"But if Gwenny gets to rule the goblins, wouldn't that change things? I mean, there's never been a female goblin leader before. With the magic wand she could do it, if she could see well enough to use it, or have someone tell her."

Chex was stunned. She almost fell out of the sky. She had to pump her wings vigorously to recover equilibrium, while Jenny hung on.

"To change the history of Xanth—by enabling a goblin woman to become a chief!" Chex said after she got straightened out. "We assumed it was human history or centaur history. We never thought of goblin history!"

"Well, maybe it isn't," Jenny said. "Or maybe the goblins will do something that will affect the others."

"All this time we were trying to protect Che for his destiny—and we may be interfering with that destiny now!" Chex said. "I must tell Cheiron!"

"Will that change his mind?" Jenny asked.

Chex, making a sweeping turn to go back to Goblin Mountain, paused. "No. He is already committed. It is just one more reason to find some peaceful way through this picklement."

Jenny considered. "You said that any centaur could help Gwenny, outside. But they wouldn't."

"That's right. We centaurs are busy with our own concerns. Cheiron and I are trying to raise Che, for example."

"But suppose Gwenny visited you. Would one of you help Gwenny while the other educated Che?" "We could. But for what reason?"

"In case that's his destiny. Then you could keep his destiny, and educate him, and Gwenny wouldn't suffer."

"Do you mean, bring her to live with us?" Chex asked, astonished.

"I guess it wasn't a good idea," Jenny said, abashed.

Chex considered it rationally—and suddenly everything fell into place. Cheiron could be satisfied, and Che's destiny would not be compromised—whatever it was—and the goblin girl would be safe, for none of them would betray her secret. It could be done—if Godiva let her go.

"I think it's an excellent idea," Chex said. "I'll go tell Cheiron right now." She resumed her turn and winged powerfully for the mountain.

Then something else fell into place in Chex's mind. "Jenny, you will have to go in and talk to Godiva, because the rest of us are fighting the goblins. But you will need to talk to Che and Gwendolyn too."

"Yes," the girl agreed faintly.

"I want you to take a message to Che that perhaps will help him understand."

"Oh, of course!"

"It is this: remember the Night Stallion's creed."

"Remember the Night Stallion's creed," she repeated. "I'll tell him. But what does it mean?"

"That would be complicated to explain, for I suspect you do not have night mares in your world. But I think he will fathom it, and then tell you."

"Oh. All right."

The girl did not push for further clarification, and Chex was glad, because she wanted this decision to be Che's.