Key to Destiny

  Obviously there was energy stored in the ikons, because of their effect on their carriers while they crossed Chroma zones. But it was something to keep in mind. Ennui and Aspect would never care to relax in any Chroma zone for long. Not unless someone else took their ikons, or they were hidden in a safe nonChroma place. The power of two Glamors depended on it. This was the real indication of the esteem in which the two women were held.

  The ikon! Ennui thought. That's what did it!

  The passion, Aspect thought, receiving her concept.

  When I first felt it, at my desk—I was bent over against my legs, reaching to the floor. The ikon was pinned between my breasts and thighs, near my crotch.

  It was squeezed there, Aspect agreed. The pressure must have activated it, or caused it to radiate more strongly through your flesh.

  My sexual flesh, Ennui agreed.

  And when that happened, my mind picked up that passion from yours, for we retain constant contact. I put my hand on my ikon and pressed it to my breasts under my blouse, involuntarily, and felt the desire.

  And once I had been aroused, it took time to fade. Sex with Throe did not abate it.

  Nor sex with Chief, Aspect agreed. Both are good men, but not Glamors.

  And they were Glamor ikons. But Glamors could not approach their own ikons or any others, so sex with any of them was not feasible. Are we stuck with insatiable passion?

  Aspect laughed mentally. All we have to do is move the ikons.

  She was correct. They didn't have to carry the ikons near their female parts. They could fasten them to their feet, or hide them in their hair. That would solve the problem.

  But Ennui didn't hurry to do it. She was becoming used to having sexual interest like that of a man, and wasn't immediately ready to give it up. The passion was frustrating, but also pleasant.

  Woe betide the handsome young man who falls into our clutches, Aspect thought with a mental smile.

  In the morning the bus resumed flight, now powered by yellow magic. They saw the flames beyond the windows, and at one point the distant cone of the Yellow volcano. Meanwhile they continued the scrubbing, more slowly, and got the bus looking almost like new. Bus was pleased.

  They crossed a Gray Chroma zone, and Red, where they left Nine. Then as they crossed the Blue Chroma zone, there came the question they had known was coming. “Would any of you ladies care to shift no fault?” he asked hopefully.

  “Appreciation,” Aspect said. “Negation."

  “Negation,” Ennui agreed, though she was tempted. She would have liked to try it, but two things balked her: she was afraid the man would find her older body less than enticing, and she wasn't sure the sex would abate her passion. It hadn't with Throe.

  Exactly, Aspect thought.

  But Nonce could no longer hold out. She was in excellent spirit, but overcharged. “Agreement,” she said, and practically dragged the blue man into his private chamber.

  The two older women smiled. At least it would ease the girl's restlessness, for which they were responsible.

  He dropped them off at the edge of the White Chroma zone. “If you have a return trip soon, welcome, in any capacity."

  “Perhaps,” Aspect said. Actually it had been a satisfactory journey, not onerous, thanks mainly to the aid of the ikons.

  The White Chroma zone was typical of its type. The landscape was white, including the trees and bushes. Everything was in shades of white, just as everything in other Chroma zones was shades of blue, green, red, or whatever. But it was the White Science magic that made many people uneasy; it did not work in conventional ways. It was hard to explain.

  “We have about an hour's walk,” Nonce said. “There's a boiling lake ahead, but we don't go that far. I found a warm spring, and that's where it happened."

  They walked along the path. Soon they became acclimatized to the whiteness. Texture and shade were all, in a Chroma zone; the full panoply of colors was there, once properly interpreted. It just required an accustomed eye to perceive it.

  Ennui tuned out, not particularly interested, and knew that Aspect was doing the same. Both of them were curious what this summons was about. What had Havoc found, that required their attendance? That couldn't be told by messenger? That was what was interesting, and soon they would know.

