Key to Chroma

  "But that's what I did!” he replied, emulating surprise. “I deferred to you."

  "But then which one dies? Neither of us gave a name."

  "It's a paradox,” he said. “I hope we haven't interfered with their due process."

  "I thought I was enabling them to be together."

  "So did I.” He shook his head. “Maybe they'll have to call us back to get it straight."

  "I hope not,” Gale said, alarmed. “We have a mission to accomplish."

  "We do indeed. Otherwise we could have dallied longer. That blue woman was an excellent lover."

  She made a small fist and banged him on the knee. “You would think of that! Is that all you men care about?"

  He looked surprised. “There is something else to care about?"

  "The merits of the case."

  "The red man was not good for you?"

  Gale pouted. “She was just being kind to an animal."

  "And he was just planting a seed."

  Meanwhile they had a more realistic mental dialogue. Do you think it will work? she thought.

  I think it has to work. Paradox is intractable. We did give them lure and threat, too. They'll probably suspend the decision pending resolution of the paradox, then not try very had to resolve it.

  Meanwhile two fine people will continue to live and work indefinitely. Do you think they will understand what we did?

  Their innocence was part of our strategy. There was obviously no collusion with them. But perhaps they will realize, when they find themselves alive and fairly free.

  And whoever heard of telepathy among nonChroma folk?

  They both smiled mentally, while keeping straight faces. They were surely still being observed.

  "You men are great at planting seeds."

  "And you women are great at soliciting them."

  Thus their play dialogue, as they waited to see whether they had succeeded in planting the seeds of doubt and paradox. If the Red Chroma authorities caught on too soon, the travelers could still be in trouble.

  At any rate, they were not called back. Before long the capsule came to rest on the far side of the Red Chroma zone, and they got out and walked on to the fringe of the next one.

  Only when they were far from the Red Chroma zone did they relax. “We seem to make a good team,” Gale said.

  "Let's hope that enables us to get the Yellow item."

  When they reached the fringe of the Yellow Chroma zone that contained their coordinates, their success abruptly seemed more doubtful. They were barred from entry. “Incipient eruption,” the Yellow Chroma man said tersely. “No admittance at this time."

  "But we have important business,” Gale protested.

  The man glanced at her with near contempt. “Woman, you won't accomplish your business if you die in the eruption. Come back in a week when it subsides."

  "We can't wait that long."

  The man's head became a mass of flame. Then fingers of cold fire picked them both up and blew them to an adjacent camping site where refugees were arriving. The Yellow man, annoyed, had ceased arguing with idiots.

  "Eruptions are serious business,” Throe said. “We can't blame them for taking precautions."

  "But we can't wait a week,” she said.

  "His point has merit. Our deaths will profit our mission nothing."

  "Are you getting fatherly on me? Expletive if I wait."

  "If my daughter used such language, I'd smack her bottom.” Then he looked abruptly appalled.

  That interested her. “What is it?"

  "Merely an association that is of little external interest."

  "Which would you prefer: to help me head in toward the fire cone, or wait here and let me pry out your supposedly uninteresting secret?"

  "Blackmail,” he grumbled.

  "Determination."

  "We'll have to sneak in, and we won't have any help from the natives."

  "And it's risky, with the eruption incipient,” she agreed. “Maybe you should remain here."

  "And let you go in alone? When I'm not with Havoc, I'm your bodyguard. I have to go with you."

  "And here I thought you were my friend."

  "That too."

  She stopped teasing him. “What's feasible?"

  "There's a private route that bypasses the guard's station. Move casually to your left.” As ever, he had noted strategic aspects of the terrain.

  She moved casually to the left. “My threat wasn't real. You may keep your secret association to yourself."

  He followed her, as casually. No one was paying attention anyway; the Yellows were too busy setting up temporary refugee camps. “But female curiosity, once roused, suffers no retreat."

  "Yielded,” she agreed. What could have caused him to react so strongly to a simple matter of discipline?

