{"id":391,"date":"2026-01-03T20:36:57","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T20:36:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/piers-anthony-xanth-16-demons-dont-dream-anthony-piers\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T20:36:57","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T20:36:57","slug":"piers-anthony-xanth-16-demons-dont-dream-anthony-piers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/piers-anthony-xanth-16-demons-dont-dream-anthony-piers\/","title":{"rendered":"Piers, Anthony – Xanth 16 – Demons Don’t Dream – Anthony, Piers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Book Preview<\/h3>\n
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DEMONSDON’TDREAM-XANTH16<\/p>\n

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DEMONS DON’T DREAM\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0 XANTH 16<\/p>\n

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1<\/p>\n

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COMPANION<\/p>\n

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Dug was exasperated. \u201cForget it, Ed! I’m not interested in any silly computer game. They all claim to be so easy to play and so exciting, and every one of them has a squintillion stupid things you have to do just to get started, and then the games are just awkward figures on painted backdrops, and you have the May-I syndrome.\u201d<\/p>\n

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“The whatr<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou know. No matter what you do, you get an error message and you have to start over, because you forgot to say ‘May I?’ or something just as idiotic before you did it. Computers are great at that. They figure you’re supposed to know everything before you start, and they’re going to make you do it over and over until you finally figure out what they want, by which time you’re sick of it all. I don’t want to waste my time.\u201d<\/p>\n

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But his friend Edsel had the annoying fault of being too persistent. ‘Til bet I can find you a game you’ll really like. No May-I syndrome. No dull backdrops. Real adven-<\/p>\n

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2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PIERS ANTHONY<\/p>\n

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ture. Something you’ll get into easy and never want to leave.”<\/p>\n

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\u201cAnd I’ll bet you can’t There is no such game, because real people don’t program them, just computer scientists who lost touch with reality decades ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt’s a bet,\u201d Ed said immediately. \u201cWhat’re the stakes?\u201d<\/p>\n

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Dug refused to take it seriously. \u201cMy girlfriend against your motorcycle.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cDone! I always liked your girlfriend anyway. Give me a week to get the game in, and you can kiss her goodbye meanwhile.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cHey, I wasn’t really\u2014\u201d Dug protested. But Edsel was gone. Oh, well. It wasn’t as if there was any real risk. Dug wouldn’t take his friend’s motorcycle anyway.<\/p>\n

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Now it was time to get into his homework. So he called Pia instead. \u201cHey, I just made a bet with Ed. The stakes are you against his motorcycle.\u201d<\/p>\n

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She laughed. \u201cYou better hope you lose, because that cycle needs work.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cI know. I won’t really take it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cBut he’ll really take me if you lose. He likes me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Suddenly Dug was nervous. “You mean, if\u2014you’d\u2014T<\/p>\n

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\u201cA bet’s a bet, Dug. You have to make good on it. You know that.\u201d She hung up.<\/p>\n

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Shaken, he stared at his unopened books. She had hardly seemed surprised, and not at all annoyed. Had he been set up?<\/p>\n

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It didn’t take a week; Edsel had the game Saturday morning. \u201cYou crank this into your computer, and call me when you’re sick of it. If you don’t call in an hour, I’m calling Pia for a date, because I’ll know I won.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cAren’t you going to stay and help me get the thing loaded? You know it’s going to take time just to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cNan. The bet is that you can do it yourself, with no hassle, and you’ll really like it. So if I’m right, you won’t need me at all, or care that I’m not around. If I’m wrong, you’ll be on the phone within an hour to let me know.\u201d<\/p>\n

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DEMONS DON’T DREAM\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 3<\/p>\n

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\u201cHalf hour, more likely,\u201d Dug said grimly.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhatever. So try it and find out.\u201d Ed departed.<\/p>\n

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He seemed so sure of himself! But Dug had never met a computer program he liked, other than the one that blanked the screen after five minutes, and he seriously doubted that he would like this one. But if it was easy-loading, he’d give it a fair try, and still be on time with the phone call.<\/p>\n

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He looked at the package as he went upstairs to his room. COMPANIONS OF XANTH. This appeared to be a silly fantasy setting, exactly the kind Dug didn’t much tike. How could Ed think he’d go for this, even if it wasn’t too hard to get going? Then he looked again. There was a picture of a young woman of truly comely face and figure, in an outfit resembling the sinuous contours of a serpent. Wouldn’t it be something to meet a creature like that! Maybe she was the inducement; they figured that some poor sap like him would buy the game in the hope that she was in it. If she was, it would be only as an animated flat picture. A ripoff in spirit if not in technicality.<\/p>\n

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He settled himself by his computer table and turned the system on. While it wanned up and went through its ritual initial checks and balances, he opened the package. There were no instructions, just a disk. There wasn’t even the usual warning note forbidding anyone to copy it. Just the words INSERT DISK\u2014TYPE A:\\XANTH-TOUCH ENTER. He had to admit that was simple.<\/p>\n

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He inserted the disk, typed the mysterious word, and touched ENTER. There was a momentary swirl on the<\/p>\n

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-: screen. Then a little man appeared, almost a cartoon figure. The figure looked at Dug and spoke. His words ap-<\/p>\n

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\u2022. peared in type in a speech balloon above his head. “Hi! I’m Grundy Golem. I’m from the Land of Xanth, and I speak your language. I’m your temporary Companion. If you don’t like me you can get rid of me in just a minute. But first listen a bit, okay? Because I’m here to take your hand and lead you through the preliminaries without con-<\/p>\n

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;\u00a0 fusion. Any questions you have, you just ask me. You do<\/p>\n

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4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PIERS ANTHONY<\/p>\n

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that by touching the Q key, or clicking the right side on your mouse. So go ahead\u2014ask.”<\/p>\n

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Why not? Dug touched Q.<\/p>\n

