Wine of the Gods 26: Embassy

by Pam Uphoff

  I just wish . . . well I'll catch up on these "permanent gates" and "dimensional corridors" when I get back from the big game hunt.

  Because I think the world—the Mulitverse—is about to change.

  ***

  Napoleon Zambrano bounced on his heels in frustration. I should be there. Dammit, I'm a better reporter than Helen . . . He shut down the internal whine and listened to the President.

  "I have instructed the Head of the IBI to request that the gate from this Embassy World be opened to our gate compound in Asia. We have, perhaps, a week until it happens."

  The Congressmen grumbled, en masse, but didn't actually interrupt.

  A week? Napoleon was grinning as he turned to the Chief. "As it happens, I've kept my Gate Security Clearance up to date. Shall I start packing?"

  Chapter Six

  Summer 1398

  Black Island, Comet Fall

  The two oldest witches, Jade the Spider Woman and Teri the angelic blonde with the heart of pure arsenic, had very reluctantly allowed Rior to return, allowed him to show them some magical techniques.

  And I learned a hell of a lot about theirs.

  They paid lip service to the traditional witch pyramid organization, but as outcasts, they lacked witches in the upper echelons who would have taught them.

  One damn it all. I'd just decided I liked this male thing, and now I find out that there are advantages to being female. He considered the two women's backstabbing rivalry . . . Or maybe not.

  The younger witches were appallingly poorly trained. The trio—blonde, brunette, and redhead—claimed to have been raised in a "Speed bubble" that at a twenty-to-one ratio had compacted eighteen years of growth into barely a year of elapsed time for the rest of the world. It was enough to make a Oner very wary, and a former Princess of the One feel guilty for taking advantage of three naïve teens, however horny. And now pregnant. Untrained, poorly socialized and lacking even a basic stop menstruation spell, which would have prevented the pregnancies.

  The three serving women, including the one who looked a bit like a frog, had no magic. They were pregnant too. At least I didn't fuck the Spider Woman.

  The men . . . Mag of Gendo calls himself a Sea King. Franc, Hat, Ajay, and Bender call themselves mages. They all have the power gene that is so close an analogue to the One gene on their Y-chromosome. And not a single smidgen of magical training among them.

  I'll find a way to use this to my advantage.

  ***

  Dagger hated the ten day stays in the fast house.

  Oh, Arrow had been there, and Epee, Falchion and Gauntlett. But the younger trio—now the older trio—had their mothers with them, and Arrow had her mother when she was out. Betelgeuse, Dagger's older sister, had only needed to be sped up by a couple of years to be a teenager and grasp power.

  Their mother had been sick . . . well, half morphed into something nasty and a bit spider-like. . . so Dagger was guiltily glad she didn't get to see Jade very often.

  When she was little, the breaks from the House had been both wonderful and lonely. She'd explored all around, run. Learned to swim and . . . spent a lot of time alone.

  And Teri had had Arrow get pregnant, so Teri would advance to the Waning half, ahead of all the other Full Moons.

  Then the orgy on the beach—Old Gods, I'm glad Betelgeuse and I were off getting lessons!

  So practically everyone else was pregnant. Well, not the four eldest.

  Even poor Miss Herriette who had at least tried to be a substitute Mother to Dagger, along with her birth daughter Falchion, but she was too afraid of Teri to protect a child from her manipulations. One of Teri's test spells had turned Miss Herriette into something a bit toad-like, the only time she'd tried. And the poor woman had gotten pulled into the orgy, and was expecting. Nanny Mason and Becca, too.

  Teri was already talking about what she'd do to make the babies "useful."

  And now Jade was back to looking human, back to trying to act like her mother.

  Less than a year, her time. Ten years for me. I saw her three times that whole ten years.

  Betelgeuse's actual age was close to her calendar age; she'd only added four years. More or less, no one actually kept track. But she claimed to be fifteen, and had grasped power.

