{"id":445,"date":"2026-01-03T20:39:51","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T20:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/piers-anthony-xanth-43-jest-right-anthony-piers\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T20:39:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T20:39:51","slug":"piers-anthony-xanth-43-jest-right-anthony-piers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/piers-anthony-xanth-43-jest-right-anthony-piers\/","title":{"rendered":"Piers, Anthony – Xanth 43 – Jest Right – Anthony, Piers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Book Preview<\/h3>\n
\n

Chapter 1<\/p>\n

Curse<\/span><\/p>\n

Jess saw that someone was already at the rest stop: a young man standing by the pond, about to remove his clothing so he could wash. That wouldn\u2019t do; he might be seriously embarrassed to be discovered naked by a young woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cYoo-hoo!\u201d she called, to alert him to her arrival.<\/p>\n

He heard her and turned. \u201cHello,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m Magnus. What\u2019s up?\u201d He had a nice voice.<\/p>\n

Now she got a better look at him: he was tall and handsome, with classic facial features, dark brown hair, blue eyes, and muscles in his arms. Exactly the kind she\u2019d love to have take hold of her for naughty attention. She was attracted to him already. But of course it would never happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy name is Jess. I am traveling to see the Good Magician, and this is the last stop before his castle. I\u2019d love to share it with you overnight.\u201d<\/p>\n

He laughed. \u201cNo, really, who are you and what are you up to?\u201d<\/p>\n

And there it was: her curse, right on schedule. She would have to try to explain. \u201cI\u2019m serious. But I am cursed to have nobody take me seriously. So even though you think I\u2019m joking, please, please try to accept what I say at face value.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll say this for you, whatever your name is: you can make even straight lines come across as funny. It\u2019s a rare talent, but it\u2019s time to turn it off if we are to get along. Please answer my questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to!\u201d she flared. \u201cIt\u2019s the bleeping curse!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jess had had a long day walking along the enchanted paths. She was tired and more than ready to rest. It would have been so much better if she could have remained alone. But as it was, she was frustrated to distraction. \u201cBleep, bleep, bleep!\u201d she swore. Then she collapsed in tears. It was not at all the kind of scene she wanted to make, especially before a handsome man, but she was overwhelmed.<\/p>\n

Then she felt his hands on her shoulders. He was gazing into her watery face. \u201cYou\u2019re crying,\u201d he said, surprised.<\/p>\n

Worse and worse. \u201cJust leave me alone!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m beginning to understand. You really are cursed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI really am,\u201d she agreed, miserably. \u201cNow let me suffer in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

He put his arms around her and brought her close. \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

What was this? He couldn\u2019t be taking her seriously. But she was beyond common sense. She put her face to his shoulder and cried into his shirt. It might be the illusion of comfort, but it was better than nothing.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me explain,\u201d he said as he held her. \u201cI\u2019m a showman. I put together entertainments. My talent is verisimilitude, the semblance of truth: that is, making it seem real. I\u2019ve seen many acts, and I pride myself on being able to know reality regardless. But your curse caught me by surprise. It didn\u2019t let me take you seriously. Even when you tried to explain. But I\u2019m not stupid. My feeling says you\u2019re joking, but my common sense tells me you\u2019re cursed. I apologize for misunderstanding. I will try not to do that again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her tears faded. \u201cYou believe me,\u201d she breathed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe you,\u201d he agreed. \u201cUnderstand, my emotion thinks this is one big joke. But I do have a mind, and now I recognize and am trying to counter your curse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re taking me seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the intellectual level. But that\u2019s fragile.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had better get away from you before you burst out laughing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d he said seriously. \u201cThere are limits to my intellectual control, and your curse is pushing them.\u201d<\/p>\n

She disengaged and stepped away from him. \u201cThank you for that much.\u201d He gazed at her with compassion. \u201cIt\u2019s easier when you\u2019re apart from me. I was almost choking on suppressed laughter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know exactly how it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was about to wash up, before it gets dark.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like to too.\u201d Jess looked at the pond. \u201cIs it safe? No water monsters?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, you think there\u2019ll be a kraken weed monster in there? This is part of the protected area.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d she said, remembering. \u201cAnd a kraken would be addicted to krack, and not all that dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a folk story. They\u2019re plenty dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

