Key to Chroma

  Lucent stirred. “Alleviation,” she breathed.

  "We're in blue,” Symbol said.

  "It is like breathing after suffocation.” But the woman remained weak, and Symbol carried her farther in before setting her down. Then she let her rest while she set about preparing a place for the night, and foraged for fruit.

  Lucent sat up. “If we had not made an agreement of friendship before, it would have happened now. Debt."

  "No debt between friends. You did the transportation when you were able; it was my turn."

  "Regardless.” But she did not argue the case further.

  They ate, and rested, and slept. No bugs bothered them, of course; insects were there, but served as protection rather than nuisance. Symbol found herself getting to like insects; this was a relation she had not had with them before.

  "Agreement,” Lucent said, answering her thought.

  In the morning the Glamor conjured them to Triumph City in good order. Ennui greeted Symbol with a hug. “You're the first to return,” she said. “But the other teams are all right, Swale says, thanks to your insight about the Chroma zones. It's just taking them longer, understandably."

  "We must return the ikons to their altars,” Symbol said.

  "As soon as we complete the thread figure."

  "Let's see where the Silver thread goes."

  They went to the loom, and Ennui tried the thread. It fit, starting an angling line that would complete another triangle adjacent to the first. “We are getting there,” Ennui said, pleased.

  "Dismay!” Symbol said. “I just remembered: we're supposed to get the Glamor's permission first."

  "Agreement.” Ennui reversed course, and removed the incompleted line. At least they knew that it would fit.

  "I will go to the adjacent Blue Chroma zone to restore further,” Lucent said. “Send your succubus to locate me when the others have arrived."

  "Agreement,” Symbol said. She knew how much the Glamor needed that recovery.

  "Parting.” Lucent vanished.

  "I don't know what would have happened if you had not figured that out,” Ennui said. “Havoc, dear man, is slow to admit a problem, going for the Gray ikon, and I think Stevia wants him alone long enough to see whether something between them is after all possible. Swale says they have made progress."

  "Swale has an interest,” Symbol agreed. “She's more interested in sex than I am, and that's considerable."

  "If I had a body like yours I'd be more interested too."

  "Negation. It's not the body but the mind that brings the interest. Mine is professional; Swale really likes it."

  "Well, she is a succubus. Sometimes I wonder whether, if I invited her to join me when I'm with Throe—” She trailed off, embarrassed.

  "She can make a man jet before he even gains entry,” Symbol said. “I never saw anything like that before."

  Ennui's expression was halfway between horror and envy. She reverted to the subject. “Meanwhile Gale and Dour are still looking for the Brown Ikon; she was nervous about entering an Invisible Chroma zone, but it really helped him continue. Throe and Jamais Vu seem to be doing well enough, but the Orange Ikon remains elusive."

  "That leaves Bijou."

  "She is with the Green Glamor, looking for the White ikon."

  "Mollusks,” Symbol agreed.

  "Question?"

  "The Glamors are not merely colors; they represent species, and interact with them and protect them. The Green Glamor is with the mollusks—the squid and such."

  "How could you know that?"

  "Lucent—the Blue Glamor told me. We got to know each other pretty well. She's with the insects. Do you see how the Silver ikon is in the form of a spider? That means he represents spiders or arachnids. I think all the ikons reflect their associations."

  "Amazement!” Ennui took the box of ikons, which was now in her desk, and checked through them. “A black mobius strip."

  "The infinity symbol. That stands for the saprophytes, that break down organic matter so it can be used again. Recycling it, in an infinite progression."

  "Wonder!” She took another. “The red nude woman."

  "She's the Glamor for the four legged species."

  "Question?"

  Symbol smiled. “I was caught that way too. Human beings. Our arms count as legs. We're four legged."

  The woman considered, then nodded. “Perhaps so. She is certainly very human.” She fished out another, though her hand looked empty. “The invisible millipede."

  "He represents the hundred-leggers."

  She brought out the translucent fish. “This at least makes sense; that's the water Chroma."

