Key to Destiny

  It was time for the finale. This time he did not try to do it with the ifrit first; he demonstrated on Aura, making sure Iva saw the exact nature of the penetration. He wasn't quite sure she had made a place. She had the external form, but probably not the internal one. He withdrew, refraining from the climax.

  Iva went to Aura. She felt Aura's anatomy, finding the essential aperture. Her own cleft fuzzed into red vapor, then reformed. She returned to Augur.

  Now he entered her, but it still was not right. She had made too large a hole, so that it was like poking into an open bag. He returned to Aura, this time demonstrating her tightness with a finger. Iva rechecked, using her own finger, and Aura tolerated this with style. Then the ifrit fuzzed again, and reformed.

  This time Augur found the entry pleasantly tight. Well worked up by this time, he kissed her, hugged her close, and thrust to full depth, climaxing immediately. It was a relief rather than a joyful experience, but he knew the worst was over. Hereafter the ifrit would know how to do it.

  He lay with Iva for a short while longer, making the point that these things did not have to be rushed. He knew that she had had no actual pleasure from it, but was satisfied to have done it correctly. Then he withdrew. “Your turn,” he told Aura, a trifle maliciously.

  “My turn,” she agreed. “But I'm not sure I can make him climax."

  That could indeed be a problem. A woman could take or leave a climax during sex, but a man was expected to have it. “Idea,” Augur said. Then, mentally: Yellow.

  Here, the Glamor's thought came immediately. She had been watching invisibly all along, their protection in case there should be danger. Augur was not telepathic, but the Glamor could read his mind.

  Can you read the minds of ifrits?

  Not these ones Yellow replied. They are foreign to my experience. I'm not sure they have minds as we know them.

  He wasn't either. Can you project feeling to them?

  That I may do. Feeling is less specific than dialogue.

  Project her orgasm to his mind, so he experiences it, at the time, he thought.

  Agreed.

  Aura approached Ivor.

  “Preemption,” Ini said. “I'm too hot to stand it any more. Let me."

  “Agreement,” Aura said, looking somewhat relieved.

  Ini ran to stand before the ifrit. “Ini,” she said.

  “Ivor,” he replied.

  “I will have sex with you.” Not expecting him to understand the words, she took him by the hand and led him to the mattress Augur and Iva had just vacated. “But I am invisible, so it will have to be by feel.” She removed her swathing and stood in bra, panties, and hair ribbon. Then she doffed the underwear, so that only the ribbon showed.

  Augur had seen her invisible before, but at the time he had been the one having sex with her. Now he was a spectator, and that was interesting in another way. Especially since his recent partner Iva stood beside him, also watching, as well as Aura and Futility.

  The ribbon moved close to Ivor's head. His lips pursed, as they had taught Iva; Ini was kissing him. Then his hands moved, stroking air; she was guiding them to her breasts and bottom. Her shape was pretty well defined by the motions of his hands. Then he lay on the bed; she had led him down. His member lifted; she was handling it. It didn't stiffen; it lacked the mechanism. Then it fuzzed into vapor, and reformed fully erect; his observation of Augur surely guided him.

  Ivor started to insert the stiff member into her invisible cleft, but at that point the action slowed. “Augur,” Ini called. “I want him to know about thrusting."

  But sex had been too recent, for him. He was not ready. Yellow, he thought. Can you send me a fresh erection?

  It came, forging into his member: such intense sexual appetite that in a moment he was fully erect. “Aura,” he said.

  Aura joined him on the bed beside Ivor. She lay on her back and spread her legs. He came down above her. “Note,” he said. He placed his member appropriately, then made exaggerated thrusting motions, plunging into her full depth, withdrawing almost all the way, then thrusting again. “Like this."

  Then Aura wrapped her arms and legs around him and hauled him in close. That, and the fierce thrusting, and the Glamor's sending, set him off, and he went to it in earnest. After several more he climaxed, felt her doing the same, then collapsed beside her. He had made a fuller demonstration than anticipated.

  Ivor tried again. This time he penetrated the invisible body and thrust repeatedly, copying Augur exactly.