  The path wound between hills, tracing a shallow valley. White trees filled in on either side. Then, suddenly, three men appeared. They were rough-hewn, and carried metallic objects in their hands that Ennui recognized from her social studies text as weapons. They were called “guns,” and used magic explosive to propel balls of metal violently forward. The metal could lodge in a victim's body with serious consequences, perhaps even death. It was like getting stabbed by a pole that had no length. These were brigands.

  “Intimidation!” a man said. That confirmed it. “NonChroma travelers.” That meant they were probably helpless, here in a Chroma zone.

  And Ennui, her mind distracted, and not been aware of them lurking. She had been a fool. This was not the king's palace, where life was safe; this was out in the real world.

  “We'll take your valuables,” the brigand leader said gruffly, tucking his gun into his waistband. “And more. Do you want to submit quietly, or be beaten into submission first?"

  Theft and rape: according to formula. What were they to do? Ennui saw Nonce glance their way; she had a knife, of course, but that could take out only one man, at best. The two older women did not even carry knives or other weapons. Surely they should have, but hadn't thought of it. So much for their prowess as adventurers. They had no means to resist.

  But they could not give up the ikons. They wore these on chains around their necks; they would readily be spotted by the brigands when they ripped open their shirts to get at their breasts, as brigands traditionally did. Now Ennui realized how absolutely crazy she had been not to hide her most precious possession more carefully.

  But she remembered something. When she had carried the loom ikon in her mouth, Throe had not been able to kiss her. Ordinary people could not touch the ikons; they could be passed from person to person only by acts of will. She also remembered how Gale had survived the eruption. The ikons had phenomenal power, and perhaps would safeguard them.

  Aspect caught her thought. “Nonce, stay behind us,” she murmured. The girl moved to stand where told, realizing that the women had something in mind.

  “Satisfaction,” the leader said. He meant that he liked dealing with struggling women. He stepped forward, reaching out to grab Ennui.

  His hand came near her bosom and shied away. Surprised, he tried again, with no better success. Baffled and angry, he grabbed instead for her shoulder and yanked her forward. Except that she didn't move; he did, jerking himself off balance. He fell against her without quite touching; he slid to the side and stumbled beyond her.

  “Magic!” he said, disgruntled. “But what Chroma?"

  “No Chroma,” Ennui said, heartened by the protection of the ikon. She had been able to get closer to others in the palace, and to Nonce; evidently the ikon distinguished between friend an foe, or maybe it made a difference who was approaching whom.

  “Shoot them!” the leader snapped, drawing his gun again.

  Ennui didn't like that, but couldn't escape, so she held her ground. The leader's gun made a loud bang and smoke poured from the hole in its front. Something plowed into the ground at the leader's feet. It was the bit of metal, the “bullet” the gun had “fired.” It had evidently bounced away from her body and struck the earth instead. The ikon had repelled it.

  Then Havoc was standing beside them. He hadn't walked or run in; he had just appeared. He wore peasant clothing, and looked like a hick villager. “So you attack helpless women,” he said. “Outrage."

  The brigands stared, bemused. Havoc didn't wait. He reached for the leader so rapidly that his arms were a blur. A metal collar appeared around the man's neck, too tight to be removed over his head. On it was printed the word BRIGAND.


  Havoc turned to the next man, and in a moment he had a similar collar. Then the third, the same. “If you try to molest any person, the collars will hurt you,” he said. “Now be gone."

  The leader put his hands to the collar, but it was too strong for him. He was stuck with it until he found a White Chroma metalsmith to remove it—and who would remove such a warning? The man would be arrested the moment he appeared at any village or outpost, and all his crimes would catch up with him.

  He leaped for Havoc—and bounced off, as he had with Ennui, except with greater force. He fell to the ground, bruised.

  Havoc turned to the women. “Nonce I could transport,” he said. “The others, no. Let's walk."

  Because he could not approach his own ikon or Gale's. Ennui nodded. They followed him on along the path.