  "The Glamors don't align the same way, so that's coincidence. But yes, he would represent the fishes."

  "And the Yellow star. What would that be?"

  "The demons. They were the first colonists of this planet, and have their own interests."

  "And have a human Glamor?"

  "Species that have trouble speaking for themselves take human Glamors to speak for them. They're fully committed, and will not play their constituencies false. Their creatures know it, too. It is a—a symbiosis, perhaps."

  Ennui shook her head as she returned the ikon and closed the box. “You certainly learned much."

  "I really did. It was a great experience. It occurs to me that you should have all this straight, so you can keep Havoc informed. It could be important."

  "It is important. If you would, please tell me what else you learned."

  "Enthusiasm. It's a great revelation.” Symbol went on to narrate all she could remember, while Ennui made spot notes. She no longer carried the silver spider in her mouth, but her high remained, slowly fading. She liked having Ennui's interest, because the woman was Havoc's oath friend, and anyone that close to Havoc was important to Symbol.

  "I wonder if there is a Glamor for trees,” Ennui said. “Havoc is close to trees, and would surely get along well."

  "Havoc is Havoc,” Symbol said. “He is our Vivid and Void."

  "Understanding.” She glanced sidelong at Symbol. “A year ago, would you have believed that women like us would love a young barbarian?"

  "The whole of it would have been beyond my belief. I am now a no fault friend to the Blue Glamor."

  In the course of the day, two other teams returned. First Havoc, with Stevia, and the Gray Ikon. The woman, for once, looked tired, as well she might be; Symbol knew how hard she had been working to transport Havoc from one gray cone to another.

  And by the time I seduced him as me, my powers had faded to the point where it hardly counted, the Red Glamor's frustrated thought came.

  Symbol saw Ennui stifling mirth. Ennui accepted Symbol as Havoc's mistress, for much the reason the Lady Aspect had accepted her for King Deal, but was wary of the Red Glamor.

  "But at least the mission was successful,” Symbol said. “You fetched the ikon."

  "That, too,” Stevia said somewhat sourly.

  "I need rest,” Havoc said. “Until the next returns."

  "Symbol will put you down,” Ennui said quickly.

  "Symbol? As you say."

  "Joy!” Symbol said. She was delighted by the prospect of being with him, even if only to help him relax. She understood Ennui's motive on two levels: she knew he would not get much rest with the Red Glamor, and she trusted Symbol.

  They were soon in his bed, and she was holding his head to her breasts and stroking his hair. She loved doing that with him; he was her lover, but also to a degree her child. Soon he slept, and she was as satisfied with this as she would have been with sex. To be trusted and needed by this man—that was her fulfillment.

  "Love,” she murmured, holding him close. Then she slept too, blissfully.

  Ennui appeared. Symbol cracked open an eye. “Throe is back."

  Symbol kissed Havoc's ear. “Another ikon,” she whispered.

  He jerked awake. She threw a robe around him as he scrambled up naked, then put one on herse
lf, though her invisibility meant she would not show much flesh anyway. Ennui looked relieved; she had seen Havoc naked before, of course, but it was part of her job to be sure he was presentable in public.

  When they entered the throne room, Throe kissed Ennui. It seemed she had informed Havoc even before greeting her beloved. Then Throe poked a finger in his mouth and brought out an orange sphinx. “We both need to rest,” he said.

  "Jamais should conjure himself to the nearest Black Chroma zone,” Symbol said. She turned to Throe. “Ennui will put you down.” Turnabout.

  The Black Glamor disappeared. Ennui smiled and led Throe away.

  Havoc contemplated the Orange ikon. “So this is the Glamor for the Sphinxes."

  "Agreement.” Symbol had not tried to mask her thought. “They all align. I told Ennui."

  "Now tell me."

  "Gladly.” She explained about the way the ikons keyed into species, which the Glamors represented.

  "Interest.” He looked around. “Swale."

  The shimmer appeared. In a moment she invested Symbol, and spoke through her mouth, answering his thought. “Gale is still searching for the Brown ikon. Bijou may be in trouble."

