"Nor will it pay the C-Humans to let us do so." Cat agreed. "We buttress our trust in this manner. Are you • amenable?"
"Yes." F-Dar said.
"Then if you would be so kind, clarify this matter with the C-Humans. and exchange places. We prefer the Swine to mistake you for the Caprines' guides."
"Got it," F-Col said. They moved off.
Then Cat returned to the crag. Goat met it there. "Are we in order?"
"We are."
Cat climbed cautiously up along the crag, while Goat checked the rock to the side. Goat would find a suitable place for Cat to land, when betrayed.
The flag was absurdly easy to find. It was on the chasm side of the rock whose split gave them the view of its reflection. Now Cat could see its own reflection, reaching around to catch the flag. So simple a ruse, yet it had fooled all of them except those who had paused to consider. Exactly as some aspect of the Virtual Mode might deceive those who trod it carelessly.
Cat took the flag and made its way down the slope in the direction Goat had gone. "I have the flag!" Cat called to the others.
Then Goat sprang out, head down. "Shrouded crevice to your left," it said as it charged.
Cat jumped into the crevice, holding the flag high. Goat leaped over the crevice, catching the flag as it did. "Mine!" it bleated.
In moments the three Caprines were together. "Come, Humans," Goat called. "We have the flag. We're going back."
F-Dar and F-Col joined them and the group set off for the return. Soon they were out of sight.
Meanwhile Cat, Tom, and Pussy were slinking from their hiding places and circling out. C-Dar and C-Col saw them but did not react; instead they began walking disconsolately in the direction the Caprine party had taken. There was no way to tell that they were not the Feline's guides, bereft of their company.
Cat remembered something, and hurried back to the spot where it had found the flag. Yes, there was a second flag behind it that it hadn't seen before, this one blue. Cat took that flag and tucked it into its pocket. The back-up position was important too.
Cat looked to where the Caprines had gone. C-Dar and C-Col were waiting. "I thought you had gone with the others," Cat told them as it caught up.
"Sneaking and pouncing is not in our program," C-Dar said.
"It is in mine," Cat said. "I must be there when my trio members join the action."
"We understand," C-Col said. "We want to thank you for enabling us to be well treated."
"We can't guarantee that beyond this contest," Cat reminded her. "In fact, only the winner will have any real input on your treatment thereafter."
"And who will that be?" C-Dar asked.
"I don't know. If both of our teams make it safely back, we shall have to decide on the winner. Perhaps by lot."
"And if you lose the lot?" C-Col asked.
"Then we lose the flag," Cat said simply. "I have no true betrayal in mind, and I doubt Goat does."
"If you lose the flag, and are second, will you ask for us as your nulls?" C-Dar asked.
"No. We will ask for the Feline Humans. They are the ones to whom we are committed."
"Yet you expect us Caprine Human nulls to help you," C-Col said.
"You are not with me to help me," Cat said patiently. "You are here to ensure that I don't betray your associates, the Caprines."
"How can we do that?" C-Dar asked.
"You have the pain button. Use it when you see fit."
They nodded. Then Cat slunk into the brush, while they walked straight ahead.
The path passed between outcroppings of rock capable of concealing an ambush. Cat saw the Caprines marching innocently into it, with the two Humans. Cat got as close as possible without showing itself, ready for action.
But there was no ambush. The open party passed on through unscathed. Where were the Swine?
Then, in an open area, the ground suddenly caved in. Buck, walking ahead, fell into it, and Doe stopped just at the brink. "Pitfall!" Goat cried. "Seek cover!"
But already the Swine were charging in from the sides, bearing home-crafted spears. The Caprines, caught in a bad position, seemed vulnerable. The two Humans with them stood still, not acting.
Tom pounced from cover, landing on Boar's back. Boar squealed, but Tom's claws were already ripping at his throat. But Boar's hide was tough, and he tried to throw Tom off; the two fell to the ground in a tangle.
Sow turned around, surprised. Pussy sprang at her. "But you're dead!" Sow squealed, amazed.
