Key to Survival

Chapter 17 Twins

"Request for you, Warp," Ennui said. "The Coalition wants the Twins to contribute their space fleet to the joint effort. They are reluctant. How are you at persuasion?"

"I persuaded Marionette to marry me, as of the end of this campaign."

Ennui's mouth quirked. "Or did she persuade you? When it comes to putty, you are the ultimate in her hands."

"Whatever," he agreed, not arguing the point. Marionette was some woman, not a Glamor, but a living ikon, so she had some Glamor-like features. Apart from that, she was lovely, smart, talented, experienced, and principled.

"Not to mention extremely competent sexually," Ennui said, reading his thoughts, which he had not tried to conceal. Ennui had always been like a grandmother to the siblings, and they trusted her absolutely. She was mortal, but had no awe of the Glamors, and they all respected her. "She can actually keep up with you, when she tries."

This, too, was valid. But irrelevant to the subject at hand. "My limited experience with the Earth fleet is what qualifies me for this mission?"

"Voila says the mission needs a virile Glamor. For some reason, you came to mind."

"Voila always was a little bitch." He shrugged. "Coordinates?"

"Marionette has them, and your ikon."

"As if I ever had a choice," he muttered, and conjured himself to his fiancee's bower.

She was expecting him, sitting nude on the bed. "I understand that all the folk of Twins are twins," she said.

"And extremely handsome."

"For aliens?"

"For humans. They are humanoid, and readily emulate other humanoid forms. You will surely have a time with the girls."

"I already have a girl," he said, joining her on the bed.

"But not a mistress. Yet. Maybe a twin will serve."

"An alien creature? I'd rather have a robot."

"There are five bath girls to choose from."

"They belong to Pa."

"One or two might be reprogrammed."

"Stop talking." He kissed her firmly as he clasped her.

There was of course a subtext: now they were looking for the Makers, having learned of their existence. They had to find them before the machines did, because the machines would destroy them. They had no idea what physical form the Makers had, or what intellectual qualities. They could be anything, anywhere. This made the search tricky, especially since it was a secret quest. How could they identify such an unknown? What would they do if they succeeded? Because they were not at all sure the Makers wanted to be found.

"Which is why Ennui warns us to use no telepathy while there," Marionette said as he stroked within her. "Our information is that the Twins are not telepathic, but surely the Makers are, so it could be a ruse. If we open our minds for that even briefly, the aliens may gain access to our minds and discover our secondary mission. If they should happen to be the Makers, they may see to it that we never find out."

"No telepathy," he agreed, jetting forcefully.

They donned portable translation units set for human/twin. They should be able to communicate freely.

In due course Warp conjured them to the rendezvous station on the Twins contact world. This turned out to be an airy pavilion replete with exotic plants and statuary. A show place for the benefit of visitors.

A gorgeous young woman approached. "Warp!" she exclaimed, spontaneously embracing him, in the process providing him a torso-length feel of her qualities. Then she released him and turned to his companion. "Marionette!

Welcome to Twins. I am Vra, your host."

Warp stood transfixed for the moment. This was the loveliest creature he had ever seen. How could she be an alien?

"And you are a Glamor," Marionette said.

"You are perceptive. I am the Glamor of Air."

Warp was startled. There was no such Glamor in the human culture. But of course this was a different culture, with different conventions.

"I love a Glamor," Marionette said. "I am attuned."

Vra considered momentarily. "Then you are familiar with Glamor nature."

"Agreement."

"Pso will guide you. He is the Glamor of Fire." And a male Twin approached, eerily handsome.

He was indeed a Glamor; Warp recognized the type. The Twins had prepared well for this contact.

"I am honored to meet you, Marionette," Pso said gallantly. "I hope to know you better soon."

Marionette did not offer to embrace him. "I carry an ikon."

"I am aware. Otherwise I would have kissed you."

Marionette considered briefly. Then she spat out Warp's ikon and held it at arm's length. "I did not mean to be unsocial."

Pso enfolded her and kissed her firmly, one hand stroking her bottom. She had after all given him leave.

