“Don’t take this personally, Ddwng, but sometimes you remind me of a slimy tapeworm. You don’t care whose guts you destroy, so long as you get yours.”
He smiled. “I see we understand each other.”
And it seemed that her ploy had worked. She had shown the correct amount of perception and outrage, and he believed that she could read his mind—in sometime glimpses. He would probably stay clear of her now. But she would have to watch her step most carefully from here on, if she expected to survive and to save her friends. This was no part-time hood she was facing off; Ddwng was deadly dangerous.
THEY traveled back to Earth, which was a great relief. This super-science stuff was all right, but Colene felt most comfortable with Earth, even in its multiple alternate realities. The five anchors of the Virtual Mode seemed to be on Earth, so that all the anchor folk were human or familiar animal, though the underlying rules of the universe might shift. If Darius made it back, and they set foot on the Virtual Mode, and if her plan worked—but she refused even to think of that, lest she somehow give it away. She could afford to make no more mistakes.
The first thing she did on Earth was hold communion with Seqiro. Now she knew better than to vocalize or subvocalize; pure thought was the only way, and that with circumspection, so that there was no outward hint about where her mind really was. In fact, she made sure to have something account for her emotional reactions, as a cover. In this case another violent entertainment program. DoOon tastes seemed to be similar to lowbrow American, which didn’t say much for their improved genetics.
Seqiro! I’m so glad to be close to you again!
It is wonderful, he agreed. His thought came in far more clearly, now that they were close.
It was like a bad connection, there in the region of Kyvrn. I could barely receive you.
Receive me? There was no contact there.
She was startled. But there was! You gave me key readings on the reactions of others. I needed those.
We lost contact when you left Earth. I reverted to unintelligent animal level. I am restored only now, with your contact.
Something was wrong. But I read you!
There was no contact between us. The conviction was absolute.
All that key support from him—had it been only her imagination? Then how had she picked up the attitudes of Rrllo? You mean—I really did read a mind myself?
This seems to have been the case. You have been learning from me during our contact, gaining some of my mental ability just as I gain some of yours.
So her half-truth had been a three-quarter truth! An awesome new horizon was opening to her.
Colene gazed at the stupid program on the wall, her mind reeling. What a development this was!
CHAPTER 12—DECISION
DARIUS watched the constellation which included Earth’s sun approach with mixed feelings. He had accomplished his mission and agreed to give the Emperor the Chip. His choice had been between Colene and the welfare of the other realities. He had chosen selfishly. He was not proud. But it was done, and now he would carry through.
It was the ninth day of their residence in this Mode. Tomorrow was Ddwng’s deadline, and their probable venture back into the Virtual Mode. Darius knew the way back to his own Mode. What would happen there? He would have to see Ddwng safely there, and ask the Cyng of Pwer to give the man the Chip. Then what? Would Pwer do it?
Darius feared he would. Because Ddwng would bring a pain dial and use it on him. If that did not work in that Mode, something else would. Ddwng was a hard man.
“You are pensive,” Pussy said via the translation ball. “How may I make you feel better?”
“I fear there is no way.”
This time she did not offer him sex or a massage. Only her unadorned sympathy. That turned out to be about as effective as anything.
All too soon they were there. The FTL Flay took up orbit around Earth, and made ready for the exchange of captains. “It has been a pleasure to serve you, sir,” Jjle said formally.
“You made it easy,” Darius said. “I hope you have pleasure in the next mission.” Then he bid parting to his Felines, shaking hands with Tom and Cat and kissing Pussy. “There were aspects of my mission I did not appreciate. But you were a delight. I am sorry to leave you.”
They did not respond, for he had neither questioned them nor given them a directive. He knew that they would serve the next captain as loyally as they had him, if the man did not have his own set of nulls. Sentimentality was wasted here. Nevertheless, he felt it.
Then he saw a tear in Pussy’s eye. That heartened him. Her emotion was surely transient, but it was there.
He stepped into the transporter cubicle with Provos, and out again in the Emperor’s palace on Earth. An Ovine neuter was there to guide them to their chamber for the night.
But when he got there, he discovered that it was occupied. There were three Equines, looking very much like his Felines but with their heads shaped to suggest those of horses. They evidently came with the suite.
Then he remembered something. Colene was served by Equines. Could it be?
“Whom do you serve?” he asked the neuter, who would be Horse.
“We serve Colene, who has directed us to make you comfortable until she returns.”
This seemed too good to be true. Ddwng was allowing them to be together? “Where is she now?”
“Dining with the Emperor, as she normally does.”
Was Ddwng taking more of an interest in Colene than in business? Darius felt a tinge of jealousy, but a larger tinge of satisfaction. Colene knew her own mind, once she made it up, and she wouldn’t hesitate to use any influence she had. She would have more influence on Ddwng than the Emperor realized, if he wasn’t careful, and she would use it to make him do what she wanted. She wanted to return to the Virtual Mode and travel with him, Darius. He was sure of this.
Maybe she had even used that influence to prevail on Ddwng to let the two of them be together this night. She could have hinted that she would make sure that Darius did not change his mind about giving Ddwng the Chip. Ddwng also might suppose that there would be key dialogue between them, which his sensors would pick up, which would reveal any potential treachery.
Well, there would be no treachery. Darius had given his word, and he would honor it. Maybe Colene expected him to do something foolish or deceitful, but he would not. He was betraying the realities, but not his nature. He hoped Colene would never know why.
What, then, was he to do this night? He did not want to be close to her before they could discuss things and come to some understanding, and he had no intention of discussing anything with her in this Mode.
“Please show us to our separate chambers,” Provos said to the nulls. “We shall eat after we are established.”
There was the answer. Provos remembered what was to happen.
Mare showed Provos to one chamber, and Stallion showed Darius to another. He saw that a bed had been set up; they were ready for the guests. He used the toilet chamber, checked himself in the mirror, and returned to the main chamber.
Horse had already set up the table with the meal of the day. Provos reappeared, and they sat down opposite each other, as they had regularly while on the ship. Darius didn’t notice what he ate, being preoccupied by his thoughts.
They were, oddly, not of Colene at the moment, but of Provos. He had traveled for some time with this odd woman, and still hardly knew her. She had seldom spoken to him recently, maintaining her disapproval of his decision. He hadn’t faulted her for that; he did not like it himself. But would she have let Colene be destroyed?