPAIR

  They gathered at the camp. A cloud of gloom formed around them, blotting out the surroundings.

  "I don't see what else you could have done," Olive said. "You made a promise. You were perhaps foolish not to verify its implication before making it, but any of us could have been caught similarly."

  "Especially if Pluto set it up as a trap," Phanta said. "If Jumper hadn't made the promise, they might have hidden the cable, and if he had found it anyway, he still might not have wanted to take their treasure away from them. He's softhearted."

  "That's one thing we like about him," Maeve said. "Some of us are with him because of it."

  Dawn glanced across at Eve. "How are you feeling, sis?"

  Eve grimaced. "About the way any princess would feel at the prospect of becoming the plaything of a rogue Dwarf Demon."

  "Maybee he will marry yew anyway," Wenda said.

  "Not if not compelled." Eve took a deep breath. "I gambled, I made a deal, I lost. I will pay the penalty."

  "Well, let's pack up for the journey back to report to the Good Magician," Jumper said.

  "No," Dawn said. "Let's stay here this afternoon and have a wild party, pretending we're happy. Tomorrow we can forge through the gloom."

  They liked that idea. "There is a beerbarrel tree knot far away,"

  Wenda said. "We can get disgustingly drunk."

  "And gorge on sinfully fattening pies," Maeve said.

  "And do things with Jumper that will embarrass him no end," Eve said darkly.

  "A real orgy," Dawn agreed, brightening.

  Jumper thought of protesting, but concluded that considering the circumstances, he would be satisfied to let them do those things. It might help take his mind off his failure.

  They scattered and collected the makings of their party: a keg of ale rejected by a beerbarrel tree, super-sweet pies, several rich cheesecakes, and a crateful of bottles of tsoda pop. In the course of their scavenging they also collected a girl. Not an ordinary girl; her head, shoulders, arms, and torso seemed to float above her hips and legs, which were hardly more than bones.

  She was Anne Orexic, impossibly thin, so it seemed appropriate to have her join the orgy, in the hope that she would gain some weight. In fact she hardly seemed to be together.

  "How did yew get so thin?" Wenda asked. "Yew are even thinner than I am, in yewr fashion. Is yewr talent losing weight?"

  "No, my talent is the four-letter word. I swam in Bare Lake so often I waisted away to almost nothing," Anne said, gobbling down a frothy scream pie. "So I lost my waist, and now my parts aren't really connected. I became a caution to other girls who wanted to skinny dip too much."

  "Have some more pie," Wenda said, proffering a muscular piece of beefcake.

  "What kind of four-letter words?" Haughty asked.

  "They are commands. When I speak a four-letter word in a certain way, it happens. Such as 'Burn.' " She looked at the pile of sticks Jumper and Olive were making for a bonfire. "Burn," she repeated with emphasis.

  Suddenly the pile was burning. Jumper stepped back, impressed.

  "Can you speak any others?" he asked.

  "Sure. Boom."

  "I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING," Jumper said. And paused, for his voice was booming.

  The girls laughed, and their laughter boomed across the landscape and into the welkin. This was fun.

  "OOPS," Maeve boomed. "WE FORGOT WATER. WE CAN'T CLEAN UP BEFORE WE EAT."

  "WASH," Anne said. And water was flowing, forming a small stream beside their camp, washing on down into a nearby gully.

  "Hey!" someone protested. It was not one of their group, because the voice didn't boom.

  Jumper investigated. There in the gully was a small pool rapidly becoming a larger one, because of the stream of water. In it was a mermaid. She was of course bare, with a fish tail. The river was falling on her head, mussing her hair.

  "We're sorry," he said. "We didn't know anyone was here when we conjured the water. I am Jumper."

  "Oh, it's all right, I suppose," the mermaid said. "It just caught me by surprise. I am Oceana Rain Fields, the nymph of this pond." She moved out of the falling water and started brushing out her hair.

  "Some of us want to wash up," Jumper said. "Do you mind if we use your pond?"

  "Welcome," Oceana said. "I maintain it as a public service."

  "Well, now," Phanta said, managing to get her voice down toward normal. "I was feeling grubby, so now I'll wash." She removed her clothing and started splashing in the water.

  In half a moment the other girls were joining her. Jumper watched, bemused. They were lovely, sprightly, and sexy.

  "Yew too," Wenda said, also managing not to boom. She came out to haul him into the throng. He had to get out of his clothes in a hurry to avoid getting them soaked. In another half moment the girls were happily scrubbing his back and other parts of him, heedless of any reaction he might have.

