In a moment the dragon plunged under the water, but a trail of evil-smelling bubbles showed that the monster still hadn’t let go of the bomb. Mach smiled as he clambered back to the path. His bomb had done the job after all!
“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.
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 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 De-menses.”
“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?”