Key to Destiny

Some control! The man was feeling her breasts with his dirty hands. “Kiss me, blue honey,” he said, his scraggly face looming near hers. “If you squeeze when I get inside, I'll see that nobody punches you in the gut."

  The brute was bargaining for her enhancement of his pleasure. The awful thing was that it was surely no bluff; any of these rough men could beat her while she was tied, to soften any possible resistance. They would probably kill and burn or bury all the victims after they were done with them, so that there would be no hard evidence of their fate. No—the leader had said he wanted them to survive, to warn others. Did it really matter?

  I can make you enjoy it. It was Swale, visiting with Aura's acquiescence.

  Negation! I don't want to enjoy it.

  Then I will visit Ini. The spirit was gone.

  The man oriented his member. It touched her groin. He bent his knees, bringing it down for more effective entry. Maybe she should have accepted the succubus's offer, if it was going to happen anyway. Maybe Swale could have caused the man to wear himself out with repeated efforts, and collapse before his brigand band. Serve him right.

  A breeze sprang up, catching Stevia's gray hair and tossing it about. Aura felt her own hair stirred.

  Then there was a cry to the side. “Smoke!"

  The leader paused, his member still nudging her cleft. “Who cares?"

  There was coughing. “Bad smoke. I can't see; I can't—” The man was choking.

  “Poison smoke!” another man cried. “Must be a blaze upwind."

  That got the leader's full attention. His member lost position as he turned to view the smoke. “The damn wind's bringing it right down on us. What a break! Get clear!"

  The men ran, avoiding the smoke that was bearing down on them. In a less serious situation the sight would have been comical: their erections preceded them, swinging from side to side as they lost elevation. The women too, their bared breasts bouncing. But of course the four bound captives could not escape it. Worse yet!

  Then Aura saw that the smoke was illusory. This was a trick, a device to scare away the brigands. But why had those exposed to it been choked and blinded?

  That would have been the mental suggestion of the Red Glamor. Stevia had been on the job after all.

  Confirmation.

  The smoke swept through, enclosing them. And suddenly Stevia was free, coming to Aura, touching her bonds, which dropped. “Do Augur,” she murmured.

  So that Augur would not realize what the Glamor had done, thus preserving her secret. So she could have more sex with him. Had the situation not been so desperate, Aura would have resented that. But now she knew that they had never been in serious danger; the Glamor had planted suggestions in the mind of the brigand leader, that he thought were his own ideas, to make this a history making display. That had delayed the rapes while the illusory poison fog formed, and the wind to carry it to them.

  Affirmation, the Glamor's thought came. Now they will curse the ill chance that denied them their sport, never suspecting that they never had a chance for it. But this grows tedious; I will see about getting us transport.

  That would certainly help. Aura approached Augur as the fog dissipated.

  * * * *

  Augur was relieved to see the women loose. Aura came to kiss him and untie him. Then she paused “Maybe I should leave you bound until I have had my will of you,” she said teasingly.

  “Quick, before the gray woman comes."

  She laughed and loosened the ropes. “She got free first, and loosed me."

  “How could she do that? Those brigands are good at bonds; I could make no headway."

  “I think her hair can be prehensile."

  “Confirmation.” Stevia's remarkable hair had not only enclosed the two of them in its comfortable cocoon, strands had tickled him in sensitive places. She was a truly accomplished lover, really the rival of the succubus. “But we were fortunate the fog came, though it turned out to be illusion."

  “The fog was no coincidence."

  Surely not; it had been too provident. “Swale must have notified a Glamor."

  Aura did not answer, concentrating on the ropes. Soon he was free. Then he embraced her. “Oh, beloved! I could not bear to see you raped!"

  “I wasn't too keen on what those brigand women were doing with you, either."

  Neither was he. It had not been a matter of appearance; the woman ranged from ugly to sexy. But he did not like being compelled to perform, and it had become clear that they knew how to do this. A man could indeed be raped by a knowledgeable woman, in more than one way; he had seen the dildo the second woman held.