"It occurs to me that I was not as responsive as I should have been," Warp said to Vra. "I am the Glamor of Fungus." He embraced her, kissed her, and put both hands on her evocative rear. The very touch of her gave him an erection.

"Delight," she murmured, pinching his own rear with clearly experienced fingers. Then she surprised him.

"But we are not identical to your form. We are close, and can readily emulate it, but there are cautions."

"I will not presume," he said regretfully.

"Presumption is fine. Just be cautious on expectation."

"Question? We do not wish to give offense."

She stopped back slightly, caught his right hand, and threaded it into what turned out to be a covered slit in her shirt. Suddenly he was holding her bare right breast. It was consistent with the rest of her: the finest breast he had felt. "No offense."

This woman kept surprising him. "I may touch you freely?"

"As freely as is feasible."

He glanced at Marionette. She had followed his lead, and had Pso's hand in her shirt. He looked quite interested.

Warp left his hand where it was and met Vra's gaze. "Are you familiar with the concept of no fault?"

"We have studied your culture, anticipating your visit. We have learned about no fault, and find no fault with it. But it doesn't work for us. Not completely."

Was she simply teasing him? Her manner and body were stimulating him wickedly. But evidently there were limits. "Then maybe we should get down to business," Warp said regretfully. "I am here to negotiate for a contingent of your space ships."

"In due course," Vra said. "Let's get better acquainted first."

What was on her mind? She evidently knew his culture better than he knew hers. He had come here poorly prepared. Why hadn't Voila or Ennui told him what to expect? "As you wish."

She removed his hand from her breast, but not with any indication of censure. It was as if she wanted his caresses, but could not follow through where they might lead. What was holding her back, if she understood and accepted no fault sex? "Background: everything is twinned in our culture. We have twin suns." She gestured, and a holographic picture appeared in the air. It was a representation of a stellar system with two equivalent stars orbiting each other.

"So do we," Warp said. "One of ours is a black hole."

"Yes." The focus zoomed in on a pair of planets also orbiting each other, in the larger orbit around the stars. "Twin planets."

"We, too," Warp said.

"Charm and Counter Charm."

"Yes," she repeated. "It is not uncommon. But we take it farther than most." The focus oriented on a planet. "Twin moons."

That stopped Warp. "We have no moons."

"Your planets are too close to each other. That interferes." Now he saw that each planet in the image had two small moons whirling close to their surfaces. "Twin continents."

Sure enough, the planet in focus had a watery surface featuring two large islands: the continents.

"We don't," Warp said. "Our worlds are all land, with occasional lakes and seas."

"Twin kingdoms." Now a political boundary appeared, demarcating two approximately equal areas on the indicated continent.

"We have only one."

"And twin people. Each mating couple produces twin males or twin females."

"Not mixed twins? We sometimes have them."

"Never."

"You have a twin sister?"

"Yes. We live and work apart."

"You don't get along with each other?"

"We love each other. We are incomplete without each other. But we must be separate."

"Confusion."

"This is why your officials did not acquaint you with the full situation. They were perhaps afraid you would decline the mission." Warp looked at Marionette, and saw she was as perplexed as he. He returned to Vra.

"Question?"

"We can tempt you, and be tempted by you, but can't breed with you."

"We are different species," Warp said. "Sex between us will never produce offspring. We understand that."

"We can't even have sex with you."

"There are social restraints? We will certainly try to honor them." But he really regretted this. The thought of sex with this luscious alien really turned him on.

"Not so. We are allowed, but can't."

"Am I being stupid? You seem capable to me."

Vra glanced at the other couple. "Pso would very much like to indulge with Marionette, whom he finds extremely tempting, but is unable. Similar is true with me and you."

Warp was at a loss. "Bafflement. We are willing to conduct business with you, or to have sex, or both. You are both extremely attractive individuals. Please tell us what you expect of us, and we will do our best to oblige."

"I said we are incomplete without our twins. This is literal."

"You are emotionally lost on your own? You seem physically complete."

"Explanation." Now she took his hand and passed it down inside her skirt. Pso did the same with Marionette.