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There was a ding. A huge human finger appeared and nudged Gnmdy on the shoulder so hard that he stumbled to the side. \u201cHey, not so hard!\u201d Dug had to smile. \u201cOkay, so you have a question. You have one of those primitive Mundane keyboards, right? So you have two ways to do it You can type the question so I can see it, or you can touch ENTER and it will bring up me list of the ten most common questions at this stage. Then you can use your arrow keys to highlight the question you want, and touch ENTER again, or just shortcut it by typing the number of the question you want I’ll wait while you decide. If you want me to resume without waiting, touch ESCAPE.\u201d Grundy took a step back, twiddling his tiny thumbs.<\/p>\n

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Dug found himself intrigued despite his cynicism. He touched ENTER.<\/p>\n

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Grundy reached down and caught hold of a bit of string at the bottom of the screen. He pulled it up, and a scroll of print unrolled. There were numbered questions.<\/p>\n

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1. HOW DO I GET OUT OF THIS CRAZY GAME?<\/p>\n

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2. HOW CAN I SHORTCUT TO THE ACTION?<\/p>\n

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3. WHO IS THAT CREATURE ON THE COVER?<\/p>\n

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4. CAN I GET MY MONEY BACK IF I QUIT NOW?<\/p>\n

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5. HOW DO I GET A BETTER COMPANION?<\/p>\n

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6. HOW DO I SAVE MY PLACE SO I CAN TAKE A PEE BREAK AND PICK UP WHERE I LEFT OFF?<\/p>\n

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7. WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THIS GAME IS SO GREAT?<\/p>\n

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8. CAN A FRIEND PLAY TOO?<\/p>\n

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9. WHAT’S THE PRIZE FOR WINNING?<\/p>\n

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DEMONS DON’T DREAM\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 5<\/p>\n

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O. HOW MANY PRINTED QUESTIONS ARE THERE, AND CAN I CALL THEM UP ANYTIME?<\/p>\n

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Dug smiled. It seemed they had had some player input He touched 0, which he took to be 10; he realized mat it couldn’t be listed as 10 because when a player touched the 1 it would take him to 1 without giving him a chance to complete the number. That was one of the things computers did: pretending not to know what the player really wanted.<\/p>\n

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The question highlighted. Grundy came* to life. \u201cThere are a hundred questions hi this edition of the Companions of Xanth Game, and mere may be more in future editions as we get more player feedback. You can call up the list anytime by touching HELP and paging down. For two-digit numbers you can hold down the first number while you touch the second, and both digits will register. But it’s probably easier just to ask me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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It probably was. But Dug decided to play with the list a bit more. The questions were still on the scroll. So he touched 1.<\/p>\n

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Grundy animated again. \u201cTo quit this game, touch ALT ESCAPE and turn off the set. But I hope you don’t quit yet; you haven’t given us a fair chance. We hardly know you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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They hardly knew him? As if they were real and he was a mocked-up player! That seemed arrogant. But also intriguing. Dug touched 2. \u201cTo shortcut directly to the action, touch SHIFT ESCAPE. But I strongly advise against this, because mere’s more you have to do, like checking in, and you’ll be stuck with me as your Companion. Once you know the ropes, you can skip this whole scene, but please don’t do it this time,\u201d<\/p>\n

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Fair enough. So far mere had been no confusion, and he had not yet gotten into the game proper. He could skip ahead and look at it, but it made sense to give the Golem his chance. He touched 3.<\/p>\n

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6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PIERS ANTHONY<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat creature on the cover is Nada Naga, Xanth’s most luscious eligible princess. She is one of the available Companions.\u201d Grundy cocked an eye at him. \u201cMaybe it’s time you asked about Companions, if that isn’t clear yet\u201d<\/p>\n

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So Dug typed WHAT ABOUT COMPANIONS?<\/p>\n

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\u201cI’m so glad you asked about Companions!\u201d Grundy said. \u201cThat is of course the name of this game, and the main thing that distinguishes it from others. In this game you are never left to flounder helplessly, guessing at the procedures. You have a Companion to guide you through. Anything you need to know, you can ask your Companion, and if he (or she, if you select a female) doesn’t know the answer, he’ll give you a responsive guess. He will also warn you when you are going wrong, and in general be a true friend to you. You can trust your Companion absolutely\u2014except for one thing. Touch Y or ENTER if you want to know about that one thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Dug was tempted to touch the ESCAPE key instead, but was hooked. So he touched ENTER.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat is smart of you,\u201d Grundy said. “You see, your Companion is your truest friend, ordinarily. But there is one chance in seven that he will be a False Companion. That one will pretend to be your friend, but will lead you into mischief and doom. So if you get that one, you must be wary, and not take his bad advice. Unfortunately, there is no obvious way to tell a Fair Companion from a False Companion, because they look and act the same\u2014until some key point in the game, when the False Companion will betray you. You must judge only by assessing the quality of the advice you are given, and recognizing bad advice. If you are able to identify your False Companion, you can not exchange him for another; once you choose your Companion, you are stuck with him throughout the game. You can ask him to go away, but then you will be alone in the game without guidance and are likely to get eaten by a dragon, or suffer some worse fate. It is better to keep him with you, but to be wary of him. It is possible<\/p>\n

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DEMONS DON’T DREAM\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7<\/p>\n

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to win the game with a False Companion, just a lot more difficult.”<\/p>\n

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The Golem paused, so Dug typed in a related query. SUPPOSE I JUST QUIT THE GAME, AND COME BACK NEW?<\/p>\n

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\u201cIf you try to leave the game and return, so as to get a new Companion, you will find that the layout of the game has changed, so that not only are you not certain whether your new Companion is True or False, you are not sure whether paths which were safe before remain so. If you are well along in the game, it is better just to continue. But it is your choice, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

