"That is a risk we must take," the woman said evenly. "But I think it will not come to that."

"But I tell you, Cheiron—"

"Let me introduce you to someone, so that you can report to Cheiron," Godiva said. She reached up to pull on a tasseled cord, and a gong sounded elsewhere in the mountain.

"You have other captives?" Electra asked. One thing about this business: it did take her mind off her own problem.

"No."

In a short time there was a knock. "Enter," Godiva called, rising from her cushion.

The door opened, and a man crawled in. No, it was a snake. No, it was—

Electra's mouth dropped open in amazement. It was a naga!

"Prince Naldo, meet Gloha Goblin and Electra, who is Prince Dolph's Betrothee," Godiva said. "Girls, meet Prince Naldo Naga, Nada's brother."

Electra had never met Prince Naldo before, but she recognized the resemblance to Nada. Now he assumed his human form and made a formal little bow. He was almost unbelievably handsome. "I am glad to meet you at last, Electra and Gloha. I have heard much of you, having just been talking with your King Dor and Queen Irene at Mount Etamin."

Both girls found themselves tongue-tied. This seemed impossible; the naga were hereditary enemies to the goblins.

"I shall explain," Godiva said. "There are covenants which extend back more than a thousand years, to the years when the war between the monsters of the air and the monsters of the ground was fresh. Anticipating an attack by the monsters of the air, we invoked such a covenant, and summoned our allies. Goblins and naga have differences between themselves, but these are superseded by the covenant. The naga of Mount Etamin are here to support our effort."

Aghast, Electra finally got her mouth going. "And the—the ground dragons, and—"

"And the callicantzari," Godiva agreed. The callicantzari were horrendous underground monsters. "And the elves."

"That can't be!" Electra exclaimed. "I mean, they—"

"Come with me." Godiva led the way out of her suite.

"It is true," Naldo murmured. "We can not claim to be delighted by this development, but we are required to honor the covenant and must support the goblins against the winged monsters. The local elves are similarly bound."

Numbed, Electra followed the goblin woman to a chamber farther down the tunnel. This business had abruptly escalated beyond her worst possible fears! What was Cheiron going to do, when he learned of this?

Godiva opened the door. This appeared to be an infirmary, with a bed and a goblin nurse. There was a patient on the bed, small and wan. Not a goblin, not a child, but—

"An elf!" Electra exclaimed. "But his elm must be far away!"