"Why not feel good about doing good deeds?"
"Because I have no soul. I traded it for my talent of unhappening."
No soul, She had for the moment forgotten about that. So he had no conscience, no sense of decency. That explained a lot. She was wasting her time trying to appeal to any sense of honor. "But you can't get ahead by hurting others. You have to help yourself."
"I'm trying to. I'm going to marry you and be a prince."
"But I don't want to marry you!" she protested.
The Dastard shrugged. "The Sea Hag will make you."
"But you shouldn't do it!"
"Why not?"
This grows tiresome, the Hag thought. She put Melody's arms around the man and pressed her body in close to his.
"That's not me doing that!" Melody cried.
"I know. I like it anyway." The Dastard moved to embrace her.
Then there was a roar. A green dragon wedged in between them. Melody was caught up on its body and borne away. Somehow the dragon was supporting her as it ran, leaving the Dastard behind.
The Sea Hag took back Melody's head. "What are you doing, you despicable girl?"
The dragon carried her on across a stream and to an isolated glade. Then it became the girl, Becka. "I'm stopping you from abusing the princess," she said.
"You wretched thing! This is not your business."
"Yes it is. I'm helping the Dastard avoid entrapment."
"It won't work. I'll take this body back to him."
"No you won't."
"Why not?"
"Because I'll stop you."
"Foolish girl! How do you propose to do that?"
"If I have to, I'll bite you so that you can't walk. Then you'll be alive, and won't die, so you can't leave the body, but you'll be helpless."
Melody knew from the Sea Hag's reaction that the dragon girl had scored better than she knew. The woman could leave a body only by death, except in one very special case. Even then she could not desert it for another; she could leave it only briefly, and had to return to it soon.
Meanwhile the Hag was laughing, faking unconcern. "You wouldn't want to hurt the princess, you fool."
"I think I would hurt her worse by letting you have your way with her," Becka said stoutly. "I think if she could talk now, she'd thank me for stopping you."
Yes! The situation might be hopeless, but the girl had the right spirit. "Maybe you're right," the Sea Hag said aloud. "Maybe I shouldn't try to seduce the Dastard."
But Melody knew that the Hag was merely trying to deceive the girl, to lull her so that she could grab her and throttle her. The Hag knew how to kill a person rather quickly, when she wanted to, and now she wanted to.
"Then why don't you take that body away to Melody's sisters, and tell them you have changed your mind?" Becka asked, not trusting this.
"I will. Right now."
"How can I trust you?"
She couldn't, of course. The Sea Hag had nothing but treachery in mind.
"I will shake your hand, Mundane style."
"What would that prove?"
But the Hag was already putting forth Melody's hand, and the girl was about to take it, not realizing. Melody tried to scream a warning, but could not.
The girl took the hand. The Hag gripped it tightly and hauled her forward so that she stumbled. In no more than three quarters of an instant she had Becka's neck in her grasp, and was squeezing cruelly. "Now see what your arrogance has reaped, idiot girl," the Hag hissed. "Suffer, before you die." She squeezed harder.
Suddenly she was squeezing the neck of the green dragon. The dragon's head twisted around and bit her arm. Melody felt the pain flare; it was a bad bite. She was paradoxically glad of it.
The Hag screamed and let go. "You villain! I'm bleeding."
The girl reappeared. "You forgot who you were attacking. Now I know how treacherous you are. I'm not going to let you go."
The Hag stared at her, outraged but helpless for the moment.
Then suddenly they were back in the clearing where Fellowship Village had been. Melody's arm no longer hurt; it had been unbitten. The Dastard had unhappened the whole sequence. Melody clung to the fading memory, knowing that it could be useful; as a Sorceress she could do that, though it wasn't easy.
"I'm so glad you understand, my pet," her mouth said. "I will love this; you will hate it." Then her feet propelled her toward the Dastard.
Melody realized that though she had managed to salvage the memory, the Sea Hag had not. Yet the Hag had remembered the prior unhappening, when the village disappeared. Oh--because that had been the Fellowship Community unhappened, not their own little group. The memory was lost only when a person's own experience was unhappened. Regardless, it was a remarkable talent the Dastard had, one that could do incalculable evil--or good. The man could change reality, to a degree.