She sighed. \u201cI had thought it was humor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh. I was trying too hard to counter your curse. But maybe we can use it. If I took you seriously, emotionally, I\u2019d be mortified to have you see me naked, since you\u2019re not my girlfriend. But as it is, maybe not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe not,\u201d she echoed, intrigued.<\/p>\n

Magnus stripped off his clothing, hanging it on a convenient deposi-tree, the kind that never filled up, and stood naked. He was a glorious figure of a man! Then he strode into the water, and soon was neck deep. \u201cIt worked!\u201d he called. \u201cMy body thought it was all in fun, so didn\u2019t react.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now Jess was curious how far this could go. She had never seen a man without clothing before, and had no fear at all. In fact she wished she could be naked with him. Wished she could somehow get serious with him. It was a kind of personal challenge.<\/p>\n

Well\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you mind?\u201d she called. Then without waiting for his answer she stripped away her own clothing, hung it on the deposi-tree and stood on the bank as nude as a nymph. She knew her figure wasn\u2019t bad; the problem was that nobody took it seriously, either.<\/p>\n

He laughed. \u201cIt\u2019s a game! Good thing I didn\u2019t see your panties.\u201d<\/p>\n

She hadn\u2019t thought of that. The glimpse of a girl\u2019s panties could freak out just about any man. \u201cShould I put them back on?\u201d<\/p>\n

He laughed again. \u201cThis is fun! I can enjoy your human form without frustrating you, since we both know this is only a game. But no, don\u2019t put anything back on; come on in and swim, if you care to. The water\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

She needed no further invitation. She waded in, and soon was happily swimming. \u201cI\u2019ve never done this with a man before.\u201d But it was hardly the beginning of what she would like to do with a man.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a fair judge of people,\u201d Magnus said. \u201cI have to be, to assemble my show. There\u2019s something different about you, and I don\u2019t mean your body or your curse. The way you look around, the way you disport yourself. Something about you appeals to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMost men don\u2019t like smart women.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s it! You practically radiate intelligence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to conceal it. My curse is bad enough without that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure it is. But I am attracted to smart women.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you teasing me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. I\u2019m serious. I\u2019m attracted to that aspect in you. Unfortunately\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I can guess why you\u2019re coming to see the Good Magician,\u201d he said as she swam closer. \u201cTo abate your curse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got it. And you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFar more mundane. I need to find a good assistant for my show.\u201d Then he paused. \u201cAnd suddenly I have an idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy do I suspect it\u2019s not to kiss and stroke a bare woman in the water?\u201d<\/p>\n

He laughed again. He laughed often and well, and surely not just when her curse prompted it. \u201cNo offense, but I can\u2019t take that idea seriously at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo offense,\u201d she agreed sadly. The curse was firmly in place.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s that we just might be able to solve each other\u2019s problems, and not need to see the Good Magician at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d She was surprised.<\/p>\n

\u201cI need an assistant to warm up the audience. To make the people laugh. To divert them when I\u2019m changing sets. You could do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI could,\u201d she agreed guardedly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso to do the incidental things I tend not to keep up with, like tracking the tent pegs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTent pegs?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to put up a big tent for the show. It\u2019s traditional. I\u2019m not very good at it, and that messes up the show. Women are better at that sort of thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI could track tent pegs,\u201d she agreed. \u201cBut it\u2019s not what I want in life.\u201d<\/p>\n

He gazed at her across the water between them. They were both standing in the shallower section now, with only their heads above the surface. \u201cWhat do you want in your life, apart from abolition of the curse?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA good man.\u201d<\/p>\n

He laughed, then choked it off. \u201cAnd. You. Are. Serious,\u201d he said word by word, fighting his automatic dismissal of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. I\u2019d give him anything he wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you abolished the curse, you could probably get a good man. You are not bad looking, and that\u2019s what counts, for a man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWould I be the kind of man you want?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was no point in trying to avoid the issue. She was finding herself seriously attracted to him. \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was afraid of that.\u201d He raised his hands in the water in a gesture of surrender. \u201cI mean no offense. It\u2019s that with your curse\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the thing is, I need you as you are. To make folk laugh. Which means\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t be my man.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot the way you want,\u201d he agreed. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Jess. I think we might make a fine show together, but not as a romantic couple.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d she agreed sadly.<\/p>\n