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This warning, rather than turning Dug off, intrigued him. So he could never quite trust his Companion. That promised a special thrill of excitement that would not have been there otherwise. He looked at the listed questions, and touched 9.<\/p>\n

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‘The prize for winning the game, which is not easy to do, is to receive a magic talent, which will be yours in any future games you play. We do not know what that talent is, but it will surely be a good one, that will be a great advantage for you.”<\/p>\n

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Sort of like getting a free pass to another game. Dug shrugged. He didn’t care much about fantasy anyway, so (his wasn’t much of an inducement. He was beginning to get bored with this, so he touched 5.<\/p>\n

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Grundy frowned. \u201cI was hoping you would decide to stay with me. I can speak the languages of animals and plants, and learn things that others can not.\u201d Then he smiled. \u201cBut maybe you still will choose me. Here are the six other Companions from which to choose.\u201d He pulled up another scroll.<\/p>\n

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This contained six names: Goody Goblin, Horace Centaur, Jenny Elf, Marrow Bones, Metria Demoness, and Nada Naga. Dug recognized the last name: the luscious creature of the cover. He didn’t need to check the others. He highlighted Nada Naga, and her description and a picture appeared.<\/p>\n

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8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PIERS ANTHONY<\/p>\n

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NADA NAGA, PRINCESS OF THE NAGA FOLK OF XANTH, WHICH ARE HUMAN\/SERPENT CROSSBREEDS, CAPABLE OF ASSUMING EITHER FORM OR ONE IN BETWEEN. AGE 21, UNMARRIED, INTELLIGENT, NICE, BEAUTIFUL. ASSETS: MATURITY AND ABILITY TO ASSUME FIGHTING FORM. LIABILITIES: PRINCESSLY LIMITATIONS.<\/p>\n

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Being a princess was a liability? Dug had to laugh. He was prepared to cope with it. What fun it would be to have such a woman as his Companion! Without hesitation, he touched RETURN.<\/p>\n

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The picture expanded, and Nada Naga stepped out onto the main screen. \u201cThank you, Grundy,\u201d she said in a dulcet voice. Actually it was print in a speech balloon, but Dug could almost hear it. \u201cI shall take it from here.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Grundy sighed and walked off-screen. Nada turned to Dug. \u201cPlease introduce yourself,\u201d she said appealingly. \u201cJust type your name and description, so that I can relate to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Eagerly he typed. DUG. MALE. AGE 16. So she was five years older; who cared? This was only a game.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhy, hello, Doug,\u201d she said. \u201cI am sure we shall get along very well.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Oops. DUG, he typed. NO O. IT’S NOT SHORT FOR DOUGLAS, EITHER. IT’S JUST DUG.<\/p>\n

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She lifted one dainty hand to her mouth, blushing prettily. \u201cOh, I apologize, Dug! Please forgive me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Actually, if she wanted to call him Doug or Douglas, let her do it. From her it would sound just great.<\/p>\n

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NO NEED, he typed quickly. I NEVER MET A PRINCESS BEFORE. It was a game, but it had become an interesting game, and he wanted to play it for what it was worth. He realized that he was losing his bet with Edsel, but he no longer cared. He just wanted to continue playing.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt is a liability, being a princess,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was nice of you to select me anyway. I shall try to be an effective Companion for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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DEMONS DON’T DREAM\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9<\/p>\n

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I’M SURE YOU WILL BE PERFECT, he typed, speaking the words at the same time, really getting into it<\/p>\n

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\u201cDug, may I give you some advice?\u201d she asked prettily.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAnything you want,\u201d he said, his fingers flying to keep the pace.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt will be easier if you get into the scene with me. So that we can relate to each other more readily. Do you know how to do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cI’d love to get into the scene with you,\u201d he agreed. \u201cBut you’re on the computer screen, and I’m out here in real life.\u201d So maybe it was a foolish business, getting emotionally involved like this, treating her as if she were a real person, but it was fun. He was amazed at how responsive she was.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis is true. But though I can not come out to join you, you can in effect come in to join me. You have to suspend your disbelief a bit, and refocus your eyes.\u201d*<\/p>\n

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‘Til try.” He wished he could forget this was a fantasy game, and just live the fantasy: himself with this lovely woman.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou see, the screen looks flat to you because you are focusing flat. But if you will try to focus your eyes on something behind the screen, as if it were a window to another world, you will find that it becomes rounded. See if you can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Rounded. She was already so nicely rounded that he hardly cared about the rest But he obligingly tried to focus his eyes beyond the screen. The image of Nada fuzzed somewhat; that was all. \u201cI don’t see to be getting it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSee the two dots at the top?\u201d she asked, pointing. Now he saw them, hovering just above her speech balloon. “Try to make them become three dots. Then you will be in the right range. It may not happen right away, but once it does, you will know it**<\/p>\n

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\u201cOkay,\u201d he typed. He was glad that he could do it by touch, so that he could answer her without taking his eyes from die screen. He refocused his eyes, trying to make die<\/p>\n

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10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PIERS ANTHONY<\/p>\n

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two dots into three. He didn’t really believe that anything would come of this, but he wanted to give his best try to whatever she asked him to do.<\/p>\n

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The picture blurred, refocused and blurred again. The two dots became four, then bobbed a bit and fused into three. And then, quietly, die third dimension came.<\/p>\n

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Dug stared. Literally. The picture was now 3-D! He wasn’t wearing colored glasses or using one of those two-picture stereo dinguses; it was just the computer screen. But now the screen had become like a pane of glass, a window opening to a scene beyond. Nada Naga stood in the foreground, with the grass of the glade behind her, and the fantasy jungle in the background. It was all so real he was stunned.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat’s better,\u201d Nada said smiling. \u201cI see you in rounded form now, Dug.\u201d<\/p>\n

