Knot Gneiss by Piers Anthony

again,” Ida said. “What other memory would one of us like to forget?”
    “How the other birds made fun of me when I took a swim,” Dipper said. “They couldn’t swim, so they tried to make me feel bad about it. I knew that, but still it bothered me. One of them was a Bird of Paradise I really liked, but after that she refused to have anything to do with me. She said I wasn’t her type.”
    Hilarion looked at Dipper. “Forget that episode,” he said. “Forget about the fickle Bird of Paradise.”
    “Those birds are fickle,” Dipper agreed. “I’m glad I never knew one personally.”
    Another glance circulated. “I think we’re making the case,” Ida said. “But we should confirm it with one more.”
    “I’d like to forget the Demoness Sharon,” Jumper said. “She played me along until I was ready to marry her, then abruptly dumped me. I am far, far better off with Eris, and remain endlessly glad she married me. I would not be here today, literally, without her; I’d be dead of old age. But still the memory of Sharon bothers me, and I’d like to be rid of it.”
    “Forget Sharon,” Hilarion told him.
    “Forget whom?”
    The others laughed. Now it was Jumper who was perplexed.
    “She was a … a person you once knew,” Wenda said. “Who treated you unkindly. I was there; I thought so at the time. You are better off forgetting her.”
    “I will take your word, Wenda, because you are my friend and I trust you. The name means nothing to me.”
    “I believe we have established Prince Hilarion’s talent,” Ida said. “It is one we certainly can use. I wonder whether we should invite him to join our Quest.”
    Wenda saw the advantage immediately. Selective forgetting!
    But Dipper didn’t. “So he can make people forget things. He did us a favor by making that troll forget about despoiling Wenda. I’m sure we are all duly grateful. But his mission is not our mission. Why should he want to join us, and why should we want him along?”
    Still another glance circulated, followed by subtle nods. Then Jumper assumed the mantle of explanation. “We have a very special situation, Dipper. Princess Ida’s talent is—”
    “The crone’s a princess?” Hilarion asked, startled.
    Jumper smiled, which looked odd on his spider face. “Yes, Ida is a princess. So is Wenda, as the wife of a prince, and I am technically a prince: the prince of spiders. We take it in stride. Ida’s talent is the Idea: when any person who doesn’t know her talent makes a suggestion, she is free to accept it, and when she does, it becomes reality. But she is limited, because those who know her, know her talent, and that makes it ineffective. But strangers don’t necessarily make useful suggestions. It would magnify her power enormously if there were a way to make a person forget her talent. You might do that. You could work closely with her to facilitate her talent.”
    “I might,” Hilarion agreed, trying with imperfect success to mask his aversion.
    Jumper smiled again. “She is not as ugly as she appears. That is a facade, a mask, to protect her anonymity. She is of an older generation, but otherwise ordinary.”
    “I did not mean to imply—”
    “We know, Prince,” Jumper said. “If you care to join our Quest, Princess Ida will appear to you as she is, and we will share its nature with you. About all we can offer in return is the prospect of meeting people, including young women, along the way. We ask only that you not share the details with any outsiders, because there are dangers.”
    “Dangers,” Hilarion said, not at all dissuaded. “Perhaps some good fights.”
    “Perhaps,” Jumper agreed. “But we would much prefer to avoid confrontations than solicit them.”
    “Of course.” Hilarion pondered no more than a moment and one or two instants. “Very well, I will join your Quest and do my best, hoping to find my betrothee along the way.”
    “We all have our incidental motives,” Jumper