“Only if you know his nature,” Augur reminded her.
“And if I don't know, what is the point?"
The dialogue lapsed. They completed the meal, then left the suite. “Appreciation,” Stevia told the black attendant. “Your hospitality is excellent."
“Welcome."
They walked the short distance to the edge of the Chroma. “I shall no longer be so wary of Black Chroma zones,” Aura said. “I was superstitious."
“All Chroma are ultimately similar,” Stevia said. “All volcanoes are similarly dangerous, whether they blow in or out. And all people are similar under their colors."
“Understanding."
The adjacent nonChroma zone was thicker than usual. Volcanoes were irregularly scattered across the planet, so some were crowded close together while others were widely spaced, and the nonChroma zones represented the regions where no magic color extended. They could be vanishingly thin, or quite extensive.
They came to a formidable mountain range that extended to either side beyond the horizon. “This is the region,” Stevia said. “It is a patch of land that would be a solid day's walk across, were it a flat plain. As it is, it cannot be walked; the peaks become sheer, and the cartographers record sheer cliffs. It obviously hides a secret, since it is proof against Glamors, and we suspect it is the secret of the origin of the altars. Perhaps this is where the material was mined to make them. We doubt there are dangerous animals or plants here, but we don't know."
“We are specialists in plants and animals,” Augur said. “We should be able to recognize their natures."
“One reason Havoc selected you for this mission. Find your way over or through these mountains to the interior valley, and I will meet you when you return this way. Parting."
She faded out before they could acknowledge. The Red Glamor was gone.
* * * *
Aura shook her head. “Confession: I was coming to depend on her protection and guidance. Now I feel nervous."
“Agreement,” Ini said.
“And I wanted to learn more from her about sex,” Augur said.
Aura considered a sharp retort, but had learned enough recently to understand that he was serious. Such knowledge did have its place. “Maybe if she comes to you in another guise, you can learn it."
“Meanwhile, I suppose I'll have to settle for you."
“Much more of that attitude, and you'll be settling for Ini.” She caught herself too late. “Apology,” she said to the Air Chroma woman. “Affront not intended."
“Needless. Your implication was that he must not disparage you lest he be denied you."
“Accuracy."
They set off for the mountains, following what trace paths offered. It was obvious that this was sparsely settled terrain. The way became rugged, and progress was slow.
“Assistance?” Swale inquired from Ini.
“Can you spy out a good path ahead of us?” Aura asked.
“Simplicity. Provide a moment while I check.” After a moment she was back. “This way.” Ini moved out.
It was indeed improved. They wound around and over rocky outcrops, avoided aggressive vegetation, and found a ledge leading upward. “This leads to a cave that may go through the mountain,” Swale said. “I was unable to explore it as a spirit; I think there are barriers. When you enter, I shall have to stay body-bound, or leave you. Preference?"
“Use my body,” Aura said promptly. At first she had been diffident about the succubus, but familiarity had reassured her, and the session of gentle sex with Augur had abolished any remaining doubt. Swale was a highly sexual person, but a person nevertheless.
“Or mine,” Ini said. “Will you be fixed in one for the duration, or can you transfer?"
“I can transfer, but only with your cooperation. You must make physical contact with each other."
“Then remain with Ini, and tell me when you wish to be with me."
Even with the way clarified, it was no easy trek. It was midday, and they were hot and tired by the time they achieved the cave. It did seem to be their destination; it looked unnatural, its sides being smooth and with a faint phosphorescence. They could see its interior, which curved on the level into the mountain.
“Crafted,” Augur said. “This is meant to be entered."
“Crafted,” Aura agreed. “But as an aid to travel, or as a trap for the unwary?"
“It would seem pointless to set up a trap where no folk go,” Ini said. “Or to make an opening that is not supposed to be used. Easier simply to let the mountain balk intruders, if passage is to be denied."
Aura wasn't sure of that, but had no better case to make. Of course there was danger; they were entering a region forbidden to Glamors. It was bound to be a challenge, of what nature they could not know.
The cave opened into a chamber with five passages leading directly into the mountain. “Definitely crafted,” Aura murmured. “But which one are we to take?"
“Try them all,” Augur suggested.
“Caution,” Ini said. “We need to judge: crafted for what? This could be a sieve."
“Question?” Aura asked.
“A sieve sorts thing by size or type. These seem to be passages intended for human beings or creatures of similar size, but we can't be sure what their selection is. I think we need to find additional information."
“There are marks above the passages,” Augur said. “Each one different."
“Those may be the key,” Ini agreed. “It could be a test for sapience."
Aura studied the marks. They were simple lines. The first passage on the left had a single vertical line. The second had two lines crossing, forming an X. The third had three lines crossing imperfectly, forming a small triangle in the center. The fourth one had no mark. The fifth had five lines crossing imperfectly, forming a five-pointed star.
“Why is one missing?” Aura asked.