Meanwhile they were replaying the earlier scene, just before Becka had turned dragon and carried Melody and the Sea Hag away. Did the Dastard himself remember? Yes, surely he did, because otherwise his talent would not be very useful to him. He would need to know what happened in one version, in order to change it in the next.
The Dastard came to meet her. "Good to see you again, Sea Hag. Our deal remains?"
Yes, he did remember. So how would he play it this time?
"Our deal remains," Melody's mouth said, following the script exactly. "But let's make this a bit more fun." She freed Melody's head.
Melody screamed, because she was sure the Dastard remembered, and would notice if she played the scene differently before he himself did.
But the man's attention was on the dragon girl. "Go forage for some food," he told her. He was trying to get Becka away, so he could have at Melody's body without interference.
"Sure. I'll take the princess with me."
"&&&&!" he swore. "I keep forgetting that you remember. You can be a real annoyance."
"Remember what?" Melody asked innocently.
"Nothing. Princess, you have the wrong idea about me. I want to be your friend."
"Then let me go," she said.
"That would not free you from the Sea Hag."
He was right. She tried another tack. "You won't really be getting me if it's only because of the Sea Hag."
"You may have a point," he said. "Explain it to me."
He was allowing her to stall for time? Could it be that there was a fragment of decency in him despite his lack of a conscience?
"You're just trying to get beyond the last unhappening," Becka told him. "Because you can't overlap unhappenings of the same events."
The Sea Hag's mind was perplexed. What was this about overlapping? But Melody understood: It was a limitation of his power. It seemed that he couldn't unhappen the same sequence twice. So if he grabbed her body, and the dragon interceded again, he would not be able to undo it. So he was waiting until his power could be effective again.
Still, she was glad for the reprieve. So she answered. "You want to marry a princess, I think. But you would really be marrying the Sea Hag in another body. She's not a princess. So it wouldn't be real. If you truly want to marry a princess, you will have to find one who isn't Possessed by a malignant spirit."
The Sea Hag jumped back into control. "That's more than enough, my pet," she said angrily.
"Oh, you're back," the Dastard said.
"Yes, I'm back. The princess was talking nonsense."
"I'm not sure it was. She seems to have a good mind."
"Who cares about minds? Kiss me, handsome man, and take off my dress."
His eyes flicked toward the dragon girl, knowing she would intercede the moment she had to. Not enough time had passed. "Let me talk to the princess some more."
"You don't need to waste your time on that. Consider this." She put her hand to her blouse and drew it down to expose more of her bosom.
The Dastard jerked his eyes away just in time. It seemed that breasts did not freak him out as strongly as panties did, but t
hey did have considerable effect. "Let me talk to the princess," he repeated.
"To what conceivable point? She is my slave."
"She's a nice girl. I like her. I want to get to know her better."
Melody was amazed. The Dastard was stalling, but he didn't have any reason to lie, since he had a fair amount of control of the situation. Did he really like her for her mind rather than her body? Or for her royalty?
"Oh, all right, numskull," the Sea Hag said ungraciously. She turned the head back over to Melody.
"Hello," Melody said. She smiled at him. "Thank you." She drew her blouse back up. The Hag had inadvertently freed her arms too.
"I want to get to know you better," he repeated.
"The Sea Hag has a point," she said. "If your intent is to ravish me, there's little point getting to know me."
"I like my women willing," he said. "I want them to respect me."
And he would never have respect from the Sea Hag! "Respect has to be earned."
"I don't know how to earn it."
That had to be honest! "Is it true that you lack a soul?"
"Yes. I traded it for my talent."
"I didn't realize that was possible." She forced another smile. "How did it happen?"
"It was a demon. But enough about me. What is it like, being a princess?"
The irony was that he seemed really interested. "I wouldn't know. I've been a princess all my life, so I have nothing to compare it to."
