"Exactly. They will also have men to intercept us at its destination."

"Oops, aye!"

The capsule stopped. They hoisted themselves out. It went on. "Now they will be pursuing the decoy," Blue said. "But we still have to get out of here, and they will be watching all the exits. In any event, we're still under the desert, and I don't care to breathe any more of this frame's air. So we'll go back."

"Go back!" Bane repeated incredulously.

"Right to the Purple Estate," Blue said, getting out of his clothes. "I have a little pseudoflesh left, enough to change our facial features. We shall become serfs."

"Be that not risky?"

"Not as risky as our present course."

To that Bane could only agree. Blue applied the pseudoflesh to Bane's face, filling out his cheeks and chin, then did the same for himself. He adjusted their hair. Bane glanced at himself in the reflective surface of a panel, and found that the little bit of adjustment had changed his appearance drastically. Blue was good at disguises!

They took a capsule on the track going the opposite way. While they rode, they talked, and Bane found that he liked this man very well. Blue was, if anything, more open than his father, Stile, less guarded in what he said. He had indeed learned tolerance; Bane did not feel all like a machine in his presence.

They got out at the Purple Estate. This was a large station, with many supplies to be moved. They each picked up a box and carried it out of the station and into the Estate.

Things were in chaos there. It seemed that the Citizen had suffered burns and embarra.s.sment, and was being treated. Foreman was furious, and taking it out on any lower serf he encountered. There had already been several firings, and more were in the offing. All this they gleaned simply by listening as they walked through the premises.

They carried their boxes on to the serf transport station. They waited their turn and boarded the ground shuttle, the boxes in their laps. No one questioned them. The shuttle filled with other serfs on errands, and started off. It left the dome and wheeled across the sand toward the main city of Dradom.

Thus they made it to freedom, the easy way. They left their boxes in the shuttle for return to the Purple Estate, and went to a phone. Blue called Sheen. "Come and get us," he said, smiling faintly.

A private ship came for them. They boarded, and it took off. The seat belts released themselves, freeing them to walk about during the flight. Then the forward compartment opened, and Sheen and Agape walked into the main chamber.

Bane was not aware how they came together. Suddenly he was embracing and kissing Agape, and she was crying with joy. Then, embarra.s.sed, they paused, looking around at the others.

"Sit down," Citizen Blue said, donning a blue outfit that Sheen had brought along. They sat.

"My wife and I have known for some time that our son was not entirely satisfied," Blue said. "He is a product of our most advanced technology. His circuits are more sophisticated than Sheen's. His brain is capable of a type of consciousness that approaches the living standard so closely that we are not certain there is any significant distinction."

"Very little," Bane agreed.

"But he was not alive-and he wanted to be. That we could not give him-until he made contact with you. Now he has been able to experience that ultimate state. Do you think he will want to return?"

"Not if he loves Fleta," Bane said.

"We like you, Bane," Blue continued. "I was never able to sire a living son, even before I came to Proton. It was no sacrifice for me to marry Sheen. In fact the laboratory was the only way that I could have a child. And I am satisfied with Mach. But still I always wished that I could have a living child in Phaze. My inability to do so was part of what damaged my relationship to your mother, Bane. It put our love under stress. The Lady Blue desperately wanted a child. Now I see in you the son I might have had."

Then Blue stopped speaking. "What he is trying to say," Sheen said, "is that if you, Bane, care to remain in Proton, we would be glad to extend to you the same relationship we have had with Mach. If you should wish to marry Agape, we would be pleased."

"But you hardly know me!" Bane protested, speaking to them both.

"You are the offspring of my other self, sired by this body," Blue said. "You have been raised as an apprentice Adept in Phaze. You have come to Proton, as I did. I think I know you well enough. If you wish to remain, and undertake the necessary preparation for eventual Citizenship, you are welcome to do so."

Bane knew he should have been overwhelmed by such an offer. But this body had better control over its emotions than did his own. He simply considered his own preference, and found no question. "I would like to do so," he said. "An my other self be satisfied."

"I suspect he will be," Blue said. "But there is no need to be in doubt. Contact him, exchange with him, and verify the situation for yourselves. There should be contact between you anyway. On that the Contrary Citizens agree with us. This opportunity to establish correspondence between the frames must not be lost. Where we differ is whether the benefits of that contact shall accrue to our cause or to theirs. The stakes are potentially enormous. Whoever has ready access to both the Oracle Computer and the Book of Magic will have power to remake both frames in a manner hitherto impossible. With that power, I could complete the integration of the diverse elements of Proton society, and in time eliminate the feudal Citizen-serf aspect of our society. With that power, the Contrary Citizens could reverse all that I have accomplished in twenty years and disenfranchise the robots, cyborgs, androids and aliens."

Bane looked at Agape. "Thou knowest that ne'er would I do that to thee," he said to her. Then he kissed her, and no more needed to be said on that subject.

"However," Blue said, and now Bane felt a chill, knowing that something unpleasant was coming. His own father spoke in just that fashion. "There are certain counter-indications."

"Somehow I knew there would be," Bane said.

