She blinked. Twice. “You’re not just some human stuck in an ape body for a passing thought the Lords of Karma didn’t like,” she rasped as the ape handed her a tall glass of sweet limeade. The drink tasted better than any soma she remembered in Heaven, especially when the metallic flavor of the gold in her veil lingered on her tongue. It soothed her throat. The ape was right, too, she would need her voice when she got there. If Maya and Bhairav hadn’t already led out her faction of demigods and lost everything.
“Do not despair, Lady.” A hairy hand patted her own. Which would have been sacrilege and possibly blasphemy, not to mention grounds for six more incarnations as an ape, had not his eyes shown only the most pure compassion for her. “Better to have your voice.”
“You are in this form because you were an Accelerationist?”
“And fought for the cause,” he confirmed. “But that’s not important now. Now we have to get you to that meeting before Maya usurps the whole thing. But I think we can maybe get some help.”
He whistled. The window filled with Mayura, the most beautiful peacock in all the world. Created from the feather of the Garuda bird, Mayura was a much smaller and more temperamental creature. It could not carry any of the gods, or even any of the larger goddesses. But Ushas had her own chariot that she drove across the sky before the sun every morning, and Mayura could pull that through the corridors of the Palace. And, like Mayura, the chariot could fly.
Ushas smiled, and the ape’s heart melted. He had adored her sister Ratri for much of his life, but her little sister Dawn won him with that single glorious moment of gratitude. “Worthy ape, you deserve all the bananas you desire. And anything else.”
“Can I come along?” Okay, he knew he was pushing it with that, but he could hardly resist.
She nodded, and he leaped aboard her tiny chariot of Dawn. She took the reins as the Mayura bird took to the air and they were out the window and across the courtyard where the ape had stood vigil in the window for so many hours.
Ushas’ Palace, where she had hosted most of the lesser demigods of Heaven for the past month or more in luxury, sprawled beautifully. Inner courtyards tiled in marble and lapis flew beneath them, delicate fountains that reminded the ape and the demigoddess of Heaven interrupted creations of towers and balconies, wide corridors and reception halls. The great peacock screeched as she flew, and Dawn guided her to land in a particular courtyard where a carpet covered platform had been erected beside a pool where yellow lotus bloomed.
Two demigods reclined by the pool, appearing to all eyes to be nothing more than taking their ease in the pleasant shade and perhaps indulging in the heady scent of the blooms. A bottle lay between them, but these, being younger demigods, had never experienced the great vintages of long lost Urth and so were content with the local best. The ape recognized Bhumi and Candra, two planetary deities newly promoted from the ranks of venerable (or at least very desirable) humans. Shukra lay a little apart with a vague smile on his face, but then Shukra had never been precisely serious about anything.
And approaching the dais, accompanied by at least two more demis the ape had thought allied to the Accelerationist cause, was the false Ushas and the horse headed healer. Tak hissed and spat and had the urge to throw something nasty, only nothing nasty had survived the careful grooming of the grounds.
False Ushas turned to true Ushas and pointed her finger. “Spy,” she screamed, her face screwed up with fury. “She’s taken on my appearance to fool you, but at least I’m here and I can tell you. She’s one of them, she’s working for Trimurti.” Then she turned to the ape. “And you,” she hissed, this time her voice pitched so that the ape heard her clearly but no one beside her compatriot could make out her words. “I recognize you, Tak. I threw your spear beyond World’s End. You have no power now, you’re not even human. And you never will be again. And just you watch. I’m going to dismantle this entire little conspiracy right now and there’s not a thing you can do.”
Tak hid behind true Ushas’ gold embroidered rose colored skirts as if he were terrified. He knew Maya, and even in his ape brain he understood something of how she worked. Maybe he understood even better with his ape brain then when he thought as a man.
“Leave him out of it, Maya. It’s between the two of us and it always has been.”
Ushas-Maya laughed unpleasantly. “You’re an idiot. He was always part of it. Not with you, you never knew him. He was an ape by the time you got promoted. But me. You should have seen the way he looked at me when he was still a man and I came into the Archives looking for information. He was disgusting. Besides admitting his disloyalty to the gods. On top of everything.”