He pondered further. \u201cActually, we might even make a couple, if only\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt weren\u2019t for my curse. You can have me one way or the other. Not both.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you want both.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. But I will settle for one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want you to have to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jess laughed without a trace of humor. \u201cYou have an alternative?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI may. But I doubt you\u2019d like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me have it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe might fake it. Pretend to be lovers. I could hug you as a joke. Kiss you as an act. Maybe even\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He did a double-take. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI am so desperate that I\u2019d rather have a fake romance than none at all. Especially with you. To be hugged and kissed by you, to be told sweet nothings by you, even knowing they are pretense. But I have to warn you\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0.\u201d She trailed off, unwilling to say it.<\/p>\n

But he understood. \u201cYou might fall in love with me. Not pretense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m already on the verge. You are the first man to take me seriously even to this extent, to understand me. To treat me as a person rather than a clown.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not a clown!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes I am. A figure everyone laughs at. You too, of course. But behind your laughter you do care. You could fake everything with me, making me at least look like a girlfriend, at least to others.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be utter cruelty. I wouldn\u2019t do it. I\u2019m not a sadist.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take it,\u201d she repeated. \u201cI\u2019m that desperate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBleep, Jess\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe traditional story is boy and girl meeting at the outset, suffering adventures together, and marrying happily at the end. This is a variant. If you want it, take it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you know that all I really want is a competent assistant. That nothing beyond that is real. That I am only using you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUse me. Please.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is ridiculous!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s my curse. Frankly, I\u2019d rather be unhappy with you than away from you, and I think I could fool myself that I\u2019m not really unhappy with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He paused, considering. \u201cIt seems that my choice is between cruelly using you, or cruelly sending you away. Both are abhorrent to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was fundamentally decent. That made it worse. \u201cI apologize for putting you in this situation. I know it\u2019s not fair to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFair to me! What about you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can still go to the Good Magician. Maybe he\u2019ll have an antidote to the curse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd maybe he won\u2019t. Then where will you be?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith you or without you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He considered again. \u201cLet me try the fake. Maybe you won\u2019t be able to stand it. That would be an answer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWelcome to try,\u201d she said, hoping he would.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am going to pretend I want you for something amorous, and want only to fool you into going along with it. Nothing I say will be the truth. It is all one big joke. If that doesn\u2019t revolt you, then maybe it\u2019s an option.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jess smiled, this time sincerely. \u201cRevolt me, Magnus.\u201d<\/p>\n

He moved toward her in the water. \u201cI want to be with you, you lovely creature.\u201d Then he paused. \u201cNo, I can\u2019t say that, because it implies you are ugly in reality, and that\u2019s not true, so I\u2019m not lying. You do look kissable and holdable, especially nude in the water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lie,\u201d she said firmly, \u201cis that you want to hold and kiss me. How I look is irrelevant.\u201d Could he actually do it despite the curse, phrasing it this way? She very much feared he couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I suppose that\u2019s right. On with the show.\u201d He resumed movement toward her. \u201cI love you, Jess. I want to kiss you and hold you and be naughty with you and summon the stork with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He was almost upon her. When would he burst into helpless laughter? \u201cI, too,\u201d she said. She was in no danger of laughing.<\/p>\n

He reached her. He put his arms around her as they stood in the water. He drew her in against him, torso against torso. She yielded gracefully so that their contours fit together with no space between. In fact she flattened against him. He put his face to hers. He kissed her. She kissed him back.<\/p>\n

Only one thing was missing. There was no manly passion in him. In this position it was easy to tell.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe if you feel my bottom,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

He moved his hands down and did so. Still nothing. He was making the motions, but his body was not taking her body seriously.<\/p>\n

\u201cOr kiss my breasts.\u201d<\/p>\n

He took a breath, then moved down and did so. Still nothing.<\/p>\n

The curse remained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said, and he wasn\u2019t laughing. \u201cYou\u2019d think that with a willing woman I\u2019d be more ardent.\u201d He was plainly embarrassed.<\/p>\n

