Cube Route by Piers Anthony Page B

on her harmonica. Rhythm beat her drum. Cube felt intense magic coalescing around them.
        “Girls!” Ivy snapped warningly.
        The music cut off in mid note, but the children did not look too abashed.
        “They don't know their own power yet,” Ivy confided.
        “Yes we do!” Melody said.
        “So it's better to humor them,” Ivy continued.
        “That's right,” Harmony agreed.
        “And hope there isn't serious trouble,” Ivy concluded.
        “So there!” Rhythm said.
        “I suppose I can do that,” Cube said cautiously.
        “So now come on up to your room,” Melody said victoriously.
        Ivy made a slight roll of her eyes.
        “We saw that!” Harmony said.
        “I'll go to my room,” Cube agreed quickly.
        “Now!” Rhythm said in peremptory fashion, imitating an adult. The three giggled.
        Cube went. If their mother couldn't entirely control them, Cube certainly couldn't.
        The room turned out to be quite nice, with a soft bed, a table, chairs, and plenty of closet space. There was even a comprehensive lavatory. A girl could get to like a room like this. But there was one liability: it had a mirror.
        “That's a magic mirror,” Melody said.
        Harmony faced it. “Wira,” she said.
        The image of the Good Magician's daughter-in-law appeared. “Hi, Wira!” Harmony called.
        The blind young woman looked toward them. “Are you spying on me again, you little mischiefs?” she inquired with a smile.
        “Sure,” Rhythm said. “We've got Cube.”
        “Leave her alone,” Wira said. “She has her own life to lead.”
        “Maybe,” Melody said as the image faded.
        “Come see the Magic Tapestry,” Harmony told Cube.
        The triplets led the way to their own room. On its wall was a large picture tapestry showing a scene of Castle Roogna and its orchard.
        “Watch,” Rhythm said.
        Then the picture changed. Instead it showed a section of the enchanted path, and in a moment Cube herself came walking along it. “That's me!” she exclaimed. “Coming here!”
        “We can tune it in to anything except the secrets of the Adult Conspiracy,” Melody said.
        “We know where you've been,” Harmony agreed.
        “We saw you coming,” Rhythm concluded.
        “You mean it wasn't just chance that you intercepted me?” Cube asked, knowing the answer.
        “You're on a mission for the Good Magician,” Melody said.
        “Because you want to be beautiful,” Harmony added.
        “But we can make you beautiful right now,” Rhythm finished.
        Cube was halfway overwhelmed. “But I can't tell you what my assignment is.”
        “Mice!” Melody swore. As a child she wasn't supposed to know any bad words, like Rats.
        “We can't see or hear into Humfrey's study,” Harmony said.
        “And his designated wives know how to fuzz out our snooping,” Rhythm said.
        So they truly didn't know. That was a relief.
        “We don't like mysteries,” Melody said grimly.
        “Especially when they are excluding us,” Harmony agreed.
        “The Adult Conspiracy is bad enough,” Rhythm concluded.
        “I wish I could tell you, but I can't,” Cube said. “It would ruin everything.”
        To her surprise, they relented. “Okay,” Melody said.
        “Now we'll show you the grounds,” Harmony added.
        “And maybe help you find some Companions,” Rhythm concluded.
        “That would be very nice of you,” Cube said, not quite trusting this.
        “Where shall we go?” Melody asked her sisters.
        “Not the Good Magician's Castle,” Harmony said. “Humfrey would threaten us with an Answer.”
        “Not the Nameless Castle,” Rhythm said. “Nimby would take away our magic.”
        Cube was privately interested.