Warp felt her rounded belly and slightly parted thighs. His fingers felt her cleft—and lost their way.

Something was missing.

He glanced across at Marionette, and saw similar surprise on her face. How he wished that they could share experiences telepathically! But now more than ever they had to guard their minds. The Twins were stranger than they had suspected, and there might be further surprises in store.

"May we look?" he asked.

Vra smoothly removed her clothing, and Pso did the same. The two stood nude before them. Both were glorious in figure in every detail. Except that Vra had only half a cleft, and Pso only half a penis. Her crotch was uneven, as though surgery had cut out a portion and left only an open channel. His penis was similarly open, like a hose cut in half lengthwise.

They were right: they were unable to perform sex. They had only half the equipment.

The two dressed, and the concealment of the clothing made them look completely human again.

Marionette was the first to formulate a question. "How do you reproduce?"

"We need our twins for that," Vra replied. "They have the other halves."

"But don't you need both halves in one person?" Marionette asked.

"Not necessarily. There are combinations."

"Confusion."

"When one sibling dies, the other can recover his or her half genital and become whole. Then he or she is capable of breeding."

"Distaste," Warp said. "You have to kill each other?"

"No, we do not do that. But sometimes there are accidents, disease, or combat."

"But your twin is dead."

"Yes. We do not like that way."

Warp shook his head. "You mentioned combinations. I do not understand."

"Were my sister to come to me, we would not only be able to breed, we would be eager to do so. It is the Glamor nature, and our species nature. That is why we live apart."

Warp still did not have it clear. "If your sister came here, exactly how would you do it?"

"We would find a suitable man or men, and overlap. There are four viable combinations: one male, one female; two males two females, one male two females, two males one female. Normally it is two and two, because deaths of twins are rare."

"Two and two," Warp said. "I am not visualizing this."

"We overlap in the genital region," Vra said. "It is a thing we are equipped to do. When we breed, in due course we produce a pair of males or a pair of females. When they come of age, they must separate, lest they constantly try to overlap and seduce others. Only when there is a suitable breeding prospect do we get together."

"This is not our way," Marionette said. "But evidently it works for you."

"It does," Vra agreed.

"This is fascinating, and certainly establishes that we can't have sex," Warp said. "But does it relate to our mission?"

"It does," Vra repeated. "In two ways. Our space fleet is valuable, and we would not part with any ships without being sure we can trust those to whom we send them. We truly trust only those with whom we can mate."

"But you can't mate with aliens!" Warp protested.

"We can go through the motions," Vra said. "That will suffice."

"But we aren't twins," Marionette said. "We don't have the—the halves."

"You are equivalent to wholed people," Vra said. "As such, extremely sexually tempting. We would love to join with our twins and indulge in the motions of mating with you."

"One human, two twins," Warp said, seeing it. "Two of your four combinations."

"Four of them," Vra said. "You could mate with wholed individual twins."

"And if we do, this will establish trust? So we can negotiate for space ships?."

"Yes, in essence."

"You mentioned two ways," Marionette said. "What is the other?"

"My sister Arv is co-commander of our space fleet. She is the Glamor of Water. Pso's brother Osp is the other co-commander. He is the Glamor of Earth." Warp laughed. "Suddenly the relevance penetrates!"

"But presumably it won't be as simple as joining them and having sex," Marionette said.

"Not at all as simple," Vra agreed. "You must go to talk with them, while we remain apart. Only if they agree to the relationship will sex occur, facilitating an agreement on the fleet."

And there it was. The twins had laid out the blueprint for one weird interstellar cultural deal.

"Then let's talk," Warp said. Because, apart from his mission, he found Vra excruciatingly sexy and wanted to make it with her. He was also intensely curious how she and her sister would merge to make sex possible.

"One other thing," Vra said. "We need to give you a tour of our realm, so that you can better understand us."

"Agreement," he said, disappointed by the delay.

They conjured to a path in a jungle. "Twinned trees," Marionette said, impressed.

There were squirrel-like animals in the trees. "But single squirrels," Warp said.

"No, all animals are twinned," Vra said. "They merely forage apart, so as not to be constantly breeding."

