Morwen paused, frowning, then saw Killer standing by the bucket of soapy water. He lowered his head and sniffed experimentally. 'Why not? It smells nice.'
'That's the lemon juice,' Morwen said.
'It's got soap in it,' Fiddlesticks said, lashing his tail. 'It's for melting-' 'There aren't any wizards around, and I'm thirsty.' Before anyone could stop him Killer took a large slurp. His ears stood straight up and he reared back, shaking his head. 'Blea-eea-eaugh! That tastes terrible.'
'Fiddle warned you,' said Scorn, with a visible lack of sympathy. 'So did Jasper. Serves you right for not listening.'
'What's it doing to his nose?' Fiddlesticks said, poking his own nose forward until he had to stand up and follow it. 'Look at his nose, Morwen.
It's turning blue.'
'Not just the nose.' Jasper stared in fascination. 'His whole face is changing color.'
Killer gave a frightened snort and shook his head, sneezing soap bubbles in all directions. The color went on spreading. Soon his head and neck were a bright, clear sky blue that continued to inch up his ears, down his forelegs, and across his back.
'Help!' Killer cried. 'Morwen, you're a witch. Make it stop'
'That would be inadvisable,' Telemain said. He, too, was watching Killer's changing color with great interest. 'The synergistic action of the original wizardly enchantment, which was itself an unstructured mechanical surplus and therefore liable to produce unpredictable side effects, and the secondary vegetation-based enchantment has rendered you vulnerable to the wizard liquefication fluid while also, fortunately, mitigating its effects.'
'What?' said Killer.
'You've got a leftover bit of a wizard's spell on you and you don't know what all it may do. You're lucky you aren't melting, the way the wizard did,' Scorn summarized.
'But just look at me!'
'I think it's an improvement,' Morwen said. 'Much better than being blotchy.'
'Blue? Blue is better than blotchy?' The color had spread to Killer's hindquarters. Only his tail and his back legs were still a patchy white-and-brown.
'Not much,' said Scorn.
'Settle it later,' Morwen said. 'We have to go. Telemain-' 'Everyone still here? Good.' Telemain raised a hand and made a circle in the air with his left forefinger. The wide silver band on his finger sparkled as he said in a low voice, 'Convey this crowd On wind and cloud to the castle of the King By the power of this ring.'
On the last word, Telemain clapped his hands together loudly. The trees melted and ran like soft wax on a hot stove. To her surprise, Morwen felt no sensation of movement. It was more as if she were standing still while everything around her shifted. As she nodded in approval, the blur flowed into a new shape and solidified.
They now stood on the paving stones of the castle courtyard, in the relatively narrow strip between the moat and the main door. A large dragon lay along the left side of the castle, basking in the sun. Her head, with the three stubby horns that proclaimed her a female, rested at the edge of the moat; most of her body was hidden by a tower with two staircases running around its outside. Her wings were partway open to catch the sun, and her green scales glittered, even where they were beginning to turn gray at the edges.
'Eee-augh!' Killer brayed in terror. 'A dragon!' Oh, good,' Morwen said at the same moment. 'That will save some time.'
'Good?' Killer seemed to be trying to hide behind Telemain and to watch the dragon at the same time. 'A dragon is good?'
'Not a dragon, you idiot,' said Scorn. 'That's Kazul, the King of the Dragons.'
Killer edged away. 'Does he eat rabbits? Or donkeys?'
'She prefers cherries jubilee,' Jasper said.
'She?' Killer looked thoroughly confused, as well as alarmed.
'But-the 'King of the Dragons'?'
''King of the Dragons' is the name of a job,' Jasper said. 'It has nothing to do with gender.'
'Dragons are very sensible about things like that,' Fiddlesticks put in, nodding. 'Almost as sensible as me. But they don't like fish.'
'I'd be happier if they didn't like donkeys.'
'Don't worry about King Kazul,' Morwen said to Killer. 'She doesn't eat friends of friends.'
'Not even if she's hungry?' Killer's ears pricked forward nervously.
'She looks hungry to me.'
Before Morwen could respond, the castle door creaked open. From the dark hallway inside, a voice called, 'Madame Morwen! Magician Telemain! Welcome to the castle.'
6
In Which the Plot Positively Curdles and the King of the Dragons Loses her Temper
As everyone turned to look, a three-foot elf wearing a gold lace collar and a crisp white shirt under a green velvet coat with gold buttons, white silk hose, and green shoes with chunky gold heels stepped into view in the doorway of the castle. 'Welcome, all of you,' he added, bowing low.
'Hello, Willin,' Morwen said. 'We need to see King Mendanbar and Queen Cimorene right away.'
'In regard to what?' the elf asked.
'Technical difficulties,' Telemain said. 'We have discovered a possible disruption in the obstructive enchantment fabricated by King Mendanbar and myself, and-' 'Er, yes, of course,' said Willin. 'I'll tell the King immediately. You needn't give me the details.'
Telemain caught Morwen's eye and winked. Morwen suppressed a smile and said, 'And while we're waiting, Killer's hungry.' She nodded at the donkey. 'If your kitchen could put something together that would suit him.'
'Certainly,' Willin said. 'Just trot around backer, Killer, and the cook will take care of you.' He waved toward the left, where Kazul was sleeping.
'I'm not hungry!' Killer said.
'Go around the other way, then,' Morwen told him. 'It doesn't really matter. Just go.'
'I'll show him!' Fiddlesticks bounded across to Killer. 'The kitchen is this way. They have cream, and butter, and fish, and…' His voice faded as they rounded the crooked tower by the stone bridge.
Scorn stood up and stretched. 'What a pair of idiots.' She looked at Jasper. 'Maybe we should go after them and make sure they don't get into trouble.'
'An excellent idea,' Jasper agreed. With an air of determined casualness, the two cats strolled off, following the donkey.
Willin looked after them with a worried frown. 'Did I offend them?'
'Not at all,' Morwen assured him. When his expression did not clear, she added, 'They're hoping the cook will give them some cream. Now, we'll just go have a word with Kazul while you let Cimorene know we're here. Oh, and would you put this bucket somewhere? I've enough to carry without it.'
'Very good, ma'am,' Willin said stiffly. He accepted the bucket and vanished into the castle, closing the door carefully behind him.
'Morwen, Mendanbar's the one we really need to see,' Telemain said softly. 'King Kazul-' 'Has good reason to be just as interested in the doings of wizards as the rest of us,' Morwen said. 'Besides, it wouldn't be polite to go in without at least saying hello.'
'I suppose not,' Telemain said, and the two walked across the courtyard to talk to the dragon. Up close, Kazul was an even more impressive dragon than she looked from a distance. Standing, she was at least six times Morwen's height, even without her wings, and every inch was muscle and armor scales. The sleepy, contented expression on her face vanished as Morwen and Telemain drew nearer, and by the time they were close enough to talk, the dragon was wide awake and ready for them.
'Hello, Morwen, Telemain,' Kazul said. 'Wizards again?' She flicked a claw in the direction of the staff
