Unicorn Point

9 - Forel

Forel cut through the brush, heading for home. He had always been an explorer, and now with his oath-friend Barelmosi gone, he found surcease from his disquiet only by increasingly distant excursions. He claimed that he wanted to find and run down prey, so that he could make his first individual Kill and be eligible for adult status, and that was true, but it was mostly his foolish notion that if he only ranged far enough, he might find and bring back his lost friend. He knew that Barel had been captured by the Adepts, knew there was no chance they would let him go, and knew that if Barel somehow escaped, he would not dare come here, where they would first look for him. Yet Forel ranged, hoping on a level more fundamental than that of reason.

But now he had to return, as he had promised Sirel and Terel, who feared he would get himself killed by a hunting dragon, or by a goblin snare. If he stayed out too long, they would come looking for him, and so put themselves at similar risk. He wanted that not!

He scooted under an overhanging bush and picked up speed in the straightaway between several large trees. But there was a sinister trace of mist descending, forming a low cloud. He had seen what unnatural clouds could do! He slid to a halt, trying to avoid it, but it expanded to embrace him. Suddenly he was lost in choking fog. He could not see his way clear, and indeed, had to put his nose down to the ground to breathe. This was certainly magical, and surely not the work of his friend Barel!

“Wolf pup,” a human voice came. “Are you Flach’s friend?”

Flach: the human name of Barelmosi! Had he escaped after all? Were they casting another net for him? “Aye, spook,” he growled. “And may thou catch him not!”

A manshape came out of the obscurity. “I helped catch him before, but now I am changing sides. Will you help me free my son—and my wife?”

Forel stared up at the figure. It was the Rovot Adept! “There is little time, wolf,” the rovot continued. “Flach and Fleta are captive on an isle under the sea, and I can not go there now without arousing suspicion. But I can conjure you there, where you can verify that I am speaking the truth. Will you cooperate to that extent?”

It was obvious that the dread rovot had him captive, so could either kill him or compel him to do his bidding. It was better to go along, at least until his chances improved. “Aye,” he growled. “But I trust thee not, rovot!”

“Nor should you, wolf. Hold on; I am conjuring us to a safer place. This concealing cloud is too obvious, here.” A concealing cloud: of course! Barel had used clouds as a device to hide things they had to hide, but only when no others except the oath-friends were present. They alone had known his nature, that he was the man-‘corn, no wolf at all, but a creature of far greater potential. But he had rewarded their support with the benefits of his growing power, and their friendship with his own. He was, at the root, a youngster like themselves, who had left his origin to come to this Pack as they had. He was one of them in the ways that counted, and it had been entirely fitting that he and Sirel had Promised when they made their first Kills together. Forel hoped to do the same with Terel, when the time came, and he would be come Forelte, and she Terelfo, until they were granted their kill syllables.

So it was not surprising that Barel’s rovot father knew the uses of clouds. As Forel felt himself wrenched to somewhere distant, he was already gaining confidence. Maybe the rovot spoke truly, and was now on the right side. It would be won derful if Barel no longer had to hide from his family! Barel had not spoken much of this, but they knew, as oathrfriends did, what he was feeling. He loved his sire and his dam, and hated being apart from them, but knew he could not serve the side they served. His grandsire Stile, patron of all the better animals, had made that clear to him. And he would return when he could; they all knew that. By ancestry Barel was man and unicorn, but by association he was wolf, and that would never change. The realm steadied. Forel gazed out into a white chamber, irregularly globular, resembling the shell of a hollowed-out gourd. The floor was spongy but firm enough for good pur chase.

“Turn manform,” the rovot said. “We must talk quickly.” Obligingly, Forel assumed his human form, complete with his fur jacket and breeches, and the fur slippers needed to protect his frail human feet. In so doing he sacrificed advantages of nose and tooth, but gained that of human speech, which was more versatile than growl-talk.

“Thou claimest to be on our side now, rovot?” he demanded as challengingly as he could manage. It was obvious that he was in the power of the Adept, but appearances were important.