The path led to a village. The houses were like large ancient-Earth wigwams, conic—and twinned.

But the inhabitants were fleshy, hairy bipeds who might resemble Earth apes with an effort of imagination.

"But where are the people?" Marionette asked.

"These are they," Vra said.

"Confusion."

"This is our natural form. We advised you that we are close but not identical to your form, so we can readily emulate it. But perhaps not as close as you supposed. We do not wish to deceive you."

Warp made an effort of adjustment. "You did so advise us. We did suppose the parallel was closer. But of course the chance of identical forms in completely different cultures is remote."

"True."

"You are beautiful because you shape your forms," Marionette said.

"True," Vra said. "We regret it if this disappoints you."

"But you can maintain your present forms as long as you choose?" Warp asked.

"We can, and will. We want to please you."

Warp looked at Marionette. "Question?"

"Reasonable," she said. "They are not misleading us, merely assuming a compatible form. We have only to appreciate their art."

"Agreement," he said.

The tour continued, but that was the key aspect. They now knew that these twins were crafted works of art, but their minds and intentions were clearly worthwhile.

"You are now aware of our natural forms," Vra said as the tour concluded. "Do you remain interested in sexual expression?"

"Affirmation."

"Because you wish to obtain our space fleet?"

"That, too."

Vra and Pso laughed. Pso spoke for only the second time. "They are accepting our emulation of their forms."

"Affirmation," Marionette said. "We like your nature."

"Now we can join with our twins," Vra said.

Soon they were at the command space ship. Co-commanders Arv and Osp were there to greet them. They greeted and embraced, then retired to a private cabin to talk.

"May we speak candidly?" Warp asked.

"We desire this," Arv said. Apparently the females were the talkers here.

"Deciding on whether to participate in a joint stellar cultural space fleet that well may be destroyed by the common enemy, the machines, should be accomplished by careful consideration of the situation, rather than by sex between fundamentally different creatures."

"If we were perfectly rational, we would be machines," Arv said.

Marionette laughed. "Touché! We are answered."

"And our own human history is laced with irrationality," Warp agreed. "Still, I hope there is a rational basis."

"We know it," Arv said. "We accept it. The machines must be stopped, and combining our fleets is a rational way to do it. It is the social aspect that we need to negotiate."

"I am a Glamor," Warp said. "I am interested in sex. Marionette is my ikon holder. She is good at sex. But surely there is more to it than this."

"There is," Arv said. "We are uncertain whether humans are suitable partners, even for mock sex. You need to demonstrate some persuasive emotional qualities. Otherwise your mission must fail."

"Translation," Marionette said. "We need to seduce you. This would be difficult in the absence of your twins."

"You need to make us wish to be seduced, so that we will summon our twins to make it feasible," Arv said.

"Our twins are the romantically expressive ones. We are the practical ones. We doubt you have sufficient ability."

Warp considered, and made a decision. He risked telepathy. They are challenging us, he thought to Marionette. We must rise to it, or fail in our mission.

Agreement. What do you have in mind?

Telepathy. They seem to lack it. Their thoughts are unguarded. They are not the Makers; the naive openness of their minds makes that almost certain. We can make a demonstration.

As you wish, she agreed.

The exchange took only a moment, as mental communication was both faster and more comprehensive than verbal expression. Now Warp addressed the twins.

"I believe we do have sufficient ability," Warp said. "We are prepared to make a demonstration that might be considered offensive if not properly understood."

"Qualification noted," Arv said, smiling.

"It seems you lack telepathy."

"Mind to mind communication? We have no need for it, as our technology suffices, and personal privacy is preferred."

"But other species who have telepathy might take advantage of you. It would be better to protect yourselves from that. Otherwise an enemy commander might read your intentions, and counter them, gaining advantage that could cost you a ship or even a battle."

Now they were interested. "How?"

"Telepathic mind shielding is one technique. We could teach you that."

Arv shrugged. "We are not convinced of the need. The threat is theoretical."

"We will make it direct. We will telepathically summon your twins here. That will give us a tactical advantage."

"Telepathy can do that?"

