AND RYVER SQUIRTED JETS OF WATER IN ITS EYES AND EARS. THE DRAGON HATED THAT, BECAUSE NOBODY LIKES TO HAVE HIS EARS WASHED.
The text continued, and the boy kept reading avidly. He didn't even notice that Lacuna had crossed over the drawbridge. That was all right; she had left enough text in the queue to hold him for half an hour. She hadn't known how long it would take for him to be completely distracted, so had put in plenty. Anyway, she was pleased that someone really liked her writing. She had learned to tell stories to children when she was babysitting, and rather enjoyed it. Ryver was a perfect audience.
Now she was across the moat but still outside the castle wall. There was a door right before her. She walked up and turned the handle. But it didn't work; the door was locked, and she didn't have the key. Obviously she had to find the key; this was the third challenge.
She looked around. There was a fairly narrow path that circled the castle just inside the moat. It was lined by bushes that resembled shelves; their stems were vertical and their branches horizontal, with the leaves filling in to complete the pattern. They had squared-off large berries that looked rather like books on the shelves.
A boy was sitting on the bank, picking the berries and eating them. He looked a lot like Ryver.
“Who are you?” she inquired, not really expecting an answer.
“I am Torrent, Ryver's twin brother.”
Could she believe that? Well, maybe for now.
“What sort of plants are these?” she asked.
“They are library bushes,” he responded. “They have endless information, which I get by eating the fruit.”
This was almost too good to be true, so she knew it probably wasn't true. But she would find out. “Then you must know where the key to that door is.”
“Sure. Here it is.” He handed her a large wooden key.
She tried the key in the lock. It wouldn't fit. It was the wrong one.
She returned to the boy. “It's not the right key. Where is the right one?”
“On the other side of the castle.”
She doubted it, but proceeded on around. There was a small metal key lying on the path. She picked it up and walked back around to the door. It didn't fit.
She looked at the boy, who was still eating berries. Twice he had directed her to the wrong key. He was obviously not telling the truth. How could she make him tell the truth?
She decided to experiment. “Torrent, are you part of this challenge for me?”
“Yes.”
"So you are supposed to misdirect me, and prevent me from finding the key.''
“No.”
“And you do that by lying to me.”
He hesitated, and she knew why. If he lied, she would know it, which would make the lie worthless, but if he told the truth he wouldn't be misdirecting her. “No.”
Which meant that he did. “So you lied about your identity, too. You are Ryver.”
“No.”
“Then where is Ryver? He's not out there reading the print on the moat.”
He looked back there, and winced. He must have had to tear himself away from it with the story unfinished. He didn't answer, which was answer enough.
“And you're not supposed to be part of this challenge,” she said, remembering that he had answered yes to that question before, so it was a lie.
“I can be if I want to be!” he said defensively.
“And now you're telling the truth.”
He hung his head. “You trapped me into it. Anyway, it doesn't matter, because it's only about the challenge that I really had to lie.”
“Why not just refuse to tell me anything about the keys?”
“Because—” He stopped. “I can't tell you.”
“Because lying has something to do with the solution!” she said, catching on.
“No.”
"Which means yes. And the berries—do they have anything to do with it too?''
“No.”
“So they do. Exactly what kind of berries are they?”
“Poison.”
“Hardly. You've been eating them.” Then a light flickered. “You were a truthful boy. Now you're an untruthful one. You've been eating the
The text continued, and the boy kept reading avidly. He didn't even notice that Lacuna had crossed over the drawbridge. That was all right; she had left enough text in the queue to hold him for half an hour. She hadn't known how long it would take for him to be completely distracted, so had put in plenty. Anyway, she was pleased that someone really liked her writing. She had learned to tell stories to children when she was babysitting, and rather enjoyed it. Ryver was a perfect audience.
Now she was across the moat but still outside the castle wall. There was a door right before her. She walked up and turned the handle. But it didn't work; the door was locked, and she didn't have the key. Obviously she had to find the key; this was the third challenge.
She looked around. There was a fairly narrow path that circled the castle just inside the moat. It was lined by bushes that resembled shelves; their stems were vertical and their branches horizontal, with the leaves filling in to complete the pattern. They had squared-off large berries that looked rather like books on the shelves.
A boy was sitting on the bank, picking the berries and eating them. He looked a lot like Ryver.
“Who are you?” she inquired, not really expecting an answer.
“I am Torrent, Ryver's twin brother.”
Could she believe that? Well, maybe for now.
“What sort of plants are these?” she asked.
“They are library bushes,” he responded. “They have endless information, which I get by eating the fruit.”
This was almost too good to be true, so she knew it probably wasn't true. But she would find out. “Then you must know where the key to that door is.”
“Sure. Here it is.” He handed her a large wooden key.
She tried the key in the lock. It wouldn't fit. It was the wrong one.
She returned to the boy. “It's not the right key. Where is the right one?”
“On the other side of the castle.”
She doubted it, but proceeded on around. There was a small metal key lying on the path. She picked it up and walked back around to the door. It didn't fit.
She looked at the boy, who was still eating berries. Twice he had directed her to the wrong key. He was obviously not telling the truth. How could she make him tell the truth?
She decided to experiment. “Torrent, are you part of this challenge for me?”
“Yes.”
"So you are supposed to misdirect me, and prevent me from finding the key.''
“No.”
“And you do that by lying to me.”
He hesitated, and she knew why. If he lied, she would know it, which would make the lie worthless, but if he told the truth he wouldn't be misdirecting her. “No.”
Which meant that he did. “So you lied about your identity, too. You are Ryver.”
“No.”
“Then where is Ryver? He's not out there reading the print on the moat.”
He looked back there, and winced. He must have had to tear himself away from it with the story unfinished. He didn't answer, which was answer enough.
“And you're not supposed to be part of this challenge,” she said, remembering that he had answered yes to that question before, so it was a lie.
“I can be if I want to be!” he said defensively.
“And now you're telling the truth.”
He hung his head. “You trapped me into it. Anyway, it doesn't matter, because it's only about the challenge that I really had to lie.”
“Why not just refuse to tell me anything about the keys?”
“Because—” He stopped. “I can't tell you.”
“Because lying has something to do with the solution!” she said, catching on.
“No.”
"Which means yes. And the berries—do they have anything to do with it too?''
“No.”
“So they do. Exactly what kind of berries are they?”
“Poison.”
“Hardly. You've been eating them.” Then a light flickered. “You were a truthful boy. Now you're an untruthful one. You've been eating the