  Now the other two joined them, donning their clothing. “I thought I had more control of the situation than I did,” Stevia said. “Their numbers were too great. Fortunately the succubus was here to summon help. I do not care to risk further mischief. We should obtain transport."

  “Our mission is private,” Augur said. “We lack goods to trade for passage across Chroma zones."

  “I have gray gems reserved for this purpose."

  If she had gems, why hadn't she used them before? Augur suspected he knew: she had wanted to travel no fault with him. She was an extremely lusty woman, and he knew himself to be a handsome man. Men and women were known to scheme to travel with those who appealed to them; it was an open secret. Aura was subject to similar schemes by men.

  They went through the baggage left by the fleeing brigands, recovering their own things and adding to them. Then they made a pile of the remaining brigand things and set fire to it. It seemed only fair to repay the brigands in kind for their hospitality.

  They made their way to a staging area at the fringe of a White Chroma zone. Here everything was in shades of white, distinguishable in the usual monochrome manner. A white man approached them. “Greeting."

  “Acknowledged,” Stevia said. “We are travelers of four Chroma, banding for convenience. We wish to obtain faster transport than walking around the zones."

  The man gazed at her with open assessment. “What do you offer in trade?"

  “Gray gems. They will nullify magic in their vicinity if invoked. That can be useful for travelers."

  “Demonstration?"

  “Acceded.” She held up a gray gem. “What do you wish nullified? The effect is temporary."

  The man produced a metallic tube with a projecting handle. “This is a gun, operating by magic explosions that propel small balls rapidly toward some target. Observe.” He held the tube by its handle and pointed it at a small block of white wood sitting on a stump about twenty paces distant. There was a loud noise, a puff of smoke, and the block jumped off the stump.

  Augur realized that this was more than a demonstration; it was a warning. Such a weapon could strike a person well beyond the range of sword or club. They needed to treat this man with respect.

  “Impressive,” Stevia said as the white man stuffed white powder and another white ball into the tube. “Now take the gem and hold it next to your gun.” She proffered it.

  The man pointed the gun at the empty stump, holding the gem beside it. He moved his finger below the tube. Nothing happened. Then he held the gem away from the gun and tried again. This time it banged. Obviously it remained functional when its magic wasn't being damped out.

  “One gem per traveler,” he said, satisfied.

  “This gem for one car,” Stevia said.

  “Two for the rental of the car one day."

  “And sustenance for that day."

  “Done."

  Stevia produced a second gem. The man pocketed them both, then led them to a coach that seemed to have no hitching for a horse. “Who is to drive?"

  “The red man,” Stevia said.

  “Humor, Gray. We use our own drivers, so as not to trust our science to the ineptitude of otherChroma efforts."

  “And the two gems cover that,” Stevia said.

  “Negation. They cover the car and sustenance for a day. The driver is extra—"

 
The white man paused, for Stevia was kissing him.

  “Extra careful to see to the welfare of the passengers,” he resumed after a puzzled pause. “Yes, covered by the gems. Now I shall summon her."

  A white woman appeared. She was young and pretty, in a white blouse and short white skirt, and of course her hair and skin were white also.

  “These four have rented a car for a day, sustenance and driver included,” the man said.

  The woman's white eyes narrowed momentarily; evidently she had expected additional payment. Then she surveyed the four travelers and made a trace private nod. She addressed Augur. “Sit beside me as I drive. You three ladies ride in back."

  She opened the car door and climbed into the vehicle. Augur walked to the other side, opened its door, and came to sit beside the driver. Aura, Ini, and Stevia climbed into the back seat, which was just wide enough to hold them. This device was odd, but he had learned of it in school, understood the general principle, and was a quick study. He intended to learn how to operate it, in case the woman tried to hold them up for further compensation. She might take them to hostile terrain and threaten to desert them; such ploys were known.