"When minds are not guarded."

Bath Arv and Osp smiled. "We await your demonstration," Arv said.

They were calling his bluff. Did they know something he didn't? Or did their lack of familiarity with telepathy lend them contempt for its aspects? He would play the hand. I will try for Vra, he thought to Marionette. You try for Pso. Then, aloud: "We are reaching for them now."

The twins waited, satisfied to let the humans foul up their own case.

Warp reached out mentally, orienting on Vra's mind, which he knew from his contact with her.

He had not communicated telepathically with her, but her unguarded mind had been open to him.

He found her. Vra—come to the ship. Your twin is ready. He felt her surprise; she had not expected Arv to be persuaded so rapidly, if at all. She did not question the source of the information; his thought bypassed her critical faculty, lending instant belief.

Marionette caught his eye and nodded. She had reached Pso similarly.

"They should be here soon," Warp said. Because as Glamors they could conjure themselves from place to place.

There was a knock on the door. Then Vra and Pso entered the cabin.

Arv and Osp stared. "You did it!" Arv said.

"Did what?" Vra asked.

"Explanation," Warp said. "We were demonstrating the usefulness and liability of telepathy. We sent messages to you to come here."

"But we are not telepathic," Vra protested. "We have no need of it."

"Correction: you do not normally use telepathy, but your minds are open to others who do employ it. We demonstrated this. We are about to make a deal: we will teach you practical defense against such intrusion, and you will lend your space fleet to the common cause."

The four twins exchanged glances. "This is persuasive," Arv said.

Then all four stripped away their clothing. There were four beautiful breasts and two erect half-penises.

Warp and Marionette did the same, baring only half as many breasts and penises.

The twins touched buttons, and two beds slid out from the cabin wall. Vra and Arv lay down on one—and they did overlap. Their upper bodies were separate, and so were their legs, but their midsections seemed to have fused.

Warp didn't hesitate. He mounted the twins, his hard member seeking their juncture. It was there, and in a moment he was thrusting inside an intact vagina. Two legs lifted to clasp his waist, while two more firmly contacted his thighs.

Four breasts pressed against his chest. Two mouths kissed him, one on the left side of his face, one on the right side.

Four arms wrapped around him, stroking his back and bottom.

The overall effect was potent. He went into a sustained orgasm, spurting continuously.

After a heroic eternity he let it end. He collapsed on the twins, who continued to kiss and caress him. Now they were taking turns kissing his mouth as their massed breasts provided a soft landing for his chest.

Finally he hauled himself off them. They lay there a moment more, then separated, becoming two women with half genitals.

Meanwhile, Pso and Osp were finishing with Marionette, two bodies with a common genital region. She was having her fill, literally.

One man, two women. One woman, two men. It was now quite clear how two of the sexual combinations worked.

In due course all six of them were clothed. "You made your demonstration," Arv said. "We will authorize the merger of fleets. Now we want to learn to fend off telepathic direction. We had not realized that we could be subject to it in this manner."

"But it may be best if we do so as separate parties," Vra said. "If we twins remain together, we will soon be eager to breed again."

"This is bad?" Warp asked.

Both looked at him. "You are not sated?"

"I am sated for now. But I suspect that by the time you are eager again, I will be too. I never before had a sexual experience like that, and I hope there will be occasion for future trysts. You are two phenomenally lovely women, and possessing you simultaneously was terrific."

Vra looked at Marionette. "You?"

"I can handle it," Marionette said. "I have had a good deal of sexual experience, but this novelty is intriguing."

"Then we will remain together," Arv said. "But the telepathy—can that be reviewed despite sexual distraction?"

"Affirmation," Warp said. "In fact, it can enhance the experience. But here is the key: you need to develop mind shields. I will project a sample shield to your minds so you know its nature, but you will have to develop your own, and strengthen it until I am unable to get into your minds until you allow it. You don't have to be telepathic; you just have to know how to shield your minds."

He demonstrated, and they caught on quickly. They were after all Glamors. Within an hour all four had passable mind shields. And they had had enthusiastic sex three more times.

"We should have known you weren't bluffing," Arv said. "You're a Glamor."