“I hate to tell you whichever one you are, but we’re all what someone might call disloyal to the gods. At least to Trimurti,” Shukra said from his bed in the foliage. “I’m all over humans.”
Bhumi twittered. “Yes, you are. As long as they’re young and pretty. No discrimination. You make all kinds of promises, too, and you forget.”
“What’s the point of our positions anyway? We’re planetary gods of planets half the sky away. Honorary positions entirely, just so they have some excuse to promote us and keep us around,” Shukra said. “We don’t really have Aspects, not the way they do.” He didn’t sound upset about this, not in the least. Everyone knew Shukra was simply lazy. So long as life was pleasant and easy for him, and he was adored and beautiful and had a selection of lovers, he was content. He certainly didn’t want to fight.
“We could have Aspects if we develop them,” Ushas pointed out. She did not go so far as to say that she herself had done so. Riding her Dawn chariot across the sky before the Sun rose was the least of her duties, though she had carefully shielded the true Power of Dawn.
She had come to Keenset to test whether she had, in fact, developed a true Aspect and not simply an Attribute, but she had seen her power slowly work its way through the human population. Minds opened and began to examine, and inventions followed. A printing press emerged, and a toilet. But it all went so slowly, that was the problem. She brought the dawning of realization, not the full blaze of understanding. They had to put in a lot of the work themselves.
“Yes, well, not everyone is as diligent as you,” Bhumi said, and pouted. “No one can argue that you’ve not worked hard, but then you have a well defined role. Me, really, I never much mattered. Only that I was old Brahma’s favorite concubine for a number of incarnations.”
“Exactly,” one of the Ushas said. “Which is why we are on the side of Trimurti. What has humanity to offer us? We were human, and not that long ago, let me remind you. And it wasn’t all that much fun as I recall. Being a concubine was a lot of sit around and wait to be called to have sex with some god who could not care less about whether you were even there. No, you just existed for him to get off and he forgot you the minute he did.”
“Well, not entirely,” Bhumi said. “Or we wouldn’t be here. We’d still just be humans.”
Both Ushas sighed in unison. No one had ever said Bhumi was one of the more intelligent of the newly appointed demigoddesses. Nor would anyone. Ever.
“We have a war to wage,” Ashwini jumped onto the dais and started to speak as other dreamy-eyed demigods and goddesses drifted in to the courtyard. The fountain bubbled softly behind his harsh voice. The scent of yellow lotuses permeated the soft breeze. Bhumi passed around a tray of candied rose petals and little squares of nougat.
Tak, who had seen a number of wars and not a few war councils, could not help but roll his eyes at this ridiculous collection. These demigods knew nothing of what they were about to do, or not do, or what war meant. Most of them had no idea of what they meant, when it came down to it. Tak was grateful that his ape form hid his tears of laughter, his grimace, his roar of hilarity at these poseurs.
“We have a war,” Ashwini repeated himself. “The age old war of our kind, those who uphold the values of the Deists against the rash and radical plans of the Accelerationists. They�
��ve been trying since before most of us were conceived to tear down the fabric of our society, to teach humans to use science and technology they’re not ready for so that those same humans will rip this world apart. The Gods, that is to say, us, we are the ones who keep order and peace. We give humans clear goals and a way to live, and we reward them for good behavior. We ourselves know that those promises are kept, for haven’t we all become gods ourselves? Isn’t this the fate of all humanity, to eventually partake of all the good of Heaven?
“The Accelerationists lie. They say that we want to keep all that is good here for ourselves. That clearly isn’t true. We simply don’t want humanity to destroy itself as it did on Urth. If the Gods didn’t plan to share with humans, why did they elevate us to their ranks?”
“Because we were good lays,” Shukra called out. A number of others joined his silver toned laughter.
Ushas sat and listened, folded in on herself. Tak could feel a glimmering from her, power that radiated softly like an additional layer of gold in the light of the sunset. It made him feel good, and thoughtful. He found himself examining Ashwini’s words, but then he had always been of an examining frame of mind.