  Before long they came to the white pool Nonce had bathed at. Gale was there, with a nice meal set up for them. She too was garbed as an ignorant villager, but nothing could entirely mask the amazing beauty of her person. She had always been lovely, but now that she was a Glamor her perfection fairly radiated from her.

  “Gratitude,” Havoc said to Nonce. Then he kissed her.

  The girl fainted. Havoc caught her before she hit the ground, and set her gently beside the pool.

  “You forget your place, Havoc,” Aspect reproved him. “A Glamor can't have such contact with a normal person."

  “He can,” Ennui said. “Provided she does not know his nature—and she doesn't. It was sheer exhilaration that did it. The king kissed her."

  “Neither,” Gale said. “He put her down deliberately, in a manner that will not dismay her, so that we could talk."

  They nodded. They had after all been summoned here for a purpose.

  “How did you know we were in trouble?” Ennui asked. “At least, that we thought we were."

  “I got your thought,” Havoc said.

  “But I didn't try to reach you mentally,” she protested. “Telepathy is only short range, except in special circumstances such as close friendship."

  “We have it, oath friend. But there is another. You carry my ikon. That gives you much stronger association with me, and Lady Aspect with Gale. Distance seems to be no barrier."

  “We did not realize this until that point,” Gale said. “There is much we don't yet know about the ikons and Glamors."

  “So we didn't have to use an intermediary,” Ennui said. “You could have signaled me directly."

  “We are still new to our roles,” Havoc said, nodding. “We have the powers, but are still learning how to use them, and how to relate to our constituencies. I love trees, but there is much I do not yet know about their needs, and it is similar for Gale and the mosses. Those needs must be served; it is the inherent oath we made when they accepted us as their representatives. We need time, yet we believe that the larger quest must still be pursued without delay. So we wish to ask the two of you to handle a spot mission for us, if you are amenable."

  “Of course we will,” Aspect said.

  “There may be danger,” Gale said. “The ikons will protect you, but we do not know their limits."

  “We understand that,” Ennui said. “We like the idea of adventure. It does not come readily to older women."

  “And there may be sex,” Havoc said. “It can be a tool."

  Aspect smiled. “Something you may not know about the ikons. They strengthen us, making us seemingly indefatigable."

  “And they make us sexy,” Ennui said. “In body and nature."

  Havoc was surprised. “We knew they protected, but not that they were sexual. Still—"

  Ennui exchanged a glance with Aspect. Then both let down their mind shields and thought of sex.

  “Whew!” Gale murmured. “Amazement."

  “Point made,” Havoc said. “I suspect that the ikons are lending you perfect health, and part of that is sexuality. That may fade as you become accustomed to it, but you will always have the capacity, just as Glamors do. As long as you do not object—"

  “We don't object,” Ennui said. “But I don't understand why we dreamed of having sex with a healthy young man. We do have men of our own."

  “The ikons seem to echo the nature of the Glamors,” Gale said. “We do not have precognition, but sometimes we do have hints. There may be such a session in your future."

  “But we're old women!"

  Havoc shook his head. “You are mature women—and I think the icons have deleted a decade from your physical age. You could seduce healthy young men if you wished to."

  Ennui realized it was true. Aspect had the body she must have had in youth, and Ennui had a better body than she had ever had. “We thought you honored us when you trusted us with your ikons. Now we know that they are rare gifts. We have lives again."

  “We are glad of that,” Havoc said. “You have been invaluable friends. I think the single best decision I have made in my life was to betroth Gale, and the second was to make the oath of friendship with you, and the third was to befriend the Lady Aspect."

  “Oh, surely not!” Aspect said, speaking for them both, impossibly flattered.

  “You feel he should not have betrothed me?” Gale asked severely. Then, before they could protest, she laughed, and they joined her. Havoc was not given to empty statements. “But I might argue that making the oath of friendship with the Blue Dragon would rank in there somewhere, and becoming a Glamor."

