"First we have to find our hostage. If we guessed wrong about the ship, if they put the catapult on this one and the elixir on the other-"
"Then they wouldn't be chasing us," he said.
"Yes they would. They need the catapult too. And most of all, they need us."
They searched the ship. In the cabin was a chained monster of a type Bink had never seen before. It was not large, but quite horrible in other respects. Its body was completely covered with hair, white with black spots, and it had a thin tail, floppy black ears, a small black nose, and gleaming white teeth. Its four feet had stubby claws. It snarled viciously as Bink approached-but it was chained by the neck to the wall, its mad leaps cut brutally short by that tether.
"What is it?" Bink asked, horrified.
Fanchon considered. "I think it's a werewolf."
Now the creature looked halfway familiar. It did resemble a werewolf, fixed in its animal stage.
"Out here in Mundania?"
"Well, it must be related. If it had more heads, it would be like a cerberus. With only one head, I think it's a dog."
Bink gaped. "A dog! I think you're right. I've never actually seen a dog before. Not in the flesh. Just pictures.''
"I don't think there are any in Xanth today. There used to be, but they must have migrated out."
"Through the Shield?" Bink demanded.
"Before the Shield was set up, of course-though I'd thought there were references to dogs and cats and horses within the past century. I must have misremembered the dates."
"Well, it seems we have one here now. It looks vicious. It must be guarding the elixir."
"Trained to attack strangers," she agreed. "I suppose we'll have to kill it."
"But it's a rare creature. Maybe the only one left alive today."
"We don't know that. Dogs might be common in Mundania. But it is rather pretty, once you get used to it."
The dog had quieted down, though it still watched them warily. A small dragon might watch a person that way, Bink thought, if the person were just outside its striking range. With the proper break, the person might come within range...
"Maybe we could revive the sailor and have him tame it," Bink said. "The animal must be responsive to members of this ship's crew. Otherwise they could never get at the elixir."
"Good idea," she agreed.
The sailor had finally recovered consciousness, but he was in no condition to resume the fight. ''We'll let you go," Fanchon told him; "if you tell us how to tame that dog. We don't want to have to kill it, you see."
"Who, Jennifer?" the man asked dazedly. "Just speak her name, pat her on the head, and feed her." He lay back. "I think my collarbone's broke."
Fanchon looked at Bink. "Can't make him swim, then. Trent may be a monster, but we aren't." She turned back to the sailor. "If you will give your word not to interfere with us in any way, we'll help you recover as well as we can. Deal?"
The sailor didn't hesitate. "I can't interfere with you. I can't get up. Deal."
This bothered Bink. He and Fanchon sounded just like Trent, offering better terms to a captive enemy in return for his cooperation. Were they any different from the Evil Magician?
Fanchon checked the sailor's body around the shoulders. "Yow!" he cried.
"I'm no doctor," she said, "but I think you're right. You have a broken bone. Are there any pillows aboard?"
"Listen," the sailor said as she worked on him. He was obviously trying to divert his attention from the pain. "Trent's no monster. You called him that, but you're wrong. He's a good leader."
"He's promised you all the spoils of Xanth?" Fanchon asked, with an edge to her voice.
"No, just farms or jobs for all of us," he said.
"No killing, no rapine, no loot?" Her disbelief was evident.
"None of that. This ain't the old days, you know? We just protect him and keep order in the territory we occupy, and he'll give us small land grants where nobody's settled yet. He says Xanth's underpopulated. And there'll be-he'll encourage the local gals to marry us, so we can have families. If there aren't enough, he'll bring in gals from the real world. And meanwhile, he'll transform some smart animals into gals. I thought that was a joke, but after what I hear about those cocks-" He grimaced. "I mean those basks-" He shook his head and grimaced again, in pain.
"Keep your head still," Fanchon told him, too late. "It's true about the cockatrice and basilisk; we were them. But animal brides--"
"Oh, it wouldn't be so bad, miss. Just temporary, until real gals arrived. If she looks like a gal and feels like a gal, I wouldn't blame her for being a bitch before. I mean, some gals are bitches--"
"What's a bitch?" Bink asked.
"A bitch? You don't know that?" The sailor grimaced again; either he was in considerable pain or it was a natural expression. "A female dog. Like Jennifer. Hell, if Jennifer had human form-"
"Enough," Fanchon muttered.
