“Not necessarily,” Santo said. “I understand that Adamant Isle is due to phase in to Xanth proper again tomorrow, so we could conveniently sail there in Fibot, thus entering the Sometime realm, then orient on Caprice. But that is the route the rogue expects, the obvious one. He will see us coming, and be prepared. He has six hostages: he might speak through one of them, like Jess, so as not to reveal himself directly, and threaten to kill them all if we offer any resistance. He could demand that we turn Fibot over to him, in exchange for the release of the hostages. That would be a difficult decision for us to make.”
“We couldn’t let them die!” Squid said, horrified. That prospect had been bothering her ever since she had seen them in stasis.
“Yes. So we might elect to solicit help, such as from the triplet princesses, Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm, who crafted Fibot. Individually they are full general purpose Sorceresses, but their magic squares when any two act together, and cubes when all three do. That could be a formidable asset.” He paused a fraction of a moment. “But I am wary.”
“They couldn’t stand against a Demon,” Squid said. “Even a Dwarf Demon.”
“Indeed. And it just might be that the rogue wants us to do that, to bring them, so that they can be added to his collection. We would be playing right into his hands.”
“I just thought of something else,” Larry said. “Maybe he doesn’t want children, just adults. So children are proof against his greed. But if children can be used to fetch in the adults he wants, there’s a diabolically neat trap.”
“That’s why this is a children’s mission!” Squid said. “Children are not at much risk, not being worth the rogue’s time.”
“Yes,” Santo agreed. “So we shall have to strike by surprise, to catch him unaware, before he can hurt anyone. That may mean taking Fibot along the route you used. However, there may be a complication.”
“We would pass through the portal,” Larry said.
“Every child in the boat would change gender,” Squid said.
“Could we handle that?” Santo asked. “The two of you, yes, as you have done it before. But I’m not sure I could, and I fear that some others might have a real problem.”
“Like Firenze,” Squid said. “He wouldn’t like being a hot-headed girl.”
“Neither would Piton,” Larry said with a smile. “Then it would be his rear getting grabbed.”
“And Ula as a boy would do it, just to get even for when he grabbed hers in the dance,” Squid said. “In fact, so might I, just for the fun of it.” And it would be fun, for she remembered those boy urges she had had, especially when Laurelai had aged them both to their teens.
“It makes a difference who is grabbing whom,” Larry said. “If you and I changed, you wouldn’t have to grab, Squid; I’d give it to you.”
They laughed together, though Santo also looked thoughtful. They hadn’t told him of their increasing interest in each other while reversed. “Still,” Santo said, “I am not at all sure that such a thing should be risked. There could be chaos.”
“So do we have any other secret routes?” Larry asked.
“I am thinking of the twins’ mother, Princess Ida,” Santo said. “Her orbiting worlds are legion, and Fibot can readily go among them, as we know. There might be an avenue there.”
Squid wasn’t sure of that. “I wish we could check out the gender change route without actually doing it. Then we’d know.”
“A simulation,” Larry agreed.
“There may be a way,” Santo said thoughtfully.
They both looked at him. “You’ve got something on your devious mind,” Squid said.
“The Sibling Conference,” Santo said. “I believe it can be adapted for more than one purpose. It just might be able to make a simulation, if we all agreed to give it a fair try.”
“I wonder,” Larry said. “It accepted me and other new members. Would it accept Hilda and Ion?”
“Let’s find out,” Squid said. “They’d certainly be an asset in this respect.”
“Let’s,” Larry agreed.
“I will present the notion to the siblings,” Santo said. “Tomorrow. Tonight we rest.”
“Simulation, here we come,” Squid said, highly intrigued by the prospect. She took Larry’s hand to lead him to their cabin.
Chapter 9
Simulation
They were all gathered in the main hall, twelve children plus Tata Dogfish and the peeve. Santo summarized the situation with marvelous precision so that all of them understood. “So we think we should at least try the gender change in simulation,” he concluded. “So that we can judge whether we actually want to risk it in real life, or stay the bleep away from it. Are there any questions?”
“Yes,” Noe said. “What about those of us who aren’t quite certain of our gender, like you, or Larry, or the peeve?”
Squid appreciated the point. Noe, as the nominal girlfriend of a gay boy, well understood how tricky such a relationship could be.
“That is a legitimate concern, and we will answer,” Santo said. “I am certain of my gender: I am male. I merely am attracted romantically to my own gender instead of to the opposite one. Should I turn female, I suspect I would then be attracted to other females, though I am not sure. I will want to kiss you, Noe, and discover my own reaction. But should I still be attracted to males, then you, as a male, would be my first choice, because I already know you and love you.”
“Thank you,” she said somewhat tightly. Squid knew that Noe loved Santo, while accepting that close friendship was the practical limit. He loved her in the manner of a sibling or close friend.
“Your turn, Larry,” Santo said.
