It was. Seqiro stood while she used her extendible nails to cut off hairs from his shoulder. She fastened them to the four legs, tail, and head of the figure. "Now the liquid: a drop of your saliva will do." She brushed the figurine across his tongue. "And your gas: breathe on it." He did so.
"That's good. Now you need to hold it and—" She paused. "I keep forgetting you don't have hands! Very well; I'd better sit on you and handle it for you, along with mine. But I'd better explain about the map."
She kneeled on the ground before him. "Do you see the lines here? This is a map of the local terrain. Each little circle is a plateau, a mesa-top. Everything's on mesa-tops. We're on this one." She pointed to a circle. "We're going to this one." She pointed to one some distance away. "Our icons will take us there. But it's somewhat jolting when you're not used to it, so be prepared. Do you have the 'here' and 'there' in mind?"
He did, though he still did not properly understand the mechanism.
"You really don't need to, Seqiro. It'll happen. Now let me get up on you." She leaped and scrambled, and got herself ensconced on his back. "Now invoke your icon." She held the horse figure down where he could fix an eye on it.
He focused on it, willing it to be invoked. You are Seqiro.
"And I'm invoking mine. Now we're ready. Icons, we are stepping from here at the anchor to there at the pasture." She moved the icons in the air. "Here—to there."
There was a gut-twisting wrench. Seqiro did not like it; it felt like a torsion, which was a lethally serious matter for a horse. The scene changed. Now they were on a broad plateau, with many trees growing, and tall grass. The trees had green trunks and foliage of different colors. The grass smelled nutritious.
Maresy was there. She trotted over to nuzzle him. You took your time, Seqiro!
She liked to tease him. She had gotten that from Colene, of course. Sometimes he almost expected her to call him horseface.
"Don't forget to render it inert," Pussy said, sliding to the ground. "Otherwise it might take you somewhere else when you least expect it."
Seqiro willed the icon inert, and Pussy took it away.
Burgess likes this land too, Maresy thought. We can stay here as long as we want, or go to other pastures.
Cat and Darius appeared and deactivated their icons. "We have the afternoon to relax, while Colene recovers," Cat said. "Then we'll meet her friends here."
Seqiro was glad to relax. He and Maresy grazed companionably on the excellent grass, and Burgess hovered nearby, tasting the different flavors of the air. It seemed that each passing cloud was a different color, and the light that passed through them carried different nourishment. The closer to the clouds a mesa was, there more nourishment it got. The deep valleys between mesas got little, so were largely barren.
When evening closed, Colene appeared. "I'm better now," she said. "That last was a bad siege. Thanks for getting me here, horsie." She came to hug his neck.
She was welcome. He loved her.
"And I love you, hoofer. You and Darius. Now that both of you are here, I should be really happy."
But she wasn't. Her joy had been wearing down, and the siege of the mind predator had depleted more of it. She was coming to rest at her natural level of dolor. Unfortunately, Maresy's mood echoed Colene's.
"I'm no good for you, or anyone," she said. "I'm an emotional drag. I hate that."
How quickly her joy of the small reunion descended to her dolor of perceived inadequacy.
"Yeah, that's me," she agreed. "The vessel of dolor." She brightened marginally. "But they can handle it. I've asked four of my friends here to come meet you folk, to learn about the hive. One is Kublai, who filled in for Darius as Cyng of Hlahtar while he was gone. It's a really important position, but now Darius has to take it back so Kublai can retire again and marry his sweetheart, Koren. You'll like Koren, horsehead; she's like me, only she'll be naturally happy once she recovers."
Had something bad happened to her?
"You might say so. I'd better explain this for Cat and Pussy and Burgess too." The others were gathering around. "It's like this: the King of Laughter—that's how I translate it—marries a woman who has joy. Then he goes on tour, and takes the joy from her, multiplies it a thousandfold, and broadcasts it out to all the people nearby, making them all happy. Including her—but there's always a slight loss, so she's not quite as full of joy as she was before. With each performance he gives, at each village, she loses a bit more, until after a year or so she's too depleted to do it any more. Then he divorces her and marries another woman, and starts over. She gets a good retirement, but she can't enjoy it much until she slowly recovers her natural joy. That can take years, decades even, because it takes about as much joy to abolish her dolor as has been given out to others. It's that thousandfold factor, working the other way."