“So I claim,” the rovot agreed, taking no offense. “This is the situation: Bane and I served the Adverse Adepts not because we had any liking for their policies or ambitions, but because they supported my liaison with Fleta. Once that commitment was made, it continued and increased, as a matter of honor rather than preference. But after we recovered Flach, the Adepts violated the covenant between us by threatening to kill his mother if Flach communicated again with Nepe in Proton. This was false in two ways. It prevented the Adept Stile from using Flach’s power to his advantage while the Adverse Adepts were using mine to their advantage. And it undercut my union with Fleta, upon which the covenant is based; I could not remain married to her if they killed her.” He looked directly at Forel. “Suppose, wolf, that you achieved your first Kill, and Promised to the bitch who—“ He paused.

“Terel,” Forel supplied grudgingly.

“To Terel. But instead of granting you adult status, Kur relgyre killed her. Where would you stand?”

“The Pack Leader would ne’er do that!”

“Agreed. But what of an Adverse Adept?”

Forel nodded. “Methinks I take thy point.”

“I mean to conjure you to my son, where you can quickly verify what I have told you. I want you to enable Flach and Fleta to escape the power of the Adepts. If you discover that what I have told you is not true, no one will be able to make you do anything more, for I dare not go into the Adept strong hold now. Of course you will be trapped there yourself. You will be taking a serious risk no matter how it turns out.” The rovot seemed sincere. But how could he be sure? The Adepts were notorious for the manner they dealt with ani mals, as more than one grown bitch had discovered to her cost. He had to ponder.

“Where be we?” he asked, hoping to elicit further proof of the rovot’s intentions.

Mach smiled. “In a cloud, floating above the forest of the Animal Heads. It changes its location with the wind, but will not move far in the next hour. You must tell Fleta that, or Tania, so they can find it. You can guide Flach here your self.”

“A cloud,” Forel repeated, unbelieving. True, it did look like the interior of a cloud, but he knew that clouds were not always the way they looked.

Mach made a gesture. Suddenly the walls became transparent. There was blue sky beyond, interspersed by the white masses of other clouds at this level.

Forel looked down. There below was spread the panorama of the land, its forests and rivers and fields. He had ranged across it enough to recognize its nature, though he had never viewed it from such a height before. This really was a cloud! With that simple confirmation came his acceptance of the rest. “Tell me how,” he said.

The rovot seemed unsurprised at his process of decision. “Here are two amulets. Each will enable its invoker to as sume the likeness of his companion. One is for Tania, one is for you. When I conjure you to the prison isle, give one to Tania and keep the other, and then the four of you must change forms and flee the isle and make your way here as swiftly and quietly as you can.”

“But the Adepts!” Forel protested. “They will let us go not! And Tania—she be worst o’ the Adepts; canst trust her?”

“Tania too has changed sides; she can be trusted now,” the rovot said. “Here is one more amulet. Invoke this after Flach and Fleta change forms, and before you do. Do you understand?”

“Aye. I invoke my amulet last, and the other next to last. But what does it do?”

“It generates decoys.”

Forel did not see how that related, but did not care to show his ignorance, so did not question it. The rovot gave him the three amulets and made sure he knew them apart. “Remember,” the rovot concluded, “act immediately. The Adepts will realize that something is happening the moment you appear; you must act before they do, or all is lost.”

“Aye.” He certainly knew the importance of fleeing enemy territory quickly!

“Take a moment to rehearse in your mind what you will say and do,” Mach told him. “I do not know precisely where you will land, but it must be in your human form, and you must waste no time deciding. Let me know when you are ready.”

“Wait, rovot!” Forel cried. “I can not guide Barel out if I know not where we be! Where be this isle?”

“Near the West Pole, under the sea.”

“But Barel’s dam—he said she has but one foreign form, and that be a little bird. How can she run or fly under the sea?”

“Excellent question. The Adepts will not expect her to flee without using their spell to make the water like air. But these amulets provide for that; the vicinity of those invoking them will be all right. This is one reason why Tania and Fleta must travel together, and you and Flach. Together you can make it; apart you will be in trouble.”

