Constant Fire

11. In which Doctor Volospion is subjected to a siege and attempts to Parley

Miss Ming was neither chained nor bound, neither did she languish in a dungeon, but she did confine herself, at Doctor Volospion's request, to her own apartments, furnished by him to her exact requirements, and at first she was content to accept this security, but as time passed she came to pine for human company, for even Doctor Volospion hardly ever visited her, and her only intercourse was with mechanical servants. When she did encounter her dark-minded host she would beg for news of Bloom, praying that by now he would have abandoned his plans and left the planet.

She saw Doctor Volospion soon after the party at Sweet Orb Mace's, where the house and lawn had been burned.

"He is still, I fear, here," Volospion informed her, seating himself on a pink, quilted pouf. "His determination to save the world has weakened just a little, I would say."

"So he will go soon?"

"His determination to win your hand, Miss Ming, is if anything stronger than ever."

"So he remains…" She sank upon a satin cushion.

"Everyone shares your dismay. Indeed I have been deputized to rid the world of the madman, in an informal way, and I have racked my brains to conceive a plan, but none comes. Can you think of anything?"

"Me? Little Mavis? I'm very honoured, Doctor Volospion, but…" She played with the neck of her blue lace negligee. "If you have failed, how can I help?"

"I thought you might have a better understanding of your suitor's mentality. He loves you very much. He told me so again, at the party. He accused me of keeping you here against your will."

She uttered her familiar tinkling laugh. "Against my will? What does he intend to do, but carry me off!" She shuddered.

"Quite."

"I still can't believe he was serious," she said. "Can you?"

"He is deeply serious. He is a man of much experience, that we know. He has considerable learning and his powers are impressive. As a lover, you could know worse, Miss Ming."

"He's repulsive."

Doctor Volospion rose from the pouf. "As you say. Well — why, what is that beyond the window?"

The window to which he pointed was large but filled with small panels of thick glass, obscured, moreover, by the frothy blue curtains on either side of it, reminiscent of the ornaments on a baby's cradle, the ribbons being pink and yellow.

It seemed that a small nova flared above the dour landscape of brooding trees and rocks surrounding Castle Volospion. The light approached them and then began to fall, just short of the force-field which protected the whole vast building (or series of buildings, as they actually were). Its colour changed from white to glowing red and it became identifiable as Emmanuel Bloom's baroque spacecraft.

"Oh, no!" wailed Miss Ming.

"Rest assured," said Doctor Volospion. "My force-field, like his own, is impregnable. He cannot enter."

The vessel landed, destroying a tree or two as it did so and turning rocks to a pool of black glass.

Miss Ming fled hastily to the window and drew the curtains. "There! This is torment, Doctor Volospion. I'm so unhappy!" She began to weep.

"I will do what I can," he said, "to dissuade him, but I can make no promises. He is so dedicated."

"You'll go to see him?" she snuffled. Her blue eyes begged. "You'll make him go away?"

"As I said —"

"Oh! Can't you kill him? Can't you?"

"Kill? What a waste that would be of such an authentic messiah…"

"You're still thinking of yourself. What about me?"

"Of course, I know that you are feeling some stress but, perhaps with your help, I could solve our problem."

"You could?" She dried her eyes upon her lacy sleeve.

"It would demand from you, Miss Ming, considerable courage, but the end would, I assure you, be worthwhile to us all."

"What?"

"I shall tell you if and when the opportunity arises."

"Not now?"

"Not yet."

"I'll do anything," she said, "to be rid of him."

"Good," he said. He left her apartments.

Doctor Volospion strode, in ornamental green and black, through the candle-light of his corridors, climbing stairs of grey-brown stone until he had reached a roof. Into the late evening air, which he favoured, he stepped, upon his battlements, to peruse the Fireclown's ship.

Doctor Volospion laughed and his joy was mysterious. "So, sir, you lay siege to my castle!"

