Robot Adept

“Thee,” he murmured, letting his love for her come through. He had wanted her so much, in Proton, and Agape playing her role had been only a suggestion of the real person. How good it was to be with her again!

A trifling wave passed through her hair: the suggestion of the splash. Then she was in his arms, hugging him almost painfully hard. “Thee!” she echoed.

Translucent glanced at Trool. “Tomorrow?” he asked.

“Aye, Adept,” the Troll replied.

Translucent glanced at Tania. Abruptly a watery ball enclosed her. It lifted from the ground, carrying her with it, and floated rapidly westward. Then Translucent himself vanished.

“Welcome to be guests of the Red Demesnes, an the two of ye prefer,” Trool said. “Or not, as desired.”

Mach hesitated, not knowing what was involved. “We thank thee, Adept, and accept,” Fleta said.

The three of them walked toward the red castle. “I know only that there was a trap Bane sprung,” Mach said. “And a new arrangement, that will make things easier. I would like to know more.”

“The Tan Adept’s daughter attempted to fascinate Bane, thinking him newly arrived,” Trool said. “This were a breach that countered Bane’s breach in deceiving and spying on the Adverse Adepts. Translucent knew not of it, nor I of Bane’s device, prior. Now will Translucent and I work to train thee in magic, that thou mayst rival thine other self in a private tourney, and the victor will determine for whom the two of ye work.”

Mach had trouble assimilating this. “I am—to play against my other self? Against Bane?”

“Aye. Thou for the Adverse Adepts, and he for Stile and Blue.”

“But you are with Stile!”

“Aye. Yet do I honor the pact. This matter must be settled, and the imbalance between frames corrected, lest great harm come to all.”

Mach nodded. “I am conversant with the Game, in Proton. But Bane isn’t. And since the two of us can never meet in the same frame—”

“Thou willst rival him across the curtain, thou with magic, he with science.”

“But I hardly know magic, and he—”

“Translucent will train thee, with the Book of Magic, and Blue will train Bane, with the Oracle. We deem it fair.”

Mach was silent. He wasn’t sure it was possible, let alone fair. But if the two sides were satisfied, then he could not disagree.

They reached the castle and entered it. A woman came to meet them, stunningly beautiful. “Suchevane!” Mach exclaimed, remembering her from his canoe trip. “What are you doing here?”

“What, indeed,” the troll murmured with fond awe.

“I be keeping company with the Adept,” she said demurely. “Thy creature friend from Proton did help me broach him, and her do I now call friend.”

Agape had had a hand in this? There had indeed been much she hadn’t told him! He remembered how Suchevane had brought him to this castle, when he was in pursuit of Fleta, and how the Adept had reacted to the vampiress. Evidently Suchevane had been similarly struck by the Adept.

They had a meal together, the four of them, and Mach felt completely at home. Suchevane and Trool had helped him rescue Fleta; it seemed fitting that they be together now. There had been much mischief in the conflict between Adepts, but also some benefit, and this was that.

Fleta brought him to a private chamber for the night. “And how was the amoeba filly?” she inquired with a slight edge.

Mach’s jaw dropped. Then she laughed, and he realized she was teasing him. “And how was Bane?” he returned.

“I love thee,” she said, abruptly sober. “But I like him, and would help him how I could. He had need to seem to be thee—”

“And Agape had need to seem to be you,” Mach said.

“Aye. So what we said, and what we did—it were merely words and deeds, n’er the truth. Canst accept that?”

“Agape made herself look and sound exactly like you,” he said. “She knew you, because she had used your body. I—there are devices of circuitry I can use, in my own body—”

“And so I came to thee again, in her body. And thou didst come to me, in his, e’en as now. Mayhap we best think no more on that.”

He nodded. They knew the situation, and knew it had changed. “But I wish I could always be with you.” He hugged her, and kissed her.

“Thou mayst be with me more than thou dost like,” she said with a certain impish malice. “Mine heat be nigh upon me. I can stave it off somewhat with herbs, but wish that not. I would breed with thee—”

“Uh-oh.” He had tried to satisfy her insatiable breeding lust, the last time, and had had to use magic to do it. Sex was ordinarily a game with her, a game she played with increasing aptitude and delight, but when she came in heat it was savagely serious.

“In all my forms,” she concluded.

“What?”

“The Red Adept looked in the Book of Magic, and learned how we could be fertile. There be spells, methinks, but also needs must we breed in mine human, equine and avian aspects.”

“But I cannot—!”

“Thou must change form,” she said. “The Book will tell thee how.”

“It better!” he muttered. “And I’ll need a new perpetual potency spell.”

“Why, Mach,” she said with disarming innocence. “Be I not attractive to thee?”