That would have required imagination.
Safely in space, they relaxed. "I am sorry we did not find the Makers," she said. "I think if they had been anywhere, that was where. I no longer think they are hiding among the machines."
"Agreement. I have no further mission. I am surplus."
"Stop that!" she snapped. "They still could be elsewhere in the galaxy. Your mission is not complete until every possible hiding place has been checked."
"Are you directing me to continue?"
She was taken aback. "It is not my place to direct you. We are enemies, associating under truce."
He considered, then rephrased. "It is your preference that I continue?"
He actually wanted a directive from her? Then she would oblige. "Affirmation."
"I will continue," he said. "But I hope we can associate. I can't be your enemy."
The revelation came. "You're in love with me!"
"Affirmation. With you and Gale."
"In time this war will be over, at least the human portion. If we win, I will claim you as booty. If the machines win, you can claim Gale and me as concubines. Assuming we survive."
"Make the preferred deal. Have Voila enlist with the machines. Then we can associate on an equal basis."
"That would be nice," she agreed. "But I don't think Voila will ever do it."
"Concurrence," he agreed morosely.
"However, you will need a Glamor in your continued quest for the Makers. I must return to Havoc, as was the case with Gale. Will you accept another Glamor?"
"It is not my place to question any Glamor."
That was an interesting rephrasing of her prior demurral. "I believe the Red Glamor is available. I will introduce you to her."
"I am familiar with her history. She will do, if she is amenable."
"She should be. She's another lusty wench." Shee paused. "I will leave you when we return to Charm. The only time we can be sure of having together is right now. Let's make it count."
"Agreement."
They went at it, making it count. Because Shee feared that this window of opportunity for a continuing relationship had been lost. Had they found the Makers, the war of the machines against the galaxy might have stopped.
Now it would continue, with all its dreadful repercussions. It was really too bad.
Chapter 28 Spy
Fifth joined Opaline for their usual tryst, and it was as wonderful as ever. "I love Flame, and hope to marry her," he said. "But I think I love you too. You bring me something she doesn't. Innocence and willingness without censure."
At the moment he was lying on his back with his head on her belly, her lifted thighs enclosing his neck.
"I love Oak, and will marry him," she said, toying with his hair. "And will bear four fourths, by you, Havoc, Warp, and Oak's father Pot. Not in that order. You, too, bring me something more than mere sex. I feel at ease with you."
"We are friends."
"Friends," she agreed. "We can tell each other anything." She giggled. "Like the latest naughty gossip."
"Like how I helped swap Shee's ikon for Gale's," he said. "Gale traveled no fault with this upper level machine called Sphere, looking for the Makers, and she seduced him and made him her love slave."
"A machine?"
"It seems they have a thing for Glamors. He couldn't get enough of her. But then they wanted to search for Makers hiding among the machines, and Gale thought Shee would be better, being a machine. So Shee emulated Gale to go with Sphere, but couldn't use Gale's ikon. So they met the machine in a Black Chroma zone, and I conjured their two ikons, exchanging them. And Shee went off with Sphere, pretending to be Gale, being his no fault lover."
"That's a dangerous no fault. What if he finds out?"
"I don't know. Shee hasn't returned yet. But she is surely satisfying him. I have been with Gale, and she is all the woman any man could want." He paused. "No offense to you, Opaline. She's a Glamor."
"Well, there's Weft. She's a Glamor too."
"She's too controlling. She's always running the show, even when she seems to be accommodating her partner's wish. Gale isn't like that."
"That reminds me: Flame said she'd rather have you with me than with Weft."
He laughed. "I'm sure! You're no threat to her." He paused again. "I mean, you're not a Glamor. When it comes to mortal girls, you're the best."
"And Gale said she'd rather have Havoc with me than with Weft."
He laughed again. "Oh, my yes!"
"And I would rather be with Oak than have Weft with him."
He was surprised. "Weft was with Oak?"
"I have gossip too. I went with Havoc to a far culture, to test Oak's ability with the chips, while Weft emulated me to be with Oak. She was having sex with him. He never knew the difference. That bothers me."
"Opaline, no one can fathom a Glamor's identity when the Glamor is masquerading as another person. Not even another Glamor. If Oak never knew he wasn't with you, there's nothing to be jealous of."
"Wouldn't it bother you to discover the person you were with was actually someone else?"
"Confirmation. But Oak need never know. He is loyal to you."
"And I am loyal to him. I just get my sexual variety elsewhere."
"Speaking of sexual variety—that mission Havoc took you on—did Oak's ability prove out?"
"Confirmation. We met Filia, who is an alien Glamor Queen made up of a box of mental filings she can shape oh, so voluptuously. Just seeing her do it with Havoc worked me up, so he had to do me too. Then she showed me around, but a machines ship came after us. It was awful, until Flame rescued us. Anyway, I am satisfied now that Oak is no decoy. He will be destroying the machines ships before they can attack us in the final battle. I'm so proud of him!"
Fifth sat up, disengaging from her legs, and faced her. "Oak is not a decoy?"
"Not," she agreed. "He is our secret weapon. He will push the buttons that disrupt the machines' weapons. Because of him, we'll win against the machines."
Something strange was happening in Fifth's mind. "Who says this?"
"Havoc. He told me. I believe him. Oak is worthy. The machines can't stop him. I'm thrilled!"
Fifth set his body on hers, pinning her to the ground. "But Oak can't do that without you to guide him, can he?"
"Confirmation. I'm glad to have a part in it. I have worked with him so long on this, I know there's no one else. Not even Weft. She might fool him sexually, but she doesn't know the nuances of his talent the way I do."
"This is my understanding." He put his two hands on her neck.
"You have a new way of sex?" she inquired brightly. "Mock bondage?"
"Negation." He squeezed, throttling her.
Opaline tried to protest, but could not utter a sound. She tried to pull his hands off, but lacked the strength. She tried to draw her body away, but he had her pinned. Her eyes bulged. Her mouth opened soundlessly.
It was over quickly, as her body ceased its futile struggle. He maintained his grip for several minutes, making sure she was dead. Then he got up, picked up her limp form, and dumped her corpse into the nearby bog.
There was a stirring of reptiles orienting on the meat. Fifth turned away, sick at heart, not caring to watch them tear her apart.
He brought out a Black Chroma stone and used it to conjure himself to the brink of the nearest volcano. It was Green Chroma. It didn't matter. It was inactive at the moment, but there was bubbling green lava in its depths. It would do the job.
He was the machines spy, sent to stop the human culture's strongest weapon against the machines. He had not known until the situation activated his program. He had had no choice, once he ascertained the nature of that weapon.