Then something appeared on the horizon to the southwest. The goblins looked back over their shoulders, alarmed.
And well they might be, for it was a huge wooden figure, striding rapidly toward them, its face fixed in an ominously neutral expression. Obviously it intended them no good.
“A golem!” the chief muttered. “We’ll have to fight it.”
The goblins lined up, drawing weapons: sticks, daggers, and the net. The golem strode up without pause.
What did this mean?
Then Agape saw the form of a bat perched on the figure’s head, and understood. Suchevane had brought help!
The golem arrived. The goblins attacked it. Their weapons had no effect; its wooden limbs were impervious. Then it swept its hands around in a double circle, at the goblins’ head level, and knocked over every goblin within range. Its wooden arms were like clubs!
Very quickly the goblins had had enough. They fled. The golem stopped, the bat hopped down—and Suchevane stood there. “Agape!” she exclaimed, as she hurried to remove the bindings. “How glad I be that thou be not hurt!” She paused. “Or did—?”
Agape opened her mouth to reassure her friend.
“Whom dost thou think thou art talking to, guano brain?”
Oops! The spell was still in operation!
Suchevane looked startled. Quickly, Agape lifted off the amulet and threw it away.
The vampire smiled with understanding. “The amulet! Thou didst invoke it to befuddle them!”
Agape smiled agreement. “And thee, thou quarterwit! Now let me be!” Then she closed her mouth, appalled.
But Suchevane understood. “Thou canst not abate a spell by throwing away its origin,” she said. “Needs must it pass of its own accord. Come, change form, and the golem will take us to the Blue Demesnes.”
Agape was glad to keep her mouth shut and comply. She became the hummingbird, and Suchevane the bat, and they both perched on the golem, who strode purposefully for its home.
Before long the blue turrets of the castle appeared. The Blue Demesnes! A lovely older woman, also garbed in blue, came out to meet them as they arrived.
They changed back to girlform. “This be Agape, Lady,” Suchevane said. “She whom I told thee of.”
The Lady Blue extended her hand. “I am glad to meet thee at last,” she said graciously.
“Well, I be not pleased to meet thee, thou harridan,” Agape snapped. Then, appalled anew, she slapped both hands over her mouth.
“She be under geas!” Suchevane said instantly. “The Red Adept gave her an amulet, to conceal her identity—”
The Lady Blue smiled with comprehension. “Mayhap my son can abate it somewhat,” she said. “I have heard much about thee, Agape.”
Agape’s mouth opened. She stuffed her right fist into it, stifling whatever it had been about to say.
Suchevane turned to Agape. “Mine alien friend, I must haste to my Flock before I be missed. I have business… and the Lady Blue knows thy situation and will keep thee safe till Bane return.”
Indeed she had business! She wanted to go to Trool the Troll and speak her piece. Agape could not trust herself to talk, so merely nodded, then embraced the vampire tearfully.
Suchevane became the bat and flew to the northeast. Agape gazed after her, abruptly lonely.
“Fear not for her,” the Lady said, mistaking her mood. “I gave her a packet o’ wolfsbane, which she can sniff when she tires; it will buoy her to complete the journey in a single flight, so that naught can befall her aground.”
And that was the concern that Agape should have been having: for her friend’s safety after a tiring night. She felt ashamed.
The Lady put her hand to Agape’s elbow. “Come into the premises, my dear. Thou surely dost be tired after thine experience, and will require food and rest. My son be absent yet, but will return in due course, and then thou canst be with him.”
Agape suffered herself to be guided into the castle, but she glanced askance at the Lady. Didn’t Bane’s parents oppose this union?
The Lady laughed. “I see that thou dost have concern o’er thy status here, Agape. Do thou make thyself comfortable, and we shall have a female talk ere my husband return.”
Agape did that. She was glad that she had learned how to take care of this body, so that she was able’ to clean up and empty her wastes without complication.
