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whipped out her short sword before the vine around her sword arm could prevent it, and sliced through the opposite vine. Then she switched sword hands and severed the first.
    Meanwhile Goody was being roughly hauled into the heaving green mass of the tree. “Help!” he cried as more tentacles caught hold of his limbs. Now he saw the trunk of the tree, with its huge wooden mouth and great thorny teeth. Tanglers were carnivorous plants, the pulped bodies of their victims getting digested by the roots.
    “On my way,” Hannah said. She forged toward him, whirling her blade.
    “Pitiful effort, nymphet!” the parody called.
    Mere tentacles flung at the warrior, but she sliced them off as quickly as they neared her. She reached Goody and hacked around him as though demolishing another stand of bleachers. Chunks of tentacle flew out and landed squishily on the ground around him. Then she grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and hauled him out of the danger zone. Her hand brushed the gray rose, but it didn't stab her though the tips of her fingers were exposed.
    “You beat the tangle tree!” he said breathlessly.
    “Fighting tanglers is part of barbarian training,” she said. “But we don't do it for pleasure.”
    “And you do a messy job,” the parody said.
    “Listen, birdbrain: it was going to eat you too.”
    The peeve considered that, and lapsed into grudging silence.
    “Thank you for saving my life,” Goody said.
    “It's my job, remember? Bodyguard. No thanks to the bird.”
    Soon they resumed travel, avoiding the tangle tree. Beyond it was another tree, which wasn't surprising, considering that this was a forest. This one had regular leaves, and was covered with little fruits.
    “That looks good,” Goody said, getting hungry. “That looks like gum. It must be a gum tree.”
    “Or a variety,” Hannah said. “I'll check.” She picked a piece of gum, put it in her mouth, and chewed. “Better,” she said. “This is a gumption tree. Serve yourself.”
    “Gumption? I don't understand.”
    “Eat some. You'll see.”
    Goody picked a piece of gum and chewed it. It tasted good. Not only that, he experienced a surging courage and feeling of competence. “Gumption,” he agreed, pleased.
    They picked a number of gums and saved them for future use, then went on, encouraged. They found a small forest path and followed it.
    They encountered a man going the other way. He had orangy hair, and was accompanied by an unkempt mixed-breed dog. “Hello, stranger,” Goody said boldly. “I am Goody Goblin.”
    “I am Rusty Human, and this is Mudgeon. He's a cur,” the man said. “Don't touch me.”
    “And why not?” Hannah demanded, bridling.
    “What makes you untouchable, dumbbell?” the parody demanded.
    “That's the bird speaking,” Goody said quickly.
    Rusty looked confused, but bore with it. “My talent is to make anything I touch rust,” he said. “A little rust won't kill you, but you wouldn't like it.”
    Hannah nodded. “Then we won't touch you.”
    “Lucky for you, metalrot,” the parody said. “That goes double for your fleabag mutt.”
    Rusty frowned, and the cur Mudgeon growled. “Listen, goblin—”
    “It's the bird,” Hannah repeated firmly.
    “Don't you believe it, corrosion creature,” the peeve said.
    Hannah put her hand on her sword.
    Rusty considered her, seeing her armor and weapon, and decided to let it be. He and the dog moved on.
    “We've got to stifle that bird,” Hannah said.
    “You and who else, doxie?”
    “Do you want your scrawny neck wrung, fowl face?”
    “You wouldn't dare, beef butt.”
    Hannah took a step toward the bird. The parody lurched off Goody's arm and flew up to land on a branch. “And where were you while this sickening slut threatened me, milquetoast?” it demanded. This time its voice sounded like the abrasion of branches rubbing together.
    “Remember, it's just a dumb animal,” Goody reminded her.
    She nodded. “I almost forgot. I'll tune it