“I wonder how Darius and Colene are doing?” she mused, at about the time the two should be getting together. “No, don’t spy on them, Seqiro! Leave them their privacy. Spy out only one thing: how is Burgess doing?”
Burgess is healing. They found the substance required. It is magnesium. Amos brought enough of it to supply Burgess for as long as he needs.
“That is a relief! Burgess is a nice creature, who would not have suffered if we had not brought him to the Virtual Mode.”
He would have suffered death at the trunks of his former hive. The Virtual Mode was a necessary rigor.
“That is true. Still, I am glad he is better. It would have been awful if Colene had made her sacrifice, only to lose him.”
It was pleasant, traveling with the horse. It reminded her of the time she had first been with him, in her own Julia Mode, hiding from the despots. They had gone under the water, with the help of her magic. But there was no need for that, here; Seqiro’s own magic sufficed to keep the natives incurious. So they proceeded at a leisurely pace, chatting about inconsequentials. They paused to eat, with Nona making him a fine bag of sweet horsefeed and a pail of cool water. Then they resumed, and Nona slept as the horse made his way through the night. This was the sort of life Nona was satisfied to maintain indefinitely: just a girl and horse, crossing an odd land.
By now, Darius and Colene must be indulging in their nuptial night. Colene had been so eager for it, despite her youth, always frustrated by Darius’ insistence that she was too young by the standard of her culture. Now that same standard made her Old Enough. Despite her disclaimer, Nona found herself to be almost unbearably curious. The girl had, after all, despite her youth, had sexual experience. Would that make a difference?
Nona stifled her curiosity as long as she could, but it would not be denied. “Seqiro, I know it is wrong, but—”
They are not yet in their nuptial night. Colene’s parents have arranged a room for them for the night elsewhere in the town, but Colene will not leave Burgess untended.
“Then we must rejoin them after all. I had thought they would be with Burgess.”
The parents are not aware that anything except supplies is in the tent. They do not understand why Colene delays, but I have helped them to be unconcerned.
So they moved on at a faster pace, and approached the town. Colene, understanding that they would join Burgess within an hour, finally agreed to go to what she called the motel with Darius. The night was now half done.
Nona and Seqiro reached the tent. Burgess was there, much improved. Nona got down and touched a contact point.
At the rate he was recovering, Burgess would be fit for the Virtual Mode again on the next day. He was eager to end this delay, so that Colene and Darius could at last reach the end of their long journey and be at peace.
Those were Burgess’ thoughts, all right. He was in no further trouble. Nona set up her bed in the tent and lay down to sleep for the rest of the night, while Seqiro grazed in the gully behind Colene’s house. Though well fed on grain, the horse still liked to do for himself, and he was careful not to leave droppings where they would bother anyone. This, he knew, was the place where Colene had once dreamed she might find a lost horse. That gave the region a certain compatibility.
But Nona did not sleep. Her curiosity about what did not concern her surged back. Exactly what went on during a nuptial night? Eventually there would come the time when Nona herself participated in one. She understood about sex, of course, but was that all? What did such folk say to each other? Did they get the sex out of the way early, or were they more leisurely about it? Or did they keep doing it through the night, catching up on formerly suppressed desires? Was each episode swift or slow?
She got up and went to check on Burgess again, more to distract herself than for concern for his health. She put a hand on a contact point.
What did two of the human persuasion do when united in a mating agreement? Would that agreement alienate them from the hive? Would it change their personalities? Would Colene no longer come to share thoughts with Burgess? The matter was worrisome.
Nona almost laughed. The floater was just as curious as she was!
That did it. “Seqiro,” she murmured, “give us the scene.”
She sat beside Burgess as the scene formed in her mind, translating it for him. It showed the room where Darius and Colene were. They were eating a snack. Behind them a large bed remained undisturbed. They had not yet gotten to it. Nona felt guilty for being relieved.
But how could she see the scene with both of them in it? Seqiro could only animate the pictures in people’s minds; he did not do illusion the way Nona’s people did. This had to be what Darius saw, or what Colene saw, in which case the view person would be missing from the image.
Then the view shifted, and Nona saw the mirror. Darius had been gazing in the mirror across the table, seeing the reflection of the two of them. Now he saw only Colene.
They continued their eating. This was not exactly what Nona had hoped to see. But she schooled herself to guilty patience. They would surely get to it. Why had they delayed so long already?
They finished eating. Colene went to the lavatory and brushed her teeth. She changed into a sheer nightie. She went to the bed. She looked almost unbearably cute. Then Darius took his turn, taking a shower, emerging naked, drying, and going to the bed. Nona’s patience was finally to be rewarded.
“I guess I’m Old Enough, now,” Colene said almost challengingly.
“By the standard of your culture,” Darius agreed.
“So this time when I come on to you, you aren’t going to ignore me. You’re really going to do it.”
“Yes.” He spoke calmly, but Nona could feel his surging desire. He had wanted this as much as Colene had, and now at last they could have it,
“I guess you think I’ve been stalling.”
“There is no need to rush you.”
“It’s what I’ve always wanted from you. Full commitment at last.”
“Yes. There are no further barriers.”
He reached out a hand to touch her, under the sheet, expecting her to meet him with an almost savage hunger. Instead, Colene stiffened visibly.
Darius withdrew his hand. “Is something wrong?”
Colene burst into tears.
Darius was startled, as was Nona, sharing his vision and receiving his emotion. The vision through his eyes blinked. What was the matter?
“Oh, Darius, you’re going to have to rape me.”
“What?”
“I just can’t do it! I thought I could, and I really do want to, but I keep remembering how it was with those four, and I just freeze up.”
“But they are being dealt with, now. They will pay for their crime against you.”
“They can never pay enough!”
“And you have been trying to seduce me all along,” Darius said, perplexed.
“Always before I knew you wouldn’t do it,” she said, the tears squeezing out of her closed eyes. “I was baiting the bull, when the bull was corralled. Now I know it’s loose.”
“Then we must wait until you are ready. I did not understand.” Nona felt his terrible disappointment.