Taken by Surprise

"My people believe that it is blasphemous to wear by the name of the deity, whatever the reason," Leonora said.

Fred supposed that this was possible; indeed he seemed vaguely to recall once having heard of something similar. He would have to think of another way to determine if she was a witch.

Weren't witches supposed to bear the so-called "devil's mark", an extra nipple where they could give suck to the Devil himself? He wasn't sure whether this would necessarily be found on the breast or whether it might be elsewhere on the body. He took a deep breath, then said: "Take off your chemise, please."

To his surprise, Leonora did not protest. She gave him a long hard look, then in one fluid movement she removed her garment...

And threw it over his head! Taken by surprise, and unable to see a thing, Fred reached up to remove it. But before he could do so, he heard Leonora chanting something in a strange tongue that he did not recognise. A wave of giddiness overtook him, and he swayed on his feet. Then the giddiness passed, and he grabbed the chemise and pulled it away.

To find himself looking at a figure standing a few feet away. Not Leonora, though, but a duplicate of himself, including the armour! Seized by a terrible suspicion, he looked down at himself. As he had feared, it was Leonora's body that he saw. Somehow they had switched bodies!

"Why?" he asked, in Leonora's voice.

"Because now I can be Lord Frederigo D'Honaire, heir to the Duchy of Suffex, heroic dragon-killer, wealthy with the dragon's treasure. Much better than being a young witch with no money and no prospects, living in constant fear of being detected by the White Hand and burnt at the stake. Once I stumbled on the spell for body transference, I started planning this, though I didn't yet know who the victim would be. I followed you into the Caves, hiding myself from you, waited till you killed the dragon, and then let you find me. I no longer have any magic powers - those require the right mind and the right body - but that's a price well worth paying.

"You were right to be suspicious, but - handicapped as you were by your ideas of honour - you never really had a chance. The chemise had been pre- spelled, so that when you were in contact with it I only needed a brief incantation to trigger the transference. Talking of the chemise, you'd better put it on. It's the only thing in the world that you own. Of course, no-one will believe you if you try to tell your story. It's just too implausible. And be careful. You aren't a witch, but nobody will believe that if they find out about the third nipple that my ex-body does indeed possess...

1. "Now I'll bid you farewell. I hope you find your way out of the Caves safely."

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