Key to Destiny

  “That's an advantage of invisibility: no embarrassment."

  “Then on.” He took hold of her again, and jumped as far as he could, eastward across the planet.

  They landed knee-deep in a red lake. A six-legged croc spied them by sight and smell, and nosed smoothly in. Havoc waded out of the water, urging Ini with him. The croc couldn't hurt him, and probably couldn't hurt Ini either, but he preferred that that not be apparent.

  “Interest,” Ini said, looking around as he released her. Again, he ‘saw’ her via her mind, not her body. “I have not before had occasion to catalogue Red Chroma fauna and flora."

  “Nor this time,” he said. “But after this practice is done, I will bring you back here, if you wish."

  “Deal."

  “Do you know how far we have come?"

  She glanced at Counter Charm in the sky. “Judging by the changed position of our sister planet, about one twentieth of the circumference of Charm."

  “Amazement. I can't figure distance like that."

  “It's just a matter of perspective. I can detail the process if you wish."

  “Negation. Just keep tracking us."

  He took hold of her again, and jumped east again, to his limit. This time they were near a Black Chroma volcano. He made an immediate short jump to get to nonChroma terrain.

  “Appreciation,” Ini said. “Black makes me nervous."

  “Distance?"

  “Another fifteenth of the way around the planet. You are getting stronger."

  They jumped again, this time a tenth of the circumference, and landed in a White Chroma zone. Again Havoc made a smaller jump to get them to a nonChroma zone.

  Now they were in late afternoon. “I didn't realize it was so late,” Havoc said.

  “Explanation: you have traveled between a fifth and a quarter of the way around the planet. Night falls here five to six hours sooner than at Triumph City."

  “Appreciation! I hadn't thought of that."

  “One reason you have me along."

  He looked at her position. “I am minded to night in this vicinity, and continue east in the morning."

  “Amenable."

  Havoc drew on a Glamor power to scout the vicinity and locate a friendly tree with a trunk diverging into several large spreading branches. This formed a safe basket for them, as the tree would not tolerate any intrusion by a hostile creature. He harvested succulent fruits that provided liquid with their substance. They ate, contributed offerings of fertilizer at the tree's base, and settled down for the night. Havoc, stronger and invulnerable, lay in the basket and held Ini on top of him, making her secure.

  In the process, one hand came up against her small breast. He considered, and left it.

  “Appreciation,” she murmured. “For pretending my anatomy is worth touching."

  That was exactly why he had left his hand, after the accidental contact. Her lack of confidence in her appearance was showing. She was sixteen, an age when appearance was vital. “You have helped me gain proficiency. Maybe you can return the ikon to your mouth now."

  She did so, cautiously. He felt her body became more resistive to his proximity, but it was tolerable.

  “I find myself awake,” Ini said after a bit. “This is night, but hours before my normal sleep cycle."

  “Similar."

  “Dialogue?"

  “Amenable."

  “I have been thinking about the Glamor and ikon effects. I see them as physical and psychological. When a person tries to strike an ikon bearer, the blow sheers away. That is physical; the heavier the weapon, the faster and closer it moves, the greater the magical repulsion. So were you a normal person, you could not strike me."

  “Agreement."

  “But perhaps you could hold me as you are doing, by approaching slowly and without malice. In fact I'm sure you could, because Augur clasped me after I possessed the ikon. I had to move it from my genital area to enable him to penetrate me, and from my mouth so he could kiss me, but he was able to touch me closely."

  “But I as a Glamor have more trouble."

  “True. The ikon wards you off more effectively than it does a mortal person. You would not be able to have sex with me unless I held it well away from my body. I am speaking analytically, not invitingly."

  “Understanding."

  “Comparison: if I lacked the ikon, and did not know you were a Glamor, I could have sex with you. But once I knew your nature, I could not. Since that barrier obviously is not physical, it must be psychological."