  Dagger eyed the tall dark haired woman, and didn't really remember her, not as a Mom. Her memories were mainly of meeting a stranger every few years. The stranger who was trying to worm her way back into Dagger's life, after she'd left her to Teri and the ten days at a time stretches in the house, hadn't gotten a fond welcome.

  And was concentrating her teaching on her older daughter.

  "There's no point in training you until you've grasped power. Go practice meditating, or something." Jade shooed her away.

  I should have pretended to be glad to see her. Dagger slipped quietly away, into the main house, where Teri and Jade lived.

  The mirror showed her the latest evidence of Teri's experiments. Black hair with a dramatic white streak, off center to the right. Dagger bit her lip, and didn't let the tears come. Put her hands to her face and swept the hair out of the way. She looked carefully. She didn't change my face. It's just color, so it hardly matters. I don't even know what color my hair is supposed to be. She glanced at her eyes, looked away. They've always been blue, I think. Just, not this pale, like an aquamarine. She headed back out starting the meditation exercises as she walked, quieting her mind and pulling it all in where no one could hurt her. She slipped around through the brush and sat where she could spy on Betelgeuse's lessons.

  Smokey and Sunset walked out to practice their own magic. Jade sneered, and gave them a few pointers. Then Teri brought in Arrow, Epee, Falchion, and Gauntlet.

  "Really, Jade. Where has Dagger gone off to this time? You really need to start her lessons as well."

  Dagger stood up and started easing away, keeping behind the thickest growth of plants.

  "She hasn't grasped power. What's the point?"

  "Of course she hasn't. She's much too young, hasn't had her first period yet. But she needs to memorize the charms and meditate regularly."

  By the time Dagger had circled around and walked into the clearing from a different direction, they were arguing about climbing the volcano.

  "We missed the Summer Solstice, because of that storm. It's three days until the full moon. That would be a good time to be up there." Teri smirked. "Unless you're not up to it yet."

  Dagger sat down beside Epee and started on her meditations again. Little sparks danced across her fingers, and she squelched them quickly. Teri will do something awful to me, when she finds out. Probably use me to breed babies for her to play with.

  "Fine. We'll collect some food and leave in the morning!" Jade got up and walked off in a huff.

  Teri sniffed. "So, let's do a bit of triad practice. Dagger, just . . . pretend, so Betelgeuse and Arrow can practice. Smokey, Sunset, let's . . . " Teri broke off and glared past them.

  Dagger turned and looked. "It's that man!" she hissed.

  The trio turned eagerly around, all bright-eyed . . .

  "Rior. You are not welcome here. This is training for witches, and whatever the hell you are, you are definitely not a witch." Teri was glowing, gathering power.

  The man inclined his head, looking cautious, but not afraid. "And the hike up the volcano?"

  Teri growled, and Dagger looked for a place to hide.

  "If we catch you spying on one of our ceremonies, we will kill you. Begone. You've done enough harm already."

  "Certainly. Oh . . . I took a look at their prison." Rior didn't glance toward Smokey and Sunset. The twitches in their magic was probably enough to tell him he'd scored. "Not that there was much to see. It's on the other side of one of their gates. They just guard the access. Which means there aren't many men on guard there. As there's so little to guard."

  "That you can see." Jade eyed him thoughtfully. "How long did you watch?"

  "Three days. At shift
change, they only swap four people from the other side of the gate. Another twenty on this side."

  Smokey strolled over to face him. "So . . . can you sneak us in, and then out again with the witches?"

  Jade snorted. "Sleep or stun spells would do as well."

  Teri hunched her shoulders. "The prison is only about a mile from the Tavern. We dare not throw magic around so close to Harry. Not to mention how often witches eat there. How'd you like to interrupt Answer's dinner, eh? There's a reason I'm taking it slow and being careful."

  Jade glared. Shrugged. "You're right. So we sneak in, using as little magic as possible. I'm not going to stop studying the gates though."

