Piers Anthony - Phaze Doubt

Not long thereafter, a small aircraft arrived. It was Citizen Purple, as Nepe had predicted. Probably the child had gotten hold of a divination, so that she had known the timing. It had been a fairly near thing.

Purple strode into the castle as if he owned it—which was close enough to the fact now. He wore the ludicrous tentacle-cap of Hectare service. “Have you considered your situation, Brown?” he inquired brusquely. He was in his Citizen aspect, which meant he wouldn’t be using magic. That was a small relief, for a magic check could have spotted the golem party, and it would have been awkward if he realized that Tsetse seemed to be in two places at once.

“At length,” she confessed. “Thou has power now, and canst make my life difficult an I not cooperate with thee.”

“And comfortable if you do cooperate,” he said. “Look, woman, I don’t ask you to renounce your heritage. Just put your golems at our disposal, and swear that you will not allow them to harm any person or thing associated with the Hectare. I know your word is good.”

“I can keep my castle and my privacy?” she asked. There was more to that question than showed, as they both knew. She wanted assurance that her shame would not be advertised.

“Yes. You will answer only to me, and the Hectare, who are not concerned with personal details.”

“My golems I can pledge, but my heart not. I will do what thou sayest, and the golems will obey, but I will betray not my friends.”

“Soon enough there will be none loose to betray.”

“And Tsetse—“

“She’s yours as long as the golems are ours.”

“And that be the whole o’ it?”

“Almost.” He waggled a fat finger at her. “You were a temperate keeper, when Tan and I were your prisoners. But then you were honor-bound to keep us, not to harm us. Now you are not. I want your word that you will obey me personally, and seek no physical or magical harm to me. I know you don’t like me, but you will never try to lead me into harm, or refuse to help me if I am in peril.”

Brown reflected. Nepe had said they were going to punish Purple, but not actually to hurt him, and in any event that was not Brown’s doing. If she saw that Purple was actually being hurt, she would have to try to help him. That seemed to be an appropriate compromise. “An thou keep thy word to me, I will keep mine to thee,” she said. “I will obey thee and seek not to lead thee to harm, but an thou come to it by device other than mine, it will grieve me not.”

“Agreed. Now I have assignments for your golems. I want a complement set to the North Pole to ensure that no other person or creature has access to it.”

“The North Pole!” she exclaimed, surprised. “There be no such Pole!”

“There is in Proton. Now there are four. Can your golems get there and remain functional?”

“If there be no fire.”

“Snow, not fire.”

“Then they can go. I will send a complement. But I must advise thee that golems be not smart; they will prevent thy forces also from approaching it.”

“Understood. Do it.”

“That be the extent o’ mine obligation?”

“For the moment, Brown.” He got up to go.

There was a beep. Purple brought out a holo cube and set it on the table. “Purple,” he said, evidently acknowledging a call.

A three-dimensional image formed above the cube. Brown’s breath stopped. It was a Hectare, one of the bug-eyed invaders. She had shielded herself from such contact, trying to pretend the creatures didn’t exist, but here one was virtually in her castle.

The thing’s tentacles writhed, rippling around what could be its neck section, and there was a faint, unpleasant keening. They spoke by rubbing short tentacles together, she had heard, producing mostly ultrasonic whistles that the human ear could not fathom if it were able to hear them at all. Evidently it was so, for in a moment the translation started.

“I am pleased to accept your invitation to game,” the thing was saying. “A studio is being reserved. Be there with your second in ninety-four minutes.” The image faded out.

Purple’s mouth hung open. He looked as though he had received a death sentence. This communication had evidently come as a complete surprise to him.

Then he gathered his wits. “Do you know what this means, Brown?”

“I knew not e’en the invaders played games!” she protested. “Thou didst ask to play with it?”

He stared at her. “You don’t know that the Hectare not only play, they bet? That they are compulsive gamers who play for keeps?”

She returned his gaze blankly. “I know as little o’ them as I can.”

“Then you shall learn!” he said grimly. “Make yourself ready, woman; you shall be my second.”

“Thy second? I know not how—“

“My adviser, my supporter. You will do your best to see that I win that game.”

Suddenly she remembered what Nepe had said: that Citizen purple would play a game with a Hectare, and that she should go with him, and take the mock Tsetse. How had the child managed this? But she had no time to wonder; she had to do it. “I agreed to do thy bidding. Purple, but must warn thee that I know naught o’ seconding or the game, and may be o’ little use to thee. I may help thee best by urging thee to obtain a more competent second.” Absolutely true!

Purple fixed her with an abruptly steely eye. “Do you know what the Hectare do to losers?”

“Nay. I—“

“They cut off the loser’s hand.”

She stared at him, speechless.

“That is to ensure that no native throws a game to a Hectare. There is no penalty for winning, and no loss to the Hectare for losing, other than its bets. They’re not really good at the game yet, being unused to our conventions, so they often do lose. But they are getting better. They’re not stupid, and they do not forget a ploy that defeats them. It’s like Phaze magic: it won’t work twice. So I have no certainty of winning.”

“But then why didst thou challenge—“

“I didn’t challenge!” he shouted. “But the Hectare evidently thinks I did, so I’m stuck for it. Now, woman, understand this: you will be my second, and you will see that I win. Because if I lose, you lose. Do you understand me?”

Brown didn’t need to ask how she would lose. Her secret was on the line. She would have to do her very best to help him to win. Which was exactly what Nepe had told her to do. She had for the sake of integrity urged him not to use her; now her course was clear.

“Aye,” she said slowly. “But let me bring Tsetse.”

“To remind you what you’re fighting for?” He shrugged. “Bring her, then. But be ready in ten minutes. I’ll be at my plane.” He swept out.

Flustered, Brown went to the storeroom. She opened the door—and paused, astonished.

Tsetse stood there, absolutely authentic. Brown knew it wasn’t her, but the likeness was so good that it was hard to believe. “Thou needs must come—“ she said, faltering as the surprise continued to percolate.

“Yes, of course. Brown,” the woman said in Tsetse’s voice. “Whatever you say.”

Did the woman stand a little taller than before, and was she heavier? Brown peered closely at her, to see whether she had been magnified a size, but could detect nothing. This emulation would readily pass inspection. But how had they managed it?

She decided to treat the emulation exactly as if she were Tsetse, so that there could be no slip. “Something has come up. We must leave for Proton immediately with Citizen Purple. I am to assist him in a game against a Hectare.”

“A game against a Hectare!” Tsetse exclaimed, wide-eyed. “But don’t they make natives—?”

“Aye. Needs must we help Purple win. Now come.”