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cousin-once-removed Gwenny was chiefess. If only the other goblin tribes could be governed by women too! Then the whole of goblindom would be so much nicer. But anything like that was a long way away, if ever.
    The sun had dried itself off and recovered enough strength to climb the eastern sky. Gloha had never been quite certain how it managed to find its way to the east after drowning in the water to the west, but assumed that there was some kind of magic to handle it, because the sun's course was fairly reliable. The clouds, which had gotten somewhat damp and drippy in the night, were drying off and turning white and fluffy again. There was no sign of Fracto, fortunately.
    She passed the region of the flies, and the dragons, and the elves, until she spied Goblin Mountain. Or was it? She hadn't been there in months, and what she saw below was distinctly odd. “Odds goblins,” she murmured. Instead of a structure resembling an enormous anthill with the pox, she saw a prettily tiered network of gardens with flowers. That couldn't be it.
    Then she remembered: the male goblins no longer governed Goblin Mountain. A female was in charge. So flower gardens made sense.
    Reassured, she dropped down toward it. As she got close, she saw more detail. The flowers grew in patches of color, and the color spelled P-E-A-C-E. That was Gwenny's work, all right.
    She landed by a prettily manicured front gate. There was a goblin guard, neatly uniformed. He snapped to attention as she approached. “A courteous greeting, Lady Gloha,” he said politely. “Whom do you wish to see?”
    Gloha was taken aback. What was the matter with this goblin? He should have greeted her with an insult or a threat, or at least a sexist innuendo. That was the way male goblins were. It was expected. She didn't trust this.
    Then the goblin flashed a surreptitious scowl. “Don't look so surprised, wingback. This isn't my idea. At least I got half a look up under your sexy little skirt as you came down.”
    Gloha smiled as she smoothed down her skirt. So this was just a veneer over normalcy. Goblin nature had not been repealed. “I want to see Goldy.”
    “Very good.” He turned to his talk-tube. “Gloha to see Goldy, presently.” Then he turned to Gloha. “Get your galoshes going, goody-gams.”
    Gloha nodded, appreciating the goblin-style compliment. She walked on into the tunnel. Soon she found Aunt Goldy's apartment. She knocked on the portal.
    It opened. There stood the gobliness, even ancienter than Glory because she was ten years older. But she looked better than she had, probably because she now had more status than before. All females did. “Why, how nice to see you, dear,” she said, giving Gloha a hug. “Do come in.”
    The apartment was nicely finished, with flowers and pleasant pictures all around. Gloha sat gracefully on a cushion, resting her gams, uh, limbs, and especially her wings. “I went to see the Good Magician about a husband, and he told me to see his second son. But I don't know who that is. Mother thought you might know.”
    Aunt Goldy pondered. “I remember when I traveled with the ogre-his girl Tandy-there was something about her. I never did quite figure it out. But maybe the ogre did. Maybe you should go ask him.”
    “Ask the ogre? You know ogres and goblins don't get along well.”
    “This one's different. He's half human. He's a decent creature, and not nearly as ugly or stupid as he should be. He figured out how to work the magic wand, after all, then gave it to me so I could win a goblin chief. He has a way with these things. Talk to him, and maybe he'll help you find that second son.”
    Gloha shook her bemused little brain. “This is pretty farfetched. Are you sure you aren't getting senile?”
    “Not at all sure, dear,” Goldy said cheerfully. “Maybe you should ask someone else.” But she did seem oddly sure of herself. She surely knew or suspected something, but wasn't about to say exactly what it was lest