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Jumper didn’t move, but he inspected the bundle as it passed by one of his eyes. It was Phanta! In her ghost form. She looked the same, just less substantial. That meant the male ghost must be her nemesis, Gheorge, the one who stalked her. Somehow he had caught her in darkness. Jumper knew he had to stop this abduction. But how? The ghosts lacked substance; he couldn’t simply grab them. He followed them as they passed through the wooden door. He had to open it to get out, because he didn’t want to break it down. The storm had cleared and the stars were out. And Phanta was being borne helplessly away. What could he do? He quickly spun a loop of web, whirled it around, and lassoed them. But the web passed through them without effect.
    Then he had an idea. He rewound his lasso and hurled it straight up at the sky, very high. It snagged on a star. He hauled the star down. It was really quite bright as it got near the land.
    He whirled it around and flung it at the ghosts. Suddenly they were illuminated.
    And Phanta reverted to her solid living state. Gheorge had no further power over her. All he could do was slink away into the darkness as the captive star lay guttering on the ground.
    “Oh, thank you, Jumper!” Phanta cried, planting a kiss on his mandibles. “You saved me from a fate worse than death!” Her bosom was heaving with excitement.
    “Well, I did what I could. But how did you get caught in darkness? I thought you always kept a candle burning.”
    “I do. I think he blew it out.”
    “He can do that?”
    “He must have learned how. He caught me off guard. I would have been lost, but for you. He would never have let me see light again. I’m so grateful!” She kissed him again.
    “We’ll have to find a light that can’t be blown out.”
    “I’m not sure there is any, in Xanth. Unless I can find a fresh plant bulb.”
    “We’ll look for one.”
    Jumper hauled up the guttering star, that seemed distinctly unhappy on the ground. He dangled it by his web loop. It was trying to burn through the loop and escape, but the web material melted without ever quite letting go.
    “The poor thing,” Phanta said.
    “I will free it once we have other light. I don’t want Gheorge Ghost to return for you.”
    “That makes sense,” she agreed, shuddering. “One thing about you, Jumper, I know you don’t want to do to me what he wanted to.”
    Jumper wasn’t quite sure what she meant, so he didn’t question it. Human beings had their own special ways.
    They walked back to the inn, where a light had come on. “What’s out three?” Crater bellowed. He was wearing a nightcap and held a club, ready for trouble.
    “Me, Phanta, with Jumper,” Phanta called back.
    “You have a thing for spidres?” Crater demanded, surprised. “Or is he tyring to eat you?”
    “Not exactly. Gheorge tried to abduct me. Jumper saved me. He’s a great guy.”
    “Oh. Well. That’s all irght, then.” He put away the club. They reached the inn. “Now I will free this star,” Jumper said. He whirled it around on the end of his cord, then hurled it back up into the sky. It flared happily as it went, glad to return safely home.
    “Bye, star!” Phanta called after it, and it flared again, faintly.
    “You did not keep a candle bunring?” Crater asked Phanta.
    “I think he blew it out. Candles are no longer safe.”
    “So you need to get to the Good Magician soon.”
    “Yes. Thank you so much for arranging this, Crater.”
    Crater fetched a storm lantern and lit the wick. “Let’s see him blow this out,” he said grimly. “But I’m sruprised a ghost can blow at all.”
    “He’s really after me,” Phanta said. “I don’t know why.”
    “Because you’er a good-looking wench,” Crater said gruffly. “Why else do you think I have you sevring food?”
    “Because your last waitress married a patron and retired to easy living?”
    “That too,” he agreed.
    “And the one before her quit when someone goosed