"No, you are," Pussy replied, stabbing her in the neck with a crude stone dagger. But Sow, too, was tough; she knocked the stone aside and barreled into Pussy. They, too, fell to the ground, locked in combat.
Meanwhile Cat was bounding toward Pig. But Pig had too much warning, and was standing its ground, holding up its spear. This was heading for a standoff.
Cat halted, needing a way to get around that spear. Then Pig brought out its pain button. Cat backed up, trying to get out of range, but Pig was advancing, keeping pace. This was mischief indeed.
Suddenly Pig squealed in agony and fell to the ground, untouched. The spear fell and the pain button rolled away. What had happened? Was this a ruse?
Then Cat saw C-Col standing near Pig, holding forth her own pain button. The Swine had ignored the Humans as noncombatants, and never suspected that the pain buttons would be in their hands. That had been a fatal oversight.
Cat swept up the loose pain button, then the spear, and turned back to deal with Pig. Before Cat got there, Buck had scrambled out of the pit and stomped Pig with sharp hooves. It was no thoughtless rage; the hooves were precisely placed, cutting through the tough skin of Pig's neck. In a moment the life blood was flowing.
Cat veered off and went to help Pussy dispatch Sow. The spear and pain button made it easy. The two Caprine Humans went to join Tom with Boar, and in another moment Boar's squealing doubled. The second Human pain button was being applied.
It was an ugly contest, but no contest; the Swine were overwhelmed, and soon all three of them were dead. The counterambush had been successful. Their own losses were slight; Tom had been gored in one arm, and Pussy had been bitten on one knee. The three Caprines were untouched.
"You fought for us!" Cat said to the Humans, surprised in retrospect.
"You gave the right answers," C-Dar said.
"But you are the Caprine Humans," Pussy said.
"With whom the Felines are allied."
"It sure surprised the Swine when our Humans fought them with the pain buttons," Tom said with satisfaction.
"They thought our alliance was with only the Caprines," Cat said. "Not also with the Humans."
They left the Swine and moved on as a group. But Cat was dubious. This seemed too easy, challenging as it had been. "Dar," he said.
Both Dars turned to him. "Yes?" they said together.
"F-Dar, is there something else we should know?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"
"There is a fifth obstacle."
Cat reviewed their encounters. "The vicious animals, the raging river, the mirror-chasm. I make it three so far."
"The ambush," Goat said. "We had to pass an animate threat, then an inanimate one, then solve a riddle, then handle treachery. Four obstacles, each of a different type. Those who set up this contest knew that there would be trouble between teams."
"So we may anticipate a type we have not seen before," Cat said. "Occurring in territory we have already traversed."
"So it is not terrain," Goat agreed. "Dar, are you permitted to tell us what it is?"
"We do not know its nature," C-Dar said. "Only that it is formidable."
The party halted. "Could there be something to intercept us?" Cat asked.
"That seems likely," Goat said. "I doubt we can avoid it, any more than we could the other obstacles. It may seek us out."
"Then perhaps it would not be wise to delay."
"Unless it is triggered by our approach to the
finish."
"That does seem likely," Cat agreed. "What, then, should be our best strategy?"
"Perhaps we should consider it another ambush," Goat said. "One team can invoke it, and the other team can deal with it."
"Unless it is immediately lethal."
They looked at the others. No one commented. "Shall we agree on a strategy?" Goat asked.
"One team can take the flag and run for the finish," Cat said. "The other team watches. If the first team gets through, it is the winner."
"Agreed. Which team leads?"
"We will," Goat said.
"You will take the risk of ambush?"
"And of victory. We Caprines prefer to charge ahead when in doubt."
"As you wish. We Felines prefer to lurk and watch."
Goat took the silver flag and charged ahead, followed closely by Buck and Doe and the two C-Humans, now back with their own team. The Feline group moved more circuitously, as they had for the prior ambush, staying clear of the main path. The Feline Humans split, with Dar accompanying Tom and Col going with Pussy.