“I am, as most of you know, a girl in a boy’s body,” Larry said. “When I changed physical genders, I did not change mental ones. I became Laurelai, my true self, and I loved it. I wish I could always be Laurelai, but that is not presently feasible. At least I can say for the rest of you that mentally you will remain as you are now: only your host body will change. Boys who become girls will find it awkward to pee, at first, and girls who become boys may be embarrassed to handle their male anatomy for such purposes.” He smiled passingly. “Boys who become girls may also be annoyed by the stares they receive from the girls who become boys, and the tendency of boys’ hands to touch private parts. It is called payback.”
There was a murmur of laughter in the audience, but it was uneasy, at least on the part of the boys.
“And Peeve,” Santo said.
“I am genderless,” the bird said. “I have been through the portal, long ago. I did not change at all. So it makes no difference to me, literally.”
“So you will remain objective,” Santo said. “What about Tata?”
Tata’s screen flashed.
“Tata is phrased as a male robot dogfish,” the peeve translated. “He will become a female robot, with an altered perspective, but will remain objective.”
“Any other questions?” Santo asked, looking around.
“Suppose we get stuck in reverse?” Ula asked.
Santo shook his head. “It will be a simulation. It will end in an hour or so, and we will all revert. The only way we could ever be stuck in the roles is if we pass through the physical portal and don’t return. That’s a risk we can decide on after the simulation.”
“The simulation is not actually physical?” Ula asked.
“It is not.” Santo looked around. “Any others?”
“Ion and I just want to say that we have switched genders many times, physically,” Hilda said. “At first it was startling, awkward, and embarrassing. But we got used to it, and now can handle it either way without stress. So don’t let your first impressions be your last impressions: it gets easier. Even fun, at times.”
“But one thing,” Ion said. “Your clothing doesn’t change with you. So wear simp
le formless smocks, or go nude. It will be easier.”
“Nude!” Data exclaimed. “When we’re changed? It would be bad enough doing it straight, but in the wrong bodies it would be weird.”
Ion shrugged. “Suit yourself. But remember, everyone else will be in the same situation. No one here will tease you for being different.”
Data visibly thought about that. “I’ll do it if you do it,” she challenged her brother Piton.
“You’re on, sis. Anyway, we can change to skeleton form if we want. No awkward anatomy there.”
She smiled. “Maybe we won’t have to.”
There were no more questions.
“Then catch up on natural functions and return here in half an hour,” Santo said. “We will hold a conference of all twelve children, and the animals too if they really wish to participate, and experience the simulation. We will be free to do what ever we want, during the change, and I think we should be encouraged to explore the limits so we can judge whether we can handle it longer term.”
The group adjourned, dissolving into individual discussions.
Squid and Larry went to their room. “Did you mean it, back when you said I could grab your butt?” Squid asked. “Because I don’t want to annoy you, but I think I’d like to, at least once, just to find out what the boys get from it.”
“Yes. I know what the boys get. I’ll even age us into teens if you want.”
Squid looked at Larry. “You’re such a beautiful girl, when. I don’t want to be a boy, but when I am, I think I’m falling in love with you. Maybe it’s just the hormones.”
“Maybe it is,” Larry agreed. “But we don’t even know how long we’re going to live, because of the danger of this mission. That makes me impetuous.”
“We thought about that before,” Squid agreed. “Each time I think about it, I’m more inclined to go wild.”
“We’ll go wild together,” Larry said. “Maybe everyone will.”
“If they’re as mixed up about it as I am, it will be more than wild.” Squid hesitated, then plunged ahead. “At least we’ve been through this much before. Kiss me.”
Larry laughed. “Maybe when I’m a girl I’ll understand your girl reasoning better.” Then he embraced her and kissed her. She liked it, and suspected he did too, even if to him it was more like a girl kissing a girl.
“So do we go naked?” Squid asked.
“Might as well. We can set an example.”
“Though if it’s just a simulation, our bodies won’t really be changing, so our clothes won’t matter.”
“Apt point,” Larry agreed. “But I prefer to treat it as if it is real.”
“Okay.”
They reported to the main hall on time. The others were doing the same. They might have mixed feelings about this event, but no one wanted to miss it. The majority of them were naked, becoming visibly reassured when they saw the other bare bodies. It seemed that the Adult Conspiracy was unable to balk this aspect, maybe because the intent was not lascivious but practical. That gave Squid some quiet satisfaction.
They spied Hilda and Ion. “How’s it going?” Squid asked.
“Myst is great!” Hilda said. “And Piton’s not bad. He treats me just like a girl.”
Squid had forgotten to warn Piton off. Bleep! “He grabbed your butt!”
“Yes. Isn’t it great?”
Neither Squid nor Larry commented. To a lonely girl, any sincere attention from a boy might be nice, however crudely expressed. She hadn’t thought of that aspect.
Meanwhile Ion, was with Win and Data, and looked happy. To a lonely boy, the sincere attention of two girls could be just as nice.
“Remember, we need to focus,” Santo said. He was one of the nude ones, handling it with aplomb. Noe was beside him, also bare but with less aplomb. “Enter the simulation. The rest will follow. Remember also that we all know each other. We’re not out to make fun of anyone. We’re out to learn what we need to know.” He paused briefly. “Form into a big circle and hold hands.”