  "Clarify."

  "She and the Green Glamor are searching White Chroma cones. They have slowed. I think they don't want to quit, but he's running out of magic."

  "Get them out of there,” Symbol said, taking over her mouth.

  "I'd better,” Havoc agreed.

  "No you don't,” Symbol said. “Stevia hasn't had enough time in a Red Chroma zone to recover. Lucent has had longer; we can do it."

  He nodded. “Appreciation."

  Symbol went to the box in Ennui's desk, and took out the Blue Insect ikon. “Blue Glamor,” she said to it.

  Lucent was suddenly beside her. “Agreement; we are best equipped to do it."

  Symbol took her arm, and they were standing beside a giant White volcano. Both of them were invisible. Ahead, two people were walking away from the cone—but several White men were there, intercepting them. Obviously the two would have conjured themselves away, if they had retained enough power to do so. Now they were about to be taken captive.

  "If we use obvious magic, they will know that Glamors are involved,” Lucent said. “This is the Science Chroma."

  "We had better just watch, then rescue them from confinement,” Symbol said. “Assuming the authorities are civilized. If they aren't, we'll have to act anyway.” Then she realized that she still held the Blue ikon. “You took me away before I could return it to the box!"

  "So put it in your mouth; what harm will it do you?"

  Symbol did so. “Irony: now I am carrying your ikon, and gaining strength from it, instead of you."

  "You will surely use that strength well."

  "Further irony: Havoc and Stevia did not have sex when returning from fetching this ikon, yet had they realized its potential, he surely could have managed it."

  Lucent laughed without great sympathy. “Poor Red!"

  They watched as the Whites took the two figures prisoner and bound them with metal shackles on their wrists. They were brought to a cell and locked in. In due course they would be brought before a magistrate and punished in some manner for their intrusion on the cone territory.

  But then one of the Whites returned. He left the Green Glamor, who was disguised to resemble a nonChroma man, and took Bijou to another chamber. Symbol and Lucent followed, invisibly. “Now we can do this two ways,” he told her. “You can fight and scream, and I will have to shoot you to death to stop your prison break. Or you can keep your mouth shut and cooperate."

  He was going to rape her. “Remember, we don't want to show our presence or any magic,” Symbol said.

  "I will distract him. You get his keys and unlock the shackles. Then go free Green and get him to water. I will rescue the girl."

  "Done."

  "Get him to a Green Chroma zone for recovery. Tell him of your interest."

  "Question?"

  Lucent glanced at her as if she were being stupid. Oh.

  Suddenly there was a swarm of biting flies. They landed on the White man and wriggled into his clothing. In a moment he felt their attention. “Obscenity!” he cried, swatting himself. But the bites continued.

  Symbol went up and grabbed the ring of keys at his waist. She went to Bijou, who was not being bothered by the flies. She used a key on the shackles. “Symbol here,” she said. “Go with Lucent."

  "Surprise,” the girl said, for Symbol remained invisible.

  Meanwhile the White man continued to struggle with the biting flies. He did not cry out, because that would call attention to what he was doing with the pretty prisoner and get him in trouble, but he was fully distracted.

  Symbol went to the other cell and unlocked it. She had become visible away from the Blue Glamor, but it didn't matter; no other Whites were there. “Green,” she said. “Symbol here. Come with me."

  The Glamor did not argue. He followed her out of the cell and out of the prison. He looked around, sniffing. “This way to water,” he said.

  Soon they came to a white river. They waded in, and a large white squid approached. Symbol controlled her alarm; this was one of the Green Glamor's creatures.

  The squid caught each of their left arms and jetted downstream. They fairly sailed along behind it, their heads kept high so they could breathe. Before long they were clear of the White Chroma zone and crossing a lake. On the far side was the fringe of a Green Chroma zone. The squid let them go and they waded out into the green.

  The Glamor began to recover almost immediately. “Appreciation, maiden,” he said.

  "We are in this together. Havoc sent us."

  "He is a good man."

  "Affirmation!” she agreed fervently.