He continued to question her, and she continued to answer. He was no dummy, she realized, and now that he was trying to be nice, he was succeeding. Had the situation been otherwise, she could almost have liked him.
Finally the Sea Hag lost patience again. She took over the head. "You are boring me to death! Let's get the @ @ @ @ on with it." She reached out to embrace him.
He drew back. "The princess would never use a word like that."
"The Princess would never #### you either," she returned. "I will. Now let's get on with it."
"True," he agreed. He put his arms around her.
The dragon charged. "Beastly girl!" the Hag raged as they were carried away again.
This time the Dastard waited less time before unhappening it. He returned to the time just before the Sea Hag had taken back control of the head. "Will you allow me to kiss you?" he asked quietly.
The Sea Hag, about to lose patience, was mollified; something was starting to happen. She held off, to see where this would lead.
Melody, remembering what had just unhappened, realized that it was best not to provoke the Hag, with the ensuing intervention and unhappening. She also realized that a similar thought was prompting the man. "You may," she breathed.
He kissed her--and she was surprised to find that she rather liked it. The man did know how to kiss.
But that was as far as it could go, and not just because of the dragon girl. They were walking a fine line here, trying not to trigger undesirable consequences.
Unfortunately, the Dastard wasn't satisfied with just one kiss. He tried for another, and when she said no, he grabbed her--and the Sea Hag eagerly made her body grab back. The dragon girl charged.
After the next unhappening, Melody suggested that they take a walk while they talked. The Sea Hag was fit to be tied, but for a reason Melody didn't quite understand, she had not quite taken over again.
There was a noise, and something was there before them. "Sister, come with us," a voice said.
"Harmony!"
"And Rhythm," her other sister said. "Stiffen your elbows; we're picking you up."
Immediately the Sea Hag took over. "The other princesses! I'll not go with you!" She raised her hands, her fingers curving as claws.
There was a faint tune, and a faint beat. Then Melody's body became light, and the Hag was unable to prevent them from picking her up. Melody floated into the air.
"What's going on?" the Dastard cried.
"I'll handle this," Harmony murmured.
"While I stifle the witch," Rhythm concluded.
"You'll do no such--" the Sea Hag cried. But then her voice faded out. She had been stifled by the magic of a Sorceress. In fact, she became invisible as the magic continued.
They had recovered Melody's body. But that would neither free it of the Possession by the Sea Hag, nor stop the Dastard from unhappening this event.
Then Melody saw Harmony become visible. She looked exactly like Melody. She was taking Melody's place--only she was not Possessed.
As Melody and Rhythm floated invisibly away, she saw Harmony on the ground, walking with the Dastard. Could she possibly fool him? Oh, yes; she knew Melody's mannerisms perfectly, and now that she had her appearance, she would be perfect. So she would make the Dastard think that she was Melody, so that he did not know that Melody and the Sea Hag were gone, and would not unhappen the exchange.
You'll never get away with this! the Sea Hag thought violently.
Melody was afraid that was true. But she really appreciated her sisters' effort to rescue her. What did they have in mind? At least they now knew of Melody's Possession, and were bringing their powers to bear. Probably the Hag had not had to fight two Sorceresses before. The situation had changed. But had it changed enough?
Soon she realized that they were not flying magically, exactly; they were being carried by invisible Sim. That had been why there was noise when the exchange was made: Sim's landing. Still, though they could take Melody and the Hag far from the Dastard, it wouldn't free Melody from her dreaded captivity.
That's right, my pet. They are bound to lose.
Yet Melody had confidence in her sisters. They must have something in mind. They were after all Sorceresses.
So am I, my pet. The only magic I ever encountered that could unPossess one I Possessed is that of the Dastard. And even he can no longer do that. Not that he wants to.
They flew to a giant tree. There, nestled in its topmost foliage, was a huge nest. That would have been made by a roc bird. Sim landed in it and carefully set them down. Rhythm became visible.
"Now Sim and I have to go fetch the one who can expunge the Sea Hag from your body," Rhythm said to Melody. "We were afraid that it couldn't be done, but we found a way. But it requires preparation and equipment and some delicacy. So we shall have to store you in a safe place while we get set up. There is no safe way down from here, so I don't think we need to tie you up."