  "You will fathom it eventually anyway,” he said. “So you might as well know. “Ineffable—Ine—is the second eldest Air Chroma sister of the three who are visiting Triumph. She's the sorceress, seventeen. All three seduced me, but she was the one who teased me about reminding her of her father. Somehow it got into spanking."

  "Spanking?” Gale asked blankly as they sidled into an inconspicuous exit.

  "It became an inducement, by her demand. She claimed that such attention to a female bare bottom was erotic. Then she proved it."

  "And I'm her age—and our dialogue got coincidentally similar,” Gale said, catching on.

  "The association caught me by surprise."

  "Erotic for whom? The spanker or the spankee?"

  "Both. It was not something I had encountered before."

  "Interesting. So if I had to seduce a reluctant man, I should lure him into spanking me, bare?"

  "I suspect it depends on the man."

  "Men aren't all identical when it comes to sex?"

  "I wouldn't know. But she certainly turned me on, to my surprise and perhaps dismay."

  She smiled. “I'll keep it in mind."

  The exit came to a dead end. “My error,” Throe said. “I thought I saw a Yellow man quietly using it."

  "I wonder.” They faced a blank yellow fence.

  "Yet the grass has been recently trodden,” Throe said. “Why would someone go to a dead end?"

  Gale concentrated. Then part of the fence seemed to dissolve, showing a gap. “There!"

  "Where?"

  "There's a gap in the fence. Don't you see it?"

  "I see no gap."

  "This way,” she said, stepping quickly to it.

  Throe did not follow. “There's no gap."

  "Oh? Then what's this?” She stepped through it.

  He jumped to the spot she had been. “Gale—where are you?"

  "Right here,” she said, reaching back through the gap to touch his arm.

  Throe's jaw dropped. “Your arm—from the fence!"

  "Illusion!” she exclaimed. “I saw through it."

  He put his hand out to touch the gap. “Illusion,” he agreed. “So it's true: you can penetrate it, when you try."

  "I saw it, then when I concentrated, it dissipated,” she agreed. “And it conceals me now?"

  "I see only your arm from the elbow to the hand. Beyond is the fence."

  "Well, come through the fence.” She caught his arm and drew him forward.

  In a moment his eyes focused on her. “Illusion, all right. Now I see you.” He turned around. “And now I see the back side of the fence. I can't penetrate the illusion."

  "You're not a changeling."

  "Affirmation."

  She drew him in and kissed him. “Thank you for revealing my ability to me. You may spank my bottom if you wish. Shall I bare it for you?"

  He jerked back, then laughed. “You are a tease."

  "Throe, for the revelation you have given me, I'd have given you sex, and that's no tease. Similar for your support of my determination to advance to the fire cone. So it was a tease, but if it arouses you—"

  "Embarrassment. Desist."
br />   "Maybe I'll find some other return favor to do you."

  "Let's just get on with the mission."

  They followed the way past another illusion barrier, and emerged in a yellow forest. “Maybe we'd better leave the beaten path now,” Gale said, “lest we encounter a regular Yellow user who will know us for intruders."

  "Affirmation.” They cut into the yellow underbrush, disturbing it as little as possible. Chroma vegetation could strike back if annoyed, as Gale knew from experience as a child in Trifle Village, between three Chroma zones.

  When they thought it likely that no one would associate them with recent travelers, they found a road and followed it. There were often nonChroma and otherChroma visitors in any Chroma zone, because though the majority of natives did not venture from their zones, some did. Traders, explorers, cartographers, curiosity seekers, women looking for fourths—there was a fair amount of traffic. That was why the stations and camping sites existed around the zone fringes. So they should not seem remarkable. Nevertheless, they tried to avoid contacts, so as to eliminate potential problems.

  They rounded a curve, and there was a Yellow Chroma family. “Hail, nonChromas,” the man called. “You are going the wrong way to evacuate."