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She saw him as rounded? She was the most delightfully rounded woman he could imagine! But he did not type mat in. Instead he made a safer statement \u201cIt’s amazing! How did it happen?\u201d<\/p>\n

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She frowned prettily. \u201cI don’t suppose you would believe me if I told you there’s some magic involved?\u201d<\/p>\n

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He shook his head. \u201cI don’t believe in magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat’s too bad. That is the second, and greater step. When you manage to do that, you will truly be in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cSuspension of disbelief,\u201d he agreed. \u201cI really wish I could! But I’m a skeptic from way back. As they say, I’m from Missouri.\u201d<\/p>\n

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She looked blank. \u201cI thought you were from Mundania.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Mundania. Cute notion. \u201cI think Missouri is a state in Mundania. The people there always have to be shown something before they believe it. So if you show me magic, I’ll believe it. Otherwise\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

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She smiled. She made a sinuous ripple, and suddenly she was a snake with her human head. “This is my naga form, which is natural to me. My magic enables me to as-<\/p>\n

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DEMONS DON’T DREAM\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 11<\/p>\n

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sume human form, or full serpent form.” She became a coiled python, whose reptilian eyes fixed on him as it slithered from the fallen garments. But he was not revolted. He could take snakes or leave them; he knew they were beneficial creatures, so he just left mem alone. This one did not dismay him at all. He knew it was Nada, in the context of the fantasy game. It would be useful to have such a reptile on his side, if some game threat materialized, as was sure to happen when he really got into it<\/p>\n

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\u201cI realize there is magic in a fantasy game,\u201d he said carefully. \u201cThings happen all me time in movie cartoons and such. People get flattened by steamrollers, and then pumped back into round with a shot of air, and they are normal again. So you might say that I believe in magic in such a context But never in real life.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The snake slithered behind a screen, carrying the woman’s piled clothing in its mouth. In a moment the human form reappeared from behind the screen, decorously dressed. \u201cBut if you come into Xanth, then magic will work. If I went to Mundania, I would not be able to change form; I’d be just a little helpless snake.\u201d She frowned. \u201cI know; it happened once. But here we follow our rules. So when you can manage to believe, then you will experience magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen I believe that, Til be crazy,\u201d he said sourly.<\/p>\n

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\u201cNo, you will just be in another realm. But you don’t have to believe, to play the game. Just remember that our rules govern here.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cI’ll do that\u201d Dug said, surprised by her responsive-ness. It really seemed as if she were a real person, communicating through the barrier of his disbelief. \u201cHow do I play this game?\u201d<\/p>\n

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She smiled again. The glade lighted when she did that;<\/p>\n

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it really did become brighter, as if a slow flashbulb had<\/p>\n

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gone off. So it was a foolish technical effect; he still liked<\/p>\n

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it She was just such a beautiful woman that he could bask<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

|\u00a0\u00a0 all day in her smiles.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

12\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PIERS ANTHONY<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘Take my hand,\u201c Nada said, \u201dand I will lead you into it.” She extended her lovely hand to him.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dug reached for the screen, then caught himself. He typed I TAKE YOUR HAND.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The scene expanded. Now he seemed to be in the glade, and Nada stood beside him, about half a head shorter than he. She turned to him, her bosom gently heaving, her brown-gray eyes complementing her gray-brown tresses. Suddenly brown-gray was Dug’s favorite color. \u201cThank you, Dug; it is so nice to have you here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s so nice to be here,\u201d he said, discovering that disbelief was getting easier to suspend, at least in this context. He knew he would never get close to a woman like this in real life, so he might as well do it this way. Certainly the way the scene had come to life was amazing.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, this glade is a safe haven,\u201d Nada said. \u201cBut the moment we go out of it, we’re playing the game proper, and there will be challenge and trouble. So while I don’t want to bore you with too many explanations\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou aren’t boring me,\u201d Dug said quickly. She could have been delivering the world’s dullest lecture on Shakespeare’s most boring historical play (which was a fair description of a normal English class session), and still have fascinated him. He was satisfied just to remain in this glade and watch her talk. Because she seemed to be genuinely interested in him. That was surely the fakery of the game programming, but it was excellent fakery. He remembered a challenge that was ongoing: companies were trying to build a computer that could maintain a dialogue with a person so effectively that the person would not know it was a computer. The computer would be in a sealed-off room, so the person couldn’t see, and would have to guess whether there was a computer or a person in there. So far no computer had fooled the experts, but it was getting close. Nada Naga, as an animated projection for such a computer program, was awfully close. She seemed so alive, and not just because of her appearance.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

She smiled again, as he had hoped she would. ‘Thank<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

DEMONS DON’T DREAM\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 13<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

you, Dug. I need to be sure you understand what is happening, because it is my job to take you as far through the game as possible, and if you fail to win the prize, it won’t be through any fault of mine. But my ability is limited, and in any event the decisions are yours; I can only answer your questions and advise you. I myself don’t know the winning course. But I do know Xanth, and so I will be able to guide you away from most of its dangers.\u201c She paused, glancing at him. \u201dAre you familiar with Xanth?”<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNever heard of it,\u201d he said cheerfully. \u201cI’m not a fantasy reader. I gather it’s a hoked-up fantasy setting, with beautiful princesses, ugly goblins, walking skeletons, and smoky demonesses.\u201d He had picked that up from the list of alternate Companions. \u201cI presume I’ll have to cross mountains and chasms and raging rivers, and fight off fire-breathing dragons, and find special magic amulets to enable me to get into magically sealed vaults where the treasure lies. And that there are so many threats lined up that the chances are I’ll be wiped out early, and then I’ll have to start over, knowing a little more about what to avoid. Frankly, I’d rather just stay here and talk with you.\u201d His glance fell to her bosom, and bounced away, because when he was standing this close to her he could see right down inside. He loved the sight, but didn’t want her to catch him staring. She might put on a jacket, ruining the view.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do seem to have a good notion of the game,\u201d she agreed. She inhaled, and he almost bit his tongue. \u201cBut you can’t win it by staying here. So soon we shall have to \u00abstart the trek. Normally the best first step is to go to ask .fee Good Magician Humfrey for advice. Unfortunately he Charges a year’s service for a single Answer to a Question. Since that isn’t feasible for you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Right. No point in going there. Let’s talk. Do you ever date MundanesT<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cDate? Do you mean one of the Seeds of Thyme? We might find one of those if we go to the right garden.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