  Ini moaned, achieving her climax. Then Ivor's face showed a blankness that indicated ifrit surprise, and his body quivered. He was feeling Ini's orgasm, relayed by the Glamor. His whole body stiffened, then relaxed as he dropped to the side, still holding the invisible woman. He had just discovered the point of sexual activity.

  For a time the four of them lay there. Augur looked up to see Iva's face blank; she didn't know why Ivor had reacted like that.

  Yellow? Augur thought.

  Agreement.

  Augur stood up. “Now it is your turn with each other,” he said. “So Iva can feel it too. I let her down in that respect."

  They got the two ifrits together. Ivor's member was rigid; he would have to vaporize it to soften it. That was fine. He set it in Iva and started thrusting. She wrapped arms and legs around him, emulating Aura. They kissed.

  Then both ifrits changed. They clasped each other tightly, quivered, and relaxed together.

  “I asked the Yellow Glamor to send them our climaxes,” he told Aura. “Last time, he got Ini's climax, telepathically transferred. Now they both know what it's all about."

  The ifrits let go of each other, sat up, then stood. “Sex,” Ivor said.

  “Sex is great,” Augur agreed. “That's why we do it.” But of course the ifrit looked blank.

  “We need better communication,” Aura said. “But we may be at the limit. Animals can learn spot words and actions, but they lack the brains for full language."

  “I wonder,” Augur said. “I agree that they are at the animal level now. But their versatility in changing form and Chroma makes me think they have more potential. We still don't know why they came to us, and I think we ought to find out."

  “Agreement,” Ini said. She was now in bra and panties again, leaving her swathing off, and that was adequate. “But how can we learn, if they can't talk well enough to tell us?"

  “Maybe they came to observe us,” Futility said. “They don't need to tell us anything, just to find out about us."

  “To whom do they report, in that case?” Aura asked.

  “We had better find out,” Ini said.

  They tried to question the two ifrits, but made no headway. The ifrits were present, and cooperative to the best of their ability, but were at the limit of their intelligence.

  Then Augur got a wild idea. “The ifrits are limited in their solid form, because their natural form is the clouds. Whatever they can do intellectually must be in that form."

  “But we can't talk with them in that form,” Aura said.

  “Which is why they made the sacrifice of assuming our form. But it may be that they are in effect bound, muzzled, and blindfolded when solid. Normally they use it only to cross between Chroma. So we need to find a way to talk to them in cloud form—and I think I know how.” He paused, suddenly concerned that his idea was impractical.

  “Speak,” Ini said.

  He plunged in. “There are two of them. Surely they can communicate with each other when in cloud form, and maybe if one is in solid form. So suppose one stays with us, and the other becomes a cloud? We can project our thoughts as well as non-telepaths can, perhaps assisted by the Yellow Glamor, and the cloud can read that and relay it to the solid one. We know they can see and hear us in that form, because they picked up on the words and sex Ini and I had last night. They may be far more intelligent in cloud form—or at least able to understand far more complicated thoughts."

  “Possibility!” Ini said. ??
?That form could be like that stories of ancient computers, mechanical intellects, that used special circuits to store and manipulate huge amount of information. The clouds could be three dimensional computers, with phenomenal capacity—if it can just be directed."

  “Directed?” Aura asked.

  “The ancient machines were not intelligent of themselves, as I understand it. They were merely very good at handling information. They had to be programmed to do it; without a program, a computer was useless. So we may need to provide a program—and hope the clouds will be able to assimilate it. It may not be sapience as we know it, but it might come close."

  “Interest,” Aura said.

  “And if we can achieve this,” he concluded, “We may learn why they came to us. There has to be a reason; they have gone to a lot of trouble—more than mere observation should be worth. They could observe us from their cloud perspective; they must want more."

  “Let's try it,” Ini said. “How?"

  There was a silence. Augur was baffled; how could they get the ifrits to be smart enough to understand, before they tried the device that might make them smart?

  “Pet training,” Futility said. “Teach them to Go or Stay. Then tell one to Go and one to Stay."