  "Appreciation,” Throe replied. “We'll turn around soon."

  "Don't delay long. An eruption is brewing—a bad one. We are all migrating to safety."

  "Not long,” Throe agreed.

  "I confess it makes me nervous,” Gale said. “It is not easy to approach even a quiescent cone. The demons near the Red cone dazzled us with illusory effects that covered real pitfalls, and there was worse in the cone itself."

  "The Air cone was in partial eruption when I was there,” Throe said. “Invisible lava flows, while the visible ones were illusion. I would have been lost without my guide."

  "I know I'm being a fool. My dragon seed hasn't buzzed yet. But how can it be sure about an actual eruption?"

  "It surely knows. I had forgotten about that."

  "Havoc and I don't mention it casually. But if mine prompts me—"

  "I won't debate the matter,” he agreed.

  The road curved again, and now the distant cone of the volcano came into clear view. It was huge, and yellow clouds swirled above it. It did not seem to be erupting, but Gale had little doubt that the Yellow authorities knew what they were doing.

  Gale's dragon seed buzzed in her ear. “Mischief,” she said.

  "Make no move until we know its nature."

  More people appeared on the road. Gale and Throe thought to retreat into the bushes, but this time it was the straightway that betrayed them: the others had already seen them, and moving off would seem suspicious. So they continued walking, anticipating another warning about the evacuation.

  That was not what they got. The party of five Yellow Chroma men eyed them frankly. “NonChroma,” one said. “Going the wrong way. That means no local protection."

  "And look at the girl,” another said. “That's one rare piece."

  This was indeed mischief. These were brigands, or at least opportunistic riffraff.

  Throe placed himself between Gale and the men, holding his staff. “We are not looking for trouble."

  "Your misfortune, old man. Get yourself clear; it's the girl we want."

  "Warning,” Throe said. “She is not available."

  Now the men circled the two of them. “Get clear, or watch,” one said. Their circle tightened.

  "Negation."

  They laughed.

  I have warned them three times, Throe thought to Gale. When I act, get yourself clear. Beware of magic.

  Compliance, she agreed. She could handle herself when she had to, but she was no Amazon, and there were too many of them. She knew that she would be a liability to Throe if anywhere in range, so she would get herself quickly out of it. She knew what he intended. And what the ruffians intended. No fault was one thing; rape was another.

  The yellow men pounced. Two grabbed for Gale while two drew yellow knives and went for Throe.

  Gale leaped outward, drawing her own blade. She slashed at the nearest arm, laying it open, and forged on down the road before the man could react. She got several paces clear, then whirled, her knife ready.

  Two yellow men were already on the ground, and Throe was going after a third. This one had a sword, but Throe's shield was already slung in place, and it knocked the man's arm aside before he managed to swing. The sword flew wide and clanged on the pavement.

  Then all three of the men who remained afoot were fleeing. Like so many brigands, they were cowards when faced with real resistance. Throe did not pursue them; instead he walked across to pick up the sword. He checked it, and nodded. “Good work,” he said. “Probably stolen."

  Gale's heart was thudding. She did not much like violence. “Can we get out of here?"

  "Of course. Do you know how to use one of these?"

  "No."

  "Wear it anyway; it should dissuade other thugs.” He brought it to her, and succeeded in fastening it to her waist with a length of cord. “Or it may serve as an item of trade."

  The dragon seed buzzed again. “Warning,” she said.

  Throe whirled, orienting on a mental trace. One of the brigands had belatedly remembered that nonChroma folk lacked defensive magic, so was readying a fireball. They would be helpless against that. But as it formed, it exploded, engulfing the brigand and singeing him; Gale felt his pain. He staggered away as the fire dissipated.

  "What happened?” she asked.

  "Conjecture: the incipient eruption is intensifying the local magic, leading to wild effects. He got blasted by his own fire."

  That made sense. “We were lucky."

