“I didn’t mean that part,” Cimorene said, reddening slightly. “I meant about Kazul wanting me to stay.”

“That was obvious, too,” Alianora said. “You’re the only one who was worried about it.” She studied Cimorene for a minute and shook her head. “I wouldn’t like being princess for the King of the Dragons, but it will suit you down to the ground.”

“I think it will,” Cimorene said, smiling.

“Then maybe you can tell me something,” the stone prince said. “What’s being done about the wizards?”

“They’ve been banned from the Mountains of Morning, and there are a hundred or so dragons out checking to make sure they’ve gone,” Cimorene replied. “They haven’t had much luck, I’m afraid. Most of the wizards left after the first few got eaten.”

“That’s all?” asked the prince.

“What else can the dragons do? The wizards didn’t actually poison King Tokoz; Woraug did that. So there’s no justification for an all-out attack on the headquarters of the Society of Wizards, even if all the dragons agreed that they wanted to do it. Which they don’t.”

“I suppose you’re right,” the prince said. “But you’d better tell Kazul to keep a close eye on them. Those wizards will make more trouble just as soon as they figure out a way to do it.”

“I don’t know about that,” Cimorene said. “I think Zemenar was behind most of it, and you melted him.”

“That’s it!” Alianora said, and snapped her fingers. “I almost forgot to tell you. Morwen and I talked for a long time yesterday, and she says that melting a wizard isn’t permanent.”

“You mean they’ll all come back?” Cimorene asked.

Alianora nodded. “It will take them a while, though. And Morwen said for you to come and visit soon. She thinks that in a few days she’ll have figured out a way of melting wizards without dumping soapy water over them. ‘A method that’s a little less sloppy’ was the way she put it.”

“That will be useful if the wizards start making trouble again,” Cimorene said thoughtfully.

“Is this everything, Alianora?” the stone prince asked, gesturing at the suitcase.

“Yes, I think so.” Alianora pulled the top of the suitcase over, and the stone prince set one foot very gently in the middle of it and pushed until the latch clicked.

“Where are you going first?” Cimorene asked. “His kingdom or yours?”

“Neither,” Alianora said, smiling. “We’re going to Morwen’s. She said she could change him back from stone to normal. We asked Kazul last night if we could go out through the Caves of Fire and Night, and she said yes, so . . .”

“I don’t know, Alianora,” the stone prince said. “I’m beginning to get used to myself this way. And there are certain advantages.”

“There are disadvantages, too,” Alianora said, blushing slightly.

Cimorene began to giggle.