  “Agreement,” Havoc said, surprised. “I can have sex with Futility because she doesn't know. But Bijou, who knew, had a real struggle to get to it."

  “Could your inability to have sex with an ikon holder be similarly psychological?"

  “Possible,” Havoc said, surprised.

  “I am minded to experiment, for the sake of knowledge. Amenable?"

  “Amenable."

  “We contemplate likely failure, so it probably will not happen. But if you care to attempt it with me, perhaps we can ascertain the limit.” She turned over so that she was straddling him.

  Havoc, normally the lustiest of men, especially since becoming a Glamor, found that he was not ready for this. “Embarrassment: I lack hardness.” Actually he realized he was partly hard, but unable to touch that area.

  “Needless. I am holding the ikon near my groin. See if you can bring your groin to contact. Completion is unnecessary. Remain clothed."

  Havoc tried, but though there had been reasonable proximity before, now with the ikon in that region he found he could not achieve contact. He pushed hard, but her invisible groin eluded him.

  “Observation,” she said. “I am floating.

  “Astonishment!"

  “Feel with your hands."

  He did so, and discovered a space between their bodies. She was floating above him, pushed away by his effort to bring their groins into contact. “It's physical!"

  “Physical,” she agreed. “You can not have sex with me because you are unable to approach close enough for penetration near the ikon. So it is not after all psychological. This requires rethinking.” She turned over so that her back was toward him, moved the ikon away, and settled comfortably against him. Her backside was more interesting than expected; the ikon was reshaping her. “I am minded to experiment further."

  “Amenable!"

  “Again, I do not wish to cause you awkwardness. But now I wonder whether a mortal's inability to have sex with a Glamor is after all not psychological. I would like to remove the ikon and attempt a genital contact. There is no need to complete it, or to remove your clothing."

  “Proceed.” They were discovering things that even the older Glamors didn't know. This woman's approach was a marvel for discovery.

  She held the ikon well out from her body, to the side, and faced him, first straddling him, then trying to lie wholly against him. She did not succeed. In fact she was floating again. “Physical,” she concluded as she gave up the effort.

  “Mystery: if it is physical, why does ignorance enable sex?"

  “This is the problem. Psychological seemed to explain it, but now we are lost. How could a mortal's mere knowledge evoke a physical repulsion?” Then she jumped, startling him. “Revelation: we are looking the wrong way! It is psychological not for the mortal, but for the Glamor."

  “Confusion."

  “The magic lies with the Glamor. He can invoke it by mere act of will. You can transport me around the planet; you could as readily make me float. The power is yours."

  “Agreement. But why would that prevent me from approaching you when I wished to?"

  “Psychology can be subtle and devious. It can make it seem that the other person is doing something instead of you. If you believe a mortal woman is unable to clasp you, then your magic can make it true. If you believe that her ignorance makes it possible, then that is true also. Similar could be true for the ikons: you believe you can't approach them, so you can't. Your psyc
hology becomes physical, because of your great magic."

  This was approaching sense. “That means I should be able to clasp you, if I truly believe I could."

  “If my conjecture is valid."

  Something changed in him. “Ini, your rationale appeals to me, perhaps because it offers me greater understanding and control of my own actions. Now I want to clasp you sexually."

  “No need. It can wait. In time the ikon may make me more physically desirable, as has been the case with the Ladies Ennui and Aspect."

  “Negation. I want to do it now, before you reach that state. Your mind turns me on."

  “Willing,” she said breathlessly, getting out of his way.

  He almost ripped off his clothes. Then, fully erect, he caught her body and drew her into him. He kissed her mouth, and felt a tingle as of a departing stasis. He kissed her breasts, and felt them expand. He clasped her, and penetrated her, and erupted into her with a phenomenal climax. He felt her reacting against him, her body tightening as she achieved her own climax. Then they lay plastered together, breathing hard.

  “You are right,” he said.