"My course here in the frame of Proton has not been entirely smooth," Blue said. "Progress has been slow, and the Contrary Citizens have fought every step. They have seized upon every possible technicality to frustrate my designs before the Council of Citizens. Compromise has been the order of the day, for twenty years. There are many programs I would have promoted, had I been able; the Experimental Project has been the only one I have been able to implement fully. I daresay my other self in Phaze has had similar problems."

"Aye," Bane agreed. "He sought to make all creatures equal in Phaze, the animals and the men, but found resistance in both animals and men. He made of the Blue Demesnes a center for the education and freedom of animals, and the a.s.sociation of differing species. All be welcome, but few attend, apart from Neysa's oath-friends. Some be afraid of the Adverse Adepts, with reason; some merely cling to their old ways. So it has been mainly in stasis. Phaze be not what Stile dreamed it could be."

"And so he dare not force any issue that is not vital," Blue said. "I know how that is."

"And he be slowly losing ground," Bane agreed.

"Now consider the probable impact of the reestab-lishment of communication between the two frames," Blue said. "That contact can generate the power to give one side or the other, in each frame, the decisive advantage. That's opportunity-and threat. If Stile and I have this power, we can do much good; but if the others get it, they can do just as much evil. At the moment it seems that we shall have that contact-but we cannot afford to take any chance with it. The stakes are simply too great."

"And I represent a liability," Agape said.

"Nay, I love thee!" Bane cried.

"That is why," she said. "Every time you cross to the other frame, you risk falling into the power of the other side, and Mach risks the same. Because we can never be certain of the situation in the other frame, until the exchange is made. The enemy forces do not have to capture you or Mach; they merely have to capture me or Fleta."

"But we shall protect each!" Bane protested.

She shook her head. "We can never be sure of that, while we are part of these two societies. I can be secure only in one place: my home planet. It is there I must go."

"Nay!" Bane cried. "I cannot be apart from thee! I returned to Proton only to be with thee!"

"And you must return to Phaze," she said. "Bane, they need you there. But even if you remain here, or travel back and forth, you cannot afford to a.s.sociate with me. It will be better if I remove myself from your life."

"Nay!" he repeated, agonized.

"That is the conclusion Sheen and I came to, independently," Blue said. "We can accomplish much, if we cut our risks. That means that your a.s.sociation with Agape, and Bane's with Fleta, must be sundered. Only then can the two of you safely maintain contact between the frames.

Somehow, Bane had known it all along. He gazed at Agape, stricken.

16 - Decision

Mach was back in the Purple Demesnes, but this time as no captive. That much Bane had a.s.sured him, in their brief dialogue before the exchange. Fleta had been freed, and the Translucent Adept governed here. Certainly he was no longer clamped to the wall; Bane had evidently stood here to overlap him, but Bane had not been shackled. He hoped Bane would be able to get free, or that Citizen Blue would free him; if not, he would have to return, for the fate of his body was his responsibility.

Purple stood before him, his face expressionless. Mach realized that the man did not know that the exchange had been accomplished. "I am Mach," he said. Now he would find out whether the truce would be honored.

"The situation has changed," Purple said gruffly. "I turned thine other self over to Translucent. He promised to have thy cooperation. Now thou art free to depart. Hast thou any message?"

"I was bracketed to the wall, there," Mach said. "I accepted no message."

"An I had mine own way," Purple muttered, "that were thy fate here too. But till Translucent's policy fail, thou canst go thy way." He turned his back and walked out of the cell.

Things certainly had changed! Mach walked out of the cell unopposed, and down the tunnel, and on out of the Purple Demesnes without hindrance. Purple really was letting him go!

At the mouth of the cave that was the Demesnes entrance, Mach paused. He stood on the side of a mountain, and could see out over the trees below. This was the north slope; theoretically most of Phaze lay before him, but all he could see was the nearest section, seemingly untouched by man.

A floating watery bubble appeared before him. Mach smiled warily. "h.e.l.lo, Translucent Adept," he said.

"And a greeting to thee, Mach of Proton," the Adept replied. "What be thy current desire?"

"To find Fleta."

"She was freed by thine other self; methinks she fled to the Blue Demesnes."

"Makes sense," Mach agreed.

"I can transport thee there, an thou prefer."

"Thanks, Adept, but I think not. I won't come to you unless I'm ready to do business."

"Fair enough," Translucent said. "The door be open always." His bubble of water faded out.

Mach considered. He would go to the Blue Demesnes. But how? It might be a long march by foot, but he was uncertain of his powers of magic, particularly now that he was alone. His spells had worked well only when Fleta had helped him with her music, or when he had built up to them carefully. If he tried to transport himself, and garbled it, in what condition would he find himself? Also, each spell only worked once; there was no point in wasting them. So-he would go by foot.

He started walking north. It was slow, because of the slope; it was about as hard going down as it would have been going up, to his surprise. He was soon sweating, for it was the middle of the day and he was alive. In his robot body he neither tired nor sweated, but now he gloried in these physical manifestations.