"Which is an oddity," Warp said. "There seem to be Glamors in many species, not identical, but having perhaps more in common with each other than with the normal members of their species. We have an affinity for each other, and now we know that species is no necessary barrier to sex between us. How can that be?"

"Did Glamors always exist in your culture?"

"Negation. Only for the last few hundred years. But there are hints that Glamors were expected; altars were set up and changelings appeared with the potential to become Glamors. We did not evolve ikons; they came with the first Glamors."

"Among us too. It is as if Glamors were sponsored by the need for them, to fight the machines. The diverse cultures of the galaxy would be unlikely to unify, but for the Glamors."

"Almost as though the galaxy cares," Marionette said. "It doesn't want the machines to take it over."

They organized the treaty and the Twins' fleet made ready to join the fleet of the Living Cultures Coalition. It would be a significant addition.

"But can even the combined fleets stop the onslaught of the machines?" Vra asked.

"Doubtful," Warp said seriously. "They are type 2.5 technology, and ours are typically type 2.0. Each ship of theirs is superior to ours, and they have seemingly limitless numbers of them. But with the alternative being obliteration, we have to try."

"Did they offer you a deal?"

"They want my little sister Voila. She's our strongest Glamor, and maybe the strongest of all Glamors. She can see the near future paths, while they see the far future; they want to merge the two and be invincible."

"The future," Arv said. "We are unable to see that."

"Our mission here is done," Warp said. "We have no pretext to remain longer. But if you care to visit the Human culture, perhaps to see to the routing and provisioning of your space ships, we shall be glad to show you this ability also. It is one of several Glamor talents we discovered by chance."

"We shall arrange that pretext," Vra said. "Your culture is surely worth touring."

In a few days it happened. Pso and Osp remained with the fleet, to see to its integration, while Vra and Arv remained with Warp, visiting the human realm. Marionette reminded the male twins that she was less than a Glamor, and when they expressed continuing interest, she elected to stay with them for a few days while Warp was busy with the female twins. Pso and Osp had discovered how sexually talented she was despite not being a Glamor, and this enabled them to work together without being sexually frustrated.

Warp brought the pair of females to Ennui's office. "My alien mistresses," he said. "You were right, Ennui: the mission needed a virile Glamor."

Ennui looked them over. "You are alien? You could readily pass for human. You are beautiful."

"Appreciation," Vra's translation unit said. "We find Warp very appealing."

"Curiosity: do you take turns with him?"

"No," they said together.

"They're really quite something in bed," Warp said. "Together."

"I would imagine so." Ennui almost evinced disapproval.

Warp arranged to show off the twins to the other Glamors. Flame gazed at them assessingly, evidently seeing very little muscle tone. Weft was plainly jealous, especially considering the way Ikon looked at them.

Then they looked at Ikon. "A machine!" Vra exclaimed, horrified. "Self willed."

"Masquerading as a human man," Arv said. "Do you not know it?"

"We know it," Weft said. "He is a humanoid robot devoted to me."

"But self-willed machines can't be trusted. They are the enemy."

"Not this one," Weft said.

"I won't introduce them to Shee or the bath girls," Warp said, and conjured them away.

Gale was intrigued. "Twin Glamors," she said. "That might hold you for oh, two minutes?"

"Ma—"

"Teasing, son. They're beautiful. Congratulations."

They conjured to a private site for another tryst.

"She's wonderful," Vra said, wrapping her arms and legs about him.

"She understands," Arv agreed, doing the same.

"Ma's a great girl," he agreed, delighting in their joint clasp. These two were twins with an odd connection, and their natural forms were not at all attractive to him sexually, but he liked their personalities and physical presentation.

The knowledge that normally they were not as they were now turned out to be another kind of turn-on. They were great girls too.

"She wants you settled," Vra said. "Knowing that you need more than Marionette, being a male Glamor."

"Continued association would not be a burden to you?" he asked between thrusts.

"No," Arv said. "We like kinky sex."

She wasn't fooling. There turned out to be a number of overlap positions, including one wherein they conjoined head to toe so that he kissed one face and two legs.

