“Oh, Mach, I feared for thee!” Fleta exclaimed, coming into his arms as he stood. She kissed him, then drew back. “Oh, I should have done that not!”
“Why not?”
“I think I like thee too well.”
“But you won’t tell me why that’s wrong?”
“Aye,” she agreed with a rueful smile.
“You’re stubborn!”
“My kind be that.”
“Well, I like you too,” he said. “I think you’re a great girl, and I wish—” But he had to break off. What did he wish? That he could stay with her? That he could take her with him to Proton? Neither was possible, as far as he knew.
She drew away. “I was minded to—to do what I had to to save thee, but it happened so suddenly, and then thou didst vanquish the dragon alone. Thou art a hero, Mach!”
“Well, I wasn’t going to let it eat you,” he said.
“Yes, thou didst urge me to safety, whilst thou fought. No man of Phaze would have done that for my like, except perhaps the Blue Adept, and that be different.”
The Blue Adept. Mach’s father had been that before transferring to Proton, where his magic didn’t work. She referred to the other one, of course. But the two were alternate selves, and yes, either would have done the same to save a damsel in distress.
“We must go on, before more come,” she said.
“There are more water dragons?” he asked, alarmed.
“Many more,” she agreed.
He hurried after her, anxious to depart this swamp.
Chapter 5
Search
Bane stared. The landscape was absolutely barren. There were no trees, no bushes, no plants at all. There was only dry sand and grayish mist as far as he could see. It was dusk, but he realized that even by full daylight he would not have seen much more.
“The country—where be it?” he asked, horrified.
“This is the country, Bane,” Agape said through the speaker-grille in her helmet.
“But it can’t be! There be no life here!”
“There is no life on Proton,” she said. “Except with the domes. Did you not know?”
“I—I thought it would be like Phaze, only less so,” he admitted. “This—how did it happen?”
“I do not know much about the history of this planet, but I believe it was once alive. But the residents paid no heed to the quality of its environment, and so gradually it became as it is now, with good air and life in the dome-cities, and bad air outside. It is not this way where you live?”
“It be all sunshine and forest and meadows where the unicorns graze and rivers and magic,” Bane said. “Oh, what a horror be here!”
“But that means that the one you seek is comfortable, for he is there,” she pointed out. “You can seek him as you intended.”
“But—this,” he said, baffled by the desolation.
“We can walk, or perhaps ride.”
“Ride? There be no animals here!”
“There are vehicles. I think serfs are permitted to utilize them.”
“Vehicles?”
“I do not know the specifics, but I am sure some are near, for the residents of the domes do not like to walk far outside. Let us look.”
Bane let her take the lead. She moved around the curve of the building they had just exited, and there was an alcove with several squat shapes within. She trudged to one and lifted its glassy upper section. Inside there were two deep holes. She climbed into one. “This will do,” she said. “Take the other seat, Bane. I think I can drive this.”
He climbed into the other hole. The transparent top settled down, shutting them in. Then there was a hissing, and gas swirled up. He tried to scramble out, but Agape restrained him. “It is not evil, Bane! It is air, so I can breathe without the helmet. When the light shows green, it will be all right.”
And in a moment a green light appeared before them, on a panel in the vehicle. Agape removed her helmet. “It will not release until I reseal my suit,” she said. “The gas out here would be harmful to my metabolism.”
“But I want not to stay in here!” he protested. “I want to look for mine other self!”
She smiled. “I think it is good that I am with you. I will make this machine perform.” She touched buttons before her, and took hold of a handle, bringing it out and down toward her.
Suddenly the vehicle lurched forward. Bane almost leaped out of his seat, but this time padded straps appeared and restrained him.
He peered out the forward glass. The terrain was coming toward him, as though he were riding a horse. “This—this be a wagon!” he exclaimed. “It moves by itself!”
“Yes, it is a machine, like your body, but not as intelligent as yours.”
“A machine,” he repeated, assimilating the concept. “Like a golem, or an enchanted object.”
“I think your world is as alien to this one as is mine,” she said.
“My world is natural. This be the alien one.”
“With that, too, I can agree.” She glanced at him. “Where would you travel, Bane?”
“I—I hadn’t thought. I mean, I had expected to circle in the forest, seeking to intercept mine other self. But now I know not.”
“The forest remains there, for him,” she reminded him. “I can circle if you wish.” And she guided the vehicle into a broad loop.
“No, I have other thoughts, now. I think he would not have remained in the glade. There be dangers.” He peered out again. “The night be closing rapidly. He would seek shelter.”
“Would he know where to find it?”
That question did not ease Bane’s mind. “I fear not. He could follow the path, but it forks, and the one fork goes to the Unicorn Demesnes, while the other—Oh, I hope he took that one not!”
“Where does it go?”
“To the swamp, where there be monsters. Of course, if they took him for me they would stay clear.” He brightened. “The clothing marks me as of the Blue Demenses.”
“Clothing?”
