by Phil Gabriel
“Ultrasonics?” asked Akiko. “Why use ultrasonics? She can’t hear ultrasonics.”
“No, of course not,’ I said. “The ultrasonic projections focus on her cochlea and heterodyne back to the normal hearing range. Her cochleae are in bad shape, but this will allow her to hear.”
The ever-practical Kitty-Sue interjected, “Why aren’t you selling these on the open market? You could make millions.”
“The devices have to be adapted for each person,” I said. “Plus, any spells that use Air and Spirit deteriorate quickly.” Well, I could make them permanent, but I wasn’t about to demonstrate my greatest secret in front of John.
“So, why bother?” said Kitty-Sue. “Just wave your magic wa—” She stopped with a guilty look at John. “Um, make with your hocus-pocus to fix her ears and eyes.”
Looking at John with a mercenary glee, she continued. “You could consider that a free sample of what we can accomplish.”
Despite our time together, Kitty-Sue didn’t understand Deals. “I need to know if she is competent to make a Deal before starting. Until then, I won’t use magic on her.”
“So, you need her permission?” asked Kitty-Sue.
“Informed consent,” said Akiko. “It’s the basis of our vows. Otherwise, it would be too easy to slide into temptation.”
“But she consented already,” said Kitty-Sue. I raised an eyebrow.
“All those years ago,” she continued, “when you saved her life. With your magic wand.”
“No,” I said firmly, “consent isn’t continuous. It has to be given at each instance.” I gave Kitty-Sue a look to let her know I wanted to avoid talking about the last time I had helped Lady Jane.
I finished up the spells and returned to Jane in her chair. “John,” I said, “would you hold her hand? This might be a bit of a shock.”
With John holding her fragile hand in his gorilla-strong grip, Jane seemed to gain some measure of strength through the contact. I slipped the glasses on her and activated the spells.
It took a few minutes for her to adapt. She twisted her head like a fly was buzzing around her ears, and her eyes watered. It took so long that I began to fear that her mind was too far gone to save.
Then the watery eyes turned to tears of joy. “John!” she said, “I can see your face clearly! These glasses are wonderful.”
So, she recognized John. That was a good start.
“But who are these people?” she asked, pointing at Akiko and Kitty-Sue and me. “These two girls and this man?” Good, the glasses allowed her to perceive Akiko. That would make the conversation easier.
John didn’t answer, so I stepped in. “Hello, Lady Jane,” I said, “I’m Scott. This is my student, Akiko, and my companion, Kitty-Sue.” The girls both bowed to Lady Jane.
“Scott...” she said in a voice so full of confusion I thought her attention was fading, indicating senility. Then she halted my thoughts by saying, “I know your voice. You’re not named Scott. You’re Sir James. An old and dear friend. Is this change an illusion or a seeming?”
“No illusion, Lady Jane,” I said. “I’ve grown a bit since those days, and my hair is styled differently, but it’s still me.”
“I knew it,” she said with a firm nod. With John’s help, she pushed herself up from the chair, then walked over to take my hand, leaving John behind. I felt a tingle: not magic, at least not my style of magic, just the touch of an old lover. I smiled down at her for the first time. My growth and her age-induced shrinkage had destroyed the equality we once had, but beneath the ravages of time, the face of my old friend showed.
I heard Akiko say, “Ahem.” Strange, since ghosts don’t get coughs, then I looked up to find John and Kitty-Sue standing in the same crossed-arms position and looking on with grim expressions. Stereo jealousy. I gave them both a level look; damned if I was going to treat Jane like a stranger because they were jealous.
Ignoring them, I turned to Jane. “Lady Jane, it’s so good to see you again.” Covering her hand with mine, I smiled down at her and continued, “I use the name Scott Freeman now. Please call me that.”
“You magicians and your fake names,” she said. “Always hiding, always holding secrets.” She turned her face towards John. “Even you go by dozens of names. Doesn’t it get confusing?”
Turning her attention back to me, she said, “Of course I’ll call you Scott. And what is this ‘Lady Jane’ nonsense? Please call me Jane.”