Still, it was infinitely better than nothing. \u201cMaybe if I try?\u201d she asked hesitantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cTry,\u201d he agreed.<\/p>\n

She stroked his hair, kissed his ear, and then his lips, languorously. She took his hand and stroked her breasts with it. She lifted her legs, spread them, and wrapped them around his hips. It was easy to do in the weightlessness of water.<\/p>\n

They might as well have been children climbing on each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cBleep!\u201d he swore, giving it up.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the point is not whether you can make it with me,\u201d she reminded him. \u201cIt is whether I can handle the pretense. I can. I\u2019m not revolted, only saddened.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d he agreed, brightening slightly. \u201cWe can fake it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can fake it,\u201d she agreed. \u201cI actually liked it, what there was of it. If you can handle it, so can I.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re sure? Because I\u2019d really like to have you join me in my show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will join your show if you will regularly pretend to desire me in the way we just tried. That means, among things, kissing me and letting me kiss you. Spending the nights in bed with me, both of us bare. Letting me try to arouse you. Making others think we are a romantic couple. So that I can live with my curse. Deal?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDeal,\u201d he agreed, bemused.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen let\u2019s get on with the evening, as a couple,\u201d she said. \u201cI think we are both clean enough now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now he laughed, and it was with her, not at her. \u201cWe were washing up!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we got distracted, making out in the water. Couples do.\u201d<\/p>\n

He did not argue the case.<\/p>\n

They waded out of the pond, harvested towels from the towel tree, dried each other off, dressed, and harvested pies from the pie bushes for supper.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d Magnus was eyeing a tree bearing small brown bottles.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of those grows near my home village,\u201d Jess said. \u201cIt\u2019s a boos tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBooze?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot exactly. I can\u2019t explain it because you\u2019ll think I\u2019m joking. Try a sip.\u201d<\/p>\n

He picked a bottle, uncorked it, and took a swallow. <\/p>\n

\u201cBooo!\u201d a voice yelled.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee, it\u2019s a boos tree.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded. \u201cNow I understand. Like boot rear, only audible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then they heard something. \u201cIs that a child crying?\u201d Jess asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s off the enchanted path. It could be a spook.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because there were myriad dangers in Xanth. The enchanted paths guaranteed security so that folk could get safely from one place to another, and wise folk did not stray far from them, if at all. Demons and monsters sometimes assumed appealing forms and tried to lure innocent people off the paths, to ravish them, consume them, or worse. Nevertheless, the two of them hurried along the path toward the sound.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut suppose it\u2019s real?\u201d Jess asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t mean to insult you, but would a monster take you seriously?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI doubt it. Nobody takes me seriously, and a monster is a body.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen maybe you could check it with less danger than I could. Ordinarily I wouldn\u2019t let a lady risk it, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it attacks you, I\u2019ll fight it.\u201d Magnus had swept up a spear at the edge of the camp, evidently left there for just such a purpose.<\/p>\n

They came to the place. There behind a bush was the sound, close by. It was definitely a child crying.<\/p>\n

Jess forged off the path toward it. She saw a large animal grazing nearby, but recognized it as a gulli-bull, a harmless bovine that was very easy to trick. No threat there.<\/p>\n

She rounded the bush and spied an eight-year-old girl. She had hazel eyes and mouse brown hair. \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d Jess asked.<\/p>\n

The girl looked at her. \u201cAre you a monster in disguise?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo! I\u2019m a woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t believe you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Uh-oh. It was the curse. Even a child in trouble couldn\u2019t take her seriously.<\/p>\n

\u201cMagnus!\u201d Jess called. \u201cIt\u2019s safe, I think. I think we need you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Magnus came charging toward them, spear ready.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this child is real, but she won\u2019t believe I\u2019m real,\u201d Jess said. \u201cYou know why.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAh.\u201d Magnus halted, no longer threatening with the spear. He spoke to the child. \u201cI\u2019m Magnus, and I\u2019m a regular man, not a monster. Who are you, child?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Myst,\u201d the girl replied, evidently believing him. He was easy to believe, because of his talent. \u201cI went off the path to wee-wee, but then got lost. I couldn\u2019t find my way back!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t leave the enchanted path,\u201d Magnus said. \u201cIt\u2019s dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot to me,\u201d Myst insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cMonsters love to gulp down children,\u201d Magnus said. Jess stayed out of it, as she really couldn\u2019t help.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey do,\u201d Myst agreed. \u201cBut they can\u2019t hurt me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTouch me.\u201d<\/p>\n