“Erased?” Augur asked.
Ini peered closely at the place. “Negation. This surface is untouched. There was never a figure here."
“There must be reason—or meaning,” Aura said. “This must offer the hint. It should be a set of lines crossing with a small square in the center."
“Agreement,” Ini said. “As a riddle, it is elementary. But by itself it seems meaningless."
“So we explore,” Augur said. “I see no indication that there are traps like falling ceilings; presumably we are intended to scout the region and draw a conclusion."
They checked each of the passages. Four were dead ends, going nowhere. Only the unmarked one led to the next chamber.
“I wonder if this is a game?” Aura said. “A puzzle we need to figure out, to win."
“Only intellects of a certain level are partial to games,” Augur said. “Even competitive games, like chess or anagrams, can be phrased as puzzles. We will prove our fitness by solving it."
“And if we are not fit?” Aura asked.
He shrugged. “We won't get through."
She hoped it was that simple. Some mysteries had deadly answers. But they seemed to have little choice. They took the passage to the next chamber.
That chamber had five more exits, also marked with small symbols. They were formed of marks of equal length, again: two lines parallel, three forming a triangle, four forming a square, and five forming a pentacle. As before, one was unmarked. But the symbols were not in progressive order; they were random.
“Now we have a riddle,” Ini said. “All these passages seem to go somewhere. Surely four are wrong. How do we know which one is right?"
“Maybe the unmarked one, as before,” Augur suggested.
“Perhaps the fourth one from the left, as before,” Aura said.
“Or the one marked with the four lined symbol—the square,” Ini said. “As implied before."
They nodded. “The random order of the symbols this time suggests that a straight left right progression is not valid,” Augur said.
“And the unmarked one is not the sa
me one as before,” Aura said. “That suggests that that rule is also invalid."
“Which leaves the square,” Ini said. “We had to establish its nature, then search it out, applying intelligent selection. Does this make sense?"
“A sieve,” Aura agreed. “A selection for intelligence. Mere animals would be unlikely to grasp it, if they even noticed the symbols."
“We can explore all of them, again,” Augur said. “Just to be sure."
“I wonder.” Ini peered down the passage without a symbol. Just before it curved out of sight, there was a barred gate on a vertical hinge at one side. “That appears to be a rotary mechanism. Does it move both ways?"
Augur walked to the gate and pushed it without following. It swung forward, and a second gate swung out behind it. “A rotary gate,” he said. He caught the second and pulled it backwards. It balked. “One way."
“So we don't explore all passages, this time,” Aura said. “We have to guess right the first time."
“Surprise,” Ini said dryly. “But I prefer not to guess. We don't know where the wrong ones lead. It could be to the outside, or to a boiling fissure."
“The fissure would stop a person from going outside, returning to the entrance, and trying another passage, negating the selective process,” Augur said. “So danger seems likely."
“In any event, we want to go together,” Aura said.
“Agreement!” Augur said, touching her hand.
“What does Swale think?” Aura asked Ini.
“I'm not sure what would happen to me if my host died while I was locked in,” Swale's voice answered. “I want to survive, and I think that is more likely as a group."
“Together,” Aura repeated, satisfied.
They reviewed their theories, and concluded that the most likely correct answer was the square. With a certain trepidation, they walked down the passage as a group. They passed the rotary gate and followed the curving passage to a new chamber.
This one was different. It had just two passages going on, and one of those showed daylight beyond another turnstile. They could leave if they chose, and perhaps could return at another time. The other was blocked by—an altar.
“This is what we came for,” Ini said. “Or a confirmation that it is here: the secret of the origin of the altars."
They studied the altar. It was roughly cubic in shape, with 18 small pockets at the top. All were empty. They could see that there was a squared off passage beyond it, just large enough for the altar to fit in.
They tried to move the altar out of the way, but could get no grasp on it; it could not be pulled, and they could not get behind it to push it out. It seemed that the only way to move it was into the passage.
They considered. “It seems we can leave, or push,” Augur said. “So we had better push.” He put his hands on the side of the altar opposite the passage and pushed. The altar didn't budge.
Aura joined him. When they braced and pushed together, suddenly the cube moved into the passage and stopped.
“Now it's truly blocked,” Aura said.
“We don't know how far the passage is,” Augur said. “Presumably it goes somewhere. We merely have to push the altar into the next chamber and get around it."
“As a test of strength, this may be apt,” Ini said. “As a riddle it seems less so."
“We must have faith that there is a way through,” Aura said. “Even if we have to do some hard labor."
“Perhaps I should take a turn at pushing,” Ini said.
“Welcome,” Augur said, standing aside.
Aura and Ini put their shoulders to the cube and shoved. To Aura's surprise, it moved forward another square, though she was sure that Ini did not have Augur's strength. Apparently any two pushers sufficed; it might be a matter of position and balance as much as power.