“Yes. We wear clothing there. So—”
“But he is of Proton,” she pointed out. “Would he wear clothing?”
Bane’s heart sank. “Nay, I fear not. But if he followed that path naked—” He shuddered.
“If he should follow it, and wear his clothing so he was not harmed, where would he finish?” Agape asked.
“It goes to an old empty crater the ogres used. But we cleaned them out. Sometimes Fleta and I would go there to play.” He smiled privately.
“Who is Fleta? A girl-companion?”
He laughed. “Companion, yes; girl, no. Tell me not thou’rt jealous of her, Agape!”
“I am your companion, and I am not a girl,” Agape said. “Am I permitted to be jealous?”
He mulled that over. “I suppose there be a parallel, after all. Fleta and I were very close, as children, though I have seen not much of her recently. Thou mayst be jealous if thou dost wish.” He smiled.
“Thank you.”
Suddenly he realized something. “I have reverted to mine own mode of speech! I should have talked to thee—to you not thus!”
“Please, Bane, do not change your speech for me. I like it as it is. I know what it is to be in a strange society.”
“But if others realize mine origin, there could be trouble.” He was also embarrassed to think that it had probably happened because he had been distracted by her voluptuous body.
“I will not tell others,” she promised.
He believed her. He had no magic here, but he had a sense about people, and he liked her. “Then let’s find mine other self.”
“Of course.”
“But let’s assume he followed the correct path. That would take him to the Herd, and they would recognize him with or without clothing, and bear him home to the Blue Demesnes.”
“The herd?”
“The local unicorn herd. They be all oath-friends with Neysa, and Neysa is oath-friend to my father Stile, so none would e
’er do me harm. They would believe that Mach is me, under some hostile spell, so would take him home right away.”
“And home is these blue demesnes? Where are they?”
“North of the herd demesnes. In Phaze every type of creature of any significance has its own region, called its demesnes, and so do the Adepts, the leading magicians. Of course there be a number of unicorn herds, just as there be many werewolf packs, but the important ones to us be the oath-friends.”
“Wolves too?”
“It all dates back to when my father made the Oath of Friendship with Neysa, so powerful it embraced all the members of the Herd and the Pack too. Because I be the child of Stile, I can safely go anywhere in those demesnes, because no unicorn or werewolf would harm me, and no lesser creature would dare to, for fear of the Herd and the Pack. So Mach will be safe.”
“If he took that path,” she said.
“He has to have taken that path!” he said vehemently. “Otherwise—”
“Surely he took it,” she agreed.
“So we can go to the Blue Demesnes, and find him there,” he concluded.
“And these are north of here?”
“Should be northeast of here.”
“But—”
“They be north of the Herd, but the Herd be east of the glade where we exchanged identities. That glade coincides with Mach’s room in the dome; that be why I was able to locate him there, and finally to achieve rapport with him. Since the two geographies be identical, I can find the spot here by taking the same route I would there.” He peered again into the darkening gloom. “I hope.”
“There should be a map,” she said.
“A map?”
“A map of Proton. All planets have maps.” She touched buttons, and a screen illuminated. Soon the map appeared.
Bane stared at it. “That be Phaze!” he exclaimed.
“It says it is Proton,” she said. “See, here is our city, Hardom, with our vehicle location glowing.” She pointed to the blinking spark of light on the map.
“That be the Harpy Demesnes!” he said. “Right above the Purple Mountains.”
“Harpy Demesnes? Was the city named after the harpies?”
“Impossible! There be no harpies in Proton.” But then he reconsidered. “Still, that does sound like har as in harpy, and since it be a dome—Har-dome. Hardom. I wonder.” He focused on the other points of the map. “Down here be the Mound Folk of Phaze—and here be Moudom! And here, farther to the east, be the demesnes of the Gnomes—and here be Gnodom! They do match!”
“It really is a map of Phaze? This seems remarkable, if there has been no contact between the frames.”
“Maybe not. Up until twenty years ago, the frames were more closely connected. There was a curtain that some folk could cross. My father crossed it, to woo my mother. How long ago were these cities named?”
She touched another button. “It says three hundred years ago, for most.”
“Then that’s it! They were named when Phaze and Proton were one, before they separated, and long before that separation became complete. The original settlers knew they were the same!”
“This is very interesting,” she said. “My own planet has only one aspect.”
“That’s probably the case with most—you call them planets?”
“The satellites of other stars, far away.”
He was distracted for a moment. “How far away be thine?”
“About fifty light years.”
He shook his head. “That means naught to me.”
She smiled. “Magic means nothing to me, but I accept your information on it.”
He returned the smile. “I question not thy word, Agape. And thou art not a human being?”
“I am not. I assume this form so that I may participate without offense in this human society.”
“Just as Fleta assumed human form to play with me,” he said. “I have no trouble with that.”
“I am most pleased that you do not. Though my form in its natural state does not resemble yours, my protoplasm is similar and my emotions similar too. I wish to be your friend.”