He reached out cautiously to touch her. His hand passed through her arm. \u201cYou\u2019re a ghost!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I just misted. See.\u201d Myst dissolved into a small cloud of vapor floating a few feet above the ground. Then it coalesced back into the girl. \u201cIt\u2019s my talent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Magnus nodded. \u201cIt\u2019s a good talent. But if you were in no danger, why were you crying?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I was lost. I couldn\u2019t find the enchanted path. Monsters can\u2019t hurt me, but I don\u2019t want to be lost forever. I hate being alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh. Now I understand.\u201d Magnus turned around. \u201cI know where the path is. I\u2019m good with directions. I never get lost. Follow me.\u201d He set off for it, and the child followed, with Jess bringing up the rear. Seeing how he handled the child, she was more than ever satisfied that she wanted to be with him, whatever the arrangement. He was neither condemning nor dismissing Myst; he was treating her as a person in her own right. \u201cAnd here we are,\u201d he said with a flourish as they stepped back onto the path. \u201cThe rest stop is just up ahead, there.\u201d He pointed, and started walking that way.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh goody!\u201d Myst exclaimed, following. \u201cNow I can get there in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Magnus looked at her. \u201cYou are going to see the Good Magician?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. To join my siblings on Fibot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Magnus exchanged a questioning look with Jess. \u201cWho or what is Fibot?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Fire Boat. My sisters and one brother are there, helping crew it. I\u2019ll help them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a boat? But there\u2019s no big river near here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s okay. It floats on air. It\u2019s going to be at the Good Magician\u2019s Castle tomorrow, so I need to be there to catch it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Magnus caught Jess\u2019s eye again. It seemed that from this distance he could take her seriously. Then he continued his questioning. \u201cThere is a boat that sails in air?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I have heard of it,\u201d Jess said. \u201cDoesn\u2019t it have a fiery sail?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s it,\u201d Myst said. \u201cWin helps it go, because she always has the wind at her back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWin is one of your sisters?\u201d Magnus asked as they arrived at the camp.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure. Sort of. So\u2019s Squid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat sounds more like a fish,\u201d Magnus said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, \u2019cause she\u2019s a squid. You know, like a octopus.\u201d<\/p>\n

This was becoming stranger. \u201cYour sister is an octopus?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSort of.\u201d<\/p>\n

They digested that. \u201cI think we need to get to know each other better,\u201d Magnus said. \u201cSuppose we introduce ourselves more completely to you, while we eat supper, and you can tell us all about you and your siblings?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Myst agreed happily.<\/p>\n

While they ate fresh pies, they got into it. \u201cJess and I are a couple,\u201d Magnus said. \u201cWe just met an hour ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Myst said. \u201cYou want to be alone!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have to be alone,\u201d Jess said. <\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t lie to me! I don\u2019t like it!\u201d<\/p>\n

There was the curse again.<\/p>\n

Magnus held up a cautioning hand to Jess. \u201cWhy do you think we\u2019re lying?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCause my folks are the same way. They want to summon the stork, and they don\u2019t want me around while they\u2019re doing it. It\u2019s the Adult Conspiracy, and I hate it. That\u2019s why I ran away.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were learning more about the child. Myst needed support and guidance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe won\u2019t be summoning the stork,\u201d Magnus said, artfully avoiding the serious matter of running away from home.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you said you just met, and you\u2019re a couple.\u201d<\/p>\n

So of course they were eager to start stork signaling, generating the three dots of the ellipsis that zipped away at the speed of desire and told storks all they needed to know. Would it were true! \u201cThis is complicated to explain,\u201d Jess said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll bet,\u201d the child said witheringly, not crediting it. Of course.<\/p>\n