“This be great magic!” he exclaimed.

“Thank you.”

He realized that the rovot was mocking him, lightly. Of course this was the greatest of the Adepts, able to do such things as others could only dream of.

“I be ready,” he said.

The rovot gestured—and there was the wrench. Forel was standing on a strange isle girt about by shimmering light, and beyond it the dark water in which strange creatures crawled or swam.

But he had no time to gawk. The wicked Adept Tania was sitting against a tree, nearest to him, her eyes widening in surprise. “Eye me not. Tan!” he cried. “I bring this amulet from the rovot! Use it to change forms with the mare, and stay with her that ye two may breathe. Flee to the cloud above the Animal-Head Demesnes!” He almost hurled the amulet at her, and ran on past her to find Barel. The boy was playing with a wickerwork basket on the little beach. “Forel!” he exclaimed.

“I come from thy sire. Wait for the others to change, then assume a form for escape, and I will match thee; I have magic. Fast, fast; needs must we go before the Adepts act!” Meanwhile Tania was running to Fleta, who turned toward the boys in surprise. She was in her natural form, grazing on the verdant patch of grass nearby; a forgotten mouthful of grass hung unchewed.

“Aye, dam!” Barel cried. “Do it! There be danger thou knowest not of!”

Fleta did not question her son. She became a humming bird. Right after her, so did Tania.

“I shall be a fish,” Flach cried, running toward the shim mering margin of the isle. “Follow me!” He dived through the curtain, and on the other side a catfish appeared. Forel paused only to use the decoy spell. “Amulet, I invoke thee!” he cried, holding it up.

The amulet exploded. From it flew perhaps a thousand specks of dust, but each expanded as it moved, becoming larger. Those that went up formed into tiny birds that quickly grew into hummingbirds just like the two on the isle. Those that went down formed into tiny fish that grew into catfish. Some passed through the curtain and swam in the water; others landed on the sand and flopped their way toward the water, still growing.

Forel gaped. He had never seen such magic! This amulet had somehow tuned in to the forms the others assumed, and reproduced them by the hundreds, and every one of them seemed alive! Decoys indeed! How would the Adepts ever tell them from the originals?

Then a shadow loomed over the isle. Something awful was coming! Forel leaped for the water. “And thee!” he cried to the remaining amulet.

He passed through the curtain—and felt the water against his whiskers. He flexed his tail, and moved forward. He was a catfish!

He looked for Barel—but saw a dozen similar catfish, and more crawling on their fins from the beach. Which one was his friend?

Then one swam close. “Come, wolf,” it said in fish-talk. “We must away!”

All too true! The shadow over the isle was intensifying, and he felt the tingle of terrible magic. He flexed his tail and used his fins vigorously, zooming away from the curtain. Barel-fish paced him. Swimming was easy, once he caught on to its mechanism. Maybe the amulet was helping, because he had no prior experience.

“Where be we going?” Barel asked as they plunged through seaweed. The other catfish were plunging similarly. “A cloud o’er Animal Demesnes!” Forel replied. His expression in fish-talk was not apt, but Barel seemed to under stand. Evidently Barel had had more practice in the form, though Forel had never seen him assume it before, and in deed, had not known that he knew any forms beyond man, ‘corn, bat and wolf. Maybe he had worked it out after being captured.

As they progressed south, away from the isle, the decoy catfish thinned. Some had probably been caught by the strange predators, such as the tentacled creatures with great long pointed shells. But most of the thinning was merely because they were getting farther from the isle; the catfish were spreading out into wider territory.

Then there came a predator Forel recognized by description: a shark! Wolves stayed clear of deep water when they could, but they did know how to swim, so were versed in the dangers of the sea. The rule for sharks was simple: get out of the water!

But as fish, they could not get out. Could they hide from this monster?