Nothing happened. The Caprines came within sight of the starting line, which was now the finish line, without event. Was the final hurdle a bluff, to make the credulous pause and lose the victory? Cat had not thought of that, which meant it was indeed unexpected. Had they casually thrown away victory? A deal was a deal, but perhaps the gamble had lost. Cat watched from the cover of a tree, seeing its strategy defeated. Well, at least they had given it a good try. The Caprines were certainly worthy.
Goat stepped over the finish line—and suddenly floated into the air with a surprised bleat. The other Caprines halted, amazed. Goat was flying!
But not under control. Goat was flailing its legs, trying to get a footing, but the feet were not touching the ground. There seemed to be a wind bearing it back toward the forest. The others were trying to catch Goat, but it was floating too high. It was borne back over the forest, still ascending—and then abruptly descended.
Goat struck the branch of a tree, then dropped to the ground. F-Col, closest to that spot, ran over. She bent over the injured Caprine, then looked up, horrified. "Goat's done for," she gasped.
Pussy ran over. "No!" She dropped down beside Goat's form. "Hang on," she said tearfully. "We can help you."
Goat stirred. It was alive, but at least one limb was broken, and probably internal organs were damaged. It tried to speak, then collapsed into unconsciousness.
"We can help," Pussy repeated. "Help me carry Goat to treatment."
"Goat said something to me," F-Col said. "Magic."
"Magic?" Pussy asked blankly.
"Yes. I'm sure that was the word."
Cat was looking all around, trying to fathom what had happened. Doe was running toward Goat, but Buck, evidently dazed, was stepping back to the line.
"Don't go there!" Tom cried. But he was too late: Buck had stepped across the finish line, and was sailing into the air. All they could do was watch helplessly while he was swept up and toward the forest.
"There must be some force," Cat said. "Something pushing up from below."
Tom ran under Buck, but encountered no resistance. The Caprine floated on over him.
"Or an invisible cord from above," Cat said. "He can't just float without support."
"Maybe he can," Pussy said. "What Goat said to F-Col—remember how Darius came from a Mode of magic?"
"Magic!" Tom scoffed. "That's impossible."
But Pussy would not be deterred. "Buck, I conjure you, come down," she called. "Slowly."
Buck descended, slowly.
"Land gently, and stay on the ground," Pussy called. "I conjure you."
The Caprine came gently to the ground. "You saved me!" he said, hugging Pussy as she ran to join him.
"Magic," Cat said thoughtfully. "It does exist in some Modes. We have to be ready for it too. So they arranged for an emulation of magic. That never occurred to me."
"Because you're too rational," Pussy said. "Magic makes more sense emotionally." She kissed Buck.
"A fitting test," Cat agreed.
"But we didn't figure it out in time for us," Doe said sadly. "We can't go on without Goat."
"Goat's alive," Pussy said. "You can go on."
"Not if there's a Virtual Mode soon," Doe said. "It will take time for Goat to recover."
Cat agreed. "Carry Goat across the finish line, with the silver flag. Conjure yourselves back to the ground. Be the winner. If there is a Virtual Mode too soon, the second team will take it. Otherwise it's yours."
"Thank you," Doe said, her lovely eyes moist.
"It was our deal. We did not seek to destroy you, merely to follow another strategy."
Buck, Doe, and their two Humans carried Goat across the line. They all rose into the air—and sank slowly down again, the victors.
"We could have had it," Tom said.
"Not with honor," Cat said. "Without honor, neither of our deals would have been valid."
"True," F-Dar agreed.
"And it was Goat who figured it out," Pussy said. "He told us, but it was the Caprines who deserved it. We couldn't steal it from them."
"Now we must take second place, before another team comes to grab our flag," Cat said. "We still have a plea to make on behalf of our companions. Considering the circumstances, I think it will be honored."
They moved ahead as a group of five, toward the finish line.
TWO
Dragon
Oh, no!
Colene stared at the Feline nulls. Tom, Pussy, and Cat: she remembered them. That meant that instead of discovering a new anchor universe, their party had returned to an old one. This had to be the DoOon Mode, from which they had escaped before only because the corrupt Emperor Ddwng and his henchmen had not caught on to the fact that a member of their Virtual Mode party was telepathic. They had taken her closest friend, the horse Seqiro, for a mere animal. Seqiro had sent a forceful thought to make Ddwng free the anchor, thus getting them loose and establishing a new anchor and a new Virtual Mode. In fact, that was when they had connected with the Julia Mode, where fractals ruled.
