Isle Of View by Piers Anthony Page B

Ghorge,” she said, surprised. “What are you doing away from the Good Magician's castle?”
    The ghost opened his mouth, but there was no sound. “He needs a sheet of paper,” Grundy said. “He's a ghost writer, remember.”
    “Oh, that's right!” Chex hurried to fetch the paper. She set it on the table.
    In a moment the handwriting appeared, in Ghorge's fancy script: The foal is at the With-a-Cookee River. Nada Naga and Electro are going there now.
    “Oh, I must go there right away!” Chex exclaimed, vastly relieved.
    But the ghost hadn't finished his message. More writing was appearing on the paper: Magician Grey believes there may be danger if you go. Che is the captive of goblins—
    “And if the gobs see a winged centaur flying in,” Grundy said, faster than the ghost could write, “they'll know whose mother she is.”
    “And if they are the goblins of the Golden Horde,” Chex concluded grimly, “they'll cook first and argue later.”
    “Or dunk him in their hate spring,” Grundy agreed.
    “They would find it very funny, if you rescued him and he hated you.”
    “Very funny,” Chex echoed hollowly. Grey's warning was unfortunately well taken. She dared not show herself there until Che was out of their grubby hands. Certainly Nada and Electra would do their best; one could assume the form of a deadly serpent, and the other could shock anyone she touched.
    “But we can tell the other searchers,” Grundy said. “At least we know that Che is all right and that help is on the way.”
    “Yes,” she agreed, a sinking feeling in her heart. “Thank you, Ghorge, for your message.”
    Welcome the ghost wrote, and was gone. There was one remaining note on the paper, in a corner, evidently a doodle: a crude sketch of a valley between mountains, and the word Cleavage! Maybe the ghost had been impressed by the Gap Chasm as he zipped over it.
    Chex picked Grundy up, set him on her back, and trotted outside. She flicked herself so hard it stung, and launched into the air. She was going to make this one fast circuit! Then she was going to fly to Mount Rushmost, where Cheiron was at the winged monster convention, and tell him. He would certainly want to be advised, at this stage, and anyway, she needed the moral support.
    The ogre was still crashing his way north. “The goblins do have him!” Chex called, hovering low, “somewhere near the With-a-Cookee River.”
    “Me no mind; me find,” he replied cheerfully.
    If he did, the goblins would surely forget about Che, because the oncoming ogre would be bad news for them. Chex flew on, somewhat reassured. Yet she wondered how the goblins could have the foal, when there had been no sign of that before. She was not about to question Grey's message; she just wondered. Maybe Che had fallen into their hands later. But in that case, who had abducted him? Disquieting questions remained.
    She found the milkweed maids without trouble, but didn't urge them to go to the river; they were innocent girls who had no business near goblins.
    Chex moved on around the circuit, advising the searchers, then cut north. Was Dolph still in the Elements? She hardly cared to go in there to tell him! He would just have to wait for the news until he emerged. None of them had really expected Che to be in there anyway.
    Now she could head for Mount Rushmost. She turned and flew south. Her wings were tiring, because she had been flying a lot today, but she was determined to reach Cheiron. Only then could she relax, slightly.
    There were some scattered white clouds in the sky. They were harmless, and even friendly in their fashion. Then she spied one black one, angling as if to cut her off. She hoped that wasn't—
    “Fracto,” Grundy said. “Should have known! He must have seen the activity and wants to interfere.”
    Cumulo Fracto Nimbus, the worst of clouds! The last thing she wanted to encounter at this stage. There was little doubt, now, that he had spied her, for he was swelling up