Ellspa grinned, but the Wise One looked embarrassed. «I am sorry. I spoke unwisely, asking more than the gods allow. I did not do this to trap you. Will you believe me, and forgive my unwise words?» She sounded genuinely apologetic.
«Certainly I will forgive you. If you will forgive me for Cheeky's-behavior-the day of my first cleansing?»
Blade thought the Wise One was blushing. Certainly Ellspa was holding her breath and biting her lower lip to keep from giggling. Then the Wise One nodded.
«Blade, no harm was done to me. I forgive you. And no harm will be done to you tonight. Now-will you hear me tell you why this is so?»
Blade settled himself more comfortably, and Cheeky hopped up on his lap. «We will.»
Chapter 8
The Wise One's explanation was simple, compared to what Blade expected. In a nutshell, the Wise One suspected that Blade had the potential of high-grade telepathic powers, such as most of the Uchendi had. Very few of the Rutari had such powers, usually only the Wise One and a few others of each generation. This was true no matter how much kerush they took.
«More than a few of our people have died, seeking to become as the Uchendi through too much kerush,» Ellspa added. «Even a Wise One has been known to go too far.» The Wise One gave her acolyte a sour look and continued her story.
«Apart from their greater mind powers, the Uchendi are less than we are in all things pleasing to the gods. That is why we took the Idol from them. It cannot have been the wish of the gods that such weaklings find favor in the eyes of the Idol Makers, who were surely the chosen of the gods.»
Another bloody tantalizing hint about the Idol Makers! Blade gritted his teeth against the temptation to ask about them. One broken taboo an evening was enough.
«Because the Uchendi are unworthy,» the Wise One went on, «we must wage war against them until they are no more. Then the Idol will be forever safely in the place where the gods wished it to be. When the Idol Makers return, they will come straight to the Rutari and bless us.»
Blade gritted his teeth harder. Aloud, he said, «And you think that my powers of mind are something I can teach you, so all the Rutari will be as strong as the Uchendi?»
«Yes. You are the first man who is neither Rutari nor Uchendi to give any hint of such powers. If you have them, and can teach them…» The Wise One's lips were trembling. Obviously she felt the whole fate of her people was at stake in Blade's cooperation.
And if she feels that strongly about it, one slip and you're dead, Blade's training told him.
Yes, but consider how much I might learn, he replied. If nothing else, they have the kerush.
Which might destroy your mind.
True, but you've got to run a few risks in order to learn anything. And there's no danger to the Dimension X secret here. These people are centuries from having computers.
What about inter-Dimensional travel by telepathy?
What about it? I've resisted the telepathy of the Wizard of Rentoro, who could do it. If these people aren't at least as strong as he was, they're no danger to me, even with the kerush. Even if they do wind up traveling to Home Dimension, what harm can they do when they get there? The Kaldakans had lasers. These people don't even have bows!
I guess you're right. Go ahead, then.
«No honor the Rutari can give will be held back,» the Wise One was saying. «The storytellers will give your name to the children of the children of our children, and tell how grateful we were to you.» Ellspa licked her lips.
Blade wasn't a complete stranger to «recreational» drugs. He'd been involved in a couple of experiments to test the usefulness of LSD in his work. Also, while doing undercover work, he'd smoked his way through enough marijuana to know that he much preferred good Scotch.
However, he'd never tried mixing telepathy and drugs before, and would have preferred his first time to be under safer conditions. Since nobody gave a damn about his preferences, there was nothing to do but swallow the kerush seed and hope for the best.
Ellspa emptied a small sack of kerush seeds on to the floor in front of Blade and divided them into three equal piles. «These are the raw seeds,» she said. «Chew them slowly.»
It would have been easier to do this if the seeds hadn't tasted like oven-roasted peanuts dipped in roofing compound. Blade still obeyed, cautious about an overdose. By the time he'd swallowed the remains of the fifth seed, the first was beginning to take effect.
Blade felt as if he were sitting in thin air, several inches off the ground. His hands and feet were also separated from his wrists and ankles-he could see that clearly. Just as clearly, he could still feel them and control them. He could even pick up a sixth seed, chew, and swallow.
Then the Wise One raised her hand to warn Blade to stop, and she and Ellspa began taking their kerush. They took nine seeds apiece, faster than Blade. With one part of his mind he expected to see the two women float up off the floor like balloons. With another part, he realized that they were able to take a larger dose, or perhaps even needed it, with their greater tolerance built up over the years.
It was a relief for Blade to discover that the logical, rational side of his mind was still working. It was not quite so much of a relief to discover that he was getting an uncomfortably solid erection.
By the time the two women had finished their seeds, both were swaying gently, as if in time to inaudible music. Their eyes were wide, their breathing quick, and their mouths hanging open. Blade noted in an oddly detached manner that Ellspa's dark nipples were also erect.
Now Cheeky scurried between Blade and the women, then hopped onto Blade's lap. In Blade's present condition that was the wrong place for Cheeky. Blade winced, and Cheeky leaped up onto his master's shoulder.
(«You want female?»)
«What?» Blade's surprise made him speak out loud. He was hearing a voice in his mind, whether male or female he didn't know, and he had no idea who was «speaking. «
(«Use the spirit speech.») This time it was not a question but a command. It also had a very different «tone of voice»-call it a flavor-from that of the original question. Blade took several deep breaths to improve his concentration. He considered and rejected the idea of using mental pictures, as he did with Cheeky. Then as soon as he could be sure of not using lips, tongue, or vocal cords, he formed the words in his mind.
(«I have the spirit speech, if this is it. And I do want the females.») Actually he didn't really want the Wise One, but it would hardly be tactful to say so.
(«Yes. Old female not like it that way.»)
(«Cheeky!?») Blade's astonishment at realizing it was the feather-monkey speaking almost caused him to leap up and hug the animal.
(«It's me.»)
(«You took the kerush?»)
(«Yes. One seed.»)
(«We have better-telepathy-now?»)
(«Yes. You think-louder-now.»)
(«Much-louder.») It was the other mental voice, the one with the different «flavor.» Blade looked at the two women. It had to be one of them, but which? And had the Wise One heard him «thinking» that he didn't want her?
(«I am not offended, Blade. You are a young man, and Ellspa is a young woman. I cannot make you other than the gods have already done.»)
Blade was losing awareness of his body entirely now, as the kerush-induced telepathic links with Cheeky and the Wise One absorbed his whole mind. He was still conscious of Cheeky's paws placed on his temples, and a mental message with Cheeky's flavor to it.