"Darius took from me only a few times," Pussy said. "It was horrible."
"Fortunately, Darius rescued Prima, a woman who can also multiply feeling," Colene continued. "She should have been Cyng, but the sexist elders wouldn't let a woman have the job. It's a bad scene, but for now Prima is satisfied to marry the Cyng and let him take from her. Because she can multiply it herself, she is able to maintain her level of joy, so she can do it indefinitely. So Koren no longer has to do it, and actually she's almost recovered now, because not much was taken from her. But until Kublai retires, she can't marry him. You see, here love and marriage and sex are three different things. A Cyng can have a wife he doesn't love, and another woman he does love, and a mistress he uses in bed." She glanced at Pussy. "That's a different usage: it means just sex, not dominance."
"I understand," Pussy said.
"But Kublai wants to have all three in one woman—and now that Darius is back, he can. He can marry Koren, and love her, and have sex with her too. But Darius—"
"Give it time," Darius said.
"Darius will marry Prima, in this Mode," Colene continued doggedly. "And love me. And have sex with Ella or Pussy. Because I can provide him with neither joy nor sex."
"Love suffices," Darius said.
"The hell it does! I want to do it all for you!"
They were all quiet, feeling the flare of frustrated love. Colene could not provide joy because she was a vessel of dolor, and she could not provide sex because she remained blocked by her bad memories. That made her furious—and miserable.
After a moment, Colene shrugged, physically and mentally. "At least until I figure out a way to fix myself. This is the way it is now, but not the way it'll stay."
Darius embraced her and kissed her. "You will find a way."
She melted. "I just love having you believe that. Now if only I could find that way."
She was indeed the vessel of dolor; it colored her expectations as well as her moods.
"But it's great having you here with me, Seqiro," she said. "That eliminates the language problem, and I know I feel much better than I would without you. It'll just take me a while to make paradise perfect."
Then four other people appeared: a larger man with a red beard, and three women. The women wore colorful tunics that bulged somewhat at their midsections. Colene had explained about that before: they wore diapers, to conceal their primary sexual parts. It was the fashion of this culture. When a woman removed her diaper in the presence of a man, it was normally for sexual purpose.
"Greetings, Kublai," Darius said. "I thank you for taking my place these weeks. Now I will resume my office, and marry Prima." The man nodded. So did the oldest of the women. She was not pretty by human standards, being lean of body, plain of face, and of middle human age. But she had an almost regal bearing. She was a woman of power, though her culture refused to recognize it.
The second woman was a few years older than Colene, and very pretty, with lustrous black hair. She was the one who could now marry Kublai, since he would no longer need to draw joy from his wife. Her feelings were mixed: she liked the situation no better than Colene did, but she liked Colene
very much for sharing that situation and being just as angry about it. She was grateful to Colene for bringing Darius back, thus freeing Kublai.
The third woman was Ella, who was young, bouncy, buxom, pretty, cheerful, and not phenomenally smart: the ideal bed companion for a man alone, as it was not hard to get her out of her diaper.
Prima approached Seqiro. "You are telepathic?" she inquired quietly.
He sent her a thought: Yes. So is Maresy.
"I would like to come and commune with you, when I am not busy on tour. Special minds appeal to me. So do folk who have powers equivalent to my own. That is, of other types, but of similar range and impact. You are definitely one such."
Seqiro found himself liking her.
She picked up his reaction, and her own was pleased. "I lost my chance for love with my own kind. I had a bad experience with dragons, being their captive for twenty years, and now my youth is gone. But the sort of mental and emotional community you enable is attractive. Perhaps some day I will be able to join your hive."
Burgess reacted to that. He found her mind compatible, and was impressed by its power. She was indeed a lot like Darius, and could probably enhance his own power if they ever tried to coordinate.