14\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PIERS ANTHONY He laughed. “I mean, do you ever go out with Mun-<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

danesT<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

“I am about to go out into Xanth with you, to show you<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

the best route to\u2014”<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean like doing something together. Seeing a show, having a meal, talking. Having fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Her lovely brow almost furrowed. \u201cWe shall be pursuing the quest together, and we shall see what Xanth has to show along the way. We shall talk as much as we need. I hope this is not unpleasant for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

She just wasn’t getting it So he tried once more. \u201cLike maybe dancing together, and kissing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nada gazed at him, a peculiar expression crossing her face. She was finally getting it! \u201cI think not. I am here to be your Companion. I am not your romance. Please do not try to kiss me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dug laughed again, but it was to cover up embarrassment She had told him no plainly enough. If he tried to kiss her, she would turn into a serpent and chomp him. \u201cI was just asking. So what else do I need to know about the game?\u201d Because if he had to play the game to keep her with him, it was worth it<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then he had to laugh at himself. Nada was a game figure on his computer screen! He couldn’t kiss her anyway. Yet here he had gotten all interested, in the faint hope mat she might agree to do it He really was getting into mis. But wouldn’t it be great if it were possible, and she were willing! She was so much better than the girlfriend he had just lost to his friend. So foolish as it was, he was going to try to please her, hi the hope that eventually she would agree to kiss him, even if it could be in name only. Nada got down to business. “It is almost impossible to win the prize directly* because we don’t even know where to look for it So we shall have to go see the Good Magician, and hope that you can make some kind of deal with him for his advice. I know the way there, so will guide you. However, the path is dangerous hi places, and we don’t know what might happen, so we shall have to be<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

DEMONS DON’T DREAM\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 15<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

very careful. There are enchanted paths, but those are for the regular folk of Xanth. We shall have to go crosscountry.\u201c She glanced up, smiling briefly. \u201dThat means we will encounter those mountains, chasms, rivers, and dragons you described, and may not even get as far as the Good Magician’s castle.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we don’t and I’m out of the game, may I ask for you again, the next time I play?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

“You may do so, but I will not be able to help you any better than the first time, because the threats will be changed. So you may be better off choosing another Companion, who may work better for you.**<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWill you remember me, in the next game?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. But it may be difficult for me, because I may have seen you get eaten by a dragon. That would be traumatic for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then I’ll try not to get eaten,\u201c he said gallantly. \u201dIs there any good way to discourage dragons?”<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

That depends on the dragon. I will be able to back off a small one. But a large one\u2014it is better simply to hide.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAren’t mere any repellents, or weapons, or whatever? So I could travel prepared?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

There may be, if you are clever enough to find mem. This is one of my liabilities: I do not know very much about human weapons, or how to use mem. If you wish to exchange me for a Companion who does, such as Horace Centaur\u2014”<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNo thanks. I’ll try to make do on my own.\u201d Dug looked around. \u201cIs mere a town nearby, where we might get weapons or supplies? That might be our first stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

There is Isthmus Village. I could take you there. But the people are not friendly to strangers. It might be better to avoid it There are fruit and nut trees, and egg rolls, and pie plants, so food will be no problem, and perhaps you could prepare a staff or cudgel for your defense.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bat Dug was feeling ornery. \u201cNo, let’s try Isthmus VH-lage first That’s a funny name; why is it called that?\u201d –\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Nada bent down to sketch a map in the dirt in the center<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

16\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PIERS ANTHONY<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

of the glade. Dug caught a compelling glimpse down her front, and wisely gave no sign, though he feared his eyeballs were about to bulge out of their sockets. Talk of three-dimensional effects! \u201cThis is the general outline of Xanth,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is where we are, at the edge of the isthmus. Here is the village a little farther along. It derives its name from its location.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dug tore his errant eyes away from her d6colletage long enough to glance at the map. \u201cWhy, that’s the state of Florida!\u201d he said, surprised, \u201cYou mean we’re in the Florida panhandle?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf that is what you call it. It is the main route to and from Mundania, which is why we meet Mundanes here. But this is not your Mundane state. This is Xanth, and you must remember mat, because there are things here you are unlikely to find in Mundania.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

He had been glimpsing some of them, but of course he couldn’t admit it \u201cGood enough. Let’s get moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

She straightened up, nodding. She stared to walk to the edge of the glade, and it was evident that he was walking with her, because the scene shifted with his motion. This should be interesting, if only because of its realism. He didn’t care about the prize; he just wanted to stay hi the scene.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

OGRE FEN<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jenny Elf waited nervously in the chamber reserved for the prospective Companions. Sammy Cat, unconcerned, snoozed in her lap. She had to serve a year for the Good Magician Humfrey, because she had asked him a Question and gotten an Answer. But he had sent her to the Demon Professor Grossclout instead, and now she was part of this weird game for Mundanes. Why the demons wanted to run a game for Mundanes only the demons knew, but she was obliged to play her part.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nada Naga had just left, being chosen as a Companion by a Mundane Player. That left the Demoness Metria, the skeleton Marrow Bones, the zombie Horace Centaur, and tfae polite Goody Goblin. In a moment a new person arrived, to fill the vacated space hi the roster. She was a woman just about as beautiful and well endowed as Nada. She wore a gown as brown as the bark of a tree, and her hair was as green as foliage.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHello,\u201d the woman said. “Is this the Companions* denr x;\u00a0\u00a0 The others sent glances around, but none of them con-<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

