Piers, Anthony - ChroMagic 03 by Piers Anthony

Author:Piers, Anthony
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter 6–Ifrits

Augur kissed Aura good morning, and went out to help organize breakfast. The beauty of this Glamor bower struck him again: it was nonChroma, except for particular trees, which must have been planted and specially maintained. They were all the colors of the Chroma, each tree one color: Blue, Red, Silver, Black, and so on. Spot monochrome, surely tended in each case by the relevant Glamor.

He had never imagined such an effect before coming here. They must have adapted miniChroma zones of the kind he had seen in the impact crater where they found the altar. The Ladies Ennui, Aspect, and Nonce had also done some farming in such zones, to make the tapestry. So obviously it was possible, but still a novelty.

Gale was already out, generating foodstuff to shape into assorted types. She reminded him strongly of Aura, and he realized that this was to be expected; both were changelings of similar age.

"Surely you should not have to be doing all this in addition to caring for your children, Lady," he said. "Aura and I can—"

"You can't conjure food in a nonChroma zone," she said. "Symbol is handling the children at the moment. And you deserve your rest."

That was another remarkable thing: the king's mistress spending more time with the king's wife and children than with the king. "But—"

"I'm a Glamor, remember. I don't tire physically. But I'm glad you're here. We have a special assignment for you and Aura."

"We are happy to do whatever we can."

"We want you to go into one of your Chroma zones and study the ifrits."

"Question?"

"The children named them. They are traveling clouds that can condense into balls to roll across nonChroma sections. Then they seem to return to cloud status, and assume the new Chroma zone's color."

"This is more than interesting."

"Agreement. Take Ini and Futility and make an extended observation. We want to know all about the ifrits."

"Lady, this could take some time."

She stepped close and kissed him, exactly as Aura was apt to do to stifle his protests about something. "Take the time. I suspect this could be important."

"As you wish, Lady." Already he liked the notion; this was a chance to be genuinely useful to the mission.

"How is Red?"

He hesitated. "In what sense?"

"In the sexual sense. I understand she was with you when you fetched the altar ikon, but then you caught on to her nature. That would have stifled things. But now that Havoc and Ini have figured out how Glamors can have sex with knowing mortals, Red can be with you again. How is she?"

"Candor?"

"Naturally."

"The sex is great, and I am learning things. But there's no human feeling; I might as well be with Futility. And of course I'd always rather be with Aura."

She nodded. "And I with Havoc. But with Glamors, sex is a prime pastime and variety is spice.

The other Glamors have known each other in every sense for decades or centuries, so the new Glamors—Havoc and I—are in demand for novelty, and the mortals along on this mission also.

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