  Augur exchanged a glance with Aura. Could something that simple work? “Lets demonstrate."

  They left the table. “Aura—Go,” Augur said. Aura walked away. “Ini—Stay.” Ini remained standing. “Futility—Go.” Futility went. Now would the ifrits understand? “Iva—Go."

  And Iva went.

  “Ivor—Stay.” Ivor stayed.

  But one trial wasn't certain. They tried it again, with a different patterning. Ini went, the others stayed. Ivor went, Iva stayed. They tried several more times, and the ifrits were always correct.

  Now it was time to try the key separation. “Iva—go cloud,” Augur said. “Ivor—stay."

  Iva started to walk away. But that wasn't it. “Cloud,” Augur said. He lifted his arms, trying to emulate a cloud. “Puff. Vapor. Smoke. Your natural form. Cloud.” But she didn't understand.

  I will try, the Yellow Glamor's thought came.

  Then Iva started to dissolve into vapor.

  I sent a thought: turn cloud, but stay here.

  Appreciation. That was the aspect Auger had forgotten: to tell the cloud to stay. Without the presence of the cloud, they would not be able to try the new communication.

  The body lost cohesion, steaming into red vapor. The cloud formed and expanded. As the body dissolved, it became a lump, then a mound on the ground. The food it had eaten was exposed, with a smear of a different shade of red: Augur's seed. It was like watching someone dying.

  At last it was complete: a small pile of refuse, and a full red cloud perhaps thirty paces in diameter. It remained, surrounding them; the musky odor was there.

  But would this device work? Augur was nervous.

  * * * *

  Aura considered. She wasn't sure this cloud/solid connection would work, but it was certainly worth trying.

  “We'll be talking with Ivor,” Augur said. “But the understanding will be Iva's. Assuming that they are in close communication."

  “That's the big gamble,” Ini said. “How do we find out?"

  Again, they were baffled. Ivor was standing there, waiting for them to do something. But what?

  “Why not ask him?” Futility asked.

  And again, it was her direct question that showed the way. Futility made no pretense of intellectualism or caring; this was just a job, and she wanted to get it done. Sometimes that was what was needed.

  “Ivor,” Aura said. “Can you talk to Iva?"

  “Iva. Go,” he said.

  “Iva. Here.” Aura spread her arms through the cloud.

  He didn't understand. “Iva. Go,” he repeated.

  “He thinks we want to be sure she's gone,” Augur said.

  “Assuming he thinks at all,” Ini said. “Animals don't reason things out. They deal with the immediate situation. Iva was here; we sent her away. So she is no longer relevant."

  “Maybe the Yellow Glamor can help again,” Augur said.

  “By sending Iva a thought,” Ini said. “Tell her to contact Ivor."

  Attempt. It was the Glamor's thought.

  Ivor's face went blank a moment. Then he spoke. “Iva."

  “Iva!” Aura repeated. “Stay in touch with Ivor. Help him understand.” But again she was way beyond the ifrit's capacity.

  “I think we need to proceed with a course of education,” Ini said. “As with a child. Start with the basics, work up. If Iva stays in touch, Ivor could be a bright student."

  They tackled it. They started with simple words for things: tree, stone, the names of the people present, go, stay, walk, lie down, jump, and so on. Then they did position words: here, there, near, far, up, down. Ivor repeated them with increasing fluency. But did he retain them? Did he truly understand them? His physical form surely had very little brain; the real storage would be with Iva, if their understanding of ifrit nature was correct.

  They tested him. “Where is Futility?” Aura asked.

  “Futility.” But he did nothing.

  “Here is Futility,” Aura said, walking to the woman and touching her shoulder. “Where is Ini?"

  Ivor paused. Then he walked to Ini. “Here is Ini."

  It had worked! But Aura restrained her glee, in case it was a false indication. “Yes, there is Ini. Where is Augur?"

  Ivor strode to Augur. “Here is Augur."

  It was looking good. “Where is a tree?"

  Ivor walked to a tree and touched its bark. “Here is tree."