In the afternoon, after a meal and a nap, she joined the Lady for their talk. The geas remained on Agape; the Troll had been right about its lasting effect! Thus it was pretty much a one-way conversation, with Agape merely nodding agreement at appropriate intervals.
“The opposition o’ factions o’ Adepts be longstanding,” the Lady said. “Adept ne’er liked Adept, till Stile came on the scene. Then he did what was necessary to separate the frames, for by their interaction they were being despoiled, and so he evoked the enmity o’ the despoilers. That be the origin o’ the Adverse Adepts; they liked each other not overly much before, and very little now, but they league in common interest. One did he befriend, Brown, and one did he replace, Red; all others be ‘gainst him, to lesser or greater extent. But Stile, who be also the Blue Adept, be strongest o’ Adepts, save for the one he promoted, Trool the Troll, who has the Book o’ Magic. So did he prevail, and the frames were parted.”
She looked at Agape, and Agape nodded. She had learned some of this from Bane, before, but knew that the Lady was merely establishing the background for her point.
“After the parting, the force o’ magic in Phaze was reduced by half,” the Lady continued. “Because o’ the transfer of Phazite to Proton, to make up for the Protonite mined there, that had caused the dangerous imbalance. But since the reduction was impartial, affecting all alike, it made no difference in the relative powers o’ Adepts, and things seemed much as before. But the Adverse Adepts resented this wrong they felt Stile had done them, and conspired ‘gainst him. They stifled his programs for better relations between man and animals, and wrought mischief in constant devious ways. Gradually their power increased, for they were many and we few. We knew that we needed new magic to hold them off, and our great hope was in our son, Bane, who showed early promise. An he grow, and marry, and have an heir like himself, belike we could hold off the Adverse Adepts indefinitely, and maintain a fair balance in our land, that evil not o’ertake it.”
The Lady sighed. Agape wanted to speak, for she had known of this too, and understood, and intended to act to free Bane for that future his parents wished for him. But the geas constrained her, and she only nodded again.
“But there were no suitable young women,” the Lady said sadly. “The village girls were poisoned ‘gainst our kind; e’en I, a generation ago, would ne’er have married Blue an circumstances not been unusual. The only truly eligible woman is the daughter o’ the Tan Adept—one o’ the hostile ones. Bane played with animal friends, but o’ course these were not suitable for marriage. It be not that we be prejudiced ‘gainst the animals, for many be fine creatures, and we work closely with them and like them well. It be that they cannot breed with man. Therefore the future o’ our good works came into peril. It seemed we would have to deal with Tan, and be compromised accordingly; but the alternative was to lose all. It were not a happy position.”
This was new to Agape. She kept her mouth shut and listened.
“Then the boys made their exchange, and Mach came to our frame, and Bane went to thine. We had not believed such possible, and were caught unprepared. We saw that the exchange was but mental only, not o’ the bodies. Mach became attached to Fleta, the unicorn, and Bane to thee, the alien. We understand; there be not a finer person than Fleta, and we know our son would bestow not his love on an unworthy creature. But we opposed such union, because it meant the loss o’ all we planned on, and incalculable damage to the frame, owing to the lack o’ the continuation o’ our line.
“That were our error. We appreciated not how true Mach’s love was. Fleta understood our position,
and resolved to disengage—but she knew what we did not, that only her death would accomplish it. So she arranged to die—and Mach came to her, and spake her the triple Thee, and such was the force o’ it he overrode Adept magic and saved her.”
The Lady found a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes, for she was crying now. “We ne’er meant Fleta to die! Ne’er did we wish her ill! We thought their love but an infatuation that would pass. How wrong we were! So were we cast as the villains, and they took refuge with the Adverse Adepts, and our ruin did we bring upon ourselves. Fain would we undo the mischief we did, but it be too late; the two be alienated from us.”
As she spoke, there was a faint ripple of light in the air. Agape glanced about trying to fathom its curious nature, but it was gone almost before she was aware of it.
