She shrugged. "Well, it's not much of a life anyway."

Jenny felt her heart sink. The goblin girl would survive only as long as her secret was kept, and she would never be able to go out among the goblins. That meant that eventually her condition would be discovered, and then it would be over. That probably wouldn't be good for the tribe, either, if a bratty brat took it over.

"I have not decided," Che said.

"But it isn't right to keep you away from your dam. I don't want to hurt you. I—" She paused. "What's this?"

"One of my wings," Che said.

"You have wings?"

"I am a flying centaur. I can not fly yet, but in time I will."

"I didn't know! I never heard of a flying centaur!" "I believe there were none in Xanth, before my sire and dam appeared," he said. "At least, not currently. We are trying to become a new species."

"That makes it even worse! You can't be a new species if you're captive!"

"Untrue. Were I to agree to be your companion in this fashion, I would no longer be held captive and could go where I wished, as long as you were with me and agreed to go."

Gwenny nodded. "Because a centaur never breaks an agreement. Still, it isn't right."

"I am not certain," Che said. "In fact, I am unable to come to a decision. So I shall delegate it to another."

"Who?"

"Jenny Elf."

Jenny jumped. "No! I can't decide for you, Che! Not on something that affects your whole life like that!"

"I think you shall have to, for I can not, and a decision needs to be made." And his little jaw set in that way she recognized.

"All right, Che, I'll decide," she said. "But not right now. I'll have to think about it. A lot."

"But while you're thinking," Gwenny said wistfully, "can we be friends?"

"Yes, of course," Jenny said, touched. "In fact, while I'm thinking, I will try to help you see things, so you can go out among the goblins."

"Oh, thank you!" Gwenny cried, jumping in joy. "I've always wanted to go out, but except when my mother took me, I couldn't."

Jenny nodded, understanding exactly how it was. She had no idea how she was going to decide, but at least this meant she didn't have to rush. It occurred to her that this was like Prince Dolph's dilemma, in which he had to choose between Betrothees and one would die if he chose wrong. Gwenny would die if Jenny chose wrong.

She played with that notion, intrigued by it. Of course it really wasn't the same, because the three of them were younger and were of three different species. But the parallels were sharp enough. One male, two females, both of them older than he. He had to choose one to be with, and couldn't. They all liked each other.