  “I think he's got it,” Augur murmured.

  But this remained at the level of an eighteen month old human child. The Ifrit might have gotten there on his own. They needed to verify the higher capacity they presumed Iva in cloud form was capable of.

  “Take Augur to the tree,” Aura said carefully.

  Ivor considered. “Take Augur,” he said, going to Augur. “Tree.” He caught Augur's hand and tugged him toward the tree.

  “We're getting there,” Ini said with the same suppressed attitude Aura had.

  “Take a stone to Futility,” Aura said. “Then to Augur."

  The ifrit went to a stone, picked it up, carried it to Futility, and held it out for her to take. But when she reached for it, he withdrew it and carried it on to Augur.

  He was definitely getting there.

  When they got Ivor to kiss the woman standing closest to the tree, when Aura, Ini, and Futility were at different distances from it, they knew they were getting beyond the range of animal understanding. Either Ivor had greater brain capacity than seemed likely, or Iva was understanding it and assisting him.

  As they progressed, remaining doubt faded. Ivor was learning faster and retaining better than any human child could. It had to be the rapid assimilation of information Ini had described in the mythical ancient computers of planet Earth. The cloud was doing it.

  But the day was passing. They needed to be sure they could renew process next day. That meant being sure the ifrits understood what was happening.

  Aura sat across the table from Ivor. They had agreed that she would make this explanation, as she seemed to relate best to the ifrit. “Ivor, we are teaching you about human beings. But there is more to cover. Can we do this again tomorrow?"

  “We can do it again, Aura,” he agreed.

  “Do you understand the process?"

  “Process?"

  “We asked Iva to become a cloud again so she could help you understand. We talk to your solid form, but it is your cloud form that understands."

  He was surprised. “Iva?"

  Aura smiled. “Ask her. You are in touch with her."

  “Iva, is this true?” Then he answered himself. “Yes, it is true. She is around us, understanding. But why is it this way?"

  “Because you made your solid forms without enough detail to function fully on their own. Yo
u had no legs, so couldn't stand until you formed them. You copied our forms exactly, externally, but not internally.” She paused, seeing his confusion. “External means outside. Internal means inside. You looked like us outside, but inside you were just—matter. You had no stomach, so had to make one to eat. You had no functional sexual anatomy—” Again she paused to explain. “Anatomy: the structure of a thing, like a human body. Sexual anatomy is the shape of the sex organs, outside and inside. You had an outside penis, but Iva had no inside vagina. So you had to remake yours, and she had to make hers, before you could have sex.” It was easiest, now, to define words as she went along, because a single definition was sufficient, and it placed the words in context. However, sometimes this led to cumbersome chains of explanations. “Then we did have sex, which consisted of the male putting his stiffened penis into the vagina of the female, followed by great pleasure."

  Ivor smiled—another thing he had learned—reminiscently. Possibly that experience had helped motivate him to learn more. There was nothing like sex to motivate a man! That might also be why she related best to him: a man was more attentive to a woman who could provide him such pleasure. Ini could have done it, but Ini was observing and recording. “I did not know of the pleasure of sex, before,” he said. “We know animals do it to—"

  “Procreate,” Aura filled in. “To start the process of making young creatures like themselves. Every living thing procreates in some manner."

  “To procreate,” he agreed. “But we thought it was simply because they wanted new animals of their kind. Now we understand that they do it for the pleasure."

  “They do it for the pleasure,” Aura agreed. “Nature takes care of the rest.” Another pause. “Nature: our word for the natural processes of living things. We think of nature as good, but she is merely efficient. Efficient: to do things in the best way, with little waste. So she gives immediate rewards—makes animals feel pleasure—for long term objectives. Objective: something that needs to be done, a goal. Long term: it takes time to happen, perhaps years. Perhaps means maybe—something that happens or doesn't happen. Year: a unit of time. How long it takes the planet to circle the suns and return to its starting place.” She didn't try to clarify that they actually used the year of ancient Planet Earth rather than their own. “Planet: this whole ball of substance we are on."