“I believe we can arrange this,” the queen said. For the first time, she smiled. “Now we shall exchange introductions, and you and your friends will share our hospitality.”
“I am Nona, the ninth of the ninth,” Nona said. “I brought the anima to our world of Oria.”
“Ah, you are the one,” the queen said. “Your powers must then be great indeed. And your man?”
“He is Darius, a friend. The horse is Seqiro, also a friend.”
The queen nodded. “I am Hyacinth, governess of this province.” She paused, then, with exquisite timing, added one caveat: “But what will you offer in return for this service?”
“In return?” Nona asked blankly.
“You ask us to give up a number of our women, with their powers of magic. What do you give in exchange, of equivalent value?”
“I thought that the women would consider it a privilege,” Nona said, taken aback.
“Perhaps. But I shall not be going, and I do not do something for nothing.”
Darius realized that the queen’s businesslike approach had been deceptive. She was not a despot who tried to take by force what she wanted, but neither was she a generous spirit. She expected quid pro quo. It made sense.
“What did you have in mind?” Nona asked, shaken.
Hyacinth frowned professionally. “Perhaps your man of strange magic. We could find uses for him here.”
Nona was appalled. “But I could not—I have no right—”
The queen shrugged. “The horse, then. That mind-talk magic is impressive.”
Get Colene, Darius thought to Seqiro. But he had forgotten that in Julia the horse’s telepathic range was limited. Colene was out of range. They would have to get through this by themselves.
“The horse is not mine to give,” Nona said.
“That is unfortunate.” The queen made a tiny gesture with one hand. Men wearing black tunics approached.
Nona turned a frozen face to Darius, She believed they were being betrayed.
No. I would stun the queen if that happened. This is merely hospitality.
The horse had to know. They waited.
The lead man bowed to Nona. “If it please you, Lady Nona, I will conduct you to your suite. Do you wish to have the man with you, or separately ensconced?”
Again, Nona was set back. But Darius, casting about for an appropriate course of action, had an answer. If the queen is to be trusted, we should bring in the others. Colene or Angus should know how to proceed.
Gratefully, Nona turned to the queen and voiced her request. “We are actually a party of six. May we bring in our companions to join us in dialogue with you?”
“Of course,” Hyacinth said. “Who and where are they?”
“They would not reveal themselves to strangers. But if you send someone out with us, we will go to fetch them.”
“I will go with you myself,” the queen said.
They exited the castle, the queen walking serenely beside Seqiro. She evidently did not stand on ceremony when interested in something. Nevertheless, she had remarkable poise.
Hyacinth’s glance dropped down to touch him. “Thank you, Darius.”
And she was amazingly swift to catch on to the way of telepathy.
“It is my business to make rapid assessments,” she said.
Soon they came into range, and Seqiro acquainted the others of the situation. Whereupon the huge shape of Angus appeared, floating above the trees, with Colene and Burgess in his hand. He came to land before them, and introductions proceeded.
“You wear green,” the queen noted, gazing at Angus.
“I am a visitor to this fair world.” Green was the color of visitors whose status was not defined. “I could wear black if I chose, but I suspect this would be meaningless here.” For here black indicated the men of theow status.
“Green becomes you,” the queen agreed. “I presume that you of the animus have no interest in acquiring this world.”
“None,” he agreed. “My interest is only in facilitating the interest of Nona of Oria.”
“I fear our castle is insufficient to accommodate you, unless you are able to change your size.”
“I can change the size of inanimate things, but not myself,” he replied. “But have no concern, Queen Hyacinth. I will remain aloof until my friends need me again.”
“You represent the transport of women to Oria?”
“This is so.”
“Will you accede to showing yourself to our population, that they may this once in their lives appreciate what lies beyond our world?”
He squinted a huge eye at her. “And what will you offer in return?”
She laughed. “What did you have in mind?”
“Let me suggest alternatives. It is possible that Nona will deal with you, and you will have the franchise for recruiting small women of your realm and neighboring realms, making what deals please you with other castles, and I will appear in my full size to take these women in my hands and convey them along the filaments to Oria, together with my friends, including the magic man and magic horse, making as many trips as are required. Or it may be that I will convey Nona and her party to the adjacent queendom to see whether they are more amenable to such an agreement, in which case they would have the franchise and if any of your women wish to go to Oria, you will negotiate with that other realm. This seems reasonable to me; does it seem so to you?”
The queen nodded. “It is a pleasure to bargain with the animus.”
Darius realized that Angus had neatly countered the queen’s demand for something of significant value, by threatening to take Nona’s business elsewhere.
Colene thought of it, Seqiro thought.
It did have the flavor of Colene’s nature. Nona had been ineffective, as had Darius himself, but Colene’s sharp intelligence and aggressive nature had found the key. Nona was lovely and nice and talented, but Colene had survival skills they needed. This kept being demonstrated in small or significant ways. If only she lacked her two great liabilities of youth and depression!
They climbed onto Angus’ hands, and Darius helped Queen Hyacinth up. It was an honorary gesture; she made herself light enough so as almost to float, and he guided her. On this world men served women in all ways, and the protocol reflected it.
Angus lifted and flew to the castle, where there was now a fine array of people, the red and blue tunics in the foreground, the black and white ones behind. Angus came down on his feet before the rad on which the castle was built, and put his hands out to the castle, so that the party could enter without ever climbing the hill. It was an impressive minor show.
The rest of the day passed in festivities at the castle. Darius knew that Queen Hyacinth was sending her minions out, alerting other queendoms to the situation. It would require a few days to assemble the women, and meanwhile their small group would suffer the castle hospitality. He remembered how seduction, rape, and theft had been the order of the night at the despot castle on Oria, when he had first been there. He wasn’t sure whether it was a better quality of ruler here, or that women simply were less interested in such activities, but there was nothing of that nature now. He shared a suite with Nona and Colene, while Burgess and Seqiro were in the stable, by their own choice; less was expected of animals, and it was close enough so that all of them remained in the ambience of telepathy. Angus snoozed invisibly in the glade, making periodic appearances to awe the natives.
In due course it was done. Forty-nine diminutive maidens, their magic intact, assembled at the castle, ready to travel to Oria to be the queens of its various regions. The smallest woman was Nona’s size; the others were larger, but still could pass for tall natives. They understood that not all the folk would welcome them, particularly the deposed despots, but they planned to work together at first, securing each kingdom, leaving one of their number there, and going on to the next. They were experienced in the system of the anima, and knew how to govern men. The women of Oria would support them, knowing that this occupation was for the benefit of the following generation. Soon enough the world would be secure and at peace. Certainly these governesses would be far more effective than Nona could ever have been alone.