Planetsinger nodded. "Her very being was blotted from all that is. No part of her will be reborn."
"I discovered she wasn't my mother."
Caltrop started to laugh, a nervous titter. "Sorry… ever so sorry, but…" His projected astral self was knee-deep in the grass.
"Quit that."
Caltrop's voice broke off in mid-laugh. "I really am sorry, Feldspar… but if anyone should know Belinda wasn't your mother, it's Planetsinger."
Feldspar heard what Caltrop hadn't said. "You? You're my mother."
"I am. It was necessary. Maramatma agreed. And enjoyed," she added with a smug smile.
At least her father was her father. But that meant… "I'm a half-elf?"
One of the terms of peace in the second Dwarf-Human war had been an agreement that the control all elves had over their fertility would be used to prevent any more elven blood from mixing with that of humans. The few instances of aberrance since had been hunted down and recycled for the common good, destroyed in the name of peace.
"You're a half elf," Planetsinger agreed. "And you're Glory reborn. I think your being both should end the old prohibition."
Hilldweller stepped forward. "So says the vaunting Great Mother. You always were a fool, Faith Gold Kestrel. As usual, you're right about some things and wrong regarding most."
She had used Planetsinger's birth name, not her adept appellation. Feldspar took a step back, as did all the others. A challenge had been offered, a verbal glove slapped across Planetsinger's face.
"You're going to challenge me now, old friend?" Planetsinger sounded sad and weary. "Challenge me so long after you ceded me the task of being the Great Mother and withdrew to Terra?"
"No, Faith, you're welcome to keep your title. But I'd hoped you'd become more selfless once you assumed the role. Or, at least, more intelligent and insightful." Hilldweller turned to Feldspar. "Everyone assumes 'Great Mother' means the incumbent's a wise and nurturing influence on all-that-is. Not so. Should one care to read an obscure prophecy from the end of the Atlantian war it becomes clear the 'Great Mother' is merely an eternal womb, waiting to give rebirth to the sisters of destiny, Paradox and Glory. Which can't happen, not for some time to come, especially since Paradox didn't die at the war's ending, as thought. She lives on."
"Impossible, she'd be over ten thousand years old." Planetsinger's usual composure abandoned her. She looked stricken with horror.
"But she is. Needless to say, she's raving mad--who wouldn't be, bound to the material plane for so long? Mind you, despite that she's quite a pleasant person in her own strange way," Hilldweller added with a smile. "And I certainly wouldn't advise forming a quest to kill her just so she can be born again, Faith, my old friend. I'm not even sure it could be done… if Paradox hasn't achieved godhood, she's close."
Feldspar had been listening to Hilldweller with half an ear while considering Planetsinger closely. She'd always liked the Great Mother, until now. Until she'd learned Planetsinger was her mother. And learned she'd hardly been birthed in selfless love... far from it. No, in her way, Planetsinger was every bit as bad as Belinda--she'd had a child so she could become the progenitor of destiny and for no other reason. What was it about mothers?
This time she was putting up with nothing, nothing at all. Feldspar stepped forward to face Planetsinger, nose to nose. "What's more, I hate to have to tell you this, Great Mother dear, but it gets worse. I'm not Glory reborn, just a half-elf who will be anathema to all who know what I am."
Lupa felt fed up. Did these people do anything other than blather? She liked speculating and philosophising as much as the next person--more than most--but piss on this. Time for some action.
She stepped forward. "Anyone who comes after you is dead meat."
There'd been a scent of fear hanging in the air since they had arrived but she wasn't certain from whom. She strode through the human mage's image... couldn't be him and towards the fat elf. Yes! She leapt.
He vanished. She somersaulted in the air where he'd been and landed on her feet. "Offhand, I'd hypothesise he's the teleport who aided Belinda."
"Windrover? And Belinda? I don't see how." The supposedly Great Mother appeared dismayed.
"You didn't know that?" Feldspar asked Lupa, passing through the insubstantial human to come to her side. "How could you not?"