18\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PIERS ANTHONY<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

nected. Jenny realized that it was up to her to answer. \u201cYes it is. Come and join us. I’m Jenny Elf, here to serve out my service for the Good Magician.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The woman stepped inside. \u201cI am Vida Vila, a nature nymph. I owed Professor Grossclout a favor.\u201d She took a<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

seat.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cVida Vila,\u201d the skeleton exclaimed. \u201cWe have met before. I am Marrow Bones. I brought Prince Dolph through your region several years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vida nodded. \u201cI thought you looked familiar. But I am not good with skeletons; they all look alike to me. That prince must be about grown by now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. He married Electra, and they have twins.\u201d \u201cOh, pooh!\u201d Vida said, dispirited. That was impressive, because for that instant she became a growly bear. But she quickly reverted. \u201cI hoped to marry him myself, when he got old enough. Princes don’t grow on trees, you know, or I would have grown my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

NOW HEAR THIS, a disembodied voice blared. IT IS TIME FOR THE SELECTION OF THE FALSE COMPANION.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we already had that selection,\u201d Jenny protested. She had been relieved when the lot had not fallen on her, because she did not want to be false to any person.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

TRY NOT TO LET THE MUSH IN YOUR HEAD SHOW, the voice said sternly. It was Professor Grossclout, of course, the demon in charge. A NEW FALSE COMPANION\u00a0\u00a0 MUST\u00a0 BE\u00a0\u00a0 SELECTED\u00a0\u00a0 BEFORE\u00a0 EACH PLAYER CHOOSES HIS COMPANION, SO AS TO PRESERVE THE ODDS. REMEMBER: ONLY THE CHOSEN ONE WILL RECEIVE THE INDICATION. THAT ONE MUST CONCEAL THE STATUS FROM ALL OTHERS. NO ONE MUST KNOW, UNTIL IT IS REVEALED IN THE COURSE OF THE GAME. \u201cOh, get on with it, Clout,\u201d Metria muttered. DID I HEAR A MUTTER? the voice demanded dangerously. Metria’s mouth zipped shut. In fact, a zipper appeared<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

DEMONS DON’T DREAM\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 19<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

across it. She was a demoness, but she knew whom not to aggravate. The Professor was said to be a creature who had been wheeled from Hell, or something.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

THE SELECTION IS\u2014 NOW.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jenny kept herself perfectly still. No indication came. She had escaped selection, again. What a relief!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

After a moment, she looked around at the others \u2014 and found them looking around too. Each was trying to discover who had been selected, but none of them could tell. It could be any of the seven of them, because Grundy Golem was also a potential Companion. Maybe the lot had fallen on him.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLook out \u2014 here comes a Player,\u201d Metria said, peering out the window.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Immediately they all sat still in their seats, so that their images would be ready when the Player asked to see the prospective Companions. They could see the Player in the ‘one- way window, but he could not see them until he asked to.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

He? She. It was a girl. She looked sort of ordinary, but<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

– (bat was typical of all Mundanes. Her hands hovered over<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

the keyboard, which was the clumsy way Mundanes had to<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

access magic, and her eyes were fastened to her side of<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

die window.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Grundy Golem was the master of ceremonies, and he was good at it. \u201cHi! I’m Grundy Golem. I’m from the Land of\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy, hello, Grundy!\u201d the girl exclaimed. \u201cI’m so glad to see you. How is Rapunzel?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

That set even the loud-mouthed golem back. \u201cShe’s fine. She’s home because she’s expecting a delivery by the \u2014 \u201d He paused. \u201cDo you mind telling me how old you are?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSixteen,\u201d the girl said brightly. \u201cI know all about the Adult Conspiracy. I attend a progressive school.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, yes,\u201d Grundy said, still somewhat at a loss. “So have come to play our Companions of Xanth Game,<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kirn, I won a talent contest, and this was the prize. To<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

20\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PIERS ANTHONY<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

get the first copy of the new Xanth computer game. I love Xanth. So here I am.\u201c \u201dUrn, there may have been a mistake. You’re actually<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

the second to play.\u201c The second? Oh, darn! Who’s first?\u201d \u201cA boy named Dug. We didn’t realize that the first had been promised to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it wasn’t exactly promised. But the game’s not officially on the market yet, so I figured\u2014well, never mind. I’m used to being second.\u201d She looked sad.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jenny was getting to like this girl, for some reason. Maybe it was because she looked so ordinary, but had so much personality. The boy. Dug, had been handsome, but more like a blank in character, and Jenny was glad he hadn’t chosen her to be bis Companion. Of course he had chosen Nada; any male human being would. But this girl Kirn was different, hi a number of ways.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you know about Xanth,\u201d Grundy said, trying to get reorganized, now that this introductory spiel had been broken up. \u201cBut do you know about this game?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, sure. All I need to, anyway. I have to choose a Companion, and she’ll tell me everything else.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can choose a male Companion, if you wish,\u201d Grundy said. \u201cI happen to be available.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cGee, Grundy, you’d be great! You can talk to anything. But maybe I’d better at least check the others, just in case.\u201d The window became two-way. Now Kim could see the six available Companions.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, there’s Jenny Elf!\u201d Kim exclaimed, delighted. \u201cAnd Sammy Cat! Hey, Jenny, I wrote you a letter!\u201d Jenny felt a thrill of pleasure at the recognition. \u201cBut I didn’t get an answer.\u201d Jenny squirmed. \u201cBut I know how it is. You have a whole lot of other stuff to do, like getting better. The Mundane Jenny, I mean; of course I couldn’t get a letter from Xanth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kim turned to Grundy. \u201cI’m sorry, Grundy. I like you, really I do. But Jenny Elf s my favorite, and Sammy can find anything except home. I’ve got to go with her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