  “Appreciation.” Then: “Curiosity: is it true that a Glamor can do it many times in succession?"

  “True. You wish it?"

  “At this moment, yes. To see if I can too."

  He had not yet slid out of her. Now his member hardened again. “Tell me when to stop.” He thrust, and jetted again, and she flung her arms around him and pushed her groin as close as possible, for maximum reception. After a moment he hardened a third time, thrust, and jetted. He felt her convulsing against him, matching his climax.

  After six times, she relented. “Now stop, if you care to, Sire. I fear we are depleting ourselves, delightful as this is."

  He relaxed, and they lay again with entry complete but not driving. “You stayed with me. Yet you are not a Glamor."

  “I gained it from you. When I felt your body around me and in me, I responded. There is phenomenal joy in your essence. I think my ikon helped."

  “Instead of hindering. You enabled the breakthrough. Now we know that Symbol did it fifty times with the Green Glamor because he believed she could; they did not need to play a game of charades."

  “Affirmation. And appreciation."

  “Question?"

  “For demanding it before I become desirable. That makes it much better."

  “Welcome.” Actually she had become desirable, but there was no need to point that out. Something else occurred to him. “Glamors can have sex freely with other Glamors. If there were true repulsion, surely it would be worse with Glamors than with ikons."

  “Concurrence."

  “So the answer was there all the time, opaque until you found it."

  “Answers always seem more obvious in retrospect than in anticipation."

  “Opinion."

  She laughed against him. “Whose?"

  “Yours.” He was requesting her perspective on another matter.

  “Welcome."

  “As we know, Ennui and Aspect have become far more sexually appealing with the ikons than they were before them. The ikons also make them lusty."

  “Agreement."

  “They have suggested that they would like a change in our relationship."

  That surprised her; he felt it in her body. “They desire you!"

  “Affirmation. I respect, trust, and value both them enormously. But they are the age of my mother. I find this awkward."

  “How old is the Red Glamor?"

  That stopped him. “Over 250 years. And I have no problem with sex with her."

  She wriggled against him. “I'm 16. Red's 250 plus. That makes Ennui and Aspect middle range."

  “And I have been answered."

  “Suggestion: let's do it once more, then sleep."

  For answer he clasped her again, stiffening, and they went into a final bout of sex. And slept.

  In the morning they resumed jumping, and by day's end had circled the planet. On later occasions they did it again, until Havoc was satisfied that he could take her any distance, with or without the ikon. That problem had been abolished.

  So had whatever problem of appearance she thought she had. Invisibility could not hide the fact that the slow transition inspired by the ikon she carried was making her the match of any of her sisters. They had sex often when they traveled, but it was for the fun of it, not for any reassurance she might need. She was coming to accept that. Sometimes she teased him about having a second Air mistress. He did not argue; it was close to being true. With his wife increasingly pregnant, and his mistress fully occupied helping her cope with the children, sex tended to get left behind. Ini understood, and was obliging, and discreet.

  But still he longed for the return of the Ladies Aspect and Ennui. He felt clumsy running the kingdom without their guidance, and worse when Gale birthed Voila; true fatherhood was its own challenge. And finally the Ladies came.

  * * * *

  Gale knew it well before the three arrived; she sensed the approach of her ikon. “They're back!” she exclaimed.

  “Relief,” Symbol said. “I know they have ikons, but such a long distant mission had to be chancy."

  “The Gray Glamor kept an eye on them. When there was trouble, he took care of it."

  “I remember your comment. It's hard to believe we lived all our lives before without Glamor contact"

  Gale smiled. “Things change."

  “And now we'll go with the Glamors to Counter Charm."

  “Now that we'll have the complete tapestry and the altar,” Gale agreed.

  The three children were playing while the baby slept. Symbol went to prepare nutritive puddings for them. Warp liked dark chocolate, Weft Vanilla, and Flame strawberry; their tastes matched the colors of their hair, approximately. Voila's hair was light brown, matching that of her parents; she was too young to have developed a taste for light chocolate, but it would surely happen soon.

