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tempt him in that manner, but his feeling for her was becoming encompassing. He wanted to stay with
her forever, and bask in the delight of her mere presence. This, he realized, was love, an emotion he had
never before experienced. It was different from desire, though there were connections between the two.
Should Ida express any interest at all in desire, he realized it would spring fully formed from the broad
base of the larger emotion. Fortunately she gave no such indication, though her moon angled to observe
him better.
"Now it is my turn," Ida said when he finished. "You have delivered in full measure, and satisfied my
lifelong curiosity. Do not be concerned about your present emotion; it will shortly pass. Here is the
information you need. You have to talk to the margins, and explain to them that they have been
deceived. That they are not giving favors, they are stealing them, and will be diminished thereby."
"Margins?" Forrest asked. "The lines?"
"The creatures who generate the lines," Ida said. "They are kept in the cellars, and not told much of
anything that is true."
A bulb flashed over Forrest's head. "So if they learn the truth, they'll stop generating the lines, and the
power of the Wizards will collapse!
Ida smiled. "I'm glad that this information is useful to you."
"It certainly is!"
"But how can we get into the castles, to tell the margins?" Imbri asked.
Forrest relayed the question.
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"You have merely to locate Ghina, whose talent is to put people to sleep," Ida said. "She is somewhere
on Pyramid's red face, and will help if you ask her. Also Jeffrey, whose talent is to draw a door that
opens.
"But how do we find Gina and Jeffrey?"
"Ghina, the daughter of Graeboe Giant and Gloha Goblin-Harpy, I believe. A large invisible winged
goblin girl. And Jeffrey, of uncertain origin, on Pyramid's green face. I fear you will have to accept
some favors there, and be accordingly diminished."
"I can do that," Imbri said.
"So we have it," Forrest said. "Thank you so much."
"No thanks necessary; it is a fair exchange."
Then he realized something. "My emotion-it has faded. I don't love you any more. Not that you are
unworthy. It's just that-"
"Yes. It abated when I returned the favor. But I trust you can appreciate why I demurred, before."
"Yes! It's a great emotion, but it must be invoked suitably."
"That is correct. I am glad we were able to arrange our exchange of information, for we both profit
handsomely thereby."
"So am I," he said, much relieved. If only Eve could be similarly turned off. But he knew of no favor he
could do her at the moment.
"Now we must return to Pyramid. Do you have any objection if we go directly from here?"
"None. I have not before observed travel between worlds. It should be interesting."
"Maybe so." He looked at the others. "Are we ready?"
"No," Dawn said. "I haven't had the chance to do you a favor to match Eve's."
"Better yet," Forrest suggested, "why don't I do Eve an equivalent favor, so that her emotion abates? I
can't think of one, but maybe you can."
"Maybe I can," Dawn said.
"Nuh-uh!" Eve protested. "I like it this way."
"But we have to be even," Dawn said.
"How long has it been since Eve did her favor for Forrest?" Ida asked.
"An hour," Dawn said.
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"Then it's too late. Favors have to be exchanged soon, before the emotion sets in place."
"Then I'll just have to do Forrest some favor," Dawn said. "Forrest, what do you really, truly, most want
to know about some living thing?"
"Where to find a faun for my neighboring tree. That's my whole mission here."
"But I have to touch a living thing to know about it. I can't find your faun from a distance, unless I can
touch someone who knows where he is."
"I wish you could do me that favor," Forrest said. "But it is evident that you can't."
"Maybe one of us knows," Dawn said. "Without knowing she knows, I mean. So I could find out."
"I do not," Ida said. "I would have to query Cone again, and that would mean-"
"Don't do that!" Forrest said. "It's Dawn's favor I must have."
Ida smiled. "I understand."
"Let's hold hands," Dawn said desperately. "If the information is among us, I can get it."
"I can't hold hands," Imbri said in a dreamlet.
"But you can touch us," Eve pointed out.
So they formed another circle, with the two girls holding Forrest's hands, and touching Imbri on the
other side. There was a pause.
"There is something," Dawn said. "Not the faun. Something ...something better, I think. Oh!" She let go.
"What happened?" Eve asked. "Is something wrong?"
Dawn looked awed. "I don't think so. But I don't know what to do. It's all-all mixed up."
Forrest was getting impatient. "Do you have the answer or don't you?"
Dawn turned to Ida. "Aunt Ida-where I come from, that's what you are-you always had good advice for
us. I really need it now. Is there any way-without complicating things-"
Ida nodded. "There may be, dear. If you care to tell me what is on your mind, I would be free to offer an
opinion, which you would be free to ignore. So there would be no actual service. Would that do?"
"Yes!'
"Then we shall do that. Let's take a little walk into my house."
The two went into the house. The remaining three looped a glance around. "What do you think she
saw?" Eve asked.
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"It must have been something that one of us knows, or maybe has seen and not realized its significance,"
Imbri said.
"She knows just about everything I know," Eve said. "So I don't think it's me."
"I have seen too many things to remember," Imbri said. "In the course of my delivery of bad dreams. So
one of them could relate. But why wouldn't she tell us, or at least Forrest?"
"All I know I learned in the vicinity of my tree," Forrest said. "This adventure has shown me more new
things than I ever saw before. So unless I saw a faun in passing and didn't realize it-and why wouldn't
Dawn tell me that?"
"She said it wasn't a faun, but maybe better," Eve said. "But that still doesn't explain why she's so
confused."
Dawn and Ida emerged from the house. Dawn looked radiant. She marched right up to Forrest. "I love
you as much as Eve does, now," she said, embracing him and kissing him ardently on the mouth. He
realized that it must be so, for her passion was heating him, making him desire her as much as he desired
Eve. Her body was pressing him in all the places Eve's body had, just as urgently. "So we're even,
again." She gave him a final squeeze, and turned him loose.
He reeled, and would have fallen, had not Imbri alertly intercepted him and supported him with her solid
shoulder. "We had better complete this mission soon," Imbri said in a dreamlet. "Those girls are too
much for you."
True words! He put his arm across her shoulder, gradually regaining his equilibrium. "I'm just not used
to this sort of thing," he said.
"But what favor did you do him?" Eve was asking Dawn.
"Sister, I can't tell you. And I can't tell you why I can't tell you. But believe me, you would do the same,
in my situation."
"I don't understand!"
"I know. I'm sorry. But so it must be, for now."
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