From: hutch@ibeam.intel.com (Steve Hutchison) Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Subject: [MG] Butterflies are free (all others pay cash) Date: 25 Apr 93 00:13:13 GMT The toad beneath the harrow knows Exactly where each tooth-point goes; The butterfly upon the road Preaches contentment to that toad. - Rudyard Kipling We two alone will sing like birds i' the cage: When thou dost ask me blessing, I'll kneel down, And ask of thee forgiveness: and we'll live, And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh At gilded butterflies ... -Shakespeare, _King_Lear_ V.iii.8 Terrans... had learned to lounge around with a carefree smile and let the other lifeforms do the worrying. It lent an air of authority and always worked. Nothing is more intimidating than an idiotic grin worn by a manifest non-idiot. Quite a useful weapon... was the knowing smirk. - E.F. Russell --- Leaving the Corders' smithy behind, Jameson made her way back to the Inn. She felt both infinitely weary and extremely alive. There were not enough challenges for her mind here. And too many for her heart. But was good to do difficult things; they made her think. Automatically casting about for something to get her mind working, she began mentally redesigning portions of her equipment. She walked slowly up Dragon's Lane and walked into the Inn. Blinking slowly in the dim light, she noticed that once again, the two strangers who owned the three dimensional map were sitting at a table together. All at once decisive, she walked over and stood before the table. The man looked up and blinked, and his eyes changed color. Interesting. The woman was also looking at her, and Jameson saw something moving deep inside the other's eyes - herself, walking, a very long very dusty road. The woman spoke before Jameson could feel her age. "Greet1," she said in one of the old galactic trade tongues. "Salutations. Um. Nexus common would do fine," Jameson replied. "Cool," the man said, and gave some sort of dirty look to the woman. He pulled out a chair for her, and she sat down. Definitely from an Earth-derived culture. "My name is 'Raelf, the lovely lady is ar'Elya." "Jameson W. Walker. I noticed you using a holographic display a few days ago. Before the storm, that is. And, since that's a bit beyond the local tech level," she smiled slowly, "I was wondering if you might tell me whence you've come." "Well, perhaps an exchange," the woman replied. "Exchange? That all depends," Jameson replied carefully. The two glanced at each other and Jameson looked from one to the other. An image slid into her conscious mind as she noticed 'Raelf's profile - a memory from Arkham University. Watching television? No. The movies. That was it. Her Film Studies elective class. "You look familiar," she frowned musingly at 'Raelf. "Have you ever been to Arkham-Earth?" He smiled and ar'Elya looked vaguely annoyed. "Yes, I have. Why do you ask?" "Mmm. No reason. I thought I remembered you from a movie. This actor was, however, a bit older than you are now." "People change. What do you remember?" "A surfer flick. Now, why did I? ... Ah. It was a transitional work, moving the focus of the genre from the standard beach movies to the biker films." "That would be `Surfing Bikini Bikes from Hell' - it was