Xone Of Contention Read Online Free PDF Page A

said, glancing again at Dug, who nodded. “We're glad to help with anything connected to Xanth. This is such a great breakthrough! We thought it'd be another year before they got the O-Xone set up. Who is coming here?”
    “Someone called—” Edsel scratched in his memory. “Nimble, I think. And Connne.” He remembered the name meant something, like a pool cleaner, but couldn't quite recover it. though Breanna had spoken it several times.
    Kim shook her head. “We don't know them. But we don't have to; we'll get acquainted soon enough. So they'll look just like you two, but their minds will be from Xanth.”
    “Yes. I agreed to have us all come in to the O-Xone tomorrow at noon, so we could meet and work out the details.”
    “That's great.” Kim said. “You have worked it out perfectly.” Impulsively she leaned across and planted a firm kiss on his mouth.
    The world seemed to turn over, Edsel was floating on the elevated side of a Ferris wheel, high among pink clouds, dizzy but happy. Suddenly the rest of the mystery evaporated, and he knew what Dug meant. That was the best kiss he had ever experienced—and it wasn't even serious. If she had wanted to seduce him, she could have done it merely by holding the kiss longer. Of course that was not her intent, and everyone knew it. But what a kiss!
    The clouds dissipated, and he became aware of friendly laughter, not shared by Pia. “I should have warned you.” Dug was saying. “She kisses.” He thought Edsel was merely surprised. That was the least of it.
    “Sorry,” Kim said, half mischievously. “It's just that it was such a relief. We thought you were going to discuss something awful, like the two of you breaking up.”
    Now Pia met Edsel’s gaze. Then she spoke. “We're considering it. But first we'll try visiting Xanth.”
    Things got abruptly serious. “You are considering it?” Kim asked, and now there was no mischief or humor in her expression or tone. Edsel realized that she had not forgotten that Pia had been Dug's first girlfriend. Surely she didn't want Pia on the loose again.
    “We hope that a change of venue will help,” Edsel said quickly. “Like a vacation. Second honeymoon.”
    Pia opened her mouth, and by her expression nothing sweet or sentimental was about to come out.
    But Dug intercepted it. “Xanth will surely do it. There's no place like it. We'll be there tomorrow to meet the others, in the O-Xone.” And this time he shot Kim a look.
    Kim jumped up. “Right. And we'd better get our work done today, in case that takes some time. Sorry you folk must rush off so soon.”
    Beautiful, Edsel thought. They were a perfect team, always working together. In a moment he and Pia were out of the house and mounting the motorcycle.
    “This had better be good.” Pia muttered as they started off.
    Edsel didn't answer. He didn't want to risk getting into a quarrel now, lest she change her mind about the deal. It was clear that Xanth was his only hope.
    That afternoon he tackled the Cuss word Companions program, and this time found a way to finesse it so he could address the key he needed. After that things fell together, and he completed it in good order. He copied it to a backup disk and took it to Pia. “Now you can tell them it's in the mail.” he said.
    She stared at the disk. “You got it? You're sure.”
    “I'm sure. Put in it on your system and see.”
    She hesitated. Then she came to a decision. “Wait.”
    He waited, uncertain what was on her mind. She phoned Kim. “The Discuss Companions is ready. Tell Dug we'll bring it to you in an hour, and he can copy it and ship it before the day is out." She hung up.
    “An hour?” Edsel asked. “We can have it there in fifteen minutes.”
    She stood, stepped into him and kissed him. Then she led him to the bedroom.
    Bemused, he realized that she was truly pleased to have the program done, so that they would not default on a deadline. And maybe she was jealous of Kim's kiss, too. Pia