  "The . . . yes . . . if we . . . more likely one of you . . . could make gates." Rior started grinning as the possibilities blossomed in his mind. And backtracking the conversation. "Just where are you studying the gates? At the Crossroads? Do you actually have a corridor that close to the prison?"

  Teri curled a lip. "Where else could we get close enough to study them? And I've been watching the prison. Which we ought to be able to sneak in and out of."

  "Soon!" Smokey shot a glare at Teri.

  Rior cleared his throat. "Then there's the timing. It would be easier to sneak in during a winter storm, with the guards huddling in their coats and poor visibility, especially at night." Rior watched their reaction, reluctant acceptance.

  Nods all around.

  He looked pointedly at the young witches.

  In the month he'd been gone Arrow had ballooned, thanks to the fast house.

  Falchion shrugged. "We'll hurry things along, so we're recovered and ready when the time comes."

  Arrow gave her a sharp look. Not going to let her beat her.

  Dagger concentrated on hearing, as Rior eased closer to Sunset. "What's with the competitive pregnancies? What does it matter?"

  She raised her eyebrows. "Giving birth is one of the big steps up in power. Becoming a grandmother is another."

  "I know that."

  "And Teri is about to become a grandmother years ahead of Jade. As the sole, and Senior Waning Half Moon, Teri will be the unchallengeable leader of the Pyramid."

  "No matter that Arrow just skipped about five years of her life?"

  "She'll be the first Crescent Moon of that age group." Sunset shrugged. "She may regret it in the long run. Now go away."

  ***

  Rior stayed away for three days, then returned and hunted down the men.

  "Let's go down to the beach and I'll show you some male type magic. Don't let on to the witches that you're getting trained, until you're strong enough that they have to respect you, and not just kill you."

  Because your mage gene is so similar to the One power gene that I'll bet all the exercises I learned for mine will work. Pity there aren't eight of you. The Compass exercises the men do are incredibly strong. We'll just have to try it with just four at a time.

  Mag eyed him. "You talk about helping them get their friends out of jail. How about getting us out of this jail?"

  "When you learn enough magic to get through the protections they have on their corridor, you can free yourselves—and never be captured by them again."

  Mag growled. "We helped them make that corridor. We repaired our ship and sailed northwest, found Asia and a place with a corridor to Karista. They used that to get the other end to Karista. Then they didn't need us any more. But they kept us anyway."

  Ajay nodded. "Be careful, or they'll decide to keep you as well."

  Rior showed his teeth. "Well, there's kept, and then there's leading. We'll see how clever I am—or am not—one of these days."

  Mag grinned. "Indeed. Let me show you something." He turned north, up the coast. The ground rose, the water color deepened to show the deeper water . . . and beyond a rocky headland, a ship.

  "Cove Islands design. The finest little two masted brigantine in the world. We work on her a little bit everyday."

  Rior eyed the wreck anchored in the tiny bay. "Storm damage?"

  "Battle." Mag glowered. "These mages . . . they were stronger than us, trained. They didn't fire a shot. They were Sea Kings, and water obeyed them. I didn't know I could do that."

  "We know now." Bender kicked a rock. "For all the good it does us."

  "We need to step a new mast, buy new sails . . . find the time to do more on the hull." Mag sighed. "The only ship I've ever commanded, and that only because the officers were killed. But once there was nothing but Dregs aboard, she became our ship."

  Rior nodded. There was a long spar bound to the stump of the foremast. Two sails furled on the aft mast—that was the main mast on a brigantine, wasn't it? Bah, stupid lessons from so long ago, she . . . he really hated it when dry boring lessons were suddenly useful.

  "I wonder what you can do with magic?"

  "We can work wood. But just a little, every day."

  "I see. Has anyone ever explained collecting power to you?" Rior raised his eyebrows at the puzzled looks and shaken heads. "High time you learned, then."

  The ship repairs went faster, then, the mages nearly drunk on power . . . he'd swear they picked up even more power once they were out on the ship. They collapsed around dawn, and he went ashore for fruit to replenish their physical energy.

