Skeleton Key by Piers Anthony
Author:Piers Anthony
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2021-03-15T00:00:00+00:00
Chapter 10
Worse Coming
Squid woke, feeling a malaise. She wasnât sure what it was, as she was generally immune to human ailments.
Larry was still holding her hand. âSquid! Your hand is like ice!â
âIâm not human,â she reminded him. âWhen humans get sick they tend to run a fever; my kind tends to run a chill. Itâs our way of freezing out bad bugs.â
âIs it serious?â
âIâm not sure. A chill is a reaction, not a cause.â
âI donât want you sick.â
She looked at him. âWeâre a couple of convenience. You shouldnât be concerned.â
âWe may not be a true couple,â he said. âBut weâve already been through a fair amount together, and understand each other well. I do care about you, more than incidentally. What can I do to help you?â
She was touched. âMaybe Tata can classify it.â
âTata!â he said immediately, and in a moment and a half the dogfish was there, screen flashing, the peeve perched on his shoulder.
âIt is a tentacular virus,â the peeve translated. âIt tends to get in when her kind is over-stressed.â
Squid had been under plenty of stress recently.
âDo you have a treatment?â Larry asked, his worry evident.
âNot aboard this vessel. Itâs a specialty order. By the time we get it in, she will likely have recovered on her own. She will have to suffer through a siege.â
âIs it serious?â
The screen flashed again.
âThat depends. Usually hallucinations are impressive but harmless.â
âHallucinations!â
âItâs all rightââ Squid said. âI have had them before. They normally fade when the chill does.â
âWe should warm her!â
âNo,â the peeve said. âThe chill is her natureâs way of dealing with the infection. We donât want to interfere.â
âWe just have to let her suffer?â
âIn the absence of proper medication, yes.â
âBleep!â
Squid smiled wanly. âThank you for caring, Larry. I should get by.â
Then a panel opened in the wall of the cabin. Beyond it she saw a lovely garden path.
The others in the cabin faded out. She was alone with her vision.
Well, almost. Larry squeezed her hand. She didnât see him, but she felt him, her contact with reality. âIâm going with you.â
She laughed. âOn a hallucination? Let it be.â
âWe were together on the simulation. We can do it on the hallucination.â
âYouâre crazy!â
âDo I have to kiss you to make you listen?â
She laughed again. âDonât do that. Tata and the peeve would not understand.â
âWeâll bring them along too.â
He was determined. âAs you wish. But it may be a pretty dull excursion.â
He maintained his hold on her hand so she could not tune him out. âJust tell us what you see.â
âI see a panel in the wall, opening to a lovely garden path. Iâm going there.â
âRight with you.â
She moved up to the open panel and stepped through to the path. âNow I am in the garden. I am breathing its myriad intriguing scents.â
âContinue.â
âA cluster of red berries is catching my attention. I am picking one and eating it. I like it, so am eating a second, then a third.â
âGood appetite.â
âAnd I feel myself rapidly changing, my clothing emulation shredding, leaving me nude.â
âOops, Tata says those must be elderberries, aging you,â the peeve said.
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