Free Board Stiff (Xanth) by Piers Anthony Page A

he was doing.
    “But it’s locked,” Ease said.
    “Lock unlocks.”
    There was a click as the lock unlocked. Then the door swung open to reveal the tight spiral stairway.
    Kandy was really coming to appreciate Pewter’s ability to spot change local reality.
    “Well, let’s go,” Ease said. Then he had a cautionary notion. “But suppose there are scorpions or things on the stairs?”
    “I will go first,” Astrid said. “I will reason with any dangerous creatures that may lurk.” She touched her dark glasses meaningfully.
    Kandy was also coming to appreciate the basilisk’s qualities.
    Astrid entered the tower first, and started up the staircase. Ease followed, and Pewter was third.
    “But it’s dark,” Ease said.
    “Dark stones glow,” Pewter said, and suddenly there was comfortable light. They could see the steps clearly.
    In barely more than a moment Astrid was on a coil of the spiral above Ease. Her marvelous legs under her dress showed plainly in the glow, all the way up to her glossy gray panties.
    Ease started to glance up.
    EYES FRONT!
    His eyes returned to the steps immediately ahead. Kandy had just saved him from a terminal freakout. He really did need her guidance.
    “Good job,” Pewter murmured. He knew what she had done. He might not be subject to panty freaks himself, but he knew that regular men were.
    They proceeded up the stairway to the top. There was another locked door. “Door unlocks,” Pewter said, and it was so.
    Astrid opened it and stepped out onto the turret. “Hello, Tiara,” she said. “I am Astrid, part of your rescue party.”
    The girl, thrilled, hugged her. Kandy saw the sequins jiggle, but fortunately none fell off.
    Ease was next to arrive. “I am Ease, your rescuer.”
    “Thank you so much, Ease!” Tiara hugged him too, to his obvious enjoyment.
    “And I am Pewter, completing the party,” Pewter said. “No need to hug me.”
    They were in a small but neat round chamber with a bunk bed, table, chair, storage box, and windows. They sat on the bed while Tiara took the chair. She was indeed a pretty girl, with nice features in a nice print dress, large blue eyes, a cherry mouth, poised, except for one thing: her fair hair was wild. It looked as if it had a completely unruly will of its own that no brush or comb could conquer.
    “So how come you’re locked up here?” Ease asked. “You a captive elf or something?
    Tiara laughed. She had a pleasant laugh, too. “No nothing like that! I’m a normal girl. My sisters bring me food every day, and I have a virtual reality illusion game to keep me occupied.”
    “A game?” Ease asked.
    “Yes. It is marvelously inventive and fun. But it is about rescuing a maiden in a tower. That gets old fast.”
    “Because you are a maiden in a tower,” Astrid said.
    “Exactly. I don’t want to play the game, I want to get rescued myself.”
    “We can rescue you,” Pewter said. “But we are cautious. We need to know why you are confined. Is there some horrendous spell that will destroy Xanth if you are freed?”
    “No, of course not. It’s more personal. It’s because I don’t fit in.”
    “Maybe you had better tell us the full story,” Astrid said.
    “Oh, I wouldn’t want to bore you with such a tedious narrative.”
    “Bore us,” Pewter said.
    Tiara immediately complied. “I have many sisters, each with her special nature. There’s Apopto sis, who can program the death of cells. Ba sis, who always gets to the fundamental aspect of an issue. Cri sis, who handles difficult situations. Ellip sis who saves words that others omit. Gene sis who can make almost anything from almost nothing. Neme sis, who makes a bad enemy. Sta sis, who can make anything stop. They’re all very talented, and they all have very neat hair.” At this point Tiara choked up.
    Kandy began to get a glimmer. The Good Magician had told Ease to “merge the hair.” Could this be the hair? How could it be merged?
    “Hair,” Astrid