  “Introduction,” the woman said. “I may be called Driver.” That suggested that it was not her normal name; she was preserving her anonymity from people she expected never to see again.

  “Augur,” he replied. He did not volunteer the names of the others, as yet uncertain what kind of a relationship the white woman intended.

  She moved her hands and her feet. There was a hiss and a puff of vapor from a vent, and the car moved forward, gaining speed. “Direction?"

  “Far side of zone,” he said. “Inquiry: what is the operative magic of this vehicle? What propels it?"

  She glanced sidelong at him. He had seen such looks before; she was considering a no fault liaison. This might be her only chance for the novelty of embracing a Red Chroma man. The appeal of otherChroma sex was strong. “I can teach you to drive it, if you wish."

  “Acquiescence."

  “No fault?"

  It really wasn't a difficult decision; he wanted to learn, and she was pretty. The three woman behind them were listening, and understood. No fault during travel was sometimes mandatory rather than optional. Such exchanges were more often broached by men to women, but it could go either way, and this might prevent her from trying to extract a gem from them. “Agreement."

  That was it; she would choose the occasion at her convenience somewhere along the way.

  “We have a small furnace,” the woman said, commencing the instruction before he had a chance to change his mind. “We burn coal, and the fire heats a boiler to make steam. The steam is piped to cylinders that drive the two rear wheels. I control it with this foot pedal.” She paused, giving him opportunity to gaze at her foot and bare white leg. He had to lean down to see the pedal clearly in the shadow of the region. “I steer the car with this wheel, and use the brake pedal with my other foot to halt the car's motion.” She demonstrated by pressing the other pedal, and the car slowed dramatically, causing him to slide forward. He put out a hand to catch himself, and his fingers came up against her white knee. As she had intended. “Soon,” she murmured, as if it was passion that motivated him. Actually her body was quite nice, apart from its color, being shapely and firm. Passion would be easy to achieve.

  She continued the instruction, and he observed carefully, recording it permanently in memory. The girl probably did not appreciate his capacity in this respect. She thought he was admiring her body, when actually he was cataloging her every motion directing the car, and its response.

  Ini put an invisible hand on his shoulder, having removed a glove and rolled back her sleeve for the purpose. Swale here, the thought came.

  He was surprised; he hadn't realized that she could communicate directly with him. Question?

  The White Chroma woman means to seduce you.

  He smiled. So I discovered. No fault, in exchange for instruction controlling the magic of this vehicle.

  You knew? Embarrassment. I was traveling, and just returned, and did not verify details.

  Warning appreciated, nevertheless, he thought. I prefer to see it coming.

  Appreciation. Parting. She was gone.

  They moved rapidly along the white road, through the white terrain. Augur knew he should be used to seeing monochrome of other zones, but this endless white fascinated him. Every plant was white, from leaves to bark to flowers. Every flying bird, every fleeting animal, and of course every human person: white. In the distance he saw hills, and beyond them the great conic mountain that was this zone's volcano, the source of all its magic. Or, if Ini was right, and he rather thought she was, its catalytic agent. At the moment it was quiet; innocuous white clouds floated above it. Then Driver pulled up at a rest stop where there were sanitary facilities, food, and places to rest. A man approached to put more white coal in the car's hopper.

  The three traveling women went to the facilities without comment. Driver led Augur to a separate chamber, intended for men but unoccupied at the moment, and shut them in. Then she hoisted her skirt, drew down her underpants, and bent over, presenting her plush bare white bottom. “Give me my fourth, red man,” she said.

  So that was it! If her timing was right, she would have her fourth by him. Fourths were by definition no fault, and required no art of lovemaking unless the participants wanted it. Neither could they reasonably be declined. He bared his member, which was quite ready despite the cynicism of her ploy, and set it carefully to her spreading white cleft. The channel was hot and slick; she was ready too, and needed no further lubrication. She might be pretending it was a mere business transaction, but in tempting him she had tempted herself as well, and was truly hot for it. She squeezed as he slid the tip to the inviting depression and lodged, his red denting into her white; then she rocked back to take him rapidly and firmly in. The effect was formidable; he climaxed explosively as she achieved his full depth.