Magnus took a breath as he exchanged another glance with Jess. At least he was able to do that seriously, maybe because it was about a different person. \u201cI think we can satisfy you on that score, Myst. We just didn\u2019t think you would be interested.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d the child demanded. \u201cBecause I\u2019m a child?\u201d<\/p>\n

The irony was that no matter how much Myst railed against the Conspiracy when young, the moment she became adult she would change sides. It was part of the background magic of Xanth.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst you need to understand Jess\u2019s nature,\u201d Magnus said. \u201cHer magic talent is a curse: nobody takes her seriously. That\u2019s why you don\u2019t believe her when she talks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s got a weird talent? I know about those. My brothers and sisters have them, sorta.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorta?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, they\u2019re not really my siblings. We\u2019re in five different families. But we believe in each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

So the \u201csorta\u201d referred to the siblings rather than their talents? Or maybe both?<\/p>\n

\u201cThis promises to be interesting,\u201d Magnus said. \u201cBut let\u2019s finish with Jess first. Can you believe her curse?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, sure, now you\u2019ve told me. Nobody believes her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. So we have trouble being a couple, because I can\u2019t take her seriously. So we aren\u2019t going to try to summon any storks, and we don\u2019t need to be alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh. Okay.\u201d When he said it, the child accepted it.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we are a couple. A pretend couple. We want other people to believe we are romantic about each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a tricky question! \u201cBecause I can\u2019t have a real boyfriend,\u201d Jess said. \u201cSo I\u2019m taking a fake one. It\u2019s a role.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike a game,\u201d Myst said, perhaps understanding because this was a clarification of a pretense. \u201cI get it. Like the way we five children are siblings, only we\u2019re really not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike that,\u201d Magnus agreed. \u201cSometimes appearances count more than reality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey sure do,\u201d Myst agreed.<\/p>\n

Jess really admired the way Magnus was handling Myst. He was clearly good with children. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo Jess and I are a couple, but you don\u2019t need to worry about us demanding privacy. But if you want to be with us, you have to pretend to take her seriously when she talks to you. It\u2019s part of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe game,\u201d Myst agreed. Children understood games. \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Magnus glanced at Jess. She took the cue and picked up the dialogue. \u201cWe are really curious about your siblings,\u201d she told Myst. \u201cHow is it that you are only sort of brothers and sisters?\u201d Could the pretense of seriousness become a kind of reality? <\/p>\n

Myst started to laugh, then stifled it, playing the game. \u201cIt\u2019s complicated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will try to understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

The child took a moment to organize her thoughts. \u201cIt really started with Astrid Basilisk. She\u2014\u201d She paused, seeing their expressions. Then she laughed. \u201cNow you\u2019re not taking me seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do know the nature of a basilisk?\u201d Jess asked gently.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure. You meet her gaze, and you die. But she\u2019s a nice person, and we all love her. And she wears a veil.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jess caught on. \u201cShe\u2019s in human form?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. She can change forms. When she\u2019s human she\u2019s the prettiest girl you\u2019ll ever see, if you look at her. Anyway, she got together with the Demoness Fornax to\u2014\u201d She broke off again. \u201cLook, are you going to take me seriously or not?\u201d<\/p>\n

Jess tried, while Magnus smiled in the background. \u201cIt\u2019s just that capital D Demons are, well, out of this world. I have heard of Fornax. She\u2019s the patron spirit of anti-matter. Anything she touches explodes. You can\u2019t bring her into a story without some clarification.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. She\u2019s got magic to stop herself from touching anything here. Mostly she stays clear. But when she\u2019s home in the Fornax Galaxy she can make it possible for us regular-matter folk to be with her, to touch her. She\u2019s nice too, when you get to know her. We call her Aunt Fornax, same as we call Aunt Astrid. We love her, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jess was really coming to appreciate the problem others had with her curse. She really had to try to believe what the child was saying. \u201cSo the basilisk and the Demon, both in human form, got together,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat did they do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey decided to rescue some children from the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Magnus and Jess had to stifle their disbelief. The child was serious. <\/p>\n