But this time Seqiro was not here. They had no other way to force the anchor free, and Ddwng would not be fooled a second time anyway. There was going to be hell to pay.
Cat, the neuter Feline, made a yowl. "Please step forth," a nearby hanging globe said. "There is a paralysis device attuned to you, to prevent your escape. We prefer not to use it."
Colene turned to Nona, her companion from the Fractal Mode. "Can you do magic here?" she asked. "We need to get away, instantly."
"No. Not without Seqiro to connect me to my home Mode."
"I was afraid of that. We're stuck for an awful time."
"You recognize this Mode?"
"Yes. We were here before."
"Please step forth," Cat repeated via the translator globe. "We do not wish to risk your health with the paralysis."
It was no bluff. Colene sighed and walked forward. Darius paced her. Nona and their fourth member, Burgess, hesitated, then followed. They were prisoners. Again.
"This way, please," another hanging ball said for Cat. The neuter Feline null led the way through the spacious chamber to a hall. The two other Felines fell in behind the party.
"What kind of a realm is this?" Nona asked, looking around. She was Colene's senior by three years, and excruciatingly lovely, with thick dark brown hair and a figure to make any man stare. She was also the most important person on her home planet of Oria, with phenomenal powers of magic there. But for all that, she was a nice person, and easy to like.
"What we call super science," Colene said wearily. "They do things here that seem like magic, but it's not. It's governed by the Emperor Ddwng, who is absolutely ruthless. He wants the Chip Darius used to set up the Virtual Mode. Now he's going to have it, though it ruin all the other Modes."
"But Darius won't give that away," Nona protested.
"Not if we manage to kill ourselves
first, so they have no hold on him," Colene said grimly. "But they'll prevent that. We're in real trouble."
They came to a doorway. "The space ship," Darius said, recognizing it.
"Yes, the same one," Cat agreed. "But a different destination."
"I don't understand any of this," Nona said plaintively, hesitating at the entrance. Colene knew that she felt helpless when stripped of her formidable magical abilities.
"Tom, see to her," Cat said.
The husky male Feline stepped toward Nona. Nona shrank away. "It's okay," Colene said. "We're captives, but the Felines won't hurt us. They have to do us a favor each day, so he's trying to do you one. He will never act contrary to your expressed wishes."
"You're sure?" Nona asked.
"I'm sure."
"This way, lovely woman," Tom said.
Nona still hesitated, but Colene nodded, and the woman followed Tom into the ship.
Burgess was another matter. He was a floating creature unlike any seen recently on Earth or anywhere else. He weighed about 400 pounds and was shaped something like a weedy island with elephantine trunks fore and aft. He barely fit through the door.
"Cat, maybe you had better talk to Burgess," Colene said. "Touch one of his contact points—they look like knobs—and think clearly, and he will understand what you want."
Cat did so. In a moment Burgess floated on into the ship.
That left Colene and Darius with Pussy. "So what are you up to, Puss?" Colene asked. She was especially wary of the female Feline, for good reason.
"We must take you to Chains, where we will negotiate," Pussy said, showing the way into the ship.
"Chains?" Darius asked.
Pussy smiled at him, and this gave Colene an additional irk; the cat woman had tried to seduce him before, and might try again. "It is the name of our world. Decorative chains are worn to signal obligations, but they must be assumed by choice. When you wear a chain, we can go on the Virtual Mode to fetch the Chip."
"When who wears a chain?" Colene demanded.
"When Darius wears it. He will not break his given word."
They had that down pat. Darius had never broken his word to anyone. They had escaped this universe before because Colene had conspired with Seqiro to free the anchor; Darius hadn't known. He and Colene had had a row about it later. But she had done what had to be done, and would do it again, if she got the chance. But she knew she wasn't going to get the chance.