"Now I appreciate the relevance. You want me and other ammonoid entertainers to go to space. That prospect is daunting."
"The alternative may be death."
"May be? You can kill me any time. You are offering slavery in space instead. That would do for me, but would not be appealing for those who have committed no crimes."
"The machines have a scout in this region of space. That means they are preparing to invade. They will take over the planet, abduct any people who might prove useful to them in any way, though they are not interested in entertainment, mine the planet, and destroy it. If you ignore the threat, you have perhaps months to live."
"And going to space ships would help alleviate that threat?"
"Affirmation. It will keep the crews of the living cultures in better condition, better able to function, so that they may be able to take out more enemy ships. It may not be enough to save your culture or mine, but it will help."
"This is a rationale. How can I believe it?"
"Here is my mind." She was not naturally telepathic, but he projected his surface mind to hers so that she could fathom its nature and sincerity.
"Wonder," she flashed. "I believe. But there is something else." She brought her request to the surface.
He had found her intriguing, and he liked her. The same was true of her. Part of it was the inherent fascination any Glamor had, but more it was their brief experience together. She wanted more of him.
"Yes," he agreed. "Work with me, recruit other ammonoid entertainers to this cause, enable me to rescue the Princess, and I will let you join my troupe so you can be one of my mistresses."
"Done."
"Now about the Princess—"
"She is in another private chamber. But rescuing her will be pointless unless you also recover her ikon."
"Do you know where it is?"
"No."
"Who does know?"
"Only the Evil Wizard. And be assured he won't tell."
"I had hoped to avoid him. But I have to free that ikon."
"Which means you'll have to take him on."
"Do you have a problem with that?"
She considered. "After what you showed me in your mind, and your promise to me, I think not. Talk to him. Explain, as you did to me. Maybe he'll let you have it."
"Doubt."
"In any event, he'll be out hunting for me, that is, the Princess, putting on a show, though he really wants me to go with you, that is, the Prince."
"He does?"
"If I am able to maintain the ruse, emulating the Princess, and you marry me, that's a claim to the throne, which is what he really wants. The King will know better, but might be powerless to prevent it."
"That's an idiot plot."
"It's a mad plot. There's a difference."
"Naught's mad?"
"Pretty much. But as I said, you can't reach him now without having to fight off the whole army.
You'll have to wait until morning."
He hoped to wait longer than that to encounter the Evil Sorcerer. He very much doubted the man would be amenable to reason, regardless what his loyal daughter thought. "So I must spent the night here with you?"
"That's the idea. And I will be seducing you all the way."
Warp considered. There were worse ways to spend the night.
When the seduction was done, and Naughty was sleeping, Warp reached out telepathically to contact Marionette. Are you satisfactory?
I am with King Ra. He's lonely.
Warp was taken aback. Doesn't he have a harem?
Yes, but he can't really trust anyone. Any one of those females might be an enemy agent waiting to get him alone. He's a Glamor. They can't hurt him. He felt her wry smile. But they might try. That would be politically awkward. They don't know he's a Glamor. In fact, they don't know what a Glamor is.
So why is he with you?
I'm an alien creature. I have no designs on his throne and am not looking to embarrass him. He can trust me.
And why are you with him?
He is a royal male. And he is a Glamor. I seem to be attracted to the type.
He's old!
He was old when he turned Glamor. Even an old Glamor is special. I'd give your father Havoc a turn if he let me. Any Earth Mistress would, and some have.
Warp shook his head. That translated to a twitching of his jetting spout. Ludicrous. She was teasing him, but only to a degree. His father could have his way with just about any woman, and often did. Havoc left Marionette alone purely out of courtesy to Warp.
Naughty woke as the jet of water sprayed across her tentacles. "So eager, again, so soon?"
"Unintentional." And what are you up to? Marionette demanded. I'm with Naughty. She's emulating the Princess. And you're fussing about me, you horny male? she demanded indignantly. She's neither royal nor Glamor. She had him there. Have a good time with the King. I am. He's into me now. It's different from the human body, but the essence is similar.
Ooo, that's one evocative tentacle!
"Are you paying attention?" Naughty demanded, twining tentacles with vigor. "How could I not?" He left Marionette to the King and went to work on Naughty. He knew he had no business being jealous of Marionette's no fault relationships, any more than she had being jealous of his. But somehow it helped to imagine that Naughty was Marionette. "So ardent!" Naughty flashed appreciatively. In the morning they went to rescue the Princess. Warp hoped that she would be able to guide them to her ikon, if only by the repulsive effect it had on her. Naughty showed him the way to a high turret isolated from the rest of the castle. There was the Princess, resting on a platform, using her tentacles to knit a warm blanket from sea moss wool. "Greeting, Princess Ia,"
Warp flashed. "I have come to rescue you." She jumped, startled. "Prince Ium! You came!" Then she saw Naughty behind him. "And the slut is emulating me!"
"A ploy that failed," Naughty flashed. "I will resume my own aspect." She shifted, subtly and unsubtly, becoming another ammonoid female. She remained quite pretty. "I need to locate your ikon," Warp flashed.
"You should be able to indicate its direction."
"No need. It is here." She indicated an alcove in the wall. There was an ikon shaped like a miniature ammonoid female. In fact it looked exactly like the Princess. Warp was amazed. "How can it be here? I thought it was securely hidden."
"Where no one would suspect," la flashed. "In plain sight. Here in the turret in the no-magic zone. I can't touch it, and it can't help me. A fiendish ploy."
"Take it into a magic zone," Ward told Naughty.
"I can't do that," Naughty flashed.
"Are you reneging on our deal?"
"Father won't let me."
"Indeed I won't," another Ammonoid flashed. There, emerging from a curtained closet, was a male Ammonoid.
"Naught Nautilus," Warp flashed, amazed.
"I knew that if you fathomed my daughter's masquerade, you would come next for the real Princess," Naught flashed. "So I lurked here for you. Now I can deal with you directly, Prince."