I smiled at her; she certainly seemed to be sharp enough to accept a Deal. “Jane,” I asked, “do you know why I’m here?”
“To rekindle an old flame,” she quipped. “In my case a very old flame.” John was suddenly beside us, traveling through the intervening space without seeming to have moved. Jane laid a hand on his arm, halting his eruption.
“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” she said, continuing her teasing. “John is tired of the company of an old woman and hopes you can magic some juice back into her.”
“That’s not—” started John before I interrupted him.
“Jane,” I said, “neither of us wants you to fade away. I would like to help you. But you have to consent, or we can do nothing.”
I stepped back to stand beside Kitty-Sue and Akiko, more to show that they were part of my group than to distance myself from the murderous glint in John’s eyes.
“Jane, John,” I said, “are you willing to make a Deal?”
John nodded his assent but held his tongue.
Gesturing down at her frail body, Lady Jane said, “What, and give up all of this experience?” Then she laughed. “Hells, yes! I would love to be able to love again.” Then her eyes sharpened. “But what are you asking in return? Magicians don’t heal people without getting something in return.”
Akiko gave a tiny head shake. She knew we couldn’t make a Deal until we examined Lady Jane. There were many things beyond our magic. I nodded back at her and said, “The bargaining comes later. For now, we just need to examine you and see if it’s within our abilities.”
“Please lie down on the bed,” I said, “and I”—I felt a spark touch my spine— “and we can examine you.”
As she positioned herself on the bed, Jane asked Akiko, “So you’re a healer, too?”
“My apprentice,” I said, “a magician and healer.”
What followed was the most frustrating hour possible. Over the years, John had entwined his magics with Lady Jane’s body, protections against injury and accident, both mundane and magical. Since the mugging that had almost killed her, John had spent enormous magic and effort in protecting Lady Jane.
Lady Jane was as well protected as if she were wearing a suit of armor, and just as hard to help. No wonder the other healers had given up in frustration. I looked at Akiko at the end of the examination, and she gave a tiny shake of her head. She agreed—no external agency could help Lady Jane.
Sure, I could probably cancel the protections, especially with John’s help, but many of the spells were sustaining her life. Trying to undo the protections at the same time as healing her was beyond my skill.
We came out of our examination trance to find Kitty-Sue and John in similar poses, both squatted down on the floor, waiting with the patience of a predator.
With a bitter taste in my mouth, I said, “Jane, John. I’m very sorry. But your condition is beyond my skill.”
“I thought you were the best,” growled John in frustration.
“It’s not my skill that is lacking,” I said, my pride hurt. “It’s those protection spells you gave her. It would be like trying to perform an appendectomy on a person in a suit of armor.”
“Then remove the armor!” he said, standing and stepping closer.
“Lord John,” said Akiko, “her life depends on the armor. Removing it will end her life.”
Jane struggled to sit up in the bed, then swung her feet to the ground. “So, there’s no hope? No way to help?”
“No,” I said, “you’re mundane. You can’t heal
yourself, and John’s spell-work prevents me from acting on your condition externally.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kitty-Sue whispering in Akiko’s ear. Then I felt a tingle race down my psychic connection to Akiko. She had an idea.
“I can cure her,” said Akiko confidently.
“Really?” asked John, hope in his voice.
“Really?” I echoed. “How?”
“I can do the work from the inside,” she said. “Her resistance to magic won’t be a problem if the healing comes from within.”
I opened my mouth to object, but the calm confidence of Akiko stayed my objection. She was a powerful mage, a healer of high aptitude. As a ghost, she could possess Lady Jane to do the work. If she said she could do it, she could.
John did object. “Impossible!” he said. “I will not allow some random ghost to possess my wife.”
Akiko’s voice was cold. “I am no random ghost, John,” she said, the first time she hadn’t used his honorific. “I am a magician, skilled in healing, with abilities you can’t comprehend.”
“I will not allow it,” repeated John.
