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formed This was of Imbn, grazing by a clog tree Near it was a sandalwood tree, where a faun danced and played pan pipes    Then Imbn changed to nymph form and went to tousle the taun's hair, and he patted her pert bare bottom    Obviously the two got along well
     
    ZOMBIE Lo\tR       2/
     
    A dragon appeared—the one with the silly donkey head    On its back was the fair Chlorine They stopped before the faun and nymph "Nimby wants to dream," Chlonne said
     
    "Dragons can dream," Imbri replied
     
    "But demons don't "
     
    "Demons7" the faun asked
     
    "Yes, Forrest   Will you keep a secret7"
     
    Forrest and Imbri glanced at each other "/ think \\e had better ' Imbri said
     
    "Nimby is really the Demon X(A/N)lh "
     
    Both faun and nymph laughed, thinking this a joke Then the dragon transformed into a huge glowing demon figure, and the scene turned inside out After a moment the scene returned to normal, with the dragon back There was no further laughter
     
    "You are the expert on dreams, Imbri," Chlorine said "Can you teach Nimby to dream7 By himself, without having to view it as done by mortals9"
     
    Imbn was plainly awed "/ don't know No demon has e\ei dreamed The\ don't have the mortal coil? for it The} don't know what living emotions are So there's nothing for dream1* to fi\ on '
     
    "Living emotions," Chlonne said thoughtfully   "Like love7 '
     
    "Yes, that especially Demons think lo\e is silh Of course Nimby—" She framed the word with a peculiar emphasis now that she knew what it signified "Nimb\ is not just am demon So pos-sibl\—"
     
    "Nimby loves   He learned it from Mundanes, among others '
     
    "Oh Then ma\be he should start lo learn dreaming fiom Mundanes too They are less complicated than magical creatures If he could follow the dreams of one, perhaps a \oung one he might be able to pick up the essence I can't deh\ er a dream to one who doesn : know how to do it It's like lo\e \ou can't accomplish it until \ou learn how " Imbri glanced at Forrest Faun, and a little heart flew across to bop him on the nose He smiled
     
    "The Mundane family we know returned to Mundama,' Chlonne said "Fresh Mundanes are hard to come by "
     
    "/ know one, " Imbri said "She has been m Xanth almost half her life, but she remembers Mundama "
     
    "Bring her here "
     
    28       PIERS ANTHONY
     
    "But is it wise to let a Mundane know Nimby's true nature?" "It isn't wise to let anyone know Nimby's true nature," Chlorine said firmly. "We have told you only because we need your informed
     
    help."
     
    "Make her a deal.1' Forrest Faun suggested. "Give her what she most wants, if she will share her dreams with you."
     
    "What would she want?" Chlorine asked.
     
    "What would any Mundane want?" the faun asked rhetorically. "A magic talent, of course. Don't tell her who Nimby is, just make
     
    the deal."
     
    Chlorine looked at Nimby, who wiggled a long ear. She returned to Imbri. "Bring her to the Nameless Castle."
     
    Imbri resumed mare form and galloped swiftly away. Chlorine mounted Nimby, and both vanished. Forrest waved at the space where they had been, and retired to his sandalwood tree.
     
    The scene faded. Breanna was back in her regular daydream, facing Mare Imbri. "Now you know how you came by your talent. The Demon gave it to you, in exchange for sharing your dreams.''
     
    "But I haven't seen that dragon in any dream," Breanna protested.
     
    "He merely watches without interfering. If he disturbed your dreams, they would no longer be innocent. It has been effective; he is slowly learning how to dream on his own. But it would be impolitic to renounce the deal now.''
     
    "Well, he can keep sharing, if that's what he wants," Breanna said, though she felt more than a smidgen queasy about having such a creature there. Some of her dreams were rather personal. "Just take
     
    back the talent."
     
    "Demons don't work that way. He would not feel free, if he voided the talent. In anv event, it's not