"I could," Che said. "That is evidently part of the reason Godiva chose a centaur. It would be relatively simple to devise a mechanism amounting to a veritable language of signals known only to us. They should be auditory or tactile rather than visual, since Gwenny can not see well at a distance. I think tactile would be best, were she riding a centaur; simple flicks of the tail or twitches of the skin could signal affirmative or negative, and more sophisticated combinations for other communications."

Gwenny considered. "I think that's too complicated for me right now. I do want to go out, but I think I'd feel better waiting until I'm sure I can handle it. If Gobble ever caught on to my infirmities, I would be doomed, and he's so sneaky that I fear he would."

"Perhaps we could remain here and play with magic," Che suggested. "Do you have a magic talent, Gwenny?"

"No. That is, not by myself. Goblins only have half talents, and harpies have the other halves, so it's not easy for us to do magic. I will have the magic wand, of course, but not yet." She peered in his direction. "But you do? I thought centaurs didn't."

"It was thought that centaurs didn't," he said. "But it turned out that we do. My talent is making things light by flicking them with my tail; that is why I must be careful what I flick. I can turn it off when I choose, but if I forget it can be awkward."

"Oh, that seems like fun!" Gwenny exclaimed. "Can you make me light?"

"Certainly. But what is the point?"

"The point is I think it would be fun," she said. "Mother sometimes lofts me with the wand, but if I had another way to float, I'd like that."

"Very well. Stand in the middle of the chamber."

Gwenny went to the middle. They had long since finished brushing Che off. He stood beside her and flicked her on the shoulder with the tip of his tail.

"Oh, it works!" she exclaimed. "I can jump so high!" She bent her good leg to jump.

"Don't do that!" Jenny cried, grabbing for her. She was almost too late; Gwenny was in the process of jumping. Jenny grabbed her arm as she rose.

It was well that she did so, for otherwise the goblin girl would have launched herself headfirst into the stone ceiling. As it was, her body rose and was stopped only by Jenny's hold on the arm. She spun around, squealing and kicking her feet, before Jenny managed to wrestle her back to the floor.

"Oh, that was fun!" Gwenny exclaimed.

"Fun!" Jenny said severely. "You almost banged your head!"

"But I'm so light, it wouldn't hurt."

"Not so," Che said. "Your inertia remains intact."

"My what?"

"Slow to change," Jenny said, remembering what Godiva had said.

"My slow to change remains intact?" Gwenny asked, confused.