“Maybe this represents a selection for number,” Augur said. “Two people rather than one."
Now a space opened to the right. The floor here was dark and polished, in contrast to that of the prior chamber and passage. There was another polished space beside the cube, and a short passage extended from it, to the right.
“It seems we have found the way through,” Aura said.
The passage to the right led them to a second altar in its own chamber. There was another passage to the left, then left again, bringing them to a third altar sitting in the middle of a chamber. There was a passage leading back toward the chamber with the polished floor, and it was clear that the second altar could be pushed in that direction. Beyond it was another square passage, which turned left, bringing them to a fourth altar in its own chamber.
That was all. There was no other exit from the linked chambers, except the way they had entered.
They considered. “There seems to be no point in going back,” Augur said. “So there must be something we have yet to understand."
“And that would be the next riddle in the sieve,” Aura said. “Four altars, a central polished section, connected chambers. What can we make of this?"
“The polished squares are the same size as the bases of the altars,” Ini said. “Perhaps they are supposed to rest on those squares."
“We could push them there,” Augur said. “There is no apparent reason, but maybe the selection is for those who are able to think beyond the obvious."
“Agreement,” Ini said. “The three polished squares form a pattern that can be completed by the square our first cube is on. We have but to push the other three into their places."
“But the altar we first placed blocks the access of the one opposite,” Aura said. “We need to push it back a square."
“Where it will block the altar to the left,” Augur said.
“So it seems that we have another riddle,” Ini said. “How to push the cubes in place. Perhaps we should make a map."
They sketched a crude map on the polished floor. It showed the four polished squares, and four passages leading out to the four altars as originally placed. Now it was clear that all could be pushed in from the outside, but that the manner of the placements mattered. If they did it wrong, the figure could not be completed.
They numbered the altars 1 to 4, clockwise from the first one they had pushed in. The pattern would have been simple to complete if they had not pushed #1 in prematurely—but they had had to do that to get into the chamber. Now they were stuck with it interfering with the other placements.
“I fathom it,” Ini said. “Place #2 first, in the southwest spot. Then push #1 back to the spot it crossed to let us in."
“But that will block our exit,” Aura protested.
“We don't want to go that way anyway,” Augur reminded her. “Then we can place the other two, and it is done."
They got to work. Augur and Aura got behind altar #2 and pushed it across the southwest square and to the southeast one. This blocked their prior route, so they backtracked around the outside to pass altar #3 and go down the passage to reach altar #1. Ini remained behind. “Are you there?” Augur called.
“Affirmation,” she called back.
They pushed, and the block slid into place. This reopened the way through the center. They walked back to altar #3 as Ini walked around to join them. They pushed it into place, right where #1 had been before.
Then they went around to push altar #4 into place, completing the pattern.
There was a melodic sound, and the four blocks faded out. In their place was a circular stairway winding down.
“It seems we passed the test,” Ini said, pleased.
So indeed it seemed. Aura was relieved; she had not been sure of their course, but this confirmed it. They had realized that they needed to move the blocks, and figured out how, and done it. But why did this elaborate setup exist, and who had made it? The makers of the altars?
The stairs led to a new and larger chamber. Four altars were in it, more or less along the far wall. Two were blocking the exit passages.
“We have learned how to play this game,” Ini said. ?
??Now, I suspect, comes the serious challenge."
They took time to check the situation before doing anything. The problem was that they could not see down the passages as long as the altars were there, and if they pushed them into the passages they would be committed, right or wrong.
Ini made another map. They pored over it. “Look,” Augur said. “Move this one south, and that makes a place to move that one south without blocking. That opens one passage, and we can go down it and see where it leads, before committing."
They did so. It led to a passage parallel to the wall of the chamber, connecting with the other blocked passage. It went on to another chamber where there was a placement square. That was where the altars were supposed to go.
It was still tricky to figure out the exact movements necessary to move the cubes without blocking up, but they worked carefully and got them to the receiving section, one by one. Aura took a break after the third while Augur and Ini went back for the last one. This was wearing work!
She gazed around the second chamber. There was another exit to the outside, perhaps for those who were unable to solve the puzzle. They had no need of that; the problem wasn't that hard. Then, idly, she practiced her illusion penetration. The chamber, passages, and alters were real, of course; they had been working directly with these. So there was no illusion here.
Then her gaze fell on the remaining square for the last altar. The floor was not polished there. How could that be? They had just been moving the altars there because the squares were polished.
She blinked and looked again, and the polish reappeared. It was illusion!
The last altar came sliding down the passage toward her, Augur and Ini hidden behind it. “Halt!” she cried. “We're making a mistake."
They peered around the cube on either side. “Question?” Augur asked.
“Come look at the fourth spot. It's illusion."
He came and looked. “Confirmation. I never thought to question it."
They pushed the other blocks off their spots. None of them were polished.
“You're sure?” Ini asked. “They look polished to me."