Lady Jane and Akiko both glanced at John, dismissing his objections, and turned back to each other.
“So now I must make my Deal with you?” asked Lady Jane. I opened my mouth to assist Akiko in the bargaining, only to be quieted by a glance.
“Yes,” said Akiko, “the rejuvenation Deal is with me. However, I need my teacher’s assistance. His conditions will become part of the Deal.”
Turning to me, Lady Jane asked, “What do you want?”
Considering for a moment, I started high. “Fifty years of his life force to rejuvenate you. I also need John’s help tracking down and retrieving a magical artifact,” I said.
“So,” she said, “a theft?”
I smiled. “In some eyes, it would be a theft. However, I can assure you, we only wish to return the item to the original owner.”
“John,” said Lady Jane, “are you willing to help Scott in this endeavor?”
I expected John to object again. Akiko’s calm insistence, coupled with his knowledge of our abilities, seemed to have convinced him this healing was possible. We were probably their last resort. I anticipated he would bargain hard.
Instead of bargaining, John simply said, “I can’t let her die if it’s within my power to save her,” echoing my earlier statement. I squelched my regret at not asking for more. What were fifty years to an immortal?
Turning to Akiko, Lady Jane said, “And you, milady magician? What boon do you require for this service?”
“I miss touching and being touched,” said Akiko wistfully. “I think we can make a Deal if you allow me to experience life through you.”
Glancing down at her anime-sized breasts, Akiko continued, “I can even offer some enhancements.”
Lady Jane raised her eyebrows and scoffed, “I have no need of those.” But I saw the look in her eyes; not many women would turn down the idea of “a little extra” here or there.
“Not just those,” said Akiko. “I can upgrade you,” she offered. “Almost any physical attribute you desire. Supple skin, of any shade you like—palest white to darkest ebony. Hair—luxurious and shiny, straight or curly, of any hue of the rainbow. Stronger, faster, more limber. Senses enhanced—food will taste sweeter, the smell of a rose will make you weep, the touch of a lover”—she glanced at John— “on your silk smooth skin will incite forgotten passions.
“With my instruction, you will have control of your body. Eat and never gain an ounce. You can be as smooth as a baby or hairy as a monkey. Perhaps to remind someone of their youth.” Here she looked again at John.
“Strength,” continued Akiko, “the strength of several men. You would never need fear to hear the step of an unknown man at your back. Speed—reflexes to rival a cobra’s strike. You would be more than a match for any normal man.”
“All well and good,” said Lady Jane. “But I’m more interested in preserving my mind and memories. Many men are strong and fast, but remain imbeciles.”
“I can’t make you smarter,” said Akiko. “That veers dangerously close to mind control, which is forbidden.” At this, I saw a tiny nod from John. Affecting someone’s mind was an automatic death sentence for magicians.
Akiko continued, “But I can guarantee your mind and memories will remain inviolate. Not smarter, no. But you will regain the quickness of wit you enjoyed in your youth. I can also guarantee that your memory will be improved, able to handle the demands of a long life.”
Damn, she was good. I almost wanted to be possessed to get all that. She was using almost the same sales pitch I had used on the New York coven. Still, Lady Jane had a doubting look.
“This sounds like a great Deal,” said Lady Jane. “Perhaps too good to be true? Milady ghost, how much ‘life experience’ do you hope to get from this arrangement?”
“Hmm,” mused Akiko with a finger to her ghostly lip. “How much do I want? As I said, I miss touching, hugging, kissing.
“How about I ‘borrow’ your body for a short while? Annually? With a guarantee that it will be returned in better shape?”
“How ‘short’ a while?” asked Lady Jane, suspicion in her eyes. Although frail now, she had been bargaining for hundreds of years. She wasn’t going to jump at the first offer.
Akiko made the two-handed weighing gesture. “Fifty-fifty? How does that sound?”
Lady Jane’s eyes went round in shock. “You want me to give up half my life? Impossible!”
I thought the Deal was dead, then Lady Jane added, “I can give you no more than a day per year.” I saw the glint in her eye. She was enjoying the bargaining.