Then a bulb flashed over Magnus\u2019s head. \u201cYou\u2019re one of the children!\u201d he exclaimed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, the littlest,\u201d Myst said proudly. \u201cWe were on a track fifty years in the future where Xanth was about to be destroyed. They couldn\u2019t stop that from happening, but they could get some of us out of it. They rescued five of us, and took us back in time with them, and got us different families here, and that put us on another track so Xanth won\u2019t be destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were five children in a family?\u201d Jess asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. We\u2019re from five different families. But we became one family, with Aunt Astrid and Aunt Fornax. Now we\u2019re in different families again, adopted, but we\u2019ll always be Family to us. We\u2019re all from the same world, and nobody else is. Because it\u2019s gone, or will be in fifty years.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was coming clear at last. They were all orphans who had made their own family, unified by their tragedy. \u201cSo you are going to join your siblings on the fiery boat,\u201d Jess said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. Because they\u2019ll understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the boat will be near the Good Magician\u2019s Castle tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo tomorrow we\u2019ll part company, but tonight we can be our own family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. If\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo storks! We promise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u201d Myst looked at Jess. \u201cYou know, once I got into the game, I could play it. You\u2019re a couple the same way I have siblings. We just agree to make it so. Nobody else matters much.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. We have to keep playing the game. Otherwise\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know. It\u2019s like looking into Aunt Astrid\u2019s eyes. Not smart to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Astrid the Basilisk. \u201cNot smart to do,\u201d Jess agreed.<\/p>\n

Magnus stepped in. \u201cIt\u2019s not real, the way others see it, but it can be real to us. Maybe Jess is a little bit like Astrid, in her fashion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now Myst looked at him. \u201cCan you kiss her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs part of the game, yes. We\u2019re like actors on a stage. It\u2019s all make believe, but we try to make it look real.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, really?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI will demonstrate,\u201d Magnus said. He stood up. Jess stood up. They came together, and he kissed her. Jess loved it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYuck!\u201d Jess exclaimed. \u201cMush stuff! It sure looks real.\u201d Then she reconsidered. \u201cBut Jess doesn\u2019t have to fake it, does she? I mean\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can take him seriously,\u201d Jess agreed as she separated from Magnus. \u201cMy curse affects others, not me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSort of the way I can touch others, but they can\u2019t touch me, unless I want it.\u201d Myst dissolved into mist, then reformed. \u201cI think\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0. I think I am coming to understand you better, Jess. You\u2019re nice, at least in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you.\u201d Jess stood there a moment longer, hesitating, as emotion surged. The child really did understand her, in a manner. \u201cMay I\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0. could you stand it if\u00a0.\u00a0.\u00a0. if I hugged you? Like a daughter? I may never have a daughter of my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been hugged before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know what you mean. It\u2019s part of the game. I\u2019ve been lonely, too. Sure, hug me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jess knelt before Myst and put her arms around her. She hugged her, her tears overflowing. Myst started to dissolve into mist, but then firmed again, forcing herself to play the game. Then she hugged Jess back. \u201cYou are a little like Astrid.\u201d<\/p>\n

She was being compared to a basilisk. But it was a compliment. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow we\u2019d better turn in for the night,\u201d Magnus said. \u201cWe\u2019re a family, a pretend family, but it will do, so we don\u2019t need to stand on ceremony. Jess and I will sleep together, holding hands, sometimes kissing, the way couples do. Do you prefer to be near us or apart from us, Myst?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNear you. I told you, I don\u2019t much like being alone. Getting here was awful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see you safely to the fire boat,\u201d Jess said. Then she reconsidered. \u201cOnly\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOnly we have to go through the challenges,\u201d Magnus said. \u201cI don\u2019t think you do, Myst. Will the boat come for you, away from the castle?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know. Squid and Win don\u2019t know I\u2019m coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Squid and Win. The octopus and the girl with the wind at her back. <\/p>\n