"At such time as both of us are not available," Vra said, "one of us could still satisfy you orally." They separated and demonstrated. They were very good at this too.

"As long as you understand why, and are not turned off," Arv said as Vra sucked another extended emission from him. "Understanding!" he gasped. Next he took them to Voila. "Oh, you radiate power!" Vra exclaimed.

"We have never before encountered a Glamor like you," Arv said. "No wonder the machines want you."

"This is the way you do it," Voila said, and sent them a telepathic formula. That was her way of changing the subject.

"The paths!" Vra said. "I see them!"

"Diverging from the present," Arv agreed.

"And half of them lead to—"

"Borrow the bedroom," Voila said.

And they were there with Warp, overlapping and merging, giving him another spectacular experience so soon after the last one. They were still as eager as he, which was one of the delightful things about them.

They will do, Voila's thought came as the heroic session concluded. Idyll says they are indeed your future mistress.

Appreciation, he thought pantingly.

"Are you thinking?" Vra asked.

"Sharing your experience with your sister?" Arv asked.

"Affirmation," he agreed, slightly embarrassed.

"Excellent," Vra said.

"We have no secrets from Glamors," Arv said.

He had to laugh. They were Glamors, through and through. He liked them a lot.

Havoc was another matter. He was clearly drawn to the twins, and they to him. "You already have a small harem, Pa," Warp reminded him. Would his father be turned off by knowing the twins' real forms? Surely not.

"Expletive!" Havoc said good-naturedly, his eyes on their sculptured chests. "I think I forgot, blinded by beauty."

"Still—" Arv began, flattered, one hand toying with her décolletage. Her sister was unobtrusively hiking up her short skirt. There was just something about Havoc.

Warp whisked them off to see Idyll, who was already in her solid human guise. "This is Idyll, the ifrit Glamor,"

he said. "Idyll, these are Vra and Arv, Glamors of Air and Water."

"There is only one of you?" Vra asked. "Just as there are only four of us?"

"Affirmation. The humans, in contrast, have many different Glamors. It varies from species to species. But all Glamors seem to relate well to each other."

"Verified," Arv agreed, glancing sidelong at Warp.

Idyll had obviously anticipated this meeting. She instructed them in intermediate future paths seeing, and they seemed to have a certain aptitude for it. Warp was happy to let them take their time.

"We shall be glad to do the same for Pso and Osp," Idyll said.

"They will want sex with you," Vra said.

"Of course. This is why I am interested."

"You form solid, in any shape you choose?" Arv asked.

"Affirmation."

"Could you form twinned?"

Idyll paused. "I could. That would be intriguing."

"They would like that."

It seemed that the twins would be a success, at least among the Glamors.

"But there is one thing," Vra said.

"Speak."

"That machine," Arv said. "The humanoid robot that keeps company with Weft. She believes he is safe, but we do not trust any self willed machine."

"Understanding," Idyll said. Warp remained silent, letting her handle it. She could be considerably more diplomatic than he.

"How is it that your culture accepts such a thing among you?" Vra asked.

"And we gather others?" Arv said. "Other robots."

"I think you should meet Shee, Havoc's robot mistress," Idyll said. "She is a Glamor."

The two stared at her, appalled.

"I request your trust, at least for this interview," Idyll said. "If you are not satisfied, you may withdraw your fleet, as this is a condition we did not acquaint you with before."

The twins exchanged an expressive glance. "We will meet her," Arv said grimly.

"Shee," Idyll said.

Shee appeared. "Greetings, Idyll, Warp, and twins."

The two remained silent. Warp had not seen them so alarmed before. "These are Glamors of the Twins culture," Idyll said. "Associating with Warp. They are extremely wary of self-willed machines."

"Understanding," Shee said.

"We are in a war of extinction with the machines," Vra said. "They are the enemy. They destroyed our neighboring culture, and will soon attack us. We do not understand how the human culture, aware of the threat, tolerates any self-willed machines within its demesnes."

"Let alone promoting one to Glamor status," Arv said. "The Glamors are the primary opposition to the machines."