Barel swam close. “Fear naught. We be electric catfish. An the shark be fool enough to bite, he’ll get a shock.” The shark loomed near, then evidently recognized them and veered away. So it was true; Barel had chosen a form that could defend itself by the magic of electricity! They swam on, until no other catfish were in sight. They had made it safely away! Barel angled upward, approaching the surface. Then he accelerated and leaped from the water, becoming a bat.

Forel followed, but feared this would not work for him. He would have to swim to shore instead, and resume wolf form, and pace Barel on the ground. But as he leaped, he changed—and suddenly he had wings! He too was a bat! Flying was another new experience, and he hardly had time to wonder at the continuing potency of the amulet he had invoked; he had to concentrate on keeping his balance in the air. He wobbled, pumping his leathery wings as hard as he could, and barely managed to stay clear of the waves. Then he got a better grasp of the mechanism, and began to rise. There was a globe above him. It looked like a ball of water, but there was a man inside it, looking out. Forel tried to veer away, but something held him; he could no longer move. “So we have caught the errant fish,” the man said. “And which of ye be ‘corn?”

Then something hauled Forel into the floating ball. His magic was canceled, and he reverted to the form he had as sumed before invoking the amulet. As a boy he stood within the globe, realizing that he faced the Translucent Adept. Barel was beside him, also in boy form.

“Damn thee!” Barel cried angrily at the Adept. “Methought us free!”

“Almost, you were,” the Adept agreed. “But I had the wit to search out pairs o’ fish, for they travel not normally that way, and when this pair turned bat, I knew. Now tell me: why and how didst thou make this break? I know there be more to it than simply pique.”

“I have to answer not!” Barel said defiantly.

“I have treated thee well, and mean to continue so,” the Adept said. “But I will have mine answer.” He turned to Forel. “I ask it thee: answer!”

Forel felt magic impinging on him. He tried to resist, but could not. His mouth opened, and he spewed out all that he knew of this event.

The Adept sighed. “It be as I feared. I sponsored this aspect not, but the seeming failure to recover the lad for so long vitiated mine authority, and the others acceded to Purple’s urgings and used the ploy o’ threatening the mare. Now has that ploy borne its bitter fruit by alienating the rovot and setting us back. At least have I salvaged this bit o’ it.” The magic compulsion eased, and Forel was able to control his speech again.

“Thou dost sound as if thou dost not like this business,” he said boldly.

“Aye, wolf-boy. I second my side, o* course, but it was in my mind to forward our cause by dealing fairly. I blame the rovot not for changing sides; he had cause. It be an irony, for we were close to winning, legitimately; we needed only a fraction what Blue needed. Had the lad just been allowed to work for Blue, we had been fair and with the victory anyway. Now we be foul, and victory be problematical.”

Forel looked at Barel. “Aye,” Barel said. “Translucent be e’er fair; it were Purple put the geis on me.”

“We gain one smidgeon o’ this mess,” Translucent said. “I be the one to salvage some, and the bad ploy failed, so my word regains its power. Be thankful it were not Purple caught ye two.”

Forel realized that they were indeed relatively well off. It would have been better to escape, but evidently they would not be mistreated.

“So my dam escaped?” Barel inquired.

“Aye, lad. She and Tania. The water be my domain. The search o’ air was done by others, who mayhap lacked the wit to trace the pairs.”

The globe was now traveling briskly north, returning to the Translucent Demesnes. Forel saw the sea and shore passing below, much as he had seen the land from the rovot’s cloud. He realized that the cloud would not be there any longer; now that Translucent had wrested its secret from him, the rovot would have to make his camp elsewhere. At least part of the mission had been accomplished!

They returned to the isle. “This be secure now,” the Adept said. “All effort to escape be futile.”

“Aye,” Barel said with resignation.

The Adept deposited them, then floated away in his watery globe. The two boys hugged each other, glad for this reunion despite the circumstances. “I thank thee for coming, oath friend,” Barel said. “At least it freed my dam.”

“What happens now?” Forel asked.

“Much depends on how it turns out in Proton. An all escape there, they will have no use for me, and mayhap we will be freed. But I fear it be not so.”