"You should have realized that fact back on Terra, Feldspar," Hilldweller said. "If she'd known of him, she wouldn't have said Belinda's accomplice was a powerful teleport but instead, named him."
"But..."
"She knows little if anything regarding the particulars of Diluvia," Hilldweller continued. "Until yesterday, her father had kept her well away from Belinda and all others from this planet. She sniffed me out two years back and I provided her with certain of the ancient texts to help her understand her heritage, but eschewed seeding her with my tainted view of contemporary matters."
"But didn't you live here?" Feldspar asked. She hadn't taken her eyes off Lupa while Hilldweller talked.
"Until I was about ten. In the wilds and on the run forever. I remember my mother, remember her death at Belinda's hands, remember the hunting party." She suppressed her tears and took a deep breath. "I had no idea my father was in league with the devils, working for those who killed my kin. I lived in an apartment in Scarborough and went to school like any other kid."
"Windrover and Belinda? I don't see how it's possible." Planetsinger said again.
"Because you're not half as clever as you think, Faith," Hilldweller answered. Lupa heard her soft footsteps approaching. "And I understand your anger with your mother, Feldspar, but that doesn't excuse your lying to her and the others here by denying being Glory."
"But I'm not!"
"You are more than not. Truly, you're better than half of her and Lupa is most of the rest."
"Pardon me, but I have a question too," Sian said. Lupa turned. She'd forgotten the Terrans who'd come with them. "How did Feldspar end up in Belinda's womb if she's Planetsinger's daughter? No, I suppose I can answer that... an in vivo transplant. Make the question... why?" she continued. "And why the double switch... you to Belinda and Belinda to the woman who played the part of Ishtar's mother. Was it necessary? I can't see why?"
"Ishtar?" Planetsinger asked. "Who named our Grunt as Ishtar?"
"Rabid," Roger said. It was the first word he'd said since arriving. Planetsinger looked at him as if she'd thought him incapable of speech. "Ishtar suited her far better than 'Grunt'," he added.
"So that's why Rabid had to be on the quest." Planetsinger nodded wisely. "I knew I couldn't interfere. If he hadn't been there, Grunt and her destiny would never have met."
"You still keeping company with that damn Terran author?" Feldspar asked. "That sounds like the sort of stupid thing he'd say."
"You certainly have no cause to be smug about anything," Lupa added. "I'm not sure you're much better than a traitor yourself. Hilda, you should take over in her place."
"No thank you. I suspect her incompetence to be a function of Fate. As for the switch, Sian, I'm unsure of Faith's precise reasons, but had Belinda known Ishtar to be hers, I doubt the child would have lived to maturity. Feldspar's self-effacing manner saved her, and such unassertiveness would have been impossible for Belinda's true child. I suppose also, having her child's parentage remain unknown would save Faith any possible shame at another failure to birth one of the sisters of destiny. Her first daughter, Melody, was such a disappointment to our poor Great Mother that way. And by the way, Faith, I saw Melody last year on Terra. In case you care, she's doing well for herself."
"And now." Hilda smiled as she moved away from the crestfallen Planetsinger. "I'm afraid it's time for me, and whoever cares to join me, to return to Terra. We left a horrible mess behind."
"Destruction, corpses…" Sian said.
"And a teeny pile of ashes that used to be Belinda," Susan added.
"That also," Hilldweller agreed. "I fear if I don't go back n
ow, I won't be able to continue using this identity. I'm sure to be suspected in Delbert's death."
"And of course, I'm coming with you," Susan said. "I'm sorry it didn't work out for us, Feldspar."
"I'm sure she'll get over the disappointment," Lupa answered. She wrapped an arm around Feldspar's slender waist. And waited.... Feldspar leaned into her... yes!
"Us,too," Roger said. He smiled at Sian. "We're going to be stars. I just had to know I had some say in this relationship."
"Only what she grants you, I suspect," Lupa said, and smiled in answer to Sian's glare.