"Exactly," Prima said. "Some things are worth doing for their own sakes. I think we shall get along."
Seqiro thought so too. So did Maresy and Burgess.
The visitors departed. "It is settled," Darius said. "Tomorrow I will marry Prima and start the tour."
"There is one detail I am not quite clear on," Cat said. "Are you not already married to Colene?"
"In her Mode, yes. But marriage here has a different meaning. She understands."
"And what of the Chip?"
"Tomorrow you will meet with the Cyng of Pwer, who will prepare you for that delivery."
"Then I shall soon part from your group."
"Perhaps."
They had their various meals and settled for the night. There was a pleasant cabin on the mesa for the humans, and the field and trees were fine for the horses and Burgess. This was a pleasant Mode, and would become more so as they became conversant with the manner of traveling by conjuration.
Colene, having achieved safety from the mind predator and unification of their group in this Mode, was nevertheless unsettled. The horses felt her distress. She wanted to be Darius' wife, love, and sexual partner. Instead she faced the prospect of being only his love. She understood about the marriage, because she could not handle the donation of joy, but the sex truly riled her. Nothing was barring her from that except herself, yet she could not overcome that barrier. Damn! Damn! Damn! she thought.
"It will pass," Darius murmured.
"It's not passing. This hang-up has become part of me. Take Pussy."
"She is barred from me."
"Not anymore. Her mission is done."
She was right. But Darius was not ready for this aspect. "Some other time," he said. "Still, as you know, my power will not be complete unless I do indulge within a day of my performance."
"I know," she said miserably. "You made that clear from the start. You've been fair. I'm the one with the problem."
"I do not see it that way."
"Take Ella. You've used her before."
"True. But now—"
"Take her! When I get so I can do it with you, then I can afford to be possessive. Until then I have no right to interfere with your job."
"Colene, it grieves me to distress you. If there were any way—"
"Take her!" she repeated. "Go now! Just—just come back to me, after."
Darius did not argue further, because they both knew it had to be. He got up, stepped away from her, and conjured himself to the mesa of the Cyng of Hlahtar, where bouncy Ella waited.
Colene buried her face in the pillow and sobbed, hating herself for her incapacity. Seqiro sent her a wave of emotional encouragement. "Thanks, horsie," she murmured.
Cat wanted a clarification of this also. Seqiro relayed Cat's concern as dialogue so that Colene could hear it. "You suggested that he use Pussy, and he demurred. Then you suggested that he use Ella, and he acquiesced. Why was that? Is Pussy in some way deficient?"
"Oh, hi, Cat. It's that it's part of the Cyng of Hlahtar's ritual. Marriage, love, and sex are three different things, but he needs them all, or his performance will suffer. So he has to have someone. Sure, Pussy could do it, and no, she's not deficient. That's the problem. She's pretty, healthy, smart enough, and willing. If I tell her to. She could go far with Darius; he could fall in love with her if he tried. But Ella is, well, a nice place to visit, but not to stay. He'll never fall in love with her, no matter how hard he might try. So she's safe; she's no threat to me."
"But Pussy is no threat to you," Cat protested. "She exists to do your will."
"She's a threat because Darius could love her, just as he could love Doe Caprine. This is an emotional thing with me; if I have to let Darius get his sex elsewhere, I want to be sure that that's all he gets."
Cat nodded in the darkness. "Now I understand. Thank you for clarifying."
"Oh, you're welcome, Cat. But I still hate having to give even that much away. Damn, damn, damn!" She relapsed into tears.
But well before Darius could rejoin her, she cleaned up her face and assumed a semblance of equilibrium. She was not going to burden him with her petty jealousy. Hide that, she thought to Seqiro.
Within the hour Darius returned. He joined Colene where she lay, and kissed her tenderly. No word was said. Then he embraced her and held her close until she fell fitfully to sleep.
But Seqiro knew that nothing was settled. Colene wanted it all, and would not be satisfied until she had it all. But this seemed impossible.
