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children, rather than hurt them. Godiva had seemed very much like a protective mother.
"Gloha, you saw Che and Jenny with Gwendolyn, didn't you?" he asked as they flew back, a little apart
from the centaurs. "How did they seem to get along together?"
"Very well, actually," Gloha said. "In fact-" She paused, as if remembering something significant.
"Goblin girls are nice, aren't they? Was Gwendolyn nice?"
"Yes. And she-when Electra asked what happened if Che said no, Godiva said she hadn't decided, and
Gwendolyn said 'Mother!' and then Godiva said she would release Che."
"Well, that could mean she would release him and kill Jenny," Dolph said. But Godiva had not seemed
like that kind of person. She had been tough, but true to her word.
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"I don't think so. Jenny didn't seem frightened, just undecided. And Gwendolyn liked her. I could tell.
When Gwendolyn challenged her mother, Godiva backed down. I don't think Gwendolyn wanted Jenny
killed, and I don't think she would be killed if Gwendolyn didn't want it. She's in line to be chiefess, you
know. She has power, even now, as a child. So it must be something else."
"What about Che? Was he frightened?"
"No. He liked Gwendolyn too. The three of them really seemed to be friends. In fact, he said he liked
Gwenny, as he called her, and that he was being well treated."
"If he said it, it was true," Dolph said. "Even a young centaur would not tell an untruth. He might say
nothing, but he wouldn't lie."
"That's what I thought. Dolph, I don't think anyone was threatened."
"Then why wouldn't they decide?"
She shrugged. "That baffles me."
"I think we haven't solved the mystery yet," Dolph said. "and I guess maybe we'd better, before there is
bloodshed."
"Yes. But how?"
"I'll go in there and find out."
"But you're not a goblin, Dolph!"
"I can become one."
"But you don't know the mountain! You don't know the goblin ways."
She was right. He could get into deadly trouble, blundering around in there. "I could become an ant, or
something, and sneak in."
"And somebody would step on you!"
Right again. "Then maybe as myself. Gloha, I've got to go mere and find out what's going on, before
horrible things happen, maybe from some misunderstanding."
"I'll go with you."
"But you've already risked it once!"
"I can take you right to Che and Jenny Elf."
He nodded. Then he angled his flight toward Cheiron. When he got close, he called "Can you hold off
your attack a little longer? I think I should go in there and see if I can bring Che out. I think maybe
there's something we don't understand."
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Cheiron was grim. "There is too little time. I must commence the attack in time to complete the
reduction of the mountain before the land dragons arrive or the siege will fail."
But Chex had closed on them. "Dear-"
"But we can hold back on the smoke and fire for an hour, to give you time," Cheiron said.
"See? Females rule," Gloha murmured with satisfaction.
They reached the mountain and came down in single file for the landing: Cheiron, Chex, and Dolph.
Immediately Cheiron set about organizing the attack, while Dolph changed and approached Nada and
Electra. "Cheiron's resuming the attack," he said tersely, "because land dragons are coming, and the
mountain must be reduced before they get here. But we think there's something we don't know, and
maybe I can get Che and Jenny out. So Gloha and I are going in, for an hour."
"I'll go with you!" Electra said immediately.
But Nada drew her back. "My turn, 'Lectra," she said with a dark glance.
"But it's dangerous," Gloha protested.
"We know," Nada and Electra said together.
"I guess you want to see your brother," Dolph said to Nada. She didn't want just to be with Dolph, he
knew, though he delighted in the prospect of her company.
"That too," she said. "Let's go."
Now Dolph realized what they were doing They were taking turns in danger, so if one died, the other
could marry him. It was a grim business, but he couldn't fault it. Except, suppose the wrong one... ?
The three of them advanced on the mountain. Already the rocs were taking off to seek more boulders to
drop on the mountain, and the steamer dragons were warming up. They would steam the surface, so that
it would soften and the boulders would break it down faster. Once more of the inner tunnels were
exposed, the smokers could make the goblins retreat, choking, and the harpies could lay explosive eggs
and set them rolling down the passages. But if those eggs started catching nagas-brother! Specifically,
Nada's brother. Ouch! So Nada was coming along to see personally.
Gloha led the way. Nada changed to her natural form, a woman-headed serpent, which she found more
comfortable for tunnels. Dolph considered, and matched her form. He remembered when they had first
met, six years before, in this form. They had become betrothed, and kissed, banging noses before getting
it right. He hadn't realized it, then, but he had fallen in love with her at the moment of that kiss. Of
course he hadn't realized that she was five years older than he; she had seemed his age or even slightly
younger. What times they had had, then!
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