head, opened her enormous mouth to show a terrible array of fangs, and sent a ferocious hiss at the dragon.
The dragon didn't argue. It made a U-turn in air and fled.
The serpent slithered back to Nada's clothes. Dug didn't need to be asked; as he had said, he had learned his lesson. He also had a glimmer how she could stop him from kissing her: by biting his head off. He turned and put his face to the trunk of the nearest tree, and closed his eyes. He waited until Nada told him it was all right to look.
When he did look, she was back in her normal, lovely human form. "You are impressive," he said. He was not referring to her human form.
"Thank you." She knew what he meant.
They resumed their trek. Dug was happy; not only had he returned to the game, he was now experiencing its full adventure. What more could he ask?
The day was declining. "We shall have to make camp for the night soon," Nada said. "Because I am not competent to protect you well against the predators of the night"
"Night? Already? It seems like only an hour!"
She shook her head. "Perhaps time is different in Mundania. It may be that only an hour has passed there.
But here much of a day has passed. I suppose if you prefer to leave the game, and return in the morning—"
"Nuh-uh! I don't want to get out of the game at all, if I can help it. I might not manage to get back in."
She considered that seriously. "I think you should be able to return, if you obey the rules and maintain your belief. Certainly you should be safer there."
“But shouldn't I be exposed to the danger, instead of copping out? I mean, is that fair play?"
"I don't know. I think that is your option. I understand that it is possible for a Player to depart, and to return to the game another day without any time having elapsed in the game. This is marvelous magic I do not understand, but surely convenient for you."
Dug recognized her description of a saved game; of course it wouldn't change when not being played. "Well, I didn't think I would like this game, when I heard about it But I do. I want to play it right. That means day and night If I win, I win; if I lose, I lose."
"You do not object to sharing a tent with me?"
Dug managed to keep his face sober. "I do not object. I will keep my eyes away, if you just tell me when."
She smiled, and he realized that he had scored another minor point. "Then we must seek a suitable campsite."
Soon they found one. It was marked CAMPSITE-ENCHANTED. It looked very nice.
"But just what exactly does it mean, enchanted?" he asked.
"It means that bad creatures can not attack here. So we may sleep without fear."
"But I thought we couldn't use the enchanted paths."
"This is not a path. It is a safe area. Players are allowed to use these."
"That's a relief." Because Dug had learned to take the fantasy threats seriously. He knew that if he got chomped by something that went bump in the night, or bumped by something with teeth, he would be out of the game. He could appreciate how dangerous it could be to sleep unprotected.
There was a big fabric plant growing nearby. They harvested some blankets and canvas, and soon had used available ironwood poles to fashion a framework. There was a box of magic tent pegs mat gripped the edges of the fabric and held them firm. Nada knew what she was doing a good deal better than he did, so he followed her lead. The resulting tent did not look professional, but neither did it look incompetent They spread pillows from pillow bushes on the ground, and the blankets over them.
Then they harvested potluck pies from the pie trees, and some milkweed pods. Dug was getting used to the way puns became real here; this was just the way it was, in Xanth.
There was a pleasant stream crossing a corner of the protected site. Nada went there to wash. "Please do not look," she said politely.
Dug went to the tent, lay down, put his head in the pillow, and closed his eyes tightly. He had always been a quick study, and the game
The dragon didn't argue. It made a U-turn in air and fled.
The serpent slithered back to Nada's clothes. Dug didn't need to be asked; as he had said, he had learned his lesson. He also had a glimmer how she could stop him from kissing her: by biting his head off. He turned and put his face to the trunk of the nearest tree, and closed his eyes. He waited until Nada told him it was all right to look.
When he did look, she was back in her normal, lovely human form. "You are impressive," he said. He was not referring to her human form.
"Thank you." She knew what he meant.
They resumed their trek. Dug was happy; not only had he returned to the game, he was now experiencing its full adventure. What more could he ask?
The day was declining. "We shall have to make camp for the night soon," Nada said. "Because I am not competent to protect you well against the predators of the night"
"Night? Already? It seems like only an hour!"
She shook her head. "Perhaps time is different in Mundania. It may be that only an hour has passed there.
But here much of a day has passed. I suppose if you prefer to leave the game, and return in the morning—"
"Nuh-uh! I don't want to get out of the game at all, if I can help it. I might not manage to get back in."
She considered that seriously. "I think you should be able to return, if you obey the rules and maintain your belief. Certainly you should be safer there."
“But shouldn't I be exposed to the danger, instead of copping out? I mean, is that fair play?"
"I don't know. I think that is your option. I understand that it is possible for a Player to depart, and to return to the game another day without any time having elapsed in the game. This is marvelous magic I do not understand, but surely convenient for you."
Dug recognized her description of a saved game; of course it wouldn't change when not being played. "Well, I didn't think I would like this game, when I heard about it But I do. I want to play it right. That means day and night If I win, I win; if I lose, I lose."
"You do not object to sharing a tent with me?"
Dug managed to keep his face sober. "I do not object. I will keep my eyes away, if you just tell me when."
She smiled, and he realized that he had scored another minor point. "Then we must seek a suitable campsite."
Soon they found one. It was marked CAMPSITE-ENCHANTED. It looked very nice.
"But just what exactly does it mean, enchanted?" he asked.
"It means that bad creatures can not attack here. So we may sleep without fear."
"But I thought we couldn't use the enchanted paths."
"This is not a path. It is a safe area. Players are allowed to use these."
"That's a relief." Because Dug had learned to take the fantasy threats seriously. He knew that if he got chomped by something that went bump in the night, or bumped by something with teeth, he would be out of the game. He could appreciate how dangerous it could be to sleep unprotected.
There was a big fabric plant growing nearby. They harvested some blankets and canvas, and soon had used available ironwood poles to fashion a framework. There was a box of magic tent pegs mat gripped the edges of the fabric and held them firm. Nada knew what she was doing a good deal better than he did, so he followed her lead. The resulting tent did not look professional, but neither did it look incompetent They spread pillows from pillow bushes on the ground, and the blankets over them.
Then they harvested potluck pies from the pie trees, and some milkweed pods. Dug was getting used to the way puns became real here; this was just the way it was, in Xanth.
There was a pleasant stream crossing a corner of the protected site. Nada went there to wash. "Please do not look," she said politely.
Dug went to the tent, lay down, put his head in the pillow, and closed his eyes tightly. He had always been a quick study, and the game
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