That's what you think, my pet!
Melody tried to speak, to warn her sister that the Sea Hag had devious ways to escape. But she couldn't make a sound.
Invisible Sim squawked.
"Oh," Rhythm said. "Do you really think so? The Hag can escape by throwing Melody's body to the ground and killing her? Then trying to take over one of us instead? We don't want that! Then we shall have to find a better place. What do you think will do?"
Sim squawked again.
"A mutant lair?" Rhythm said. "All right, if you know where one is."
Sim picked them up, and flew across the forest to another location. This time he landed by a boulder at the base of a mountain. He squawked again.
"I see," Rhythm said. "Yes, this should do very well. I'll put her inside." She turned to Melody. "Sister, this is a Mut Ant nest. It has no entrance and no exit; it is entirely sealed in stone. Only sorcery can get into it--or escape it. So you should be safe here, while we set up."
Melody tried to speak, but still could not. She was silent as her sister ensorceled her into the boulder.
She was inside a hollow stone sphere: the deserted Mut Ant nest. It was of course like no other nest.
"And now, my pet, we shall depart," the Sea Hag said with Melody's mouth. "They thought I could not draw on your powers of sorcery. But of course I can. Sing us out of here, dear." She turned Melody's mouth over to her.
Melody tried to resist, but the pain started. It soon became intolerable. She didn't want to, but she had to use her magic to phase them out of the Mut Ant nest. If only her sister had realized
how much control the Sea Hag had over her Possessions! She opened her mouth and sang, concentrating on the stone, thinking it into vapor. Her magic acted through her mind and voice, and the stone became cloudy, and they walked through it into daylight.
"Now turn us invisible and fly us that way," the Hag said, pointing in a direction. Again Melody tried to resist, but again the pain welled up until she couldn't bear it. If only she could resist, she might keep the Hag here until her sister returned but she couldn't. That's what Rhythm and Sim hadn't known.
She sang again, willing her body to be invisible, and it faded. Then she sang it light, very light, until it weighed no more than the air around it, and could float. Then she sang webbing between her fingers, and feathers on her hands, so that they could catch the air. She stroked the air with those special hands, and flew up into the sky.
"Very good, my pet," her mouth said when the magic was complete. "I can see that you will be extremely useful to me, for the rest of your life. Now I will direct us to our destination." The Sea Hag took over the flying.
Melody wondered why the Hag wasn't returning directly to the Isle of Fellowship, where they had left the Dastard. "Well, I'll tell you, my pet," her mouth replied. "You have been a difficult host, and I have had to expend some considerable effort to keep you under full control and make you perform. That bitchy dragon girl hasn't helped, and neither has the magic of your stupid siblings. So I shall have to restore my vitality sooner than I would otherwise have required."
Restore her vitality? "Yes, my pet. My spirit is not limitless, and it loses some of its essence each time I change hosts, and when I have to fight to control them. So periodically I go to a secret place where I maintain a supply of spirit. I restore myself, and then I am good for another decade or so. How unfortunate that you will never have opportunity to tell anyone else about this marginal weakness of mine."
It would indeed have helped to know, for Melody would have fought yet harder despite the pain. "I know you would have, my pet. But now it no longer matters, because I am close to restoration, and thereafter you will be entirely suppressed."
They flew where the Sea Hag directed. This was to an obscure section of jungle Melody hadn't seen before. They landed, and walked forward, still invisible. Ahead was some kind of a tangle tree, or--no, it was worse. It was a monstrous monster. In fact she recognized it now: It was the monster from another world that Prince Dolph had jammed into the hole in Xanth. The hole that Jenny Elf had come through, when she first lost her way chasing her cat. That hole had been letting other things through, so it had to be plugged. Dolph had changed into a Sphinx and sat on the monster, squeezing it down until it was firmly stuck, nicely plugging the hole. No one she knew of cared to go there, because the monster was always hungry and had a long reach. But it did make an excellent plug; nothing else had come through that hole.