  “Give it a moment,” she murmured, keeping her bottom tight against his groin. She wanted to be sure she got all the ejaculate, which was still pulsing forth. Her vagina was kneading his softening member, milking it of the last drops. Then she drew herself off him, placed a small clamp on her external cleft so that nothing would escape, drew up her pants and dropped her skirt. It was done.

  Bemused by the efficiency of it, Augur went to the urinal and used it. He used water at a sink to clean himself while she waited, indifferent to this process. Then they went back outside.

  Driver paid him no further notice. She had gotten what she wanted, and was making it clear that she had no interest in any romantic notions he might entertain. She had evidently sized him up as a suitable donor for her fourth, a man she would probably never encounter again after this day, and taken appropriate action. She had obviously been well prepared, so must have been looking, ready to seize the opportunity when it presented itself. She had been just seductive enough to obtain his agreement for the liaison; now she was not at all enticing in manner. He realized belatedly that he had never seen her breasts, just her bare legs. And of course her bottom, her business end. No fondling, no words of endearment, just a hot hole to plug, rapidly. She had not let him waste time, but had jammed down on him and squeezed. He had never even kissed her. She had wanted no more of him than his seed for her baby. That, in recent retrospect, was a letdown.

  They resumed the drive. There was no delay or holdup; Driver wanted to complete this job and go home. It was probably hard for her to urinate while wearing the clamp, so she needed to get to a secure environment.

  The scenery remained just as varied in all respects except color, and there some fine examples of plants he ordinarily would have liked to pause to study. There was also much illusion, as there surely was in every Chroma zone, only now he perceived it as such. But he was in a mild depression because of the comedown the sex had proved to be; he had been used, and though he had no legitimate complaint, it annoyed
him. So he knew he was missing much he should have appreciated.

  As evening closed, they arrived at the far side of the zone. Driver dropped them off at the station, took on more white coal, and drove back the way they had come. She did not even bid them parting.

  “Augur's glum, and Driver couldn't wait to get away,” Ini remarked. “What happened, a quarrel? I saw nothing."

  “She must have had him at the lunch stop,” Stevia said.

  “Agreement,” Augur said.

  “That fast?” Aura inquired. “There was hardly time."

  “Her fourth."

  She nodded, understanding; that explained everything.

  “She looked hardly older than I am, and not worn,” Ini said. “She's borne three children?” Then she caught herself. “But of course the fourth is a status, not a number; she could be leading off with it."

  “Getting the chore out of the way first,” Aura agreed.

  “Chore?” Augur asked.

  All three women laughed. “Who would ever have sex with you for the fun of it?” Stevia asked.

  And of course they had all done just that. He had had a lot of sex recently: twice with Swale in Ini's body, once with Ini herself, at least five times with Stevia, and once with Driver, technically. With every one of them except Aura, his beloved. Each one of them was different, and it was more than body or technique. They were qualitatively distinct. In fact Stevia had been different each time, as if her personality and anatomy changed with each performance, regardless how rapidly one followed another. She seemed superhuman. Did the Gray Chroma folk have special powers? But she was away from her Chroma zone, so should be ordinary except for her hair, which seemed to be inherently magic. It still seemed doubtful that the hair could have untied the brigands’ bonds. Unless she chose to use one of her gray gems, or—

  Like a light, it flashed on him. “Glamor!” he exclaimed. “You're a Glamor!"

  “Defecation!” Stevia swore. “You caught on."

  “He's not stupid,” Aura said with a certain muted pride.

  “Changelings aren't,” Ini agreed.

  “That's why you weren't concerned about the brigands,” he said. “You knew you could handle them at any time, if you revealed your nature. But why did you even bother with me?"