Free Heaven Cent by Piers Anthony

in the Tapestry, she would surely tell someone, and when Grandma Iris learned of the phenomenal city back at her old haunts, she would understand. Then she could reclaim her magic talent, and all would be well again. Dolph had not yet found the Good Magician or even the Heaven Cent, but already he was accomplishing something!
    They paused for lunch. Dolph's sandwiches were gone, but he didn't really need them; he simply changed to an ant and consumed a segment of a leaf. He did not like green salad in ant form much better than he did in boy form, but anything would do when he was hungry enough. That was another thing he was learning during this adventure: there were times when it just wasn't worthwhile to be too fussy about food.
    Then they commenced their search for the Heaven Cent. They were not sure exactly what it looked like, but hoped they would know it when they found it. Dolph knew that in Mundania there was a small magic copper coin called a cent; it wasn't supposed to be worth much, but it was pretty when shined. He thought the Heaven Cent might be a very big, bright cent. Just how it would help him find the Good Magician he wasn't sure, but he would figure that out when he got hold of it. The Magician's message made it clear that he needed the cent: SKELETON KEY TO HEAVEN CENT. This was the key made of a skeleton, so the cent had to be here. He hoped.
    The vast illusion covered the isle. They did not know in what building the cent might be, so they had to check each in turn until they found it. Because it might be covered by a wall, they had to poke their hands through the walls too, feeling for anything round. Mostly what they found was weeds: without the fantasy city, this island would be just a weed-ridden lump.
    The job soon became tedious. Dolph wished there were a faster, easier way to do it, but he couldn't think of any. He tried changing to hound form, so that his superior nose could sniff out the cent, but he didn't know what it smelled like, so that didn't help. He assumed eagle form, in the hope that his sharp eyes would pierce the illusion, but they only made its detail clearer. It was easiest to keep his own form, so mat he could use his hands to check for what he could not see.
    He stepped through one more wall—and spied a woman. She was tall and well proportioned in the adult fashion, with hair as black as midnight and skin as white as midday.
    Dolph jumped back through the wall. He remembered his experience with Vida Vila, who really wasn't bad once he had gotten to know her, but mat threat of mushy sniff had really turned him off. This new woman looked like the kind who was good at mush, so he was wary of her. Fortunately, she had been facing away from him, so had not seen him.
    He hurried across to where Marrow was working.
    “There's a woman!” he whispered to the living man that Marrow appeared to be. “Between the buildings!”
    Marrow considered. “Is she a real woman or an illusory woman?”
    Dolph hadn't thought of that. “I—don't really know. She looked real, but—” He shrugged.
    “She might be a monster, made to look human. I had better investigate.”
    “Yes,” Dolph said, relieved.
    They went to the region where Dolph had seen the woman, and poked their heads cautiously through the wall. There she was, moving along the wall further along, her hands poking into it. She seemed to be looking for something.
    “I shall approach her,” Marrow said. “But I shall not divulge very much about myself until I know her nature. She could be dangerous.”
    Dolph nodded agreement. The illusion made everything uncertain.
    Marrow stepped through, while Dolph watched from the wall. Marrow approached the woman. “Hello,” he said.
    “Eeeek!” the woman cried, jumping.
    “Who are you?” Marrow asked.
    The woman backed away from him. “I didn't know anyone else was here! You alarmed me.”
    “Or perhaps I should inquire what are you,” Marrow said. "Are you what you seem to