Then she realized that this was the splash of truth that she had heard about. The Lady Blue had not noticed it, but it authenticated her statement.
Agape did not dare speak, but she had to act. She stood, and went to the Lady, and embraced her, and cried with her, silently.
After a moment, the Lady continued. “We resolved to make not the same error again. We knew that the parallel o’ the frames meant that Bane would find similar love in Proton. Our cause be lost, but not necessarily our son. We accept his choice, and we accept thee. We can do not other. That be the root o’ thy welcome here. When Bane came home not long ago and told us more o’ thee, we knew it was right. Thou dost be the one we would have chosen for him, an the choice been ours. An our circumstance not blinded us—”
The Lady could not continue, but hardly needed to. She had made her point.
But how awful it was, that the acceptance of the romances of the two boys had to come in the face of such a loss. Even for Agape, who faced not death but separation from Bane, it seemed hopelessly difficult. What was the use in going home to Moeba, if Mach and Fleta remained together and the family of Blue was denied an heir? Was her sacrifice after all pointless?
“There be one other thing,” the Lady said after a fair pause. “Stile discovered that the exchange leads to new imbalance, so that the frames be headed for destruction, an the imbalance be not corrected. That be why we sent the messenger. E’en now, the Adverse Adepts be verifying it. So it may be that all else becomes moot. But I wanted thee to know that this be no device we made to deceive thee; we discovered it after accepting thee. We think the communication between the two can continue, but that actual exchange must be limited. What this means for thy future we know not.”
Agape was satisfied at this point not to speak, because she had no answer either.
That evening, as the two of them were gazing out across the dark plain, and admiring the nascent stars and moons, there came another ripple in the air, a gentle passing glow from the east that slowly faded.
The Lady Blue glanced at Agape. “Methinks Suchevane reached the Red Demesnes,” she murmured.
Agape could only smile. How glad she was that she had spoken as she had!
Agape remained with the Lady for several days, and gradually the geas wore off and she was able to engage in halting dialogue. Now she loved Bane, and Phaze, and the Lady too—and knew she had to give them all up. Unless some accommodation were discovered that would enable her to remain with Bane, and even to visit Phaze again…
She had to cling to the faint hope that this was possible. But her dread was that it was not.
Then at last Bane arrived. He appeared just beyond the moat and called out: “Anybody home?”
The two of them went out to meet him. Agape did not have to say a word; she stepped into his embrace.
He entered the castle with them, and had news of his own. “The Adverse Adepts be preparing for war. I spied on them and verified it; they be organizing their minions, the goblins and demons, ready to take by force what they may not accomplish by negotiation. They mean to have me join them, and to use thee as a lever against me, as the Contrary Citizens did.”
“I know,” Agape said. “I am not safe here either.”
“I would have come for thee sooner, but it be tricky spying on Adepts, and they were far more watchful than I expected. But news came to me that thou wast with Trool, and I knew thou wouldst be safe there.”
“I was.” It was so good to be with him again!
“But we must exchange thee back, and get thee to thy home planet! I love thee, and would not have thee taken hostage. I will visit thee on Moeba, later, when I exchange.”
“But we are going together!” she exclaimed.
“Nay. First must thou exchange, and I not, for there be much for me to do yet here. But ne’er doubt I will join thee when I can, nor Adepts nor frames will hinder me.”
He continued talking, reassuringly, but Agape hardly paid attention. She just hugged him forever.
Chapter 8
Tourney
A serf hurried toward her. “I am empowered by my employer to take you to—”
The Ladder screen blinked. Then its speaker spoke: “This serf has qualified for the Tourney. Until disqualified, Serf Fleta is ineligible for reassignment.”
The serf’s brow furrowed. “But Citizen Tan says—”
So Tan had caught up to her—just too late!
“The Citizen has no authority over the Tourney,” the speaker said.