Colene woke in the night, restlessly. She did not want to disturb Darius, who needed his rest for the morrow, but the issue would not let her go. Seqiro.
Seqiro knew her question, of course, and answered: He pretended Ella was you. That was the only way he could do it.
Colene's distress became wonder. Really?
He loves only you. He has lost his taste for other women. He faced the prospect of impotence.
Gee. So he was still true to me. Did he tell Ella?
No. He felt it would not be kind.
She was halfway thrilled. Right. Ella's a sweet girl. Why hurt her feelings?
True.
It'll be our secret. Then, gratified, she returned to sleep.
In the morning Cat went to see the Cyng of Pwer. This was an older man of regal bearing and humble costume. "I cannot say that I am pleased by the compromise Darius made," Pwer said gravely. Seqiro linked their minds so that there was no problem of language; that was really his function in this Mode. Thus he was party to whatever any member of their group—their hive—indulged in.
"I am not pleased either," Cat said. "I do not understand why he agreed to deliver the Chip to Ddwng of the DoOon Mode."
"Yet you serve that monarch."
"Yes, and I must complete my assignment. But Darius is no creature of DoOon, and his will is unbreakable. He allows others to think that he compromised to save Colene and the group from harassment or destruction. But I do not believe that."
"Neither do I. There must be something he knows that we do not."
Cat was uneasy, but had to speak. "I am obliged to deliver the Chip in good conscience. If there is some way in which it is defective or dangerous, I must discover that and advise Ddwng of it. I must not be party to deception in this respect."
"I understand, and not merely because your equine associate allows me to fathom what is in your mind. We do not deal in subterfuge here. At the same time, Darius may not be obliged to clarify the details of his motive."
"Perhaps we should ask him."
Seqiro sent a signal to Darius, who was with Prima, preparing for their tour of joy. Cat has a question.
Darius nodded. Let me do this, he thought carefully. Let me explain my decision privately to Prima, who has no part in
this. If she concludes that I must advise Cat, I will do so. Otherwise I shall feel justified in declining to answer.
Cat looked at Pwer, who shrugged. They both knew that Darius would deal honestly with them. Agreed, Cat thought.
Seqiro deleted them from the circuit, and waited. While Cat and Pwer discussed other details of the transaction, Darius and Prima conversed verbally.
Soon Prima's thought came. I love joining your mind, Seqiro. I want to join your hive.
But the hive was Burgess' concept. On his Mode all civilized creatures merged in hives. He had been denied his hive, and would have perished if he had not discovered a new one on the Virtual Mode.
Then join me with Burgess.
Seqiro signaled Burgess, and connected their two minds. It took Burgess very little time to appreciate both the power of her mind and the sincerity of her desire to belong; she was, despite her importance to the Cyng of Hlahtar, a lonely person. He welcomed her, and with that the comfort of the hive mind gained significantly for them all.
Now I will answer for Darius, Prima thought. He believes that the Chip will not benefit Ddwng. Rather, it may destroy him. Therefore it may be delivered to him without ill effect on other Modes.
Why will it not benefit Ddwng? Cat thought. I must deliver a good Chip, and explain its use so that it is safe and effective.
The fault is not in the Chip, but in Ddwng, she thought. That is all Darius cares to say. I understand his rationale, and agree; he is not required to clarify Ddwng's fault to Ddwng, and neither are you.
Cat smiled grimly. As it is, I will be abolished when my mission is done. Were I to comment on the emperor's character, my passing could become unpleasant.
Now Darius sent a thought: Cat, the hive would prefer to have you back. Should you decide to return, we will help you do so. All you need to do is ask.
Thank you, Cat thought. But I am prepared for my end.
Darius and Prima faded. The Cyng of Pwer spoke. "This has import. Darius is important, one might say vital, to our community, and we are prepared to provide him with whatever support he requires. This is why his other-Mode associates are welcome here. He has indicated that he would like to maintain contact with Nona of the Fractal Mode, and therefore also with your friend Tom. As I understand it, this would complete your trio."