"I don't need to—"
"You do. Deal."
She was determined. He hated this, but if it was the way to win her, he would have to do it.
"Deal," he agreed reluctantly. "Meanwhile I will prepare for the coming war with the machines. There will just be time before the culmination."
"How can you know? You can't see that far ahead."
"I consulted with Voila, and Idyll, and Mino. They can see the future paths farther and more clearly than I can. There is time. Also, Gale has made a deal with a plant culture that enables us to triple our future paths seeing efficiency. But we must begin immediately."
"I must endure the caresses of another woman—tomorrow?" he asked, appalled.
"Today."
"Dismay!"
"You must give her your full attention, withholding nothing. You must love her to the extent you are able. She will be more than competent in such a relationship."
"Must I hide from her my horror of the relationship?"
"Negation. You can't hide anything from her."
He was sickly resigned. What a price she was putting on her commitment! "Who?"
"The Red Glamor."
He stiffened with apprehension. "She will read my mind and be furious."
"She has agreed. She will treat you kindly."
"And if I survive her, who else?"
"She will take you to the next, when her month is done." He shook his head, hating this. "Before I go to her, may I have you one more time?"
"Negation," another voice replied. "You are already mine, you black beauty." Her hands slid into the crevice of his buttocks and tickled his scrotum.
"Red!" he exclaimed, turning over.
"And my domain," she agreed.
Now he saw that he was no longer in Flame's bedroom in the cottage. He was in a strange room, surely in a strange house. "Where?" he asked, dreading the answer.
"My niche on Counter Charm. You can't escape."
And not just because of the location. He was truly in her power. "You know this was not my idea."
"Confirmation. It was mine." Her hands slid up his legs and stroked his penis, which stiffened immediately.
"Yours!" He had thought he was beyond surprise.
She moved up and bestrode his crotch, so that his black erection nudged her red cleft. "You are a handsome, talented, decent mortal man. I have had a fancy for you ever since you came on the scene."
"So you talked Flame into letting you have at me—in the name of testing my fidelity to her?"
"Affirmation." She took renewed hold of his penis.
"Unfair!" he protested.
"Question: what can you do about it?"
"I can refuse to—" He broke off, for as he spoke, she poked his member into her ready vagina.
"Yes?" she inquired softly.
"At least I can stop myself from—"
"Really?" Her channel expertly squeezed his member.
"Uh—" But he could not continue, as he was overtaken by an unstoppable orgasm. His member ejaculated into her with powerful surges, continuing long after what he thought was his limit.
"You're enhancing me!" he cried accusingly.
"Smart boy," she agreed smugly.
"You're using me."
"Affirmation."
"At least now it's done."
"Negation." Her channel squeezed his member peristaltically, evoking new sensation amidst the exhausted mass.
"You can't!" he cried desperately.
"I can." She drew him deeper into her, seeming to have suction, and his member swelled involuntarily. She was the Glamor of four-legged creatures, which included human beings, and she had special powers over their flesh. But this summoning was becoming painful.
"Request."
She paused. "Speak."
"Let me rest."
"Exchange."
"Question?"
"You are fighting me. This is not a valid process. You need to return to Flame because you truly love her after experiencing what other women have to offer, not because you fought those other women off. You must make an honest effort to love me, this month."
"But that would make me false to Flame!"
Her vagina resumed its manipulation of his penis. "Negation. She wants you to make that effort."
He tried to hold out, but she worked him up and uncomfortably soon extracted another orgasm from him. It left him gasping, as if he had run his limit and collapsed, and his member felt numb.
But still she did not release him. She started yet again. It felt as though she were dragging his member out by the root and grinding it into squishy pulp. He was helpless to stop it.
"Begging!" he gasped.
She paused again. "Reconsider."
"You are torturing me."
The process resumed. "Regret. Necessity."
"Reconsidering!" He took several breaths as her pause held him over the gulf, about to resume.
"It is no fault sex. I can do that with enthusiasm."
"Insufficient." She drew on him.
"What do you want?" he cried.
"Repetition: love me, no fault."
He realized that Flame must have known what Red would do, and approved. It was to be a real test of his love. He hated it, but had to do it. "Acceptance," he said brokenly.
Then at last she let him go, lifting herself off him. He felt wetness on his face and realized he was crying. Oh, Flame, you have put me into Hell.
"Negation," Red said, lying beside him, lifting his head and setting it between her breasts. "You fought well.
You can't defeat a Glamor." She pressed his wet face into her bosom.
Fifth couldn't help it. He wept into her ample cleavage, finding comfort therein. Red held him gently close until he drifted into an exhausted sleep.
He did not know how long he slept, but when he woke she was still there beside him, still cradling his head in the manner of a mother. Actually she was centuries old, vastly over qualified to be a mother.
"Or a lover," she agreed. She rearranged him and kissed him. "This time sex is optional."
"Appreciation." He kissed her back—and found her delightful. She was Woman Incarnate, perfect in form and understanding. "Love," he said, surprised.
"Exaggeration. But thank you."
Now he discovered his member responding. "Desire."
"Returned," she said.
He kissed her and stroked her, finding her full fleshed body to be highly evocative. He had always preferred the most slender women, but now he appreciated her fuller splendor. They proceeded in unhurried manner until he entered her of his own volition and spent within her without being magically evoked. "Delight," he said, relaxing.
"Returned."
"Acknowledged."
They lay beside each other for a while. "Apology," she said.
"Question?"
"For forcing you. I will not do it again."
"Conjecture: maybe it was for the best. I do need to experience other women, and I can't be sure it's not Flame's Glamor nature that attracts me unless I am with other Glamors. So I proffer appreciation for your participation."
"You're sweet," she said, kissing him again. "Naive, but sweet."
"Surely you will cure me of that," he said wryly.
"Agreement." She sighed. "It has been fun, and will be fun again, but now we have work to do."
He smiled. "What, no more sex?"
"Do you wish it?"
"Not at the moment."
"Then to work." She got up, dressing so efficiently that it seemed the clothing formed around her of its own volition.
He discovered his own clothing beside the bed, where it must have been transported along with his body. He found the lavatory, washed, and dressed. He emerged—and paused. "Confusion."
For there before him was a Gray Chroma woman, well formed but on the plump side. Her lustrous gray hair extended to her ankles in thick waves.
She saw him and smiled. "I am Stevia, very sweet. I am the Red Glamor's alternative form, when she prefers to be anonymous. Which is most of the time. You will find me harder to seduce."