His voice was echoed from many parts of his stronghold, from massive towers, from steeples and from eaves. A cool breeze blew at his robes as he stood there in his pride and his mockery. Behind him stretched bridges without function, buttresses which gave support to nothing, domes which sheltered only empty air. Above were dark masses of cloud in a sky the colour of steel. Below, lurid and out of key with all these surroundings, stood the spaceship.

"I warn you, sir, you shall be resisted!" continued Doctor Volospion.

But there was still no reply.

"Miss Ming is in my charge. I have sworn an oath to protect her!"

The air lock hatch swung back. Little tongues of flame came forth and dissipated in the dank air. The ramp licked out and touched the glassy rock and the Fireclown made his appearance. He wore a scarlet cap and a jerkin of red and yellow stripes. One leg was amber and the other orange, one foot, with bell-toed shoes, matched the red of his jerkin and the other matched the yellow. He had painted his face so that it was now the ridiculous mask of a traditional clown of antiquity and yet, withal, Doctor Volospion received the impression that Emmanuel Bloom was dressed for battle. Doctor Volospion smiled.

The thin, birdlike voice rose to the battlements. "Let the woman go free!"

"She fears you, sir," said Doctor Volospion equably. "She begs me to slay you."

"Of course, of course. It is because, like so many mortals, she is terror-struck by some hint of what I can release in her. But that is of no consequence, at this moment. You must remove yourself from the position you have taken between us."

Emmanuel Bloom walked in poorly coordinated strides down his ramp, crossed the grass and was halted by the force-field. "Remove this," he commanded.

"I cannot," Doctor Volospion told him.

"You must!"

"My pledge to Miss Ming…"

"Is meaningless, as well you know. You serve only yourself. It is your doom ever to serve yourself and thus never to know true life!"

"You invent a role for me as you invent one for Miss Ming. Even your own role is invented. Your imagination, sir, is disordered. I advise you, with all courtesy, to leave, or change your ways, or alter your ambitions. This masquerade of yours will bring you only misery." Doctor Volospion adopted the voice of sympathy.

"Must I suffer further examples of your hypocrisy, manikin? Let down this screen and show me to my soul mate." Emmanuel Bloom banged a small fist upon the field, causing it to shimmer somewhat. His mad blue eyes were fierce and paradoxical in their setting of paint.

"Your 'soul mate', sir, reviles you."

"Your interpretations are of no interest to me. Let me see her!"

"If you saw her, she would confirm my words."

"Her voice, perhaps, but not her soul."

"I'll indulge you no further, sir." Doctor Volospion turned from the battlements.

Behind him there came a most terrible tumult. He felt heat upon his back. He whirled. The Fireclown could not be seen, for now a wall of flame reared in place of the force-field. And the wall screamed.

Doctor Volospion touched a power ring and the flames became transparent ice through which he could just make out the silhouette of the Fireclown.

"Mr Bloom!" he called. "We can play thus for many a century and consume all our energies. If I admitted you, would you give me your word that you would use no violence against either myself or Miss Ming, that you would not attempt to achieve your ends with force?"

"I never use force. I use my power to produce living parables, that is all, and so convince those who would oppose me."

"But you would give your word?"

"If you require it, you have it." And then the Fireclown raised his shadowy fist again and struck at the ice which shattered. He strode through the hole he had made. "But you see how easily I can dispose of your protection!"

Doctor Volospion hid his mouth behind his hand. "Ah, I had not realized…" He lowered his lids so that his eyes might not be seen, yet it might have been that a cunning humour glittered there for a moment.

"Will you admit me to your castle, Doctor Volospion, so that I may see Miss Ming for myself?"

"Give me a little while so that I may prepare the lady for your visit. You will dine with me?"

"I will undergo any ritual you wish, but when I leave, it shall be with Mavis Ming, my love."

"You gave your word…"

"I gave my word and I shall keep it."

Doctor Volospion quit his battlements.