They went back and forth for several minutes, finally getting stuck on Akiko’s insistence that two months per year was the minimum she could accept, and Lady Jane offering only one month.
“I want to make this Deal happen,” said Akiko, using the same phrasing I had used on other occasions. “Thirty days is a very short time, not enough to enjoy. The first thirty days alone will be spent rebuilding your mind and body and restoring your youth. Then I would have to wait another year before tasting life again.”
Then she looked at John. “I could accept a thirty-day limitation only if this caveman acknowledges that during my possession, he has no claim on us nor any say in what we do.”
“So, our marriage vows would be in abeyance?” asked Lady Jane.
Looking at the glowering face of John, Akiko said, “Yes, I’m afraid I must insist.”
“Impossible,” said John in a low, dangerous tone. “I won’t allow you to sully my wife’s reputation.”
Lady Jane breathed deeply. “It’s not for you to ‘allow,’ John. If she wants to use my body, don a bikini, and dance for men downstairs, it’s fine with me.” John growled and turned away, unable to watch.
“Hey,” said Akiko, “at least I didn’t ask for your treehouse.” OK, she had known all along who he really was. The Harry Potter comments had been a joke.
Our attention turned back to Lady Jane. She held a wrinkled hand to her chest and a pained look crossed her face. She didn’t have much longer. “I will accept your Deal, milady ghost. What do I have to do?”
Akiko pulled out the ring she wore on a necklace. It was her shintai, her spirit home, and housed her essence. She held the ring on her palm and offered it to Lady Jane. “You must take the ring and place it on your finger of your own free will.”
John returned to her side, pain evident on his face, a man who would lose his mate no matter what happened. At least with Akiko’s plan, the separation would be short.
Reaching out her right hand, Lady Jane took the shintai ring from Akiko. Looking at her left hand, she bit her lip and decided. Fumbling a bit, she removed her wedding band and handed it to a shaken John. “I’ll wear this again in thirty days, John. I hope you will wait for me.”
With no good choices left, John reluctantly took the simple gold band, face downc
ast.
Lady Jane slid the shintai onto her third finger, sealing the Deal.
“Now take my hand,” said Akiko.
John turned away, unable to watch. Kitty-Sue looked on with bright eyes. She had been possessed by Akiko but had never seen the process from the outside.
Lady Jane lifted her hand, then hesitated.
Kitty-Sue said, “Lady Jane, don’t worry. I’ve done it, and it’s not bad. It’s like traveling in a carriage with a dear friend. Sometimes one of you drives, sometimes the other. But you will always enjoy the trip.”
Lady Jane gathered her courage and grasped Akiko’s ghostly hand.
It took a few seconds, due to John’s magical protections, but Akiko stepped into Lady Jane’s body.
Lady Jane clawed the glasses away from her face. “Ouch,” she said in Akiko’s voice, “I need to fix my eyes and ears first.
“Scott-sensei, could you perform the energy transfer? I need it to get started. Twenty-five years should be enough.”
Twenty-five for her and Lady Jane, twenty-five for me, minus the universe’s cut. I took Lady Jane’s hand in my left, ensuring I was touching the shintai ring with my dragon blood tattoo. I turned to John, who had unbuttoned his shirt and stepped forward with no hesitation. Once he had agreed, he had no problem following through. I put my hand on his chest, and he dropped his magical defenses.
Draining the energy took mere moments, and it filled my reserve to bursting before I sent half into the shintai ring that now adorned Lady Jane’s hand.
Such a transfer would have crippled most men. But John was much more than a man. He endured the stripping away of his life force with the same expression I had seen him use when shot in Vietnam. A slight tightening of his eyes and firming of the lips.
Lady Jane lay back on the bed, and Akiko started her work. After about a half hour, her eyes opened, and she sat up with a sigh.
Akiko’s voice said, “The eyes and ears are much better, but they still need a lot of work.”
She slid off the bed and walked over to the mirror. I could see the change in her expression as Jane’s soul took over.