\u201cThen maybe you should take the challenges with us,\u201d Jess said, not expecting to be taken seriously. \u201cThen we can all see the Good Magician.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are you going there?\u201d Myst asked as she settled down beside Jess.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo see the Good Magician?\u201d Jess asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I need to get rid of my curse, and Magnus needs an assistant for his act.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, really: why are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was the curse again. \u201cYou tell her, Magnus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait a moment,\u201d Magnus said, surprised. \u201cIt\u2019s not the curse, she\u2019s right. We don\u2019t need to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI have my assistant, and you can live with your curse. We worked it out just before we heard Myst. We no longer have to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jess\u2019s mouth dropped open in the darkness. \u201cThat\u2019s right! I forgot. We can skip the challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut your show,\u201d Myst said. \u201cWon\u2019t you have to travel a lot?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Magnus said. \u201cFrom village to village. There always has to be a new one, because any show quickly gets old with the same audience. It\u2019s always fresh for a new audience. Also\u2014\u201d He broke off.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlso?\u201d she prompted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, pretty girls tend to throw themselves at me. It\u2019s a complication of my talent. They believe in me. But if I stay long, they try to get serious. I can\u2019t afford that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I am one of them,\u201d Jess said. \u201cExcept I\u2019m not\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStop it!\u201d he snapped. \u201cDon\u2019t disparage yourself. I\u2019m just saying that those girls are a nuisance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMost men would like it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I do, to a degree. But I know better. They would want me to settle down, become a troll farmer or something, but my heart is in traveling with the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTroll farmer?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking on a farm where they grow nasty trolls for export into Mundania. So I need to move on before they get ideas like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYet you seemed ready enough to try for something more serious with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cConfession: I said all I wanted was a competent assistant. I believe you could be that. But I also want a regular girlfriend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you said\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne who would travel with me. Be part of the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh. Still\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo fend off the pretty girls. To advertise that I\u2019m taken.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oh, again. \u201cAnd since it would not be real, with me, you\u2019d be without responsibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

He winced. \u201cIf I could take you seriously, I\u2019d be hurt by your implication. I would like it to be real with you, because you\u2019re not\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA pretty girl?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBleep, Jess! I\u2019m saying you\u2019re not superficial. You\u2019re the kind of woman I really could respect and love, if only\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf only you could take me seriously,\u201d she finished. \u201cNow I understand.\u201d<\/p>\n

He sighed. \u201cI\u2019m not quite sure you do. But I can\u2019t even argue with you effectively, because of your curse. I think I need some other way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jess decided to change the subject. \u201cHow will you get to the new villages?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOops. I hadn\u2019t thought of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neither had Jess, before. \u201cWe\u2019ll just have to do a lot of walking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not mad at me? You\u2019re willing to be with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. And willing to walk.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat will mean very limited equipment,\u201d Magnus said. \u201cNo prepared sets or heavy tents. Bleep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd here I was all set to hammer tent pegs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTake the boat,\u201d Myst said.<\/p>\n

They pondered that, and the more they pondered, the better sense it made. \u201cI guess we do have to see the Good Magician,\u201d Jess said. \u201cBecause we have no relatives aboard that boat. We\u2019ll have to ask for it to be arranged.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat means the challenges,\u201d Magnus agree morosely. \u201cAnd the Service.\u201d <\/p>\n

Because the Good Magician demanded payment for his Answers: a year\u2019s service, or an equivalent mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre we sure we want to do this?\u201d Jess asked.<\/p>\n

Myst began to cry. Jess knew why: if they did not proceed, the child would have to try to navigate the challenges alone, to reach the boat.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I think we do,\u201d Magnus said.<\/p>\n

The crying stopped.<\/p>\n

So they were committed after all.<\/p>\n

Jess actually felt relieved. She wasn\u2019t sure why, but suspected it was because she so much wanted to be part of a family, even a pretend family, and this was a family undertaking. The challenges would be no joke. They would face them together. As a family. At this point it hardly mattered to her whether they succeeded or failed; it was the togetherness she craved.<\/p>\n

Magnus took her hand. \u201cMe, too,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n

Myst took her other hand. \u201cMe, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Was it really a game?<\/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 Chapter 1 Curse Jess saw that someone was already at the rest stop: a young man standing by the pond, about to remove his clothing so he could wash. That wouldn\u2019t do; he might be seriously embarrassed to be discovered naked by a young woman. \u201cYoo-hoo!\u201d she called, to alert him to her … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":444,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[21],"class_list":["post-445","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\/445","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=445"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}