'I cannot accept your covenant,' Bink said into the deep swirl. 'I hold no animosity toward you, but I cannot pledge to act only in your interest. The interest of the whole of Xanth is paramount. Take back your benefits; I go my own way.'
Now there was anger in the Spring. The unfathomable depths of it roiled. The field of magic rose up again, enveloping him. He would suffer the consequence of his temerity.
But it faded like a dissipating storm, leaving him?whole. His finger remained healed, and his cold was still cured. He had called the Spring's bluff and won.
Or had he? Maybe his benefits would not be revoked until he acted specifically against the interest of the Spring. Well, his benefits were minor; he could afford the penalty. He certainly would not be deterred from doing what he felt was right by fear of that consequence.
Bink stood, keeping the sword in his hand as he slung the strap of the canteen over his shoulder. He turned. A chimera was crawling toward him.
Bink whipped his sword around, though he was hardly expert in its use. Chimeras were dangerous!
But in a moment he saw that the creature was in dire straits. The tongue was bonging out of its lion's head, its goat's head was unconscious, and the snake's head at the end of the tail was dragging on the ground. The creature was scraping along on its stomach toward the Spring, trailing blood.
Bink stood aside and let it pass. He held no malice even for a chimera in this state. He had never before seen a living creature suffering like this. Except the soldier.
The chimera reached the water and plunged its lion head in, drinking desperately.
The change was immediate. The goat's head snapped erect and awake, swiveling from its neck in the middle of the back to glare at Bink. The snake head hissed.
No doubt about it: the chimera was healthy again. But now it was dangerous, for this class of monster hated all things human. It took a step toward Bink, who held his sword tightly before him with both hands, knowing that flight would be futile. If he wounded it, he might escape before it dragged itself back to the Spring for a second restoration.
But abruptly the thing turned away, without attacking. Bink sighed with relief; he had put up a front, but the last thing he wanted to do was to engage in combat with such a monster, in the presence of an unfriendly Spring.
There must be a general truce in this vicinity, Bink realized. It was contrary to the interest of the Spring to have predators lurk here, so no hunting or fighting was permitted. Lucky for him!
He scrambled up the slope and headed east. He hoped the soldier had survived.
The soldier had. He was tough, as soldiers tended to be; he refused to gasp out his last until nature ripped it from him. Bink dribbled some magic water into his mouth, then poured some over the wound. Suddenly the man was well.
'What did you do?' he cried. 'It is as if I never got stabbed in the back.'
They walked up the hill together. 'I fetched water from a magic Spring,' Bink explained. He paused at the dryad's tree. 'This accommodating nymph very kindly directed me to it.'
'Why, thank you, nymph,' the soldier said. 'Any favor I can do in return-'
'Just move on,' she said tightly, eyeing the sword in Bink's hands.
They moved on. 'You can't act contrary to the interest of that Spring,' Bink said. 'Or tell anyone about the price you paid for its help. If you do, you'll be right back where you started. I figured the price was worth it, for you.'
'I'll say! I was doing patrol duty, guarding a patch of the King's eyeball ferns, when somebody-hey, one drink of this elixir and the King's eyes would be perfect without those ferns, wouldn't they? I should take-' He broke off.
'I can show you where the Spring is,' Bink offered. 'Anybody can use it, as far as I know.'
'No, it's not that. I just suddenly got the feeling-I don't think the King ought to have this water.'
This simple comment had a profound impact on Bink. Did it confirm his reasoning, that the Spring's influence extended widely and selfishly? Revived health of the King might not be in the interest of the Spring, so-
But, on the other hand, if the King were cured by Spring water, then the King himself would serve the Spring's interest. Why should the Spring object to that?
Also, why had Bink himself not suffered the loss of his finger and restoration of his cold when he told the secret to the soldier? He had defied the Spring, yet paid no penalty. Was the curse a mere bluff?
The soldier extended his hand. 'I'm Crombie. Corporal Crombie. You saved my life. How can I repay you?'
'Oh, I just did what was right,' Bink said. 'I couldn't just let you die. I'm on my way to the Magician Humfrey, to see if I have any magic talent.'
Crombie put his hand to his beard, pondering. He was rather handsome in that pose. 'I can tell you the direction.' He closed his eyes, put out his right hand, and slowly rotated. When his pointing finger stabilized, he opened his eyes. 'Magician's that way. That's my talent-direction. I can tell you where anything is.'
'I already know the direction,' Bink said. 'West. My main problem is getting through all this jungle. There's so much hostile magic-'
'You said it,' Crombie agreed heartily. 'Almost as much hostile magic as there is in civilized regions. The raiders must have magicked me here, figuring I'd never get out alive and my body would never be found. My shade couldn't avenge me in the deep jungle.'