  “We'll accept fourth and fifth places,” Ennui said. The glow of the compliment suffused her. She had been the one to demand the oath, and it had changed her life. She had done her best to honor the spirit of the oath, and to help Havoc in any way she could, but had never felt it was that important to him. Like the ikon, the oath had transformed her.

  “Oaths do,” Gale said. “That's why I resented yours at first, before I came to know the two of you."

  “You questioned my judgment?” Havoc asked her, frowning.

  “Well, you're a barbarian. And a man. How can you have judgment?"

  “You should be spanked."

  She lifted her skirt, baring her firm bottom. “Have at it, hero."

  “Maybe that should wait until you finish your business with us,” Ennui said, though she enjoyed their interplay. They were Glamors, but still quite human and in love. “You were about to assign us a spot mission."

  “And your sex play teases us with what we can't have,” Aspect said. “You must give over until we have young men to fascinate.” She was speaking humorously, yet there was considerable substance.

  “Awww,” they said together, laughing.

  Then Havoc got serious. “Still, we wish this to be an optional mission for you. We can do it ourselves at a later time, if—"

  “We want the mission,” Aspect said for both of them.

  Gale nodded. “Then there is another thing. Havoc and I have dragon seeds. They buzz in our ears when we encounter an untruth, or danger, or a wrong course. They have been invaluable, and perhaps have saved our lives on some occasions. Now, as Glamors, we no longer need them; we have their powers ourselves. We will give them to the two of you, provided you will make oaths never willingly to betray their source, the dragon."

  “But dragons—” Ennui said, taken aback.

  “Are now our allies. No dragon will attack you while you wear the seeds. You must respect them similarly."

  Again Ennui exchanged a glance with Aspect. “We will make that oath."

  Havoc nodded. There appeared beside him the Brown Glamor, a dragon. It was long and flat, with sleekly overlapping brown scales, and it fairly glowed. Dragons were of the worm family, having but one leg; that made them second only to the demons in fewness of legs, as the demons had none. Ennui and Aspect had met the Dragon Glamor at the time when Havoc had summoned all the Glamors to the palace, so this was not a total surprise. She knew it was not there to attack, but as an associate of Havoc.

  “Brown will take your oaths,” Havoc said.

  Of course: the dragon s
eeds owed allegiance to the Dragon Glamor. She faced the dragon. “I say my name: Ennui, human, and make this oath: I will carry Havoc's dragon seed, and never abuse it or play false to any dragon, so long as I carry it."

  Then Aspect made a similar statement with respect to Gale's dragon seed. The dragon extended a tentacle and made the signal of acceptance. Simultaneously its mind sounded in theirs: Accepted. And it vanished.

  Havoc touched his ear and brought forth a tiny blue speck. He gave it to Ennui. She took it and wedged it into a fold of her ear, as that was where he seemed to have worn it. It lodged comfortably, adhering, and she knew it would not come loose accidentally.

  Aspect received a similar seed from Gale. “These are old friends,” Gale said. “We exchanged them when we betrothed each other. Do not let others know you have them, and learn to receive their warnings without reacting overtly. Some folk do know of dragon seeds, and might try to take them from you."

  “Test them,” Havoc said. “Approach something dangerous, or try to deceive each other."

  Ennui looked around. She saw a white thorn bush. Such plants did not merely have thorns, they snapped their fronds forward to stab any unwary flesh that came within range. Any creature that stumbled into one was in for a painful and perhaps lethal experience.

  She walked toward it. Just before she came within range there was a buzzing shock at her ear, not painful, but a clear signal. She stopped, and it abated. She had been warned.

  She turned to face Aspect. “This plant is harmless."

  Aspect straightened up. “It buzzed!"

  “Because you heard a lie,” Gale said. “It will also react if there is something wrong with a situation, even if no lie or danger is present. Then you must be cautious. The seeds aren't intelligent, they just know when something is wrong. Sometimes you have to figure out what it is."