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Humfrey is chronically grumpy, even at times irascible. By the time I had worked for him a year I was thoroughly familiar with his nature. He was giving me a chance to change my mind. When I didn’t, his Answer was Yes. And here I am today, still keeping his castle, one month in five and a half. He’s grumpy, but he’s also a near genius, and kind at heart, and of course I know how to manage him. Yes, his answers can be like that, but they always make wonderful sense when you fathom them.”
    “So I understand,” Debra said. “But mine is very simple, and I’m hoping for a simple answer.”
    “What is your Question, dear?”
    Debra took a breath. “It connects to my name. Debra. It’s a curse I discovered when I came to Xanth. Every time a man learns my name, he takes it literally.”
    The Gorgon’s veil furrowed. “I don’t believe I understand. No one can take your name; it’s yours.”
    “De-Bra. He tries to take off my bra. It’s most embarrassing, and makes for very bad relations with the male gender. So my Question is, how can I nullify this curse?”
    “How old are you, dear? You look young.”
    “Thirteen.”
    “Then you are covered by the Adult Conspiracy. No one can say anything or do anything that might give you any hint about how storks are signaled. Bras and panties relate; that’s why they’re so naughty.”
    “I’m from Mundania. I know how storks are summoned, as you put it.”
    The Gorgon nodded. “Maybe that fudges the proscription. Do you know why men are interested in bras?”
    “Same reason they freak out at the sight of panties. It turns them on, and they want to—to do something about it.”
    “Exactly. Of course they don’t freak out when they see bare naked nymphs, unless the nymphs put on panties or bras. That makes them seem human, and it is human flesh that does it for human men.”
    “But they don’t even have to see my bra. Until they hear my name. Then suddenly they get this Idea, and I’m in trouble.”
    “May we verify this, Debra? To understand exactly what we face?”
    Debra shrugged. “If you must.”
    The Gorgon glanced at the woman. “Fetch Opti and Pesi, please, Wira.”
    Wira departed silently. In little more than a moment and a half she returned with a boy and girl who looked like twins.
    “This is Opti Mystic,” the Gorgon said. “She sees only the good things about the future, when she focuses.” The girl smiled. “And this is Pesi Mystic, who sees only the bad future things. We are very cautious about asking them to look.”
    “She’s got a wild and wonderful future,” Opti said as she looked at Debra.
    “But there’s something about her that will ruin it,” Pesi said.
    “Tell them your name, dear,” the Gorgon said.
    “Debra.”
    Opti did not react, but Pesi stepped toward her. “Suddenly I have this need to get hold of your—”
    “Dismissed!” the Gorgon rapped, and her little snakes hissed warningly.
    Both Opti and Pesi hastily departed.
    The Gorgon nodded again. “It is a worthy curse, dear. One you certainly want abated. My husband surely has the Answer. Unfortunately he can’t look it up in the book of Answers at the moment. So we need an alternative.”
    “An alternative? What alternative can there be to simply stopping the curse?”
    “A postponed Answer. If you will agree to perform your Service first, I will guarantee to make Humfrey provide your Answer once he has the Book in order again.”
    Debra considered. That did seem fair, and was a lot better than no chance of an Answer. “What would I have to do? If it involves working with men, that’s no good.”
    “This requires more background. I must ask you not to reveal what I am about to tell you.”
    “Okay,” Debra agreed, curious.
    “We have a murder mystery to solve. A body turned up in the cellar, and Wira’s husband, my son Hugo, disappeared. We think he saw the murderer, and got transformed or relegated to some unkind place. Wira is desperate to find