  Gale watched them while Symbol was busy; they had learned that one of them always had to be alert, because mischief erupted the moment the three were left to their own devices. Sure enough, as Symbol put the puddings out to cool, the strawberry one lifted into the air and floated slowly toward Warp. Then a little ball of flame appeared over the chocolate one, threatening to burn it to ashes. The strawberry pudding reversed course and returned to its place.

  Gale stifled a smile. She had observed with extended peripheral awareness, giving no sign. Warp had tried to steal Flame's pudding; Flame had warned him off. So that was ploy and counter-ploy, self correcting. That was best.

  Then a brown ball of Warp's—their toys were color coded too—appeared in Weft's hand while Warp was distracted by the puddings incident. That needed to be dealt with, lest it trigger retribution. The children were normal, but also Glamors, and a serious quarrel could lay waste the area.

  Gale focused, and a little black cloud complete with projecting lightning jags appeared before Weft. It was illusion, and Weft knew it, but abruptly the brown ball returned to its place behind Warp. They all knew that an illusion warning could readily be replaced by an unpleasant reality. Discipline was constant, but mainly in cautions rather than punishments. Gale had heeded the sage advice of Intrepid and Innate, Ini's Invisible Chroma parents. It did require magic to handle magic children, but it was working out, and Gale had never regretted adopting them.

  Symbol passed out the puddings. Voila woke and demanded feeding too. Gale picked her up and nursed her.

  “I lose track,” Symbol said. “How many Glamors are there now?"

  “Fourteen adult, three child."

  “And eighteen pockets in the altars. One more Glamor to go."

  Gale paused. “I wonder what constituency?"

  “Ini would know."

  The children took their attention then, with a threatening food fight, and the subject lapsed, but Gale didn't forget it.

  The three Loom travelers were warmly welcomed home. They had been l
ooking younger and fitter when they left; they were more so now. Ennui and Aspect looked hardly older than Nonce, while Nonce looked more mature. It seemed that the ikons were taking them toward a common ideal.

  Gale hugged Aspect and Havoc hugged Ennui. Both women were amazed. “How can you touch us so close?” Ennui asked.

  “Ini figured it out,” Gale said. “The key is in the Glamors. We can touch when we want to."

  “Not the ikons themselves,” Havoc said. “But we can come close."

  Ennui and Aspect exchanged a glance. Then they went with Nonce to set the loom up in its former chamber.

  “Jealousy,” Symbol muttered.

  “Question?"

  “Never in my life did I see either Aspect or Ennui as sexual competition. Oh, Aspect was King Deal's wife, and could have him any time she made an issue, but I was the one he came to for pleasure. As for Ennui, she was Havoc's oath friend, and that made her supreme in court, by definition, but sex had nothing to do with it. But now the ikons have wrought such a phenomenal change that they both look younger than I do, and sexier, and I know they can and will perform. If they want Havoc, they'll take him."

  “Doubt."

  “As mistresses, I mean. You're his wife and his love; not even an ikon can change that. But I am merely his mistress; I can be replaced. Ini could readily do it; he truly likes her. Her ikon has transformed her similarly. I really haven't been giving him enough attention recently."

  “Because your time has been monopolized by the children."

  “And I don't regret it. But it has shifted the nature of our relationship."

  “Symbol, I need you. I can tell Havoc to—"

  “Negation. Such things have to be natural. I am merely suffering the pangs of seeing others as others have seen me."

  That was true, but it bothered Gale. Every woman desired Havoc, and he rewarded a select number with sex when it was appropriate, but Gale and Symbol were his home ports. The notion of the Ladies Aspect and Ennui entering the sexual arena was disturbing, in part because they were not mere passing doxies. They were vital, formidable women, essential to the operation of the kingdom. Symbol was right: they had become disturbingly sexual creatures.