“Thou art my friend, Agape. Thou art helping me greatly.”
“I am pleased to do so. Do you wish me to program this vehicle for the Blue Demesnes?”
“Program it?”
“To give it a directive that will guide it there without further guidance from us,” she explained.
“But there be no Blue Demesnes here! Just the spot where they be in Phaze.”
“The map shows a location titled ‘Blue,’ ” she said. “Does this coincide?”
He looked. “It does! But how could that be? Sure I be that the Blue Demesnes have been there not for three hundred years!”
“I do not know; I have been only briefly on this planet.”
“Well, go ahead and send the machine there. This is not much different from magic.”
She operated the buttons. The vehicle turned, assuming the new course, and accelerated.
It was full night now, but no stars showed; the gloom masked whatever light might have tried to shine through. The vehicle’s front lamp shone forward, showing nothing but sand rushing past. This seemingly mindless progress made Bane nervous, so he averted his gaze.
That brought Agape into view. “How long will it take to reach the Blue Demesnes?” he asked.
She touched another button. “About fifteen minutes. The vehicle is very fast.”
“Fifteen minutes to accomplish a trip that would require a horse two hours!” he exclaimed.
“Space travel is much faster.”
That reminded him of her origin. In the dim light of the interior of the vehicle she looked completely human, and beautiful. Her hair framed her face with the color of a pale sunset, and her eyes seemed preternaturally deep. “Thou really art alien?” he asked, finding this hard to believe.
“Completely,” she agreed. “In physical form.”
“Thou art the loveliest woman I have seen!”
“That is because I have shaped myself to be what your kind considers attractive. You would not find me so, in my natural state.”
“Canst thou assume thy natural state now?”
“I can. But I think I would prefer not to. Your machine self perceived me in that state, and was not repulsed, but you are human, and I want to attract you, not repulse you.”
“Why dost thou care how I react to you? If thou art as different as thou sayst, I must appear to be a monster to thee.”
“Oh, no, Bane!” she protested. “You are a fine figure of your species, to me. I would like to be your girlfriend.”
“Just because mine other self helped thee?”
“I like him well for that, but now I know you better, and I like you better. You are more alive.”
“How could an alien creature be a—a girlfriend to me?”
“I was hoping you would be able to show me that.”
He shook his head, still having trouble reconciling her words with her appearance. She was infernally beautiful, and he liked her personality; it really did not seem alien. “Methinks I could show a real woman. But an alien might understand not at all.”
She leaned close to him. “Please, Bane, I want very much to learn! I will do anything you suggest.”
Still that nagging doubt. “Why dost thou want to learn? The human means of association and—and the rest should not concern a completely different creature.”
“My species is amoebic,” she said. “Your kind calls our world Moeba. We have had no experience with the pairing of sexes. We pair any with any, as we choose. But we observe that most other species of the galaxy are twin-sexed, and this appears to confer an advantage in evolution, so that they achieved technology and space before we did, and now we are dependent on them for interplanetary trade and travel between the stars. We can learn whatever they teach us, so now we are constructing our own ships of space, but we believe we should also master their secret of evolution. This is one reas
on I have come to the Planet of Proton. To learn about the sexes. I have assumed the female form because it is relatively passive; I believe I can learn better this way. But learn I must, so I can report to my kind and they can judge whether this is a feasible course.”
“I thought thou didst plan to stay here,” he said finding himself disappointed.
“I do. I will stay just as long as I can. I will become a Citizen if I can. I will send my reports by spacemail. I will remain here. There is more to learn here than sexual reproduction.”
“Then thou willst be a human being for the rest of thy life, or seem to be.”
“Yes, Bane. Already I feel somewhat human, with you.”
“Willst thou show me, at least a little, thy true form?”
“I do not wish to revolt you, Bane.”
“I will make thee a deal,” he said. “Show me thy true nature, and I will show thee how to—to be a human woman. Some.”
“Some? Bane, I must learn it all!”
“But these things are not done just as a business,” he protested. “It—I have never done it all with a human woman, actually. Just games with Fleta and the like.”
“Show me a little, and I will show you a little,” she offered.
He laughed, somewhat uneasily. “Fair enough, Agape. Here be a little.” He leaned farther toward her, tilted his head, and touched her lips with his own.
Her lips were unresponsive. It was like kissing mush.
He drew back. “That was it?” she inquired.
“Thou dost have to kiss back!” he exclaimed.
“You mean, to purse my mouth while you purse yours?”
“Aye. Only with some feeling. This be supposed to be an emotional contact, knowest thou not?”
“Ah, now I understand. To feel desire during the act.”
“Thy kind does feel desire?”
“It does. It merely expresses it in another fashion.”
“Shallst try again?” He leaned forward, and touched her lips with his for the second time.
And this time hers were firm and highly responsive. He found it easy to get into the spirit of the kiss. He reached his arms about her, and she emulated his action. He pressed her in close, and she pressed him in close, and it was several times the experience he had anticipated, despite the bulkiness of her suit.