But then a mean man returned. "What's this?" he cried.

No, it wasn't a mean man; the voice was too high. It was a mean woman! She was a lot prettier than the men, with head and hands and feet much smaller, but of the same species, maybe. "Run, Chay!" Jenny cried.

The little centaur took an unsteady step. It was hard for him to move well after being hobbled.

"I'll help you!" Jenny said. She put her arms around his body where it changed from colt to boy, trying to steady him and urge him forward.

"An elf!" the mean woman exclaimed, swirling her great dark tresses about in a no-nonsense manner. "Well, we'll put a stop to this!" She waved a wand, and suddenly the foal and Jenny were lifted into the air.

"Eeeek!" Jenny screamed, totally startled.

"It's her magic wand," the foal said. "We can't escape."

For a moment Jenny was startled back into a normal state. "You can talk!"

"Well, I'm five years old." "But you look less than one year old," she said, peering more closely at him.

"We centaurs age at the human rate, or maybe faster for the winged ones, because of our avian heritage. I think I'm about your age, in relative terms."

"Three hands? But you're not even half grown yet!"

"Hands?"

Jenny showed her spread four fingers, three times. "Each finger a year," she explained.

"Oh, that's right. You're an elf. I mistook you for full human." Then, after a pause: "Four fingered hands?"

Jenny looked down. "This is interesting, and we really must talk some more. But right now we have to get away from that mean woman!"

"That's Godiva Goblin. We can't get away from her as long as she has the magic wand."

"Magic wand?" Jenny was beginning to understand the problem.

Below, Sammy heard and walked toward the woman, his tail twitching ominously.

"No!" Jenny cried, afraid of what would happen to the cat if he attacked this mean creature.

"Don't tell me no," Godiva said. "I will keep you suspended until you tell me what the elves have to do with this. Where's your elm?" As she spoke, she lowered the wand, and Jenny and the foal came down to float just barely out of reach of the ground.

"I don't know anything about an elm!" Jenny protested.

Then Sammy leaped. He caught the wand in his mouth and tore it out of the woman's grasp.

Jenny and the foal dropped abruptly to the ground.

"Come back with that!" the woman exclaimed angrily. Her long hair swirled around her body as she turned.

Sammy had snatched the wand, after Jenny mentioned it, and now the lady goblin couldn't use it against them!

"Find somewhere safe!" Jenny called to the cat. "Run! Follow that cat!" she cried to the foal.

The little centaur moved faster than before, the kinks working out of his legs. He began to trot. Jenny ran alongside, her eyes on Sammy. It wouldn't do them much good if Sammy found somewhere safe, but they couldn't find him!