A harpy flew into view. She wore a fright wig. "Phoebe!" he exclaimed.

She heard him and swerved to approach. "The imitation Adept! Alone?"

"I'm looking for Fleta," he said. "Have you seen her?"

"Aye, a day ago. I put her on the way to the Blue Demesnes."

Confirmation! "I'm going there now."

"Thou wilt ne'er catch her, at the rate thou art going. She was charging north on the hoof, last I saw her."

"I'll keep going, though. Thank you for your information, Phoebe."

"n.o.body thanks a harpy," she grumbled. "It be just not done."

"Sorry." He waved to her, and went on.

"And when thou dost catch her, ne'er let her go!" she screeched after him.

It was advice he intended to follow. He moved on down the slope, and in due course came to the level plain. Here he made better progress, finding the approximate route they had traveled before. He knew this was unicorn country, so would be free of most predators.

He was mistaken. In midafternoon, as he was trudging tiredly along, a great shadow cut across the plain. He looked up, and spied a dragon.

He hoped the monster was just pa.s.sing by. But it wasn't. Evidently it had spotted him trudging, and decided that this was suitable prey. It wasn't a large dragon, compared to the one they had encountered south of the mountains; this might be a scavenger, seeking prey that was too weak to defend itself well.

Well, he fit the description. He was not only tired, he was exposed, for there were no trees nearby and no other cover. He had no weapon. He could neither fight nor flee effectively.

The dragon swooped. Its talons were spread; it planned to s.n.a.t.c.h him up and carry him away, perhaps biting off his head to keep him pa.s.sive.

Magic! He had to use a spell to protect himself!

But what? He had only seconds to come up with one. The dragon was diving toward him at an awesome rate, its little eyes and big teeth gleaming.

Something to make it too small to harm him! "Dragon fall, become small!" he sang as it closed on him. And knew that it wasn't going to work.

The dragon seemed to hesitate. It lost control, pa.s.sing over Mach's head, the downdraft from its wings almost blasting him off his feet. It lifted, and wobbled, seeming huge.

Huge? The thing was growing!

Mach realized that he had really blown his spell this time. It had not merely failed, it had had the opposite of the intended effect! Instead of making the dragon fall and get small, it was rising and getting larger. He had made things even worse for himself than they had been.

He scrambled through his mind, trying to come up with a better spell, trying to concentrate to make it work, trying to generate some more substantial music and having no success at any of these efforts. He watched, morbidly fascinated, as the dragon lifted and grew.

Then the monster stalled out and dropped. It flapped its wings desperately, but could not find enough purchase for them, and crashed into the ground. The contact was a hard one; Mach felt the earth shudder.

The dragon lay still. It was either dead or close to it. Mach decided not to investigate closely; the thing might not be as badly off as it seemed He took the opportunity to get himself as far from it as possible.

But he pondered. Granted that his spell had been another disaster, confirming his caution in avoiding magic where possible -why had the dragon crashed? It had gotten larger, so should have been even more formidable.

Larger? Did that mean it also increased its ma.s.s? Surely so; here in Phaze ma.s.s had no relevance, as was evident when Fleta changed from unicorn form to hummingbird form. If it got heavier as well as larger, the dynamics of its flight would change; it would require a proportionally greater wingspan to do the same job. Many of the laws of physics did not apply in the magic realm, but it seemed that some did-those not specifically countered by magic. So the dragon's ratios had gotten wrong; it was unable to fly, because though its wings had grown with the rest of it, they needed to grow faster than the rest of it, to keep it aloft. Thus it had stalled and crashed.

His spell had done the job after all. But through no great wit or magic of his! He had once again blundered to a kind of success. He was not phenomenally pleased.

At the rate he was going, he was surely losing headway. If Fleta had galloped by here a day ago, he would be two days behind by the time he reached the Blue Demesnes. But he remained reluctant to try too much magic. Magic seemed, to him, to be fraught with the same kind of dangers as would be working with complex equipment a person did not properly understand: the consequences of some seemingly minor misjudgment could be magnified disastrously.

Still, there were dangers here, as the recent episode of the dragon showed, and if he wanted to remain long in Phaze he would need to sharpen his survival skills. So it was necessary that he tackle magic, so as to be able to use it effectively at need. And his first need was travel.

He sat down and pondered. He didn't want to risk transporting himself; the fate of the dragon made that all too worrisome. But he could conjure something that would help him travel- In Proton, if he wanted to travel outside, he would have requisitioned a vehicle of some sort. Could he do the same here?

What kind of vehicle would be best for mixed terrain without roads? Not a wheeled one, for there was gra.s.s and some rocks and gullies, and streams. One that floated.

An aircar, its cushion of air supporting it and moving it forward.

He thought up a suitable rhyme, then hummed to work up the music. He concentrated on what he wanted, in order to get it exactly right. Then he sang: "Bring me a car, to travel far."

Fog appeared and swirled. It dissipated, leaving an object. Success!

Or was it? As he got a closer look, he realized that this was not a car; it was more like a boat. In fact, it was a canoe, floating placidly. There were two paddles in it.