  "This time,” he agreed grimly.

  They walked on, leaving the two fallen thugs unconscious on the road, next to the yellow splotches of blood. The blood she had shed represented the only such mayhem done; Throe had not even drawn one of his edged weapons. He had merely used the staff.

  "For a moment you reminded me of Havoc,” she said.

  "We never actually tangled,” Throe said. “It would have been interesting."

  "You call mayhem interesting?"

  "Professional interest. He has youth and speed; I have experience. I think I would have taken him, the first time, and possibly the second."

  "He learns swiftly,” she agreed.

  "So I found. And of course he did well for me."

  "Havoc remembers his friends and his enemies,” she said.

  "Apart from that, I think I am glad he is king. I think he has the capacity to accomplish some worthwhile reforms."

  "If he lives,” she said darkly.

  "If he lives. Let's hope that this mission enables him to solve the mystery of the changelings and secure the safety of all of you."

  "And we don't even know that it will."

  They managed to avoid other people, and camped in the yellow forest. Here Gale's childhood expertise paid off; she recognized most of the plants, though she had encountered them in other colors. She was able to harvest small fruits without affronting the plants that produced them, and located a warm safe trunk for them to sleep against. “All we have to do is make an offering of food for the tree,” she explained.

  "Tree food?"

  "Urine. Substance if you've got it."

  "Oh. Now I remember; Havoc did that."

  "We each have to contribute. Then the tree will recognize us, and protect us. We'll be able to sleep without fear."

  "You're sure of that?"

  "Yes."

  He shrugged. “I would like to sleep well; I think we have a difficult day ahead of us."

  "The tree will warn us if any danger approaches."

  "How can it do that?"

  "The trunk will vibrate. The foliage will rustle. I know the signals, and will wake."

  "I am a city man. I am obliged to trust your expertise in this respect."

  "I trusted yours against those brigands."

/>   They went to opposite sides of the tree, and urinated and defecated, burying the substance carefully so that the tree's roots could orient on it. Then they ate their fruits, relaxing.

  There was a faint stir in the air. Gale poked forth a finger. “Swale!” she said aloud.

  Just checking. How are you doing?

  "We're heading toward the site, but the volcano is about to erupt.” Gale continued speaking aloud so that Throe would know of the contact.

  Isn't that dangerous?

  "Yes, it's is dangerous. But we can't afford to wait, so we're risking it. How is Havoc doing?"

  Symbol is set on seducing him, but he's resisting.

  "The fool! They are traveling no fault."

  Throe smiled, picking up that situation from her mind.

  He wants her as an objective adviser, not a mistress.

  "And she'll be good at that regardless. Tell him its okay."

  Swale shook her head, mentally. I think they have to work it out for themselves. She's showing him one of her illusion shows, and the wonder is, it's not erotic.

  "Then she's a fool too.” But actually Gale's feelings were mixed. Symbol was another changeling, and marvelously facile at sex, and she loved Havoc utterly. She was barred from marrying him for the same reason Gale was, but she was of a different generation of changelings, so just might qualify after all. Yet if that turned out to be the case, why not let Havoc have her? Gale wanted him to be happy, with or without Gale herself. Symbol could and would do that for him.

  You have such a generous nature, the succubus thought. But of course I knew that, because you befriended me after I tried to destroy you.

  "I want him for myself, but I'm a realist,” Gale said.

  I must move on. Interesting things are happening elsewhere.

  "Parting,” Gale said.

  Parting, friend. The succubus faded.

  "She's right,” Throe said. “You do have a generous nature. So does Havoc."

  "We're well matched,” Gale said sadly. “If only we can match."

  They were done eating. They lay down, touching the warm trunk, and slept.

  Gale woke to the humming of the trunk. Something was approaching, and the tree judged it to be a threat. “Throe,” she murmured.

  "Alert,” he answered immediately.

  "The tree is warning us. I don't know what threatens, but there is surely something."