Piers Anthony - Unicorn Point

“Report, pup,” Translucent snapped.

Forel changed to boy form. “They—they be playing games,” he said, and braced himself for the laughter. But none came. “Two o’ three, for Nepe or the Oracle.”

“How can they use the Oracle?” Translucent demanded.

“That be the stake too. The rovot and Bane to work as before, for the Adepts.”

Translucent nodded. “Let’s get on with it, then.” Evidently his answer did accord with the one the rovot had given! They took games seriously in Proton-frame! Forel was forgotten as the Adepts got down to negotiations. It was mainly between Blue and Translucent, but others put in words on occasion.

The essence was that all were agreed that this matter should be settled, and that the stakes in Phaze were the Book of Magic and the boy Flach, who was Barel. The rovot and Bane would serve the winner. Where they differed was in how to settle it.

“Let’s make it a contest o’ single champions,” Stile said. “I will stand for our side; who will stand for thine?” But none came forth from the Adverse Adepts; they knew that none of them could be sure of prevailing either physically or magically against Stile. This was a seeming oddity, because Stile was the smallest among them, and old, and lived simply, as if he had little magic; how deceiving appearances could be!

“Let’s make it a war of animals,” Purple said. “Ours ‘gainst thine.” But Blue demurred, for there were more vicious animals supporting the Adverse Adepts than there were supporting Stile, and some of them were dragons and rocs: it would not be a fair contest.

“But my golems will meet thy animals,” Brown offered.

“Thy golems be impervious to pain!” Purple retorted.

“We be going round and round,” Translucent said impatiently. “Let’s hear a suggestion from the animals, then!” He glared around, but there was no peep from the animals. “What stuff be ye made o’?” he demanded. “Here we have a simple matter o’ dominance to settle; must it come to total internecine warfare? Why, this pup could do better than that!”

“Ask the pup, then,” Purple snapped.

Oops! Forel tried to hide under a chair, but he was in boy form and could not do it before all eyes found him out.

“Aye,” Translucent said, his gaze fixing on him. “How wouldst thou settle this?”

Forel knew he was stuck for it. He could not try to avoid answering, however foolish he made himself, because he was bound to do what Translucent asked. Well, all he could do was say something, and let it be rejected with disgust, and then he would be off the tooth.

“I—methinks I—I would have a siege,” he said, remembering a game of battle he had played with other pups. “Two sides, each laying siege to the other’s flag, and the one who captures the other flag without losing its own—“ He stalled, cowed by their silence.

“A siege,” Translucent said, nodding. He glanced at Kur relgyre. “Would thy Pack meet similar o’ ours in such a game?”

“Aye,” the Pack Leader said immediately. “An it be limited to an equivalent force, and no Adept magic.”

Translucent gazed at the remaining animal leaders. “Any o’ ours to meet this Pack?”

There was a clamor of response. They were all ready! Forel was amazed; had not expected to be taken seriously.

“I see the dragons be ready,” Translucent said. “Now—“

“Nay!” Stile cut in. “Werewolves be brave, but that be foolish. Match them ‘gainst landbound creatures, near their size.”

“Nay, size be no issue,” Kurrelgyre protested. “Make the group o’ similar strength, be all. Few large, or many small, and we’ll accommodate.”

“Few large,” Translucent said. “Such as ogres—“ Here the ogre chief raised a huge calloused fist. “Or many small, such as goblins.” And the goblin chief jumped up, eager to oblige.

“Put up sample tribes, and let us choose one,” Stile suggested.

“My tribe will do it!” the goblin said.

Stile turned to Kurrelgyre. “Wouldst meet that one?”

“Aye,” the werewolf said. “They be a long-time nuisance; my wolves would be glad to deal with them.”

“Then I think we have a match,” Stile said. But there was another clamor from the other representatives; they all wanted to participate.

“Make it three sieges,” Translucent suggested. “Each a different set.”

“But without blood,” Stile said.

“Without blood!” Purple exclaimed. “Mayhem be the point!”

“Nay. The point be thy style or mine. I will not shed blood unnecessarily to establish a bloodless settlement. Blunt the weapons.”

Purple was disgusted, but in the end the compromise was forged: Adept magic on both sides would be used to make any wounds nonlethal. A wolf’s bite might seem to tear out a goblin’s throat, and blood would flow, but that part would be illusion; the goblin would be unconscious for the duration, but unhurt. A goblin’s club might knock a wolf senseless, but the wolf would wake after the siege unharmed. They also set up three sieges: first a vampire Flock would engage a harpy Flock, then a unicorn Herd would meet an ogre Clan, and finally the wolf Pack would settle with the goblin Tribe. Two victories would settle the issue, and that side would gain the Book of Magic and the services of Rovot and Bane, or would recover Flach and keep the rest. In short, the future dominance of the frame would be decided by these contests, just as would be the case in Proton. “But what if one side wins Proton, and the other Phaze?”

Brown asked.

Translucent laughed. “Then we play more games, and yet more, till the sides agree.”

Stile nodded. He wanted the issue settled as much as Translucent did.

So it was agreed. A committee was appointed to work out the details, and the others dispersed. Forel reported to Barel in the globe, who relayed the news to Nepe, verifying what the rovot was sending to the other side. “Before I go,” Translucent said, approaching Kurrelgyre. “I promised a small reward, and my hostages behaved well, and I keep my word. Wolf, I would exchange this one,” he indicated Forel, “for another.” He glanced at Forel. “Who be Flach’s bitch?”

“He has no bitch, only his Promised,” Forel said.

“Whate’er. Who be she?”

“Sirelmoba.”

Translucent returned to Kurrelgyre. “Forel for Sirelmoba. She would keep him better company on the isle.”

“Agreed,” Kurrelgyre said.

“One thing more. This one be blooded. He made his first Kill on the isle.”

“Agreed,” the Pack Leader said again.

So it was done, to Forel’s amazement and delight. He would return to the Pack and receive his new syllable, and Barel would have the company of the one closest to him. The Adept had indeed been more than fair. Now he understood why even his enemies treated Translucent with respect; he de served it.

10 - Sheen

Sheen walked beside Citizen Blue to the Game Annex. The Annex had been closed for all residents except for this single event. “I fear you are making an error,” she said. “

It is a gamble we must take,” he countered. “You are an excellent player, and you have a consistency that fleshy creatures lack. Our chances are best with consistency.”

“But Citizen Purple is an unscrupulous man, and a veteran gamesman. You need to put up your best against him, and you are the best.”

“But he knows me well. He will have traps for me. You were a surprise; he is relatively unprepared for you. There fore you are the better match, though you may not be the better player.”

The process of the selection of players had been the subject of intense negotiation and compromise. Each side wanted the other to designate its player first, so that the best prospect against that player could be chosen. Finally they had settled on one first-designation by the Contrary Citizens, and one by Blue’s side. One match would be different: each side would get to choose its opponent from the ranks of the other. Thus the selection would be for the weakest players instead of the strongest. The selection would be done for the second game, immediately before it, so that there could be no preparation. The Citizens had put up Purple. Blue had had twelve hours to put up his champion. When the third game came, the sit uation would be reversed, and the Citizens would have the advantage. But perhaps, if things went well, there would be no third game.