Electra nodded. There was reason for the challenges. Not only did they discourage those who weren't really serious, they gave the Magician time to get the necessary information. Few folk knew this, but Nada and Electra were Ivy's closest friends and were privy to some pretty formidable secrets.

Grey Murphy was in the upstairs chamber with the Book of Answers. There were those who claimed there was no such book, but that was just because they hadn't seen it. It had answers to every question; the only problem was figuring out how to read them and understand them. Grey had been working on it for three years now and was getting better, but he still had to scramble at times.

"We'll dispense with the year of service," Grey said with a smile. "Ivy says her friends are exempt, or else."

"We thought as much," Nada agreed with an answering smile. "Are you ready for our Question?"

"I think so. But I'm afraid you won't much like the Answer. Are you sure you want to ask?"

"Yes," Electra said. "We don't have much time."

"Very well. Ask."

"Where is Che Centaur?"

Grey stared at her. "What?"

"She said, 'Where is Che Centaur?' " Nada said. "You know, Chex's foal."

"But—" Grey looked baffled.

Nada frowned, managing to look beautiful at the same time. "What's the matter—did we ask the wrong Question?" "I just researched the problem of your betrothals!" Grey exclaimed.

It was Nada and Electra's turn to stare. Then both burst into laughter. "We never thought of that!" Electra cried.

"That's next week's problem," Nada added.

Grey brushed his hair-colored hair back and looked sheepish. It was a fairly easy expression for him. "I guess I was too busy with technicalities. I just assumed—" He shrugged. "This presents a problem."

"You mean you don't know where Che is?" Electra asked, "because you were checking into our triangle problem? I guess that's a problem, all right."

"Maybe the mirror knows," he said. Most magic mirrors were fairly transparent, but some were brighter than others.

He rummaged in a drawer and brought out a hand mirror. "The problem with this one is that it has to be questioned in rhyme, and the format's limited, and it isn't always quite current." He pondered for a moment, then addressed it: "Mirror, mirror, in the desk, is Che Centaur picturesque?"

"That query is grotesque!" the mirror responded, matching the rhyme. But a scene showed on it, of the little centaur tied, hobbled, and guarded by goblins.

Nada, Electra, and Ivy stifled similar exclamations of horror. He had been stolen by goblins!

"But there are several goblin tribes," Nada said. "There're the goblins of Mount Etamin that my folk war against—"

"And the goblins east of the Element of Earth," Electra added.

"And the Goblinate of the Golden Horde," Ivy said with a shudder.

"There are goblins all over Xanth," Grey said. "There are references to them in many of Magician Humfrey's papers. Most of them live well underground. But the mirror showed a surface scene. That limits it somewhat."