Read Man From Mundania for Free Online Page A

man, I hate to have it be like this, but you will have
    to face the truth sometime. I'll do my best to help you
    with it."
     
    Grey opened his mouth, but closed it again, baffled. She
    had the situation reversed! How was he ever going to get
    through to her?
     
    "Let me think about it," she said. "First I'll figure out
    a way to convince you. Then we can go look for the Good
    Magician, who must be somewhere near here. Then we
    can guide him home, and the Quest will finally be done."
     
    She expected to convince him! Well, maybe that was
    best, after all; when she realized that she couldn't con-
    vince him, maybe he would be able to convince her.
     
    The next several days were indecisive. Grey's check
    came, and he paid his rent and bought more cans of beans,
    and, against his better judgment, that copy of the Xanth
    novel Ivy had remarked on together with its sequel. He
    stayed up late to read it, though he knew he should either
    be doing his homework or sleeping.
     
    It was a story of three unlikely travelers who sought to
    rid a valley of demons. Sure enough. Ivy was there—but
    she was only ten years old! So it could hardly be the same
    girl.
     
    He glanced at the sequel. There Ivy was fourteen. Well,
    if this was about three years later, she could be the same
    one! This was the story of her little brother's Quest for the
    missing Good Magician. But first he had to finish reading
    the first novel.
     
    He fell asleep over the book and dreamed of Xanth. He
    was hungry, so instead of opening a can of beans he
    plucked a fresh pie from a pie tree. Suddenly he liked
    Xanth very well, for he was long since sick of beans.
     
    He woke, and wondered wouldn't it be nice if there
    really could be such a magic land! No more beans, no
    more Freshman English, no more bare cheap apartment!
    Just warmth and fun and free pies! And Ivy!
     
    His eye saw the computer screen. The computer was
    on, but the screen was dark; it dimmed itself after half an
     
    hour if left alone, so as not to wear itself out. On impulse
    he rose and went to it. "Does Xanth exist?" he asked it.
    The screen brightened, i THOUGHT YOU'D NEVER ASK! YES.
    "I mean, as a real place, not just something in a fantasy
    novel?"
     
    THAT DEPENDS.
     
    This was interesting! "Depends on what?"
     
    ON WHETHER YOU BELIEVE.
     
    Oh. "You mean, it exists for Ivy and not for me, be-
    cause she believes in it and I don't?"
     
    YES.
     
    Grey sighed. "So anything that anybody believes in,
    exists for that person? That's not much help.''
     
    TOUGH.
     
    "Are you sassing me, you dumb machine? I ought to
    turn you off!"
     
    DO NOT DO THAT, the screen printed quickly.
     
    But Grey, miffed, reached out to push the On/Off switch.
     
    YOU'LL BE SOR
     
    Then the screen went dark as he completed his motion.
    It was done. He had been foolish to leave it on so long.
     
    He returned to his bed and went to sleep almost im-
    mediately. This time he dreamed of Ivy, whom he was
    coming to like very well indeed, despite all logic.
     
    In the morning he got up, dressed, and stepped out to
    knock on Ivy's door. They had been having breakfasts to-
    gether, and other meals too, because they got along so well.
    Apparently the first girl, Agenda, had left a good deal of
    food on the shelves, and Ivy was using what remained of
    that. Whatever it was, it was better than more beans!
     
    Ivy opened the door, and smiled when she saw him,
    gesturing him inside. Her hair was mussed, but she seemed
    prettier than ever to him. She was neither voluptuous in
    the manner of Euphoria, nor skinny in the manner of An-
    orexia; for his taste she was just right.
     
    "Uh, I was reading that Xanth book last night," he
    began as he stepped in. "It—"
     
    He broke off, for she was staring at him. "Europe tal-
    cum giddiness!" she exclaimed.
     
     
     
     
    32 Man from Mundania Man from Mundania 33
     
    "What?"
     
    "Icon nut United States ewer tale!"
     
    Grey gaped. Had she gone entirely crazy? Or was it