“Why?”

“Because o’ the parallel o’ the frames. What happens in the one, happens in the other, by seeming coincidence. Mayhap our failure to escape will lead to Nepe being captive, or mayhap her failure led to ours. I know not exactly the means o’ it, but it be nigh impossible to do a thing in one frame that be not parallel in the other.”

“Nepe has a wolf-friend?”

Barel laughed. “Nay, but she has a rovot-friend. Same thing, mayhap. Not to diminish thee, but the parallels be strongest among the strongest; the Adepts have more impact than the little folk.”

“I be little enough,” Forel agreed ruefully. “But now we can do naught. Let’s revert to wolves and see what we can hunt.”

“There be hunting here on this small isle?” Forel asked, surprised.

“Aye. It be a nice isle. Translucent be a kind captor.” Barel changed, and Forel followed. Sure enough, there were rabbits, and before long Forel had caught and killed one.

“First Kill!” he growled, delighted. “My first Kill!”

“Aye,” Barel agreed, seeming unsurprised. “Now canst watch for what Terel does!”

“But she be free, and I be captive!”

“Mayhap not fore’er,” Barel said optimistically. They shared the rabbit, as there was no chance to drag it back to the Pack from here. Forel knew that Barel would give witness to the kill, at such time as this was possible. He was right: this was a nice isle.

Three days later the water globe returned. “It be like this,” Translucent said. “Thy girl-self in Proton be captive too, but not the alien female. Bane changed sides, same’s Mach did here. Dost know this?”

“Aye,” Barel said. “Nepe told me.”

Forel was surprised; he hadn’t realized that the situation had been confirmed. But of course Barel could commune with his other self without showing it to others. “It be in our minds to use thee and the girl-child in lieu o’ thy sires, as thy powers be similar—or, methinks, moreso.”

“We will work not for thy side!” Barel protested.

“That be not the question; an it come to that. Tan will make thee perform. Nay, the question be how to do it when the other side still controls Book and Oracle. We can send thee no longer to visit thy grandsire in return for that access.”

Barel nodded. “So it be impasse, again.”

“Impasse,” the Adept agreed. “Yet we wish still to gain power, and thy sire and grandsire wish to be united with thee. So we be dealing: double or nothing, here and in Proton frame. An my side win, we gain Book and Oracle and the service o’ your sires to exploit them. An the other side win, we turn over our hostages and our drive for power be finished.”

Forel, listening, was amazed at the scale of the dealings. The ultimate power in the frames was about to be decided all because he had not quite succeeded in freeing Barel! “Why be ye telling us?” Barel asked.

“Commune with thine other self, and tell me what thou dost learn.”

Barel was silent, evidently concentrating. After a bit he said: “Nepe says thou dost mean to set up six big contests, three in each frame, to determine who wins. Dost need us to verify the decisions o’ the other frame.”

“That be so, lad. Thou knowst we can allow all communications to be in the hands o’ the enemy not. Thou hast now demonstrated thy proficiency at this; certainly it will do for the contests.”

Forel saw that it would work; Barel would have to tell the truth, because only that would match what the other side presented. The Citizens of Proton-frame would not tell her anything they knew to be false, knowing it had to match the Phaze information.

“Why be ye taking all this trouble to explain to me?” Barel asked. “Surely must needs I go along, whate’er mine own preference.”

“It be easier on all o’ us an thou hast motivation,” the Adept said. “Must needs I take thee to the negotiations, but also must needs I keep thee closely guarded, that thou be not taken from me.”

“An I give mine oath, I will not flee thee,” Barel said stiffly. “Nor would those o’ my grandsire’s side take me thus.”

Translucent smiled grimly. “Not them. Ours.”

Both boys looked at him, perplexed.

“Purple would take thee, and deal his way,” Translucent clarified.

Suddenly it was clear. Translucent had to watch out for his side as much as for the other, because his allies lacked honor. “Then be I satisfied to be under thy guard,” Barel said. “I thought thou mightest feel thus. Now will I make thee a small side deal: cooperate in what we ask, and provide me with aught I needs must know, and I will provide thee a modest reward.”