"And I'm going too," Feldspar said. "Of course, I'll leave the Adornments behind. I don't want them."
"Sorry, dear, but that's not a good idea," Hilda said. "Your destiny is here. Together with Lupa, you're most of Glory and Diluvia needs you. And in case you're interested, which you should be, my son is a shred of you. With you, he will complete Glory."
"Skythane?"
"Indeed. Remember, I was a contender for Great Mother. It shouldn't be any surprise that I could birth circa ten percent of one of the sisters. I think the three of you will be very happy with each other. And now, Twink, if you would, we must return."
* * * * *
Ten days later Feldspar and Lupa were deep in the Fringe, walking the forest paths together on their way to find Skythane. There was no hurry, no hurry at all in Feldspar's mind. They weren't making great time, stopping as often as they did to enjoy each other. Lupa was a fierce, uninhibited lover and between that and her sharp intelligence, the ideal companion.
But she herself wasn't that for Lupa. They needed to find Skythane, and soon. No matter how much Lupa denied it, Feldspar could sense boredom settling in. She broached the subject that evening at the fire, after they'd eaten.
"You find me tedious, don't you?"
"Not at all."
"Please, if this is going to work we have to be honest. I know Skythane felt the same way. I developed my illusions to give him variety. I can do the same for you, but I'm afraid my scope is somewhat limited. I can't imagine you'd want to make love to me as Belinda."
"Hardly. Notwithstanding that I would find the sight of her repulsive." Lupa took a deep breath and brushed a strand of her lovely long red hair to her back. "Notwithstanding that, I'm afraid I just happen to prefer men to women. I'm sorry."
"No need to be. It's just the way you are." Feldspar felt tears start to leak and blinked her eyes to hold them back. "I can do an illusion of Skythane, of sorts."
"I remember that from when I was chasing you in the tunnels," Lupa answered. "Look, it's okay for now. I can wait until we meet up with the real thing."
Feldspar felt her heart constrict. When they met up with the real thing, she'd probably be left alone on the edge of the pallet. "I'd like to give it a try anyway," she said. She could hear the suppressed tears in her voice, saw Lupa's eyes soften with care.
"It's okay. You don't need to. Come here, you."
"No! Not out of pity." But she wanted Lupa, so wanted her. "Let me give the other a try."
"Not as Skythane," Lupa shook her head. "I want my first time with him to be my first. But maybe as a male Feldspar? You probably can manage that... your power--our power--has been growing since we got the Adornments. Give it a try, lover, give it a try."
Feldspar closed her eyes and concentrated: on the Adornments, on Lupa, on her burning need. Nothing... but it had to work... in many ways she was Lupa and Lupa was she, with them both being splintered Glory. She reached within herself and still not finding what she needed, reached out to the skies, offered an urgent prayer to any gods who might care to listen.
Damn well time you asked, came an answer in her head. You'd forgotten Ishtar is the god of unbridled sex?
Feldspar felt her body quiver and shift, melt and reform. She heard her tunic tear as her shoulders grew, felt her breeches fill, heard a gasp of wonder from Lupa, felt her manhood freed as hands pulled down the breeches and moist warmth surrounded the new-grown miracle.
Don't let her waste the first time.
Feldspar, eyes now open, took Lupa's shoulders and lifted her gently from her knees. Lupa's frantic hands tore off her own breeches and wild legs wrapped around Feldspar. Savage wolf eyes burned and as Lupa howled Feldspar felt blessed release, an ecstasy previously unknown.
Not bad. It'll get better. And any time you want to change, you know how. But I wouldn't be in any hurry, if I were you. Remember what Skythane liked to do? Imagine you reaming his creamy cherry ass instead.
Feldspar swelled inside Lupa and as her lover's feral eyes widened with delighted amazement, threw her to the ground and tried to hammer her into the planet. Sharp teeth in one shoulder. Glory was indeed reborn.
Adornments of Glory Page 24