Squid and Larry were beside Hilda and Ion. They linked hands, becoming part of the big circle.
“Focus,” Santo said. “Conference.”
They focused. Nothing happened.
Then it did. They were standing in an open field, but personally unchanged.
“Are you sure we’re in?” Squid asked. “This is just scenery.”
“We’re in,” Santo said. “Now we travel. Tata, take us along the route the twins used getting here.”
“On our way,” the peeve said.
The scenery shifted, moving to the side. Now Squid saw the translucent outline of the fire boat, traveling under its own power, sail furled. Squid had almost forgotten that it could do that, so as not to be entirely dependent on sometimes erratic winds. They weren’t standing in a field, they were standing in Fibot, which had become almost invisible.
The craft accelerated, and zoomed along the terrain they had twice traversed. In rather less than half a slew of moments it came to the dread portal, and hovered.
“Any second or third thoughts?” Santo asked.
No one spoke. After a generous pause, motion resumed. The boat with all its passengers passed though the portal.
There was a scream. It was Data, discovering herself changed. She now had male anatomy. It seemed the seeming reality had more impact than her anticipation. Win, beside her, was similar.
Squid was male again, and Laurelai deliciously female. Next to them Hilda and Ion were male and female again.
“We’re through,” Santo said, glancing down at his body. “We can let go now, and mix.”
Squid looked at him. He was a girl, actually rather pretty, and beside him Noe was a handsome boy.
“Oh, wow!” Piton said. He was a girl, and Myst was a boy.
Ula, now a boy, forged toward them and grabbed Piton’s butt, giving it a good tweak. And paused. “You know, that’s sort of fun,” Ula said, surprised.
“Maybe for you,” Piton snapped. Then he/she paused. “You know, I do have a nice donkey, now.”
Squid stifled a smile. That was not the word he had tried to use. It seemed that the dread Adult Conspiracy had not lost its power, even in this exercise of imagination.
“Tata, halt the boat in place,” Santo said, and the motion stopped. “Make us invisible.” The scenery outside faded to unfathomable mist. “Thank you.” Then Santo raised her voice. “We passed through the portal, as you might have guessed. I think we need to get more of a feel for our new bodies, and I don’t mean grabbing them. We need to discover how to use them, how to be the opposite gender. How to really come across so that strangers would not know we aren’t quite as we look. Any ideas how best to do that?”
“We can practice peeing,” Piton suggested. Male Myst slapped her butt, but others nodded; it was actually a good idea, to prevent future embarrassment.
“We can dance,” Noe said. “Our regular couples, same dances, just slightly different roles.”
Santo nodded. “Good idea, partner. We have enough for a square and some left over, if we count Ion as a dancer.”
“I can do it on my carpet,” Ion said.
“One square,” Noe said. “The others watch. Then a new square with two couples switched out.”
“Good enough,” Santo agreed. “Form it.”
Squid and Laurelai stepped up to join the male Noe and female Santo. Then male Myst and female Piton joined them. Then Ula and Firenze, similarly changed.
“Sets in order,” the peeve said as Tata’s screen flashed. There was only one set, but it was a generic directive. The dogfish now had softer lines and did look distinctly female.
“Try swinging your partner,” Santo said. “That’s a good interactive motion.”
Squid and Laurelai paused a moment to watch the others. There was immediate c
haos as some tried to do it the way they had learned while others tried to assume the opposite role. Myst and Piton actually got their limbs tangled, and landed on the floor.
“Let’s try a demonstration,” Santo said. “Squid, Laurelai, you know how to do it, right? Show us.”
Squid and Laurelai come together and swung, meshing perfectly.
“Now take other partners and show them,” Santo said.
Squid caught Piton and folded her into the proper format, then slowly turned her around. She began to get it. “Wow!” she said. “You do know what you’re doing.”
Meanwhile Laurelai caught Ula and guided him into the proper male position. “Oh, my,” he said. “You’re some girl!”
“I am,” Laurelai agreed happily.
“I mean you look and act as if this is your natural state.”
“It is.”
Then Squid took Firenze and guided her similarly. “I am learning more than the swing position,” she said.
Firenze was fifteen, on the verge of physical maturity as a boy and nudging into it as a girl. Her hips were wide and her chest was softening. “Maybe we can practice after this in clothing.”
“Yes!” Squid agreed, because his partner’s nudity was forcing unwanted thoughts to manifest.
Then he took Santo, who was quickly getting into it. “How are you feeling?” Squid asked him as they swung.
She did not pretend to misunderstand the question. “I do not want to be with girls rather than boys. Too bad Noe is strictly hetero.”
Once Squid and Laurelai had guided the others, the swings went better. “But we should try it in costume,” Squid said.
“Definitely,” Santo agreed.
They scattered to their cabins to get each other dressed. When they returned they looked far more professional. The boys were handsome and the girls were pretty.
Laurelai held Squid close and quietly aged them both several years. Now they were both knockouts.
“What a difference clothing makes!” Noe said. “You look just like a woman, Firenze, and Laurelai—” He paused. “Oh, your talent is to change your age! You are a woman.”
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