  I don't think I'll teach them about Compasses, just yet. I'll consolidate my place first. Then show them how to increase their power.

  "Rest for a couple of days, then we'll see about a new mast. The way you five work wood, I think we just need to find a tall enough tree."

  He left them there, and walked back to the tiny village. That worked well. Almost too well. They're quite strong, and that natural affinity for wood working . . . I can't quite see how to harness it. Maybe those imprisoned wizards would be more useful. I should take another look at this special prison of theirs.

  He watched the return of the witches. The younger teenagers first, possibly pre-teen. Hard to tell, the way the witches played with them. Betelgeuse and Dagger, if he'd sorted them out correctly, were both Jade's daughters. They galloped into the village first. Then the blonde, brunette, redhead trio, trying to look adult and sophisticated instead of two months pregnant and exhausted. In fact, judging by their sizes, they'd been living in that Fast House and gained a couple of months. Arrow was Teri's daughter . . . and he rather wondered how much time she'd spent in the speed bubble these last months. She could easily pass for eighteen or twenty, now. Hugely pregnant, clutching her belly. Not mine.

  The two little kids, Nimbus and Dusk, looked about six. Sunset and Smokey were their mothers, and they tended to cling. Given the sharp glances the four women were exchanging, any sensible child would have run off and left the witches to settle their dominance battle.

  Rior decided to be sensible, and eased out of the village and down to the beach and the corridor. A long hot shower, a change of clothes, a fancy dinner in his favorite restaurant . . . Yes. That was the best plan.

  But I'll be back. Never fear, my little witches.

  Chapter Seven

  Summer Solstice 1398

  Black Island, Comet Fall

  At least there were no practices on the three day trip up the island volcano for the Summer Solstice. Just hiking up and up and up until they finally climbed up on a platform, not flat, but with five broad steps up to a small triangular spot.

  Dagger stopped at the base with Nimbus and Dusk.

  Sunset and Smokey walked up two steps and looked wistfully up more. But they barely used the Fast House, so their daughters were only six. Betelgeuse, Arrow, Epee, Falchion and Gauntlet stepped up only to the first tier. Arrow was really, really fat. She must be due to have the baby soon. Then she'll be up a step. The three will be up there pretty soon too, the way they talk about going into the Fast House. And . . . I'll have to admit I can gather power pretty soon.

  At sundown they waited until the full moon rose, then started singing all the songs Teri and her mother had been teaching her. Down with the rest of the l
ittle children, Dagger sighed wistfully, but didn't touch the power she could see flowing from the World to the Moon.

  She'd just have to keep trying things in private until then. If I can stand to not touch the power flowing up from the Earth to the Moon.

  They sang the Moon up the sky, and then back down, and then they hiked down a little ways, to where they'd left their food and bedrolls, and they munched a quick snack and slept until noon. The hike down found a whole new set of muscles to make ache, but it was still better than the House. As the ground flattened out, Dagger ran ahead, outstripping the others.

  She galloped into their village, and waved to Nanny Mason, Miss Herriette and Becca. They were busy, so she slipped into the Fast House and shut the door. And heaved a sigh of relief. Teri couldn't see what she was doing in here, and Dagger would be able to step right out with practically no time gone at all.

  She put her hands out and grabbed. The flow was a bit odd, in the House. It flowed up and around, circling in again. And she took a handful, made it glow. The first exercises for a Crescent involved shields, and lots of silly little charms, that later could be added together for the big spells.

  She picked up a piece of paper and started writing names on it. "Pretty Boy, Pretty Boy, what do you see? Pretty Boy, Pretty Boy, will you marry me?" Repetitive and silly, it was supposed to twist the mind so the words were magically imbued with the caster's impression of the person.

  Teri hissed and ate away at the paper. Smokey and Sunset were watery and ineffective. The other witches were confused and uncertain. Nanny, Becca and Miss Herriette's names faded away as if they didn't really exist. The five mage's names curled and twisted and turned odd colors. She decided she didn't want to see what Jade's name would do.