He looked hard at Darius. “We have located a region of fairly safe Modes. But even there, the risk is as I described. Also, there seems to be imprecision in the tuning of the Chip; no person seems to go to the same other Mode that any other person has been to. Thus we can not get to know any one of them well, and it is always a serious gamble. I suggest to you that it is unwise in the extreme for you to take this gamble, because not only do you risk your own life, you risk the welfare of our society, which truly needs your ability as Cyng of Hlahtar.”
“Another can assume the post,” Darius said.
“But not one as talented as you. That is why it came to you, after the retirement of the prior Cyng of Hlahtar. You can be the best, and if we lose you, we will have only the next best, and that will hurt us all to some degree.”
He spoke truth. Darius felt guilt. But it was not enough to sway him from his purpose. “What I may gain must be worth the risk,” he said.
“Exactly what do you hope to gain?” Pwer asked sharply.
“A woman who will not be depleted by close association with me. A woman I can love and not lose. A woman I can marry and never divorce.”
“There is no such woman.”
“Not in this reality,” Darius agreed. “But elsewhere, where other fundamental rules obtain, there may be women of another nature, who can not be depleted. If I can find one of them, and bring her back here—” He broke off, alarmed. “Can I bring her back?”
“Oh, yes. If you are in contact with her when you signal for the return, she will come with you. Your problem will be finding her—and if you do, convincing her to come with you. There are several problems in that connection.”
“This has been done before?”
“Yes. Not by a Cyng of Hlahtar, but by others. They have brought back people or things. Some women have brought back babies or odd animals. But if you want to marry and love her, you must explain to her what this entails; you must not abduct her, for then she will hate you and be no true wife to you.”
“Well, of course I wouldn’t abduct her!” Darius exclaimed. “If I were inclined to treat women in that manner, I would be better off simply marrying a chain of wives here and casting them aside!”
“Precisely.”
“If that is the only problem, then certainly I will—”
“No. There is worse. We have ascertained through sometimes bitter experience that not all people or things can be taken. It seems that any person who plays a significant role in his or her or its Mode—”
“Its?”
“Some Mode-folk are sexless, and some are mechanical.”
Darius shuddered. “Go on.”
“No person of significance can be taken. Apparently there is a certain stability; a Mode will not let go of what it needs to make it what it is. This has a peculiar effect.”
“Go on,” Darius said, experiencing a chill.
“In general, only those folk who are destined to have minimal impact on their realities can be taken. It may be that their Modes know that these folk are soon to be lost anyway, and do not try to hold them.”
“Do you mean they are about to be accidentally killed?”
“Not necessarily. They may have some terminal malady. You could bring such a one here, but she would soon die anyway. Or possibly she merely is of little account, so will live but will have no significant impact. You might find that she has similarly little effect here.”
Darius was still struggling with another aspect of this. “You said their Modes know, and hold those they want. The Modes are conscious? The Modes are like people?”
“We don’t think so. It seems more like a stone that does not readily give up any of its substance. But if part of it has been cracked, a chip may be flaked off with less effort. So you will have to find a loose flake.”
Darius pondered this. A diseased woman? It would be better to take one who was about to be killed. But what kind would that be? A criminal? He did not want to marry that kind either. The prospects were dimming.
“I anticipate your next question,” Pwer said.
That was good, because Darius didn’t know what to ask next. “Yes.”
“How do you locate such a woman?” the man said. “The answer is that we can help you there. There are settings on the Chips. Not many, but enough. We can put you through to a reality that is livable, with human beings much like us, and where one is suitable. We can make that one female. We can not guarantee that she is not already married, but of course if she dies that will not matter. We can not guarantee her age or health or personality. But we can put you close to her. Not completely close, for our command of this alien device is imperfect, but in her Mode and in her vicinity. Then you can inspect her, and bring her back here with you if that seems appropriate. Which brings up your final question.” “Yes,” Darius agreed, as before. “How do you return? And the answer is that you will have a signal device, an aspect of the Chip. When you activate that, I will receive the signal, and will revert you and whatever you hold to this reality. If you do not signal within a month, I will assume you are not going to. Because you are dead or unable to signal. Without this signal we can not bring you back, because the Chip is unable to fix on you.”
So now Darius had all the information, and was not reassured. He understood perfectly how three of ten could fail to return, and three or four others would not attain their desire. But at least some did succeed. That left him hope.
“Suppose I go, and return without a woman?” he said. “Could I then go again, and perhaps that time find one?”
Pwer stared at him. “Go again? Few have been interested in that! Each time a person goes, he has about one chance in three of not returning. If you went twice, you would double your chance of that.”
“But I would also double my chance of finding what I need,” Darius pointed out.
“Perhaps. But you could not return to the same other Mode. There are too many of them, and our way is imprecise. Some few have tried to go again to the same one, but none we know of has succeeded.”
None we know of. Because some did not return. “Could that mean that they liked it there, and stayed voluntarily?”
Pwer shrugged. “It could. But it does seem doubtful. It seems more likely that they found a wholly new situation, and could not survive it. Those who did return the second time reported that their experience was just as difficult as the first time.”
“I want to do it,” Darius said. “If I lose once, I may try again. If I lose twice, I may decide to do it the conventional way, and marry the chain of women.”
Pwer sighed. “We are a free society. Your position and your need entitle you to take this foolish risk if you choose. Return tomorrow, and I will have the Chip prepared.”
“My thanks to you,” Darius said gratefully.
DARIUS got up, for he needed to urinate. The maiden had brought a pot and indicated that he should use it for such purpose. Her method of communication in this respect had been quaint: she had made a vulgar poop noise. He was not easy about this matter, but realized that it was best to oblige her desires. Surely she had reason to keep him out of sight; his limited experience here had suggested the merit of her case. So he remained confined, and did what was necessary. He used the pot and covered it.