  "You seem like such a happy group," Oceana said.

  A glance ricocheted around before landing on Jumper. "We have our moments," he said carefully before getting dunked again.

  In the midst of this melee, something approached. "OH, NO!"

  Maeve cried. "THE STORK!" Then she closed her mouth, embarrassed by more than the booming or her nakedness.

  Before anyone else could act, the stork landed before Maeve. "Here is your bundle of joy," it said. "About time too." It turned, taxied, spread its wings, and took off.

  They gazed at the bundle, not knowing what to do. The stork had struck the moment the way was clear, when none of them were on guard, and Maeve was stuck. She was a mother.

  She looked around helplessly. Then she visibly nerved herself and reached into the basket. She picked up the baby. "She's a girl," she announced. "I will call her Mae. But I don't know what I'll ever do with her. I'm not cut out to be a mother."

  Mae looked at her and cooed.

  Maeve melted visibly. "She's so cute!"

  The others exchanged some glances as they got out of the water and dried off, bidding farewell to the mermaid. The maenad was coming to terms with her situation.

  Another figure appeared. It was a man. In fact it was Warren Warrior. "I have found you at last!" he exclaimed. "My fierce warrior woman!"

  Maeve froze in place, naked, vulnerable, holding the baby, sheer horror spreading across her features.

  "How did you find us?" Haughty demanded.

  "We got wind of the Prophecy, so headed for the Ogre Fen and asked around," Warren said.

  "We?" Olive asked.

  "After that big dance, we men knew the score, so we left our day jobs and organized. We all have something on the line."

  Maeve remained petrified.

  "Uh," Jumper said. "There is something you should know, Warren.

  Her? our circumstance has changed. Maeve is no longer alone."

  "Who took her?" Warren cried, grasping his sword. "I'll slay him forthwith!"

  Wordlessly Maeve held up the baby.

  Warren's mouth fell open. It seemed he had not picked up on that detail before. Then he poked a finger at Mae. She snapped at it, her little pointed teeth drawing blood before he tore it away.

  "She bit me!" he exclaimed, staring at the wound. "She's a bloodthirsty little tyke."

  Maeve winced, a tear trailing down her cheek. She was not about to give up her baby now, but what would it cost her?

  "So you may not want to—" Jumper started.

  "Fit to be a warrior's daughter," Warren said. "Come here, you beautiful little b**ch!" He picked Mae up and squeezed her to him. She gurgled and spit up on his shoulder. "See? She likes me too." He looked at Maeve. "How fast can we get married?"

  Maeve came out of her stasis. "Soon," she said. "Am I dreaming?"

  "Not anymore," Jumper said. "You've got a family."

  "So receiving yewr babee is knot so bad after all," Wenda said.

  "Not so bad," Maeve echoed, looking awed.

  "We wish you the best," Dawn said. "At least you have some joy of the occasion."

  "I do," Maeve agreed. "I suppose there is no reason for us to stay here."

  "No reason," Jumper agreed.

  A woman appeared. "Will you be needing my service?" she asked Maeve.

  Maeve looked at her perplexed. "Who are you?"

  "I am Liz. I offer a diaper service. I bring piles of fresh clean diapers from a diaper tree, and return the soiled ones to the tree. Babies are nice, but they do soil diapers at a great rate. The trees love them; they feed on that soil. I know where all the diaper trees are, and can reach the nearest one quickly."

  "We'll take it," Warren said, ineffectively wiping the spit-up from his shoulder.

  Maeve nodded. The deal was made.

  "I'll be right back with them," Liz said as she hurried away.

  Maeve dressed, and she and Warren walked away with Mae.

  "Well, we still have enough to party," Haughty said. Most of them were dressed now and having at the goodies. The girls were becoming more sociable as they swigged ale.

  Another figure appeared. It was Prince Charming.

  "Oh, I dew knot know what to dew," Wenda cried, suddenly appalled.

  "There you are," Charming said. "Come here, you darling creature."

  "But… but I'm only half here!" she wailed.

  He swept her into his embrace and kissed her. "There's plenty left."

  "But I'm hollow!"

  Charming held her at arm's length and spoke carefully. "I was just dumped by a woman who was physically whole and luscious, but only half there in spirit. You are the opposite. I prefer your way."

  She gazed at him, amazed. "Yew really dew knot mind?"