Ashwini snorted through his long horse nose, which brought yet more laughter. The two Ushas, who had been still, listening, turned to face each other.
“Traitor.”
“Spy.”
“We were all human,” one of the Ushas announced in a voice that rang like the herald of the light. “We came from humans and we remember our lives as humans and mostly, those lives were not pleasant. Every time someone had an original idea, or created anything that looked promising, it was destroyed. I remember my mother teaching me to weave back when I was human. She had an idea for threading a loom so that she could create more interesting patterns in the fabric, using different colors without re-stringing the threads. It wasn’t even very complicated once you saw the idea of it. And we were all so excited. She made beautiful saris with colors and patterns woven in, not printed. Or she did until the Temple found her. The next day all the looms in the village were smashed and my mother incarnated into a dog and me, I was taken away and placed in one of Ratri’s establishments to sell my body and my nights. Fortunately, the goddess noticed me and made me Ushas, saying that the Goddess of the Night always had a little sister, Dawn. But how many of us have seen the same in our villages and neighborhoods? How many of us know about ideas for better living that disappeared, and people along with it?”
“But why do we care about them?” Bhumi asked. “I mean, I know everyone doesn’t get the same, but then I’m not Brahma, either, after all. Why should I fight for humans? They didn’t fight for me.”
“Exactly. Everyone for themselves! We are gods, so we fight for the gods, easy as that!”
“If you have the intelligence of a mango,” Tak muttered.
“Don’t insult mangoes,” Shukra said. Tak started. He had not noticed that Shukra had moved, nor that anyone had been close enough to overhear him. Shukra studied him then smiled. “Tak of the Bright Spear, if I am not mistaken. One of the most dangerous Accelerationists after Siddhartha himself. And yet you do not speak at this meeting. I wonder why. Would you like some nougat?”
Tak took the sticky treat from the plate the Venus god proffered. Why a Venus god? What did Venus matter here? What, indeed, was Venus and did it even still exist out near lost Urth? But the gods had needed positions for their favorites in the Pantheon and dredged up old astrological gods who had no function here that anyone could tell. Except for Candra, who always complained that had his hands full with three moons (though what he did with them was anyone’s guess.)
“I’m just an ape these days. What about you? Why is Shukra here at this clandestine meeting?”
Shukra shook his head and his perfumed ringlets swept his shoulders. “Clandestine? Do you think there is anything here the high gods do not know? No, they let us amuse ourselves and see who presents on which side. Me? I’m just in it for the show.”
“For Trimurti,” yelled Ushas, raising her fist.
“For humanity,” intoned Ushas, her arms and eyes raised to the sky.
Then the two slowly turned toward each other and hissed. “You little. . .” But the words got confused as the two identical Dawn goddesses launched themselves at each other on the dais in front of the bubbling fountain. One tore at the other’s hair, and one kicked at the other’s knees. Ashwini rushed to aid one but then seemed confused. The rest of the demigods crowded closer. This was more entertaining than all the talk of war. Ushas slapped Ushas’ face. Ushas bit Ushas’ pinky. Ushas broke a nail. Ushas stomped on Ushas foot. Everyone could see that Ushas, both Ushas, fought like schoolgirls.
“I’ll put my beach house on the one on the left,” Shukra said.
“I’ll take it. Against twenty rubies.” A deep rumble accompanied to offer.
“Back off. No rakasha. That offer was for Tak only.”
“It was an offered bet. I took it. You have no right to rescind, spawn of a slizzard and a drunken one-eyed bound thing.”
“She’s winning. Which one is she?”
Ushas screamed. Ushas kicked. Ushas tried to throw a punch but, alas, she had never tried this before and didn’t have the knack. Her long nails prevented her from forming a tight fist, so she grabbed Ushas’ choti instead and went to rip it open.
Ushas, being a modest virgin (and celebrated for such), squealed at the threat of exposure and pulled Ushas’ left earring down. Hard. Blood spurted out of Ushas’ ear as she screamed and collapsed inward, protecting her delicate lobe. Ushas held a bloody earring in her hand, took one look at it and threw the offending piece of jewelry into the pond among the lotuses.