  "Regret. I overextended myself and put the mission in peril."

  "Blue got in trouble too."

  "And you rescued her too."

  "Exaggeration. I merely helped."

  He shrugged. “I must recuperate some hours."

  "I will stand guard while you rest or sleep."

  "Intriguing inversion.” He lay beside the water and closed his eyes.

  Symbol sat and gazed out over the lake. A green tentacle rose from it. A different squid! She glanced at the Glamor, but he was sleeping. Obviously the squid had come to see him, but he was out of reach at the moment and she didn't want to disturb him. The water here was too shallow for the squid to get close enough to touch the Glamor.

  She nerved herself and waded into the water. The tentacle reached toward her. She put a hand on its tip. He is here, resting, she thought.

  The tentacle twitched, then withdrew. The message had been received. Symbol was pleased; she had conquered her fear of the monster and done a little bit of good. She returned to the shore.

  The Glamor slept until nightfall, then roused himself. “Now we can travel."

  "Recommendation: stay the night, gaining more strength. Tomorrow we can search more cones."

  He considered, then nodded. “The job remains to be done."

  "A green squid came to see you while you slept. I told it you were resting."

  "You become more appealing."

  She laughed. “I would do more for you if I could, but I know you are a Glamor."

  He laughed too. “You talked with Blue."

  "She called you Thumb before you introduced yourself."

  "I appreciate your interest."

  Then a green table appeared before them, laden with green utensils filled with green wine, bread, cheese, vegetables, and other foods. They had a wonderful supper.

  The wine was intoxicating. Symbol drank more of it, deliberately overindulging. “I think I am drunk,” she said as she staggered to a patch of bushes for a natural function.

  "Do you know my nature?” he asked as she returned.

  "Af-affir—yes. But I no longer care."

  "No fault?"

  "Why not?” She fell into his embrace.
>
  Hours later she woke, lying beside him. Her head was clear, and she had no hangover. “Did I do it?” she asked.

  "Affirmation. You were delightful."

  "I don't remember."

  "Perhaps you were unconscious."

  "Expletive! I wanted to remember.” She rolled into him and attempted to kiss him, but the glory that was his nature stunned her, and she fell away from him. “Frustration!"

  "Agreement. I was unable to kiss you before, also."

  "Unable? Because I was unconscious?"

  "Because I was unable to approach that portion of your person."

  Then she caught on. “The ikon! I have the blue ikon in my mouth. It repels you."

  He nodded. “That would account for the effect. Perhaps if you removed it?"

  She poked a finger in her mouth and took out the blue insect. She held it at arm's length. Then she approached him, proffering her lips.

  He embraced her cautiously, then kissed her, this time successfully. The contact made her face seem to explode with green rapture, but she both survived it and retained consciousness. “Success!” she breathed as it ended.

  "Agreement. The ikon lends you strength to withstand the impact. But I think not sufficient to handle conscious sex."

  "Not,” she agreed regretfully.

  "Perhaps if I describe it in detail, your memory of that will suffice."

  "Intrigued."

  So he described their liaison, and it rang true; she had performed as she normally did. He had penetrated her several times, and shared his rapture with her so that she had had an unparalleled series of climaxes. She made sure of the details and filed the memory of the description. That was not ideal, but better than nothing. She had had sex with a Glamor, and had a possible memory of the event; that was more than any normal woman could boast.

  They slept the rest of the night. She dreamed of it, and was not sure whether her dream reflected a real memory or the makeshift one. Maybe in time the two would merge and she would have the real memory.

  In the morning they ate sumptuously again, and then he conjured them to a White Chroma cone. How he knew this one was not being checked by others she didn't inquire.

  The cave and altar were similar to what she had been seeing. So was the intensity of magic. There were those who thought that White Chroma magic was somehow different from the other types, but as she saw it, each was distinct in its own fashion. The Black Chroma, with its inverted eruptions, had a better case for distinction. Still, it was odd the way Whites did not fly or conjure or heal without the assistance of bulky devices. And their smoky machines were remarkably different from anything seen elsewhere.