“But this is a network of chambers,” Darius said.
“Oh, it is not,” Nona said. “It is one big chamber, which the rabble have adapted, just as we surface folk have adapted the natural contours to fit our needs.”
“Like ants making nests?” Now he realized that the small chambers had indeed been artificial rather than natural; there had been no stalactites. “This big chamber is the natural one?” He gazed up at the rounded ceiling.
“Yes. Above it should be the much larger central chamber at the heart of the world.”
“Above it? Above it is the surface of the planet!”
“No. Our heads are toward the center, not the surface.”
“That is not possible! Gravity doesn’t—” Then he remembered the other impossible things about this reality: gravity the same no matter what size the world, giants on big planets and midgets on little ones, all perfectly human. Starlight from fernlike patterns that ranged in size from global down to infinitesimal. At the same time he was receiving confirmation from Seqiro: this was the world-view of these folk, and they had more experience with it than he.
He shook his head, bemused. “Hollow planet,” he said. “At least that explains why gravity doesn’t change with size, by my logic. The mass I thought was there wasn’t. This is one strange universe!”
“The one you hail from is different?” Nona asked. “I mean, in the underlying nature, as well as in its magic?”
“More different than I had appreciated,” he agreed. He glanced up again, knowing that the watching rabble would not understand why. In fact, most of them were departing, knowing that the excitement was over. But some remained to keep watch. They were not fools.
Nona asked for food and it was brought to her dais. She had them bring food also for her caged opponent, to whom she handed it in. Darius, guided by her, did the same, except that he actually had to spoon-feed Null-Colene. He didn’t dare release her arms. Stave did the same with Keli. Seqiro did not need to feed Bel; she was able to feed herself.
Night closed at the normal time. The light simply faded until the cavern was dark.
That was a relief to Darius, who was now able to use the pot in privacy. But he wasn’t sure what to do about Null-Colene. He didn’t feel right about leaving her tied, but did not dare untie her. Finally he brought the other pot, picked her up, set her on it, and left her there for a suitable interval. His memory of his experience in True-Colene’s reality returned, more strongly; this was turnabout.
True-Colene: he missed her, and hoped she was well. They had spent so little time together, since their first acquaintance and separation! Had he been correct to refrain from sexual relations with her? It was true that she was underage by the standard of her culture, but they were no longer in her culture. He would have to ask her how she felt about it, and try to judge the sincerity of her answer. It would certainly be nice if that barrier between them could be abolished. It was not that he desired sex, though he did, but that he regretted any problem between them, of any nature.
He wanted to sleep, but feared that Null-Colene would manage to work her way free in the night and tie him. The duel was not yet over! If he forgot that, he could lose, even now.
The others had similar misgivings. But Seqiro resolved the problem: he was now able to tune in on all their opponents’ minds, so that if something went on in the night, he would know and could rouse them with an imperative thought.
The rabble provided blankets and pillows. The duel was not supposed to be an act of privation, merely a contest of wills. The participants could have anything they wanted and agreed on. It was presumed that Darius would not agree to letting Null-Colene have a knife with which to cut her bonds. But he did agree to warmth. He spread a blanket over her and tucked a pillow under her head, then walked to the other side of the dais.
Darius settled down to sleep. “Darius,” Null-Colene called in that too-familiar voice. “Sleep with me. I will be soft and comfortable for you.”
“And try to tempt me to breed with you,” he retorted.
“Yes, of course. But if you can not resist that when I am tied and helpless, then you do not deserve to abstain.”
The funny thing was, that logic made sense to him. He knew what she was and what she wanted, and he had her helpless. The horse would warn him if she became a threat. He did not like leaving her tied and alone for the night. She might be a rabble woman, but she had intelligence and personality and deserved better. Also, she did remind him infernally of True-Colene, as she intended, and it was hard to treat her unkindly.
He went to join her. He lay beside her and put his arms around her, outside the blanket. He arranged his own blanket. He closed his eyes and relaxed.
“Thank you, Darius,” she said. “You are kind to me.” Somehow that made him feel guilty. But he stifled the feeling and slept.
HE woke as the light brightened with his head on her bare bosom. For a moment he was afraid she had gotten free and managed to tie him, but she remained secure. She had merely worked her way around so as to make of herself a pillow for him. He was now under both blankets with her.
“How did this happen?” he asked.
“I am able to move a little,” she said. “I am trying to seduce you.”
“If you can move enough to rearrange the blankets, why can’t you move enough to get out of your bonds?”
“I am not sure,” she confessed. “I did want to, and thought I could, but somehow I didn’t.”
I dissuaded her, Seqiro’s thought came. I dissuaded all of them. I thought it best.
“You were right,” Darius said, realizing that he would indeed have lost the duel had the horse not been on guard. He had been lulled by the rabble woman’s affectation of submission, and her Colene aspect. Colene he could trust, to a degree, because he had come to understand her; this one he could not.
“Oh, Darius,” she pleaded, tears in her eyes. “I did not do anything to you in the night. We are under the blankets. No one will see or know. It will cost you nothing. Please breed with me!”
This emulation was coming painfully close to the original! She had found the way to work on his desire.
Though he knew better, he treated her as he might have treated the real Colene. “I bear you no malice. I would not mind breeding with you. But I can not commit to a thousand days of this. I must leave this region in a few days, and return to my true friends. Therefore I may not do this with you or any of the others.”
“I understand,” she whispered. But her tears soaked her face. His feeling of guilt magnified. She was doing an excellent job of that. Had he not known that it had not been her restraint that had prevented her from overcoming him while he slept, he might have succumbed and given her her victory.
And how were the others faring? Seqiro obviously had no problem, and Nona had her opposite securely caged. But what about Stave?
He slept with Kelt, as you did with your opposite. He asked me to nullify his sexual interest, and this I was able to do. Even so, it was an effort.
Surely so! Stave was not part of their Virtual Mode group, and Nona did not love him, so he had no special reason to hold out. His passions were those of the normal young man. The temptation of a beautiful and eager woman would be enormous for him. He was holding out only to support the others, especially Nona’s effort to bring the anima.
If Keli had appealed to him the way Null-Colene had appealed to Darius—
Darius got up and looked across at the other dais. There was Stave—and there was Null-Nona.