Maya could not hold the illusion with blood pouring out of her ear. Suddenly she was visibly Maya again, crouched on the platform, cradling her ear in her hand.
Ushas winced and then turned resolutely from her adversary. “Tomorrow we will join Sam and his forces and oppose Trimurti on the battlefield.”
But Shukra came up behind her. “How about tomorrow we just stay out of it? We’re not much for battle. You can’t even pull an earring without flinching. I don’t think we’re going to be any use as warriors. We can oppose Trimurti by depriving them of our presence, and that will be good enough.”
Now Tak saw Ushas’ problem. She had wanted them to join the battle actively rather than sit aside. Though, to be fair, Shukra was correct. Most of them were more likely to run than fight. He could not imaging any of them standing against the forces of Heaven. Honestly, he could not imagine them standing against a stiff wind.
Maya had not moved from where she nursed her injured ear and wept.
“It is not good enough to sit out. We can be a force if we want,” Ushas called after the departing astronomical gods, but they were no longer listening. Bhumi was serving Maya nougat and bandaging her ear, calling her “poor baby” and promising that they would get a real Ashwini to take care of her immediately.
Hopeless, all hopeless—except Ushas, Tak thought. She had the determination, if not the skills. But unlike Ratri, she did not have an Aspect that could be of use in battle. Still, he could not leave her with the useless demis.
“Come, Goddess, come with us, to your sister. Ratri is one of our great allies. Come in your chariot. At least you prevented them from fighting for Trimurti. That’s something.”
She shook her head. “Not enough. I thought we had a chance to do something more than sit around and eat and smell flowers. Be like real gods, or at least real humans. Not like a bunch of brothel goods.”
He patted her arm. He would have preferred to caress her luscious shimmering hair, to stroke her rose blush cheek, but he’d settle for what he could get. “Come with me back to our lines. At least you’ve got the means to get there. And we’ll find a role for you, even if the rest of the demis are a lost cause.”
She sniffled and wiped her face with the beautifully embroidered pallu of her sari, just t
he color of clouds touched with the first hint of light. Together they mounted the delicate chariot of Dawn. The Mayura bird, being a peahen (always ready to eat and not too bright,) had wandered behind a large tree and was rooting for grubs. Tak had a hard time convincing the great bird to come and be harnessed to the chariot yet again. She found no grubs, and Tak was able to lure her with a few pieces of nougat he had found on the ground where Shukra had apparently left them. Then the Mayura bird discovered she had a great taste for nougat and came along eagerly.
They arrived at the fortress near sunset, so Dawn’s colors merged with the end of the day and did not give away their position. Tak left the young demigoddess in the care of her sister Ratri and went to report to the generals. “The demigods are divided,” he told them. “Most will sit out the battle. Bhairav will fight for Trimurti, and perhaps Maya if she recovers from today. The rest will likely withhold. I can give you the names of those who I am certain will not join anyone tomorrow.”
“Did we gain any allies among them?”
Tak shook his ape head. “Only Ushas. And as Ratri’s sister, she was our ally in any case I think. But what use is Dawn in such a fight?”
Sam smiled gently. “There may be a role for her. She is well loved, and that is always a power. You’ve done very well, Tak. Thank you.”
Joy spread like warm drink through Tak’s body. Sam had noticed him, acknowledged him—even thanked him. This moment was all he had ever hoped, to be able to truly aid Sam. He bobbed his head and then scurried out the window.
*
The next morning Ushas woke as always before the world stirred. She dressed in her rose and gold sari and went to her little chariot with a heavy heart. Today she brought the dawn of the battle, and while she had the heart for the fight she recognized that she had few skills.
If only she had been able to rouse thought, knowledge, or curiosity in the demigods who had been her guests. She had tried so hard. True her Aspect was subtle, but she had practiced and flexed her power through Keenset for almost a year now and she knew she had gained strength. If only she had been greater.
Shadows & Reflections: A Roger Zelazny Tribute Anthology Page 22