Kublai glanced at Koren. “Come here, my love; this is not the disaster you envision; I am not about to cast you aside. This is something it is best that you also know.”
She went to him and cast herself into his arms, burying her face in his shoulder. He looked at Darius over her shoulder, holding her, stroking her lustrous black hair as he talked.
“When I was young, I encountered a woman. She called herself Prima. I was attracted to her not for her beauty or personality, for she was not remarkable in these respects, but for her ability to multiply. Her power was on a par with my own—”
“With yours?” Darius asked, startled. “But no woman—”
Kublai smiled. “In general, women are not as capable as men in this respect, so that while a man may multiply by a factor of a thousand, a woman may do it by a factor of three. But there is no absolute limitation. It may be that women would be as capable as men, were this encouraged in our culture. Certainly Prima was in this respect. She was fiercely independent and assertive, which of course did not endear her to others. She wanted to be the Cyng of Hlahtar, but of course this was not allowed. When I appeared, she asked me why I should assume the post simply because I was male, my talent being no greater than hers. I had not before considered the matter, but I was persuaded by her, and agreed that it was not right. Indeed, I came to love her, and she loved me, for we were one in our ability.
“We went to the council of Cyngs and asked that she be allowed to assume the post. I agreed to marry her and support her in that post, for my talent feeding into hers would make us the most effective and enduring Hlahtar our Mode has known. But they would not allow a woman to be dominant.
“Then we asked whether we could assume the post as co-equals, taking turns being the lead, one supporting the other. But they would not allow this either. They would allow only my own assumption of the post. I could marry her, but she would be only my wife, supporting me. She would never be Cyng herself.
“Neither of us was willing to do that, at this point. We discussed the matter at length, and finally she decided to explore the realms of the Chips. So the Cyng of Pwer set up what you have termed a Virtual Mode, and she went there to seek some suitable situation. Perhaps there was a realm in which women were equal to men, and she could assume the post there without quarrel, and they would appreciate what she was able to do for them.
“So Prima departed, and I became Hlahtar. We agreed that if she did not find her situation, and returned, she would marry me and accept secondary status. I hoped privately that this would be the case, for I could ask no better support than hers. But she had to do it of her own will.” Kublai paused.
“And she never returned,” Darius said.
“She never returned,” Kublai agreed. “I married ten wives in succession, depleting each, and retired when you appeared. Now I have love, and it is sweet.” He patted Keren’s shoulder. “But always I have wondered what became of Prima. Did she find her situation, or did she die, or is she still searching? My curiosity has become overwhelming. But I lack the incentive to explore the alternate realms myself, now that I have a good life here. So I would ask two things of you: first, that you seek Prima, or news of her, so that I may finally know the truth. If you should find her, and she is ready to return, bring her back. If you did that, I would be happy to maintain the post indefinitely, for with her support it would represent no burden.”
“If you enabled me to search for my love, and bring her back, I would be glad to search also for yours, and bring her back too,” Darius said. “Once I know the way, any who are with me can come along.”
“But you will cast me aside!” Kublai’s wife protested, her voice buried in his shoulder.
“No, my love,” he said reassuringly. “I would have to divorce you and keep you as my love-companion, but that would be little other than a matter of legality. You would remain my love, as you are now. What I felt for Prima has faded in twenty years, and certainly she is no longer young, and never was she winsome. It would be a business relationship, based on my respect for her talent, and the enormous power that talent would provide me. You would remain my love, and you would not be depleted.”
“I still would rather be your wife,” she said.
“The chances are that Darius will return without her,” Kublai said. “Then he will resume the post, and I will remarry you. I think this is a fair gamble.”
“But you mentioned two things you would ask of me,” Darius said. The second was likely to be the crusher.
“The second is both larger and perhaps easier,” Kublai said. “I have developed a curiosity not only about Prima’s situation, but about the alternate realms themselves. I wish to know the nature of ultimate reality. I would ask you to explore these alternate realms, seeking to understand them, and to formulate and test an explanation for the way things are. Who made the Chips and left them here? Who made it possible for Modes to be crossed? Why? I would like, before I die, to have that explanation.”
“But my mind may not be good enough to compass such knowledge,” Darius protested. “I hardly understand the one other Mode I have seen, and I did not understand the nature of the young woman I came to love there.”
“Yet you would make the effort, and tell me all you learn. It might be considerable, and certainly it would be far more than I know now—discovered at no risk to me.”
“But no one has returned!” Darius pointed out. “I may be unable to honor any part of such an agreement.”
“That is why I ask for two favors: the news on Prima, and the nature of the Modes. If I win, I win all that I have wanted to know. If I lose, I am Cyng until another suitable prospect appears. I am experienced; it is not the worst of fates. In fact, I find myself bored with retirement. Oh, not with you, my dear,” he added quickly as his wife lifted her head. “You are my perpetual delight! But the rest of it—there is only so much ease and luxury a man can tolerate. I think I am ready to resume useful activity—and keep my love with me.”
She settled back, mollified.
“I can only agree,” Darius said. “If you will take my place, I will seek what you wish.”
In this manner it was agreed. Darius and Kublai had merged their hopes, and it would be done.
IT took time to set up the Virtual Mode and to arrange for the temporary resumption of the post by Kublai. Darius had to do a tour, for the need was growing. The public had to be served.
But he lacked a wife. He did not want to marry for just one tour, but it would not be wise to deplete himself immediately before embarking on the treacherous journey that was the Virtual Mode. What was he to do?
Kublai came up with the answer. “Borrow Koren.”
“What?”
“My wife Koren. She has it in her pretty head that she wants to remain married to me, even as I resume the post. This is foolish.”
“Of course it is! But—”
“I need to persuade her to step down, and to allow me to marry a woman suitable for that office. But I do not wish to hurt or offend her. However, if she went with you on the tour, she would quickly learn the cost, and I think that would be more persuasive than anything I could say.”
“Surely it would!” Darius agreed. “But the intimacy of the borrowing—”
“I would rather have you do it, than do it to her myself. I prefer to convince her without instituting that barrier between us.”
“But she is your wife!” Darius said, at a loss.
“Who has never felt my power. Let her feel yours. By the time the tour is done, she will have had enough.”