Shee smiled. "Your confusion is sensible. When I came here, I half expected to be destroyed on contact, though I am a nexus."

"A nexus," Arv said. "In what manner?"

"This is something neither side understands well," Shee said. "A nexus is a place, person or situation that relates to the future of the struggle. The humans see the near future paths; the machines see the far future paths. A nexus seems to connect the two in such manner that it is to the advantage of neither side to terminate it unilaterally. It is perhaps like a game with rules; only by following the rules can a person or culture prevail. So a nexus is tolerated, rather than suffer the disadvantage. Each side hopes in some way to turn it to its own advantage."

"How could tolerating such a deadly device be to the advantage of the humans?" Vra asked.

"In my case, they are learning significant things about the background of the machines that may enable them to defeat the machines. But that issue remains obscure. A nexus can't be fathomed before its time. So I am here, a piece being played by both sides."

"This seems to us more like catching a bomb your enemy hurls at you," Arv said. "You do have to catch it, lest it detonate immediately and destroy you. But it remains best to get rid of it as quickly as is feasible. Why do the humans keep you among them?"

"The Glamors are not afraid of the machines," Shee said. "They demonstrate that by welcoming them to their society and using them freely."

"Them?" Vra asked alertly. "How many self-willed machines are among you?"

"Seven. Five bath girls, Ikon, and me. Havoc has taken me and the bath girls as mistresses, and Weft has taken Ikon."

"Seven bombs!" Arv said. "I realize that they may be programmed to serve human beings, and may even believe they are loyal. But they can be reverted to the machines' cause at any time, involuntarily. To keep them is suicidally risky."

"Negation," Shee said. "The Glamors have surveyed their futures, and know that no reversion takes place within a month. If the machines do revert them, we will know a month ahead, and prevent them from harming us. I understand you are learning the near future seeing technique; even if you can't see that far, you must know that this security is valid."

"We?" Vra asked. "You are not human. You are not even alive. You are an enemy machine."

"I was an enemy-crafted machine," Shee said. "But when I became a Glamor, I advanced beyond the power of the machines that made me, both emotionally and physically. They have lost me. I am a converted enemy machine, a greater potential danger to the machines than any ordinary living creature. I love Havoc, and will never betray him.

Havoc knew this would happen; that's why he facilitated my entry to the society of Glamors. The agent sent to subvert him is now his ally. He has already won this ploy of the machines, by doing what they never anticipated."

The twins were reassessing. "So do you no longer argue the case of the machines?" Arv asked.

Shee shook her head ruefully. "I still do argue the case they programmed me with. I want Voila to enlist with the machines—to save the human culture. It is the only way, because if she does, the machines will spare that culture, and Havoc and all he associates with will survive. If she does not, the machines will destroy it all. They are overwhelmingly powerful; nothing can stand against them. So I still argue their case because it is valid, and I love Havoc."

"But will he heed you?" Vra asked.

"Negation. He thinks he can fight the machines. Therefore we are all doomed. All I can do is love him desperately, the little while I can."

"Then what is the point of this discussion?" Arv asked.

"For you who have no bargaining position, you are doomed regardless whether you fight or accept it. You have a greater chance of survival if you fight. Therefore you should do it in as rational and effective a manner as possible. First, you must recognize that not all machines are your enemies."

"We think you are our enemy," Vra said.

"I am not. But I am referring to other machines. There are a few other machine cultures in the galaxy, and they oppose the conquering machines. You need to make common cause with them."

"What other machine cultures?" Arv asked.

"For example, the Bee-chines. They helped me become a Glamor, and support the living cause."

The twins exchanged another glance. "We should check this," Vra said. They were definitely wavering.

Actually, their reluctance in this respect was a strong indication of their validity as allies. Warp respected them for it.

"Queen Gale can take you there," Shee said. "Gale?"

Gale appeared. "Agreement," she said.

The twins looked at Warp. "I'll go too," he said. "Ma?"

Warp and Gale took hands with the twins, ready to conjure there. He knew the twins would change their minds. They might even become friends with Shee, in time. Regardless, he looked forward to a close relationship with them.