“I need no reward from thee!” Barel said, affronted. “I do what needs I must.”

“E’en so. Now board my bubble, the two of ye, and we go to deal.”

They stepped into his water globe. It floated up, through the top of the curtain that contained the air of the isle, and on through the water. It lifted into the air above, gained el evation, then coursed west.

Their speed did not seem great, but it must have been, because soon Forel saw them coming down at the old Oracle’s palace, halfway across the main continent of Phaze. Adepts really knew how to travel when they wanted to! “Now here there be truce,” the Adept said. “We be here to negotiate. Only the leaders o’ each Demesne be here, and all be on honor to provoke naught. Ne’ertheless Flach must needs be confined; Forel be messenger.”

“Me?” Forel asked, astonished. He had not thought the Adept even knew his name!

“I will be within,” Translucent explained. “My bubble will be without, as will be the conveyances o’ the others. Flach will verify for our side, and thou, pup, willst carry the news. Understand?”

“Aye,” Forel said, awed.

“Then comest thou with me now, and mark the spot o’ this bubble. Naught can pass in or out o’ it other than we two, and none will interfere with thee.” The Adept stepped out as if the wall of the globe had no substance, and Forel followed. They were on the green turf surrounding the palace, and other conveyances or creatures formed a wide circle around it. There were carts and sledges and even a sailing boat anchored in air, and horses and huge birds and a massive wooden golem, and next to the globe was a formidable flying dragon.

Translucent swept toward the palace entrance without regard for the sights, but Forel, following, was dazed. He had never imagined such a setting, and never thought he would ever be a part of such magical dealings. He was nervous, too, despite the Adept’s reassurance; the dragon’s head did not turn, but its eyes were tracking him.

The palace had not seemed large from a distance, but it loomed impressively as they approached the main entrance. Inside, it seemed larger yet: towering ceilings for each huge chamber, and elaborate arches between the halls. There were carpets on the walls that showed murals of great events of the past, exciting an intense curiosity in him. He, as a young wolf from a distant Pack, knew little of such history; until now he had not missed it, but he knew that he could never rest again until he fathomed the events of the murals. They came to a tremendous cathedral-like chamber, and here were the assorted parties assembled. Forel recognized the several Adepts immediately, though he had never before seen them: Blue, who was Barel’s grandsire, in his blue cloak, looking no bigger than a child, and who used singsong rhymes to work his enchantments. Red, who was actually a troll, grotesque, but perhaps the most powerful of all, because he possessed the Book of Magic; he made amulets of singular potency. Brown, a woman with brown hair, of indeterminate age, mistress of the wooden golems. These three had held off the force of the Adverse Adepts for a score years, because of the strength and versatility of their magic. Now they were joined by Barel’s sire, the rovot, who had become the strongest of all because of his studies in the Book of Magic. On the other side of the chamber were gathered the eight Adverse Adepts, in their color-coded robes. White, also called the Snow Queen, with her glyphs. Yellow, the bane of animals. Black the line. Orange, of the plants. Green fire. Sinister young Tan, with the Evil Eye. Purple, who lived in the Purple Mountains and controlled the forces of geology. And Translucent, of course, in his watery robe, controlling the forces of water.

Yet, for all their horrible power, they looked mostly like ordinary human folk, a number of them getting old and fat. How deceptive appearances could be!

Between the two groups of Adepts were the animals: a unicorn, bat and wolf—it was Kurrelgyre, his own Pack leader!—near Stile’s group, and an assortment of monsters closer to the Adverse group. There was a hulking ogre, a dragon, a monstrous roc bird, a goblin, a troll, a harpy, a human form with the head of a snake, and a giant man. The assorted Little Folk were with Stile, while the assorted de mons were with the other side. Perhaps there were others, but he couldn’t look; he was being summoned. “The wolf-boy be our runner to Flach,” the Translucent Adept was saying. “Pup, tell where Flach be.”

