Keli looked at her as if she were naïve. So, disturbingly, did both Stave and Darius.
“What am I missing?” she asked, alarmed.
Both men turned away.
“You, Seqiro,” she said. “Tell me.”
Colene could tell you, the horse thought.
“But Colene is not here. You must tell me, so that I know what we face.” She did not like the mood here.
A picture formed in her mind: Seqiro was sending her the memory of an image. In it was a woman, a girl, garbed in clothing unlike that of Oria: not a red tunic, but a two-part outfit with blouse and skirt. The concepts came to her from the memory, though she had never worn such items. Then there was a man too, closing the door to the chamber. There was a bed; this seemed to be a sleeping chamber.
The girl had no clear image. Nona realized that this was because it was Colene’s memory of herself. She did not see herself from outside, but from inside; she was aware of what she wore, but could not see her own face unless she gazed in a mirror. But apart from that, she was somewhat fuzzy in the mind. What could account for that?
Alcohol, Seqiro thought. It is a drug that deadens the minds and sensitivities, so that human folk may do what they otherwise would not do.
Someone had given Colene such a drug? Why?
Then the image abruptly clarified. The man had lost his clothing, and he was naked, with his member erect as if about to indulge in sex. There was no memory of his change in appearance; apparently it had happened during the girl’s somewhat sleepy study of the room. She was no longer sleepy; now she realized that the man wanted something from her.
She tried to go to the door, but the man caught her and spun her around and threw her down on the bed. She tried to struggle, but was ineffective. He shoved up her dress, tore down her alien panties, and climbed on top of her. It was forced sex: his desire, not hers.
This is what she terms “rape,” Seqiro explained.
The memory faded. Nona stood bemused and horrified. She had lived a sheltered life, she realized; it had never occurred to her that such a thing was possible. She knew that men were constantly interested in indulging in sex, but thought that they always persuaded their partners to cooperate. But obviously a man could hold a woman down and do it. One of these rabble could do the same to her, unless she used her magic.
“But I am the only one at risk for that,” she said after a moment.
“I don’t think so,” Darius said darkly.
“But a man—his—he has to—if he simply refuses—”
“He can refuse to act, but he can not refuse to react.” Darius said. “If he is held down, and a woman then touches him to arouse him, and then—” He did not finish speaking, but the image in his mind made the process clear. Nona realized that there were ways in which a man could be raped too. What bothered her even more was the dark hint in his mind that worse than that was possible. She did not want to know any more.
“Then we must use our powers to escape, immediately,” she said. “We can return to the surface and hide—”
“No,” Stave said. “The despots now know what we intend to do. They will be watching, and will try to capture us immediately, or destroy us. Even if we hide from them for a while, we will not be able to find the place for the anima. We must emerge exactly when Colene returns, and hope she has what we need.”
He was right. But still she could not accept it. “Even if we agree to do what they want, the rabble will keep us for years! Until we have each done a thousand breedings!”
“There must be another way,” Darius said. “Seqiro, does Keli’s mind show any alternative?”
Yes. Their society allows a person to decline to breed, by dueling.
“Dueling! Do you mean individual combat?”
Yes. But Kelt has no direct experience with that; she knows only that such a convention exists.
“But suppose we get killed? How would that encourage breeding?” Darius seemed as perplexed as Nona herself, which made her feel only slightly better.
“Maybe that is how we avoid breeding,” Stave said wryly. “By getting killed.”
No, there does not seem to be death.
“Then we had better find out about it,” Darius decided. Nona could only agree.
She turned to Keli. “We prefer to duel. How do we do that?”
Keli looked so disappointed that Nona felt sympathy for her despite regarding her as an enemy. “I do not know, but I wish it not to be.”
“Maybe Stave can duel you,” Nona suggested. “So that you retain your chance.” It was clear that Keli, whatever her real appearance, was both female and human in nature.
Keli brightened. “Yes! I have the right. I have been challenged.”
“Then find out exactly how it is done, and tell us. We will be here.”
Keli walked away. Nona watched her go, surprised. Could it be this easy?
They entered the chamber and made themselves comfortable, waiting. The massed rabble did not try to come in. But the two emulations did: Null-Darius and Null-Nona. They spoke but Seqiro could not interpret their thoughts. He had not had enough time with them to get that far into their minds.
However, Nona had a notion. “Every one of these folks wants to breed with us,” she said. “They have an elaborate system of changing off so that as many as possible have a chance. Keli—the one Keli that Stave fixed in place—wants to breed with him. Because we said we wanted to duel, and she is the first to hear it, she considers herself challenged. So she will not change off, and Seqiro can continue to know her mind. These two others must want the same. If we challenge them, then they can not be switched out until they have finished the duel, I think.”
Yes, I am beginning to get into them, the horse thought. I do have a head start on them. That is what they want.
“Are we better off with folk Seqiro can read?” Darius asked.
“Yes!” Nona agreed. “Because then we’ll know what they are trying to do, and will be better able to prevent it. The blank ones will find it easier to fool us.”
“Then let’s make them happy,” Darius said. He addressed Null-Nona. “I challenge you to my duel,” he said formally.
Seqiro managed to get just enough of that translated so that the woman understood. She smiled and flung herself forward, kissing him.
“Hey, not yet!” he exclaimed. Nona picked up his embarrassment at embracing a creature who looked exactly like Nona herself, naked. She appreciated the sentiment.
Three more figures entered the room: Potia, Lang, and the equine Bel. “You made Potia jealous,” Nona said, almost finding it funny.
“Sorry,” he said. “But Potia kept changing too fast. It has to be Null-Nona.”
His reasoning seemed sound. “My turn,” Nona said. She walked to Null-Darius. “I challenge you,” she said. “And don’t kiss me!”
He understood enough to smile, and not advance on her. But Lang scowled. He knew he had lost.
“Now pick yours,” Darius suggested to Seqiro.
This Bel will do, the horse thought. I will not mind breeding with her.
They sat down again at the table where Stave and Keli had eaten. Their chosen opposites, now clothed, joined them. Nona was struck again by the uncanny accuracy of the emulations; Null-Darius looked and moved exactly like Darius, and Null-Nona seemed to be her own mirror image. Without Seqiro, they certainly could have been fooled, as long as no words were spoken. The imitations did not act at all threatening; they seemed like good companions. This could almost have been fun, were it not unfortunately serious.