  "Sure, I would prefer to have your backside too. But you're a wood-wife. It's you I love, not your back. We'll just have to get you some stuffing for appearances. Now can I get you alone, or must we marry first?"

  Wenda looked halfway helplessly at Jumper. "Go with him," Jumper said. "You'll be a whole princess."

  Charming hauled Wenda away. She went with only token reluctance.

  Phanta wiped away a tear. "I get so sentimental when true love conquers," she said.

  Now another man appeared. It was Dick Philip, the crazy writer. "Olive!" he exclaimed, advancing to kiss her passionately.

  "But my imaginary friends won't endure beyond my attention span," she said.

  "That's long enough. Now focus your attention on me. I'm going to write a fabulous weird story with you as the heroine."

  They departed as he expounded on the story. But it was clear that he had more than a story on his mind.

  "Well, we still have five of us for the party," Phanta said. She glanced at Anne. "I mean six."

  Another man appeared. "Make that four," Shepherd said. "You're in my corral now." He kissed her. "The sheep are waiting."

  "Sorry," Phanta said to the others as they departed. "Mustn't keep the sheep waiting."

  But then a dark shadow fell on them, really a black blob, and it clung to Phanta. She couldn't help becoming a ghost, because the Good Magician's spell had dissipated.

  "It's a darkness bomb," Eve said. "Clinging to her so she can't revert to her living state."

  "Gheorge Ghost must have arranged it," Haughty said. "To trap her.

  She's helpless."

  "We must help her!" Jumper said, bounding toward the blob.

  "I don't think we can," Eve said.

  Indeed, Jumper simply got lost in the darkness, and was unable to interact with the ghosts.

  "The sheep will take care of it," Shepherd said, not seeming worried. "I came prepared."

  "But she can't revert to her living state until she gets out of the darkness," Jumper said. "And Gheorge will never let her out."

  "Watch. Listen."

  "I can't see inside that blob, and I can't hear ghosts."

  "Maybe I can help," Anne called. "Read!"

  Something changed in the blob. It became translucent, so that figures could be seen within it. One was Phanta in ghost form. Another was a large menacing ghost: Gheorge. He was laying hands on her.

  Printed words appeared. NOW I'VE GOT YOU, MY LUSCIOUS MORTAL CREATURE!

  It was what Gheorge was saying, rendered into readable print. That was some talent Anne had!

  The Phanta ghost tried to pull away. NO NO! I DON'T WANT TO BE WITH YOU! PLEASE LET ME GO!

  But he held firm. NEVER, YOU SUCCULENT MORSEL. I WILL HAVE MY WILL OF YOU REPEATEDLY. THEN I WILL LOCK YOU UP IN DARKNESS AND SAVE YOU FOR MY NEXT FLING. HA HA HA HA!!

  "He even managed two exclamation points," Haughty said, disgusted. "The unspeakable t**d."

  "Watch," Shepherd repeated. "I did some research on ghosts, and made a deal. The sheep are coming."

  Meanwhile Gheorge was hauling Phanta in for a smooch. EEEEK NO! she screamed. I WILL NEVER— But her protest was cut off by his fierce kiss.

  RUMBLE. It was a sound signaled by the print. RUMBLE. It was growing in volume.

  "What's that?" Jumper asked.

  "The sheep," Shepherd said. "Thousands of ghost sheep I slaughtered, but they have forgiven me. I'm leading them to the Great Pasture in the sky where they can graze happily for eternity. But until they get there, we are together."

  "But what can sheep do?" Dawn asked. "They're peaceful creatures, and Gheorge is a vicious ghost."

  "The ewes are peaceful," Shepherd agreed. "Not so the rams."

  Now the rumbling became a POUNDING as the herd of ghost sheep charged into view, led by an ornery looking ram.

  "Gheorge," Shepherd said conversationally, "meet Ram Bunctious, the leader of the ghost flock."

  WHAT THE BLEEP DO I CARE ABOUT A D*MN SHEEP? Gheorge demanded contemptuously.

  BAM! George sailed into the air as the ram's butt caught his butt.

  I WILL RAM MY HORN INTO EWE SO FAR IT WILL SPLIT YOUR GIZZARD! Bunctious bleated as he charged again.

  I AM NOT A EWE, George protested as he stepped aside barely in time.

  EWE WILL BE WHEN I'M THROUGH WITH EWE, Bunctious bleated as he spun about for another charge. His stout left horn oriented on Gheorge's midsection with disturbing accuracy.

  Gheorge tried to run, but the ewes had formed a circle around them and wouldn't let him through.