The serf stepped forward, reaching for Fleta’s arm. “He won’t take no for an—”
There was a flash. The serf staggered, evidently jolted by something. “Interference in the Tourney is not tolerated,” the speaker said. “Serf Fleta to report to Game accommodations until further notice. Follow the line.”
“Yes, sir,” Fleta murmured, awed. The Adepts of Proton-frame did not mince words or actions!
The line led to a small residential chamber, complete with a screen and food machine. The door panel clicked behind her, and she realized that she was confined.
She was suddenly alarmed. Could the Contrary Citizens have tricked her again, and led her to—?
Then the screen came on. “Don’t worry, Fleta,” Mach’s voice said.
She whirled to face it. There he was, back in his normal guise. Still, it was only a picture, and she was coming to distrust those. “How do I know—”
He smiled. “When we first met, in Phaze, I was rescued from the swamp by a unicorn. She took me to a dead volcano crater, where I encountered a lovely young woman. It took me some time to realize that the two were the same, and that I was in love with an animal. But of course I was only a machine myself.” He eyed her body. “It is almost as difficult to realize now that this stranger is that same bubbly nymph whose foal I mean to sire, when we return to Phaze.”
It was Mach, all right! “I qualified for the Tourney!” she exclaimed gladly.
“I know. So you are being confined until it starts, so that no one can get at you. Now you can revert to your own girlform, and I will join you soon.”
“They are not watching you?”
“They are watching me, but I am not in danger. They lost their chance when they lost you.”
“Then we need fear them no longer?”
He grimaced. “Not so. They have our cooperation, in Phaze; we resist them here only because we are standing in lieu of Bane and Agape. Similarly Bane and Agape in Phaze may have a different status; the Adverse Adepts may be trying to capture them and convert them now. We must preserve their independence, by protecting yours. It’s a funny situation, but this is the way I interpret the truce. In Proton we are against the Citizens, until the situation changes, if it does.”
“I wish we were against the Adverse Adepts, too,” she said.
“Had Bane’s folks only been able to accept our love—”
“They want an heir,” she said.
“And they shall have it!” he said. “I have been thinking about that, and researching genetics here in Proton. I believe the Book of Spells now in the Red Adept’s possession will have information on the magical meshing of species, and I am going to resea
rch there the moment I return.”
“Then willst thou need not to support the Adverse Adepts!” she exclaimed, lapsing into her natural dialect.
“That does not follow. We made a deal, and I must deliver what I promised, unless the truce is modified. But perhaps the objectives of Stile and the Adepts are not mutually exclusive. If we could somehow forge a compromise—”
“A compromise!” she repeated. “A mating of their differing desires!”
“Yes. Therein lies our true hope. Now you get some rest; I have further research to do before I join you.”
“Do thy research!” she exclaimed, gladly. “An it mean our foal—”
“This is one advantage of exchanging between the frames,” he said. “I have the advantage of pursuing both lines of research. If I can’t see it through, I doubt anyone else can.”
Then he faded out, and she, relieved, melted onto the bed and slept, feeling exhilarated.
There were no challenges in the two days. Mach joined her, and now they were free of the need to hide or to conceal their identities; they had found temporary sanctuary here at the Game Annex. Now, for the first time, they were able to make love in these other bodies.
Then she learned that Mach had not really been talking to her, before their physical reunion. He had set up what he called a responsive emulation. “Damn thee!” she cried, furious at this deception. It had fooled her completely.
“But I could not approach you,” he protested. “It would have been dangerous for you. Then I had some trouble, so I went to Moeba.”
Curiosity caused her to rein her fury for the moment. “Agape’s planet? What did you there?” And by the time he explained, she had decided to forgive him.
“So when Bane returns, my research may help him,” he concluded.
“I like Phaze better,” Fleta said.
“So do I,” he agreed. Then he looked at her, becoming grave. “We have been assuming that we will return together. But if you wash out of the Tourney, and go to Moeba, will exchange be possible for you?”