held up a sign. HELLO STRANGER.
Surprised, the Factor spoke again. “Can’t you talk?”
The man held up another sign: WE BELIEVE IN SIGNS.
So it seemed. “What is there to do in town?”
The man held up another sign. YOU CAN GET A JOB PRINTING SIGNS.
To be sure. “I meant for entertainment.”
THAT IS ENTERTAINMENT.
“Not for me.”
YOU MUST LEAD A DULL LIFE.
The Factor concluded that he had had enough of this. He traveled again.
This time he found himself in a large enclosure, surrounded by cuddly young animals. They clustered eagerly around him.
“Oh, I didn’t see you,” a voice said. “You must have just come in.” It was a pretty girl.
“I did,” the Factor agreed, uncertain what was going on here. He must have exchanged with one of the animals. “I am—the Factor.” She looked as if she wouldn’t recognize the name, so he didn’t have to hide it.
“I’m Petting Sue,” she said brightly. “My talent is to attract young animals who like to be petted. Mostly children come. You look older.” She took a deep breath, emphasizing her charms. “Do you like petting?”
He considered half a moment. There was more than one meaning for the word, and he didn’t care much about cute animals. But if he petted them, he might get to pet her, later. “I may.”
“That’s good. The animals feel deprived if not constantly petted.” She paused. “You’re not a felon, are you?”
Actually some did consider him to be that. “Suppose I am?”
“I have a lamb you can ride. Being on the lamb is better than being punished.” She indicated the lamb.
Did she want him to ride the lamb? “I hesitate to put any weight on such a small creature. It might hurt it.”
“Oh, anyone can be on the lamb. Try it.”
Well, why not. He walked to the lamb and bestrode it. Surprisingly, his legs fit, and he was riding it. His weight didn’t seem to bother it at all. “I am on the lamb,” he said gravely.
She clapped her hands with girlish glee. “Oh, I’m so pleased. The lamb loves giving rides.”
But the other animals still wanted to be petted, so he had to dismount and pet them all. It was a chore, but Sue seemed suitably thrilled.
It was time to get closer to her. “How about you and I—” he started as he petted the last warm fuzzy creature, a miniature sphinx.
“Oh, there’s Gourd’n!” Sue exclaimed, and ran to embrace and kiss the man just arriving.
So much for that. She had a boyfriend. Most pretty girls did.
In half an instant Sue was introducing them. “Gourd’n, this is Factor, who has been petting everyone. Factor, this is Gourd’n G’rd’n’r, who grows all the vegetables and things my pets eat. I couldn’t get along without him.”
Now the Factor saw that the man had a wagonful of produce. Soon he was handing it out to the hungry animals. Indeed, Sue needed him to feed her animals.
It was time to move on. He had traveled magically twice; he had four more to go. He invoked his magic again.
And got nowhere. There was no magic. Something was wrong.
He walked away. Neither Sue nor Gourd’n noticed, though a baby dragon puffed a snort of smoke, sorry to see a good petter go.
When he was well outside the enclosure, he paused to consider. He tried to change form, but that didn’t work either. His magic was definitely gone. How could this have happened, after only two magic stunts?
Then it came to him. The limit was not six stunts. That was just the way it had been on his first day outside. The limit had to be random, because he was the Random Factor. He had been limiting himself to six when probably there were more than that on some days. Today there were fewer.
This was a problem. How could he proceed safely, if he never knew the limit? He might conjure himself into a nest of nickelpedes and not be able to conjure himself out, or to change form to protect himself. This made practicing his magic far more risky.
Yet what could he do? It might be useless to limit his
Surprised, the Factor spoke again. “Can’t you talk?”
The man held up another sign: WE BELIEVE IN SIGNS.
So it seemed. “What is there to do in town?”
The man held up another sign. YOU CAN GET A JOB PRINTING SIGNS.
To be sure. “I meant for entertainment.”
THAT IS ENTERTAINMENT.
“Not for me.”
YOU MUST LEAD A DULL LIFE.
The Factor concluded that he had had enough of this. He traveled again.
This time he found himself in a large enclosure, surrounded by cuddly young animals. They clustered eagerly around him.
“Oh, I didn’t see you,” a voice said. “You must have just come in.” It was a pretty girl.
“I did,” the Factor agreed, uncertain what was going on here. He must have exchanged with one of the animals. “I am—the Factor.” She looked as if she wouldn’t recognize the name, so he didn’t have to hide it.
“I’m Petting Sue,” she said brightly. “My talent is to attract young animals who like to be petted. Mostly children come. You look older.” She took a deep breath, emphasizing her charms. “Do you like petting?”
He considered half a moment. There was more than one meaning for the word, and he didn’t care much about cute animals. But if he petted them, he might get to pet her, later. “I may.”
“That’s good. The animals feel deprived if not constantly petted.” She paused. “You’re not a felon, are you?”
Actually some did consider him to be that. “Suppose I am?”
“I have a lamb you can ride. Being on the lamb is better than being punished.” She indicated the lamb.
Did she want him to ride the lamb? “I hesitate to put any weight on such a small creature. It might hurt it.”
“Oh, anyone can be on the lamb. Try it.”
Well, why not. He walked to the lamb and bestrode it. Surprisingly, his legs fit, and he was riding it. His weight didn’t seem to bother it at all. “I am on the lamb,” he said gravely.
She clapped her hands with girlish glee. “Oh, I’m so pleased. The lamb loves giving rides.”
But the other animals still wanted to be petted, so he had to dismount and pet them all. It was a chore, but Sue seemed suitably thrilled.
It was time to get closer to her. “How about you and I—” he started as he petted the last warm fuzzy creature, a miniature sphinx.
“Oh, there’s Gourd’n!” Sue exclaimed, and ran to embrace and kiss the man just arriving.
So much for that. She had a boyfriend. Most pretty girls did.
In half an instant Sue was introducing them. “Gourd’n, this is Factor, who has been petting everyone. Factor, this is Gourd’n G’rd’n’r, who grows all the vegetables and things my pets eat. I couldn’t get along without him.”
Now the Factor saw that the man had a wagonful of produce. Soon he was handing it out to the hungry animals. Indeed, Sue needed him to feed her animals.
It was time to move on. He had traveled magically twice; he had four more to go. He invoked his magic again.
And got nowhere. There was no magic. Something was wrong.
He walked away. Neither Sue nor Gourd’n noticed, though a baby dragon puffed a snort of smoke, sorry to see a good petter go.
When he was well outside the enclosure, he paused to consider. He tried to change form, but that didn’t work either. His magic was definitely gone. How could this have happened, after only two magic stunts?
Then it came to him. The limit was not six stunts. That was just the way it had been on his first day outside. The limit had to be random, because he was the Random Factor. He had been limiting himself to six when probably there were more than that on some days. Today there were fewer.
This was a problem. How could he proceed safely, if he never knew the limit? He might conjure himself into a nest of nickelpedes and not be able to conjure himself out, or to change form to protect himself. This made practicing his magic far more risky.
Yet what could he do? It might be useless to limit his
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