“He—he be in thy water globe,” Forel stammered.

“Ill-treated?”

“Nay.”

Kurrelgyre shifted to wolf form. “Change, Forel,” he said in growl-talk.

Forel looked at Translucent. “He tells me to—”

“Aye, change,” the Adept said.

Forel assumed wolf form. “It be true,” he told the Pack Leader. “We be on the isle where the mare was.”

“Come here,” Kurrelgyre growled.

Forel looked at Translucent, but the man made no objection. He walked slowly to the grown wolf. They sniffed noses. Then Kurrelgyre turned away, dismissing him. The old wolf resumed man form. “There be no geis on him,” he said. “He tells truth.”

The Blue Adept nodded. “We accept him as runner.” He glanced at the rovot. “Now if thou willst tell o’ the decision in Proton—”

“Pup!” Translucent cut in. “Go get it from Flach: the decision in Proton-frame.”

Forel hurried out, remaining in wolf form. He understood what was wanted: what he learned from Barel should match what the rovot reported. That way both sides knew there was no deception.

Outside, he broke into a lope, heading straight for the water globe. But now the dragon moved to intercept him. He swerved to avoid it, but it moved to cut him off again. It knew his destination, having watched before; it knew he was the same creature it had eyed.

Forel stopped, uncertain what to do. He had to get to the globe, to talk with Forel, but the dragon intended to eat him instead. He saw no way to pass; those huge teeth would snap him up immediately. His only defense was to stay beyond range; he could avoid the dragon by remaining close to the palace, because the dragon knew it would get in trouble if it were there. But how could he carry out his mission? Then someone emerged from the palace; Forel almost bumped into him. It was the Black Adept! Immediately the dragon lay down, pretending to sleep. Could Forel take advantage of this respite to get through? But how would he get back, if the Adept were no longer there to make the dragon behave?

But while be hesitated, the Adept did not. “Dost not grasp the meaning o’ truce, creature?” he exclaimed. Forel cowered, expecting yet more trouble. But the Adept’s words were directed at the dragon. He raised his arm, his finger pointing, and suddenly a black line shot from it. The line flew to the dragon, and whipped around the reptile’s form. Now the dragon struggled, discarding the pretense of sleep, but it was no use. The line wrapped around and around, until the dragon was confined so closely that it could barely breathe.

The Adept turned and re-entered the palace. Now Forel saw that the line remained attached to him; it trailed wherever he went. Strange man!

But his power was not to be doubted. The dragon lay trussed and whimpering; he was no longer any threat. Evidently it was the Black Adept’s steed; its misbehavior had been an embarrassment, so the Adept had disciplined it most effectively. No creature of any sense ever crossed any Adept! Forel ran to the globe and plunged in, changing to boy form. Barel was there, smiling. “I could come out not,” he said. “The globe be impervious to me. So I told Nepe, and she told Bane, and he told Mach.”

“And the rovot told the Black Adept!” Forel cried, under standing. “Methought it coincidence he came out!”

“Ne’er so, here,” Barel said, satisfied. “Black cared naught for thee, but aught for his pride. E’en those without honor have pride.”

“I came to ask thee the nature o’ the decision in Proton frame, that they may verify what thy sire tells.”

“Aye, I know it already: they be set to have three Games, and who wins two, wins all. An Citizen Blue wins, Nepe be returned and the Contrary Citizens give up. An the Citizens win, they get the Oracle, and my sire and Bane returned to work for them. It be all or nothing, decided by the Games.”

“They play mere games?” Forel asked, amazed.

“They be important Games,” Barel said, smiling. “Tell the Adepts; they will understand.”

Dubiously, Forel changed back to wolf form and left the globe. He was sure that Barel was not teasing him—but was someone else? Would he be laughed out of the palace when he reported that they were playing games in Proton-frame? By the time he re-entered the main chamber, the rovot’s report was done. The Adepts were waiting for him. Abashed, Forel slunk forward, tail held low.

“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.