Piers Anthony - Unicorn Point

“In Phaze thine other self hast spent the past four years seeking to seduce me, just as thou hast done with Mach. Thine actions have been parallel. But with her the ploy turned; instead of corrupting me, she fell in love herself, and her nature changed. She be in bad grace with the Adverse Adepts, because she tried not hard enough to capture the lad Flach, Nepe’s other self.”

Tania nodded. “So you believe I am similarly vulnerable, and ready to help you.”

“Aye.”

“Aye,” she echoed ironically. “Damn it, I know it’s true; I felt her emotion. I echo it. I do want Mach—and Phaze, as she wants you and Proton. We are locked in this foolishness, letting a man rule us instead of the other way around. And you—you gave her no more satisfaction than Mach has me!”

“Aye.”

Those eyes bore on him again. “But did you wish to?”

Bane was silent.

“You promised to tell. Bane! I need to know.”

“Mach gave me a spell to ward her off. I ne’er touched her.”

“You still haven’t answered! Did you want to?”

“Aye,” he said reluctantly. “When I returned here to Agape, at times she teased me, assuming her likeness.”

“My likeness! And you had sex with her like that?”

“Aye,” he said, even more reluctantly. “But I knew it was Agape, else ne’er would I—”

“You desire me now!” she exclaimed triumphantly.

“I love thee not!”

“Again you haven’t answered! You desire me!”

“Thou knowest I may not answer that.”

She nodded, satisfied. “And Mach would wish to—?”

“Aye.” That much he could fairly answer.

She nodded again. “You were right. This interests me. If I help you, Mach may have reason to treat me more compatibly. And, judging by you, he would also have the desire.”

It was his turn to nod.

Then she glanced at him sharply. “And what of you, if Mach is dealing similarly in Phaze?”

“I would have to talk with Agape.”

“Who might not understand,” she said, smiling.

“Who might understand too well.”

She laughed. “What do you want me to do?”

The worst was over. “Make a reservation for departure from this planet.”

“You could do that yourself!”

“And yield that berth to Agape.”

She sobered. “Then you know.”

There was his confirmation that Agape was similarly threatened. “Aye.”

“But she can’t just walk out, you know. The moment she steps beyond her suite—”

“Aye.”

“And the child. She won’t leave the child behind, after losing her for so long.”

“That be a separate problem.”

“And you. You had better be gone the same time.”

“Aye.”

“And me. They’ll know as soon as it happens, and I’ll be finished.”

“Thou must go to Blue for asylum.”

She faced him squarely. “If I do this, and Mach does not settle with me, you do.”

“I can not!”

“I am not putting my life and career in jeopardy without that promise. I save Agape, one of you owes me, and you know how. In fact, Mach never settled for his prior debt to me, and this makes two. Both of you owe, now. No loop hole.”

He had not even come to terms with what Mach might commit him to in Phaze, and now he had to deal with it in Proton. But he knew her, and knew she would not yield. She wanted what she could get of Phaze, and she was used to hard dealing.

He thought of Agape, and knew he had to do it. “Aye.”

She went to the desk and checked the screen. “Do you care where she goes?”

“Nay, I care only that she not be suspected. She will assume thy likeness. Once away, she may change her route.”

“Of course. Then here’s a ship to ConGlom; I go there on occasion for relaxation. It’s fun to be able to wear clothes, oflplanet; I have a trousseau there she may draw on.”

“An they catch on, they will seek that planet. She dare not use thy trousseau.”

She shrugged as she touched a button. “Reservation made; that ship leaves the port in two hours. I will go there, and if she doesn’t board, I will, to cover my complicity. Tell her to meet me in a privacy stall—let’s say number four hundred and one. Can she get there fifteen minutes before boarding?”

“She must.”

She left the desk and approached him. She kissed him, and he had to accept it. He felt guilty for liking it. “Nice doing business with you. Bane. Now our time is up; go meet your love.”

He left the office. The first step had been taken. Tania was a sharp, motivated woman; she had understood immediately, and driven her hard bargain. But this was a three-step project, being formulated on the spur. Step one: get Agape away. Step two: get Nepe away. Step three: get himself away. Each step had more than one substep, and any misstep could be disastrous. Had there been only one, he could have taken Agape to Citizen Blue for sanctuary. As it was, that sanctuary would have to be saved for the last resort.

He had to try something he had never tried before. If it failed, he would have to try something else, but he had no notion what. He had never thought this action was possible, until Flach had called to him mentally; that should mean that no one else had thought of it either. That was a critical advantage—if it worked.

Nepe! he called mentally, as if contacting his other self across the frame. Nepe!

Daddy! she responded immediately.

Contact! Just like that! But he couldn’t pause to savor it. I know the threat. I be changing sides. Help me get thy mother offplanet.

She doesn ‘t know! They are watching. Oh, Daddy, I didn ‘t dare tell—

Aye. We needs must ship her to the spaceport, concealed. The flight to ConGlom within two hours. She must exchange with Tania in booth 401. Tell her that.

But they will not let her go! They are watching the apartment!

Yes. We must ship her out concealed. Order a monstrous vat o’ ice cream mix—

Got it. Daddy! But they call in every hour—

Thou willst have to emulate her for the screen.

Can do! Tell Troubot to make the delivery; he ‘II know what to do.

But thou wert Troubot! There be no…

Trust me. Daddy! He exists. He’s hiding, but go to this address and speak this code, and he will come. She rattled off the information, which Bane, with his computer brain, memorized instantly.

Once Agape be out, needs we must act quickly, he thought.

Sure!

That was it; they had no time for conversation. He went to the address, which fortunately was not far out of his route to the suite.

It turned out to be a storage region, where supplies of food, medicine and machine accessories were kept on a temporary basis, for immediate access by local service machines. The robots operating here were low grade, possessing no sentience; as long as he did not interfere with them, they had no awareness of his presence. There were no automatic recorders; such devices were expensive, and this was only a warehouse annex.

Nevertheless, he waited till no worker machines were in the immediate vicinity before acting. Then he spoke the code, quietly, not expecting any prompt response. Troubot was the name she had taken during her hiding; what could answer that call now?

A portage machine trundled by, carrying a load of packages of white powder. Bane stepped out of its way. “Troubot,” it murmured as it passed.

Well! “Make the delivery Nepe calls in,” he said.

Troubot stacked the bags and maneuvered to turn around.

“Of what nature?”

“Ten-gallon tub o’ ice cream.”

The machine trundled away toward the maintenance alcove, evidently to get an ice cream carrying body. Thus it would be ready to respond to the order, seemingly coincidentally.