It turned out to be in between; the crystals bobbed around when she touched them, floating individually on the water. They were cold, though. In fact, they were ice crystals. So she moved on through as quickly as she could. Her serpent body did not have a mechanism to maintain heat, and she could slow until she froze if she didn't get away from the ice soon.

She made it to the far bank. Here there were no horseshoes, just people shoes of all types and sizes, their tongues slurping around. This would be where the centaurs got their supplies for their game of people shoes. But Nada still didn't see how such things would make bad dreams. But of course there was a lot she didn't know about dreams.

She would have to learn it, though, if she worked here. First she would have to find the Night Stallion and ask for work in the dream realm. She did not expect to enjoy making sleeping folk unhappy, but she hoped to muddle through somehow. Now where would the stallion be?

She spied a city ahead. It seemed to be in the shape of a cross. Maybe there would be a night mare there, or someone else she could ask.

She reverted to her natural form, which was the best one for both travel and dialogue. It wouldn't be any good to turn human, because she might be mistaken for a nymph without her clothes, and anyway it just wasn't princessly to run around nude. When she had been younger she had done it, but her years at Castle Roogna had impressed on her the human way, especially with respect to panties. So her natural form was the one, until someone told her otherwise.

As she slithered closer, she saw that the city's buildings were all in the shape of crosses too. They had cross-shaped doors and windows, and cross-shaped chimneys. She wondered whether this was the place for cross people. Maybe this was where all the cross actors lived, for dreams where anger and meanness were required. She hoped she didn't encounter any of those!

She smelled something delicious: she was passing a patch of hot cross buns. But she knew that if she tried to eat one it would either burn her mouth angrily or try to switch her posterior.

The intersections were crosses too. Nada decided to slither straight on through; she would ask for information at some other place.

She entered the main intersection at the center of the city—and suddenly someone was charging toward her from the side. Nada hissed in surprise and drew back her head, fearing what this denizen of Cross City would do.

"Nada!" the other cried, gladly.

"Electra!" Nada exclaimed, instantly recognizing her.