"Ixnay," Grundy murmured at her ear.

"I don't care how fearsome he may be to others," Chex continued heedlessly. "My foal's in awful danger, and I must get through!"

"There are some big gourds that can be used for transport," the black centaur said. "But none on the moon. You would have to get down to the ground first."

Chex gazed at Xanth. Fracto waited, uglier than ever. She spread her wings tentatively.

The cloud rumbled. "I can translate that," Grundy said. "He says 'Make my day, clod-head!' "

Chex could have survived without that translation. Not only that, her wings were still too tired for more than the merest coasting. She needed more time to rest them, and she needed Fracto gone.

"Yes, I must talk to the stallion," Chex decided. "We need a dream crafted in the next two hours, and I don't care what it takes."

"Ouch," Grundy murmured. "You've done it now, wings-for-brains! The Night Stallion is Trouble with a capital offense."

There was a shimmer before them. This resolved itself into the statue of a giant stallion mounted on a pedestal. This was Trojan, the horse of another color. "What brings you here, quarterbreed?" the statue demanded without moving its mouth. This was a stronger dream; they now seemed to be in a fancy pavilion.

"Fracto, the evil cloud, blocks my way, and I had to land here to rest," Chex said bravely, though daunted by the dread apparition. "I want to drive Fracto away with a bad dream, so I can continue my flight to Mount Rushmost, so Cheiron can help me save our foal."

"I don't give one dropping about your foal!" the statue said. "You have no business on this side of the moon."

"Now we're in for it," Grundy muttered.

"And you, golem," the stallion said. "Did you not advise her against this trespass?"

"Leave him out of this!" Chex said. "We had no choice. All I want is a fast dream. Do I have to craft it myself?"

The stallion glowed slightly with ire. "It will cost you half your two souls just to get free of here. Do you wish to lose the other halves as well?"

"Half my soul!" Chex exclaimed, shocked.

"I told you," Grundy moaned. "He doesn't fool around."

"This is outrageous!" Chex fumed. "All I want is the chance to rescue Che!" But she remembered, now: that was the price of getting out of the world of the gourd, in certain circumstances. She hadn't realized that landing on this side of the moon would be so expensive!

The stallion blinked. His eyelids did not move; the whole statue flickered. "Who?"

"Che, my foal! The goblins have him, and I must get help to rescue him! If I have to throw away my soul in the process, then so be it, but I have to get on my way soon."

"The chosen of the Simurgh," the stallion said. "I had not realized. We must facilitate your progress without penalty."