DEMONS DON’T DREAM\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 21<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

“That’s all right,** Grundy said graciously. There was Soothing else he could do. He walked out of the glade.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jenny stood and stepped through the window, into the main scene, carrying Sammy. She was really glad to be chosen, because Kim seemed like a nice girl, who already knew about Xanth. Jenny was also doubly glad now that she was not the False Companion. It no longer mattered who else had been selected, because the Player had chosen, and would deal only with Jenny.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHello, Kim,\u201d Jenny said. \u201cThank you for choosing me. -I will try to be a good Companion for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I know you will!\u201d Kim said enthusiastically. \u201cI wish this could be real, instead of just an old game. But I don’t guess you can’t tell me how to step into the real Xanth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

;\/ \u201cWell, not quite,** Jenny said apologetically. \u201dBut I can you two steps that will bring you a lot closer. First you ive to refocus your eyes. Do you see those two dots?\u201c \u201dI see mem.\u201c In a moment, following Jenny’s instruc-the girl had succeeded in bringing the third dimen-; skra. Instead of being a Oat image beyond die screen, she became a rounded one, and the screen seemed more like a window. It was almost as if they were in the glade together. \u201dOh, this is wonderful!” Kim exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other thing is harder. You have to suspend your disbelief. If you can do that, then you will seem to be right here in Xanth, because you’ll believe it\u201d >;\u00a0\u00a0 **Oh, I want to believe it!\u201c Kim exclaimed. \u201dI’d give lything to be hi Xanth for real! But deep down inside, *11 always know this is a game, and not real.\u201c Jenny was saddened to near mat. How could she con-the girl mat it was Mundania that wasn’t quite real? tpat that was why this was the harder challenge; people just Ifpuldn’t make themselves believe what they didn’t believe. \u201dWell, we can play the game anyway,\u201c Jenny said. \u201dAt the visual magic is working. Now, I don’t know what prize is, or where to find it, so I think you will have<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

^Pi-<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

22\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PIERS ANTHONY<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

to go to ask the Good Magician Humfrey, if you don’t mind.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMind? I’d love to meet the Good Magician! Will I get to fight my way into his castle, too?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I’m afraid you will.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWonderful! Oh, this is so thrilling! I can’t wait to get started.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jenny was somewhat taken aback by this enthusiasm. She herself had had some trouble adjusting to the Land of Xanth, which was so different from the World of Two Moons where she had lived before. But of course Kirn was Mundane, so she had to be thrilled to be anywhere else. \u201cWe can start now, if you wish. Sammy can find us a safe path past the Ogre Fen.\u201d For each Player started from a different place in Xanth, so they wouldn’t interfere with each other. Dug had started from the isthmus, but this was farther to the east. The demons moved the site back and forth each time.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, are we near the Ogre fen Ogre Fen? Will we get to see an ogre?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don’t want to see an ogre!\u201d Jenny protested. \u201cOgres are dangerous. If we get near any of them, they are liable to squeeze us into pulp and plop us into a cook pot, or worse, if they’re in a bad mood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kirn looked disappointed. \u201cWell, could we maybe just sneak by where they can’t see us, so we can just catch a little glimpse? It would mean so much to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jenny saw that they had a problem. “Look, Kirn, maybe you are used to reading about Xanth, where nothing really bad happens to major characters. They just get scared, but it always turns out okay in the end. But you’re not a Xanth character; you are a Player, and if an ogre catches you, he’ll do something mean to you, like biting off your head, and you’ll be out of the game. Furthermore, if you should come back in the game, not only will you have to start from scratch with a scrambled set of threats, that ogre will remember you, and come after you faster next time. It doesn’t get easier to start over, it gets harder. So you don’t<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

DEMONS DON’T DREAM\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 23<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

want to run afoul of any ogres; they’ll ruin your chances, even if you don’t really die when they pull you apart and use your legbones as toothpicks. I’m sure Sammy can find a way through the Ogre Fen without encountering any ogres, and that’s what we should do.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I don’t want to get caught by the ogres,\u201d Kirn protested. \u201cI just want to see them. So when I go home I can say I saw a real live game ogre. What’s the sense in play-Jng, if I can’t see what I want to see?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Well, I sort of thought you might want to win, and get _ jhe prize.**<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

x\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cWell, of course I want to win the prize! But the fun is fdso in the playing. I want to experience every part of Xanth, and enjoy it to the utmost. It’s great already, just seeing it in three-dee and talking with you just as if you’re real.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

v It was worse than Jenny had feared. Underneath all her knowledge of Xanth, Kirn really didn’t believe at all. So she wasn’t taking it seriously enough. She had an Attitude ftoblem. This was sure to lead to mischief. But Kim was the Player, and she was the one who made the decisions. All Jenny could do was help and advise her.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, if you insist on seeing an ogre, we’ll go see an ogre,\u201d Jenny said. \u201cI’ll have Sammy try to find a path that leads to a place where we can see without being seen. But I still think it’s a bad idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

-, \u201cIt’s a terrible idea,\u201d Kim agreed. \u201cBut fun, too. Adven-tare is the spice of life. Let’s go!\u201d s So Jenny set Sammy down. \u201cFind a path that leads to a place where we can see an ogre, without any ogres seeing SB,\u201d she told him. \u201cDon’t run ahead; just find where it Ittarts.\u201d She had learned how to manage the cat, so that she didn’t have to chase madly after him when he went to find ^Something. She had first come to Xanth when Sammy had plashed off to find a feather, and she had followed him so ;$B wouldn’t get lost, but gotten lost herself. Since then she<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

-;|jad been stuck in Xanth, but soon enough she had come like it, though she did miss her family back on the<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

