My only salvation is that Wumboo is so large that is would be easy to at least follow our own path back out. But I must find the elves first.
Curiously it was Nestor whose nose first caught the promise of what we came for. As we got closer I could see all kinds of squash vines growing from the trees. They were withered from the coming winter but many types still hung; too many for them to have been growing wild.
As Nestor crunched away at some sweet little squash I noticed a crude home made of wood and living shrubs. The more I looked around me the more I saw all around us. We were in the heart of the elven village and I hadn’t even noticed.
Soon little elves began to come out from their homes and to my surprise Thistlewhite was there; and then again, and again, until I realized that all of the waist high elves looked identical to me.
The confusion was about to grow worse.
I asked to speak with Hermes Didious and the amused elves could clearly tell that they all looked the same to me. One elf came forward and introduced herself as Herma the gatekeeper and she offered to bring me to him.
As we approached a small lodge she told me that eight elves lived inside. She then said “If Hermen is quietly reading a book while Hermey is getting teeth pulled, and Harmon is nearby writing a letter but not for them or for you. If Harron is cooking so Hermey can to eat, and Hermit sleeps dreaming of food, while Hernam is cleaning and watering plants as Hernam will usualy do. If Hermensh sits quietly on a bench thinking of a girl he once knew.
“Without taking a look can you tell me what does Hermes do?”
It was a test. How can I possibly know what Hermes is doing?