24\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PIERS ANTHONY<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

World of Two Moons. The last thing she wanted to do was have Sammy run into some other world, so that they wouldn’t be able to find their way back to Xanth.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sammy headed off. Jenny held on to the invisible leash the demons had given her, so that she could fell by its tug where the cat was. Sammy couldn’t feel the leash; in fact, he didn’t know she had it. It stretched just as far as it needed to, invisibly long, but contracted as she caught up, until it was invisibly short. So she no longer had to dash pell-mell after the cat, trying to keep him in sight; he was always within the feel of her hand.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, this did not make things perfect, because the cat took the most direct cat-route to whatever he was finding. If this was along a path, fine. But it could as readily be under a thorn bush, or up along a tree branch, or through a river. Or under the nose of a sleeping dragon. Sammy would zip by before the dragon woke, but Jenny was slower, larger, and smelled of elf, and all those things made a difference to a dragon. So care was still required.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

In this case the cat merely zipped through the thickest tangle of a cornfield. The corn popped madly as she forged through it. \u201cOooh, firecrackers!\u201d Kirn exclaimed, delighted.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, just popping corn,\u201d Jenny said. \u201cOh, I hope the sound of it doesn’t alert the ogres!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then she felt something sticking to her. She looked, and discovered kernels of caramel corn. They were overripe and gooey, so they made a real mess. She tried to pull them off her clothing, but they had melted in and wouldn’t come out. Well, this was the kind of nuisance that happened, when she chased after Sammy.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Soon they came to the cat, who was sitting at the end of a path, licking the caramel from his fur. This was the one.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jenny glanced at Kirn. Kim was not really here; instead there was the square window to Mundania, showing her as she sat at her keyboard. The window was always right in sight, so that the Player could see the game scene; it moved along with Jenny. So it was easy to forget that<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

DEMONS DON’T DREAM\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 25<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jenny was traveling alone, physically. Kim would not really be in the scene until she achieved the second act of belief, and believed in magic. But that would happen as the game progressed. Some things just took time to believe.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jenny picked up the cat. They followed the path through the deepening reaches of the dread Ogre Fen. Jenny would be glad when they got out of here, because it was the kind of place only an ogre could like. The trees were warped, the victims of ogre pranks; some had been tied in knots, and others looked like pretzels. Some were in tatters, showing that once an ogre in a bad mood had passed The ground was no better, it was grudgingly shifting from a swamp to a bog, and thence to a marsh; soon it would become a full fen. Fortunately the path itself was dry. This was because the ogres preferred awful paths, so didn’t use this one; thus Sammy had found the one safe from ogres. Or at least less dangerous; no path was truly safe from an ogre.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

They passed some cords hanging down from branches extending over the path. Jenny’s elbow brushed one. It twanged loudly. Immediately several other cords twanged, forming a quartet of notes, as if several people were singing.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat’s that?\u201d Kim inquired, startled.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cA vocal cord,\u201d Jenny said. \u201cI hope it doesn’t attract the ogres.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

But when she tried to move on, she brushed another cord, and there was another group of simultaneous notes. She shuddered; the ogres were sure to hear this music! \u201e They were lucky; no ogres came. Jenny breathed a sigh of relief. But she knew that the danger wasn’t over. They needed to get out of ogre country.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

They came to a hugely spreading tree whose trunk looked like thick rubber and whose branches had rubber rings spaced along them. The tips of the branches touched thin wires, which in turn swung away through the branches of other trees. There was a faint humming coming from the wires, and now and men a crackling sound.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

26\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PIERS ANTHONY<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat kind of tree is that?\u201d Kirn asked. \u201cIt’s grotesque!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jenny studied it. She had had to take a cram course in the flora of Xanth, so that she could be a good Companion and identify anything that might be either helpful or dangerous. ‘It’s an electrici-tree,\u201c she said. \u201dIt has a lot of power, I think.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kirn laughed. \u201cI’m sure it has! Maybe this is where our electric power comes from. I see the wires headed away. We belter not stay here too long; the electric field might be bad for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jenny looked. Sure enough, die tree’s roots extended down into a shimmering field. There was water below, but the wire grass grew up thickly. She hadn’t run into this in her studies; maybe she had snoozed through that particular lecture. \u201cAn electric field is harmful?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we don’t know, for sure. But folk don’t like to live too close to power lines, just in case.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Then they heard an ominous thudding, and the ground trembled. \u201cThe ogres are coming!\u201d Jenny said, alarmed. They must have heard the vocal cords after all. \u201cWe’d better hide in the tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

So she scrambled up, with Sammy scampering up ahead of her, and the screen view that connected mem to Kirn angling along. Just in time; the first monster was already heaving into awful sight Of course there was no such thing as a good sight, near an ogre, except the sight of a last way out of sight<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOooo, an ogre!\u201d Kim exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cQuiet!\u201d Jenny hissed, horribly alarmed. Ogres had adequate hearing: adequate to locate whatever they wanted to squish flat or pound into oblivion or chomp into quivering fragments.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are they doing?\u201d Kim asked, in a lower tone.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jenny studied the scene. It was a whole tribe of ogres, males and females, and they seemed to be looking for something. Then they spied it: a glowing ball nestled in the electric field. One ogre lumbered into the field and<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Read the full book by downloading it below.<\/p>\n

DOWNLOAD EPUB<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Book Preview DEMONSDON’TDREAM-XANTH16 \u00a0 DEMONS DON’T DREAM\u00a0\u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0 XANTH 16 \u00a0 1 \u00a0 COMPANION \u00a0 Dug was exasperated. \u201cForget it, Ed! I’m not interested in any silly computer game. They all claim to be so easy to play and so exciting, and every one of them has a squintillion stupid things you have to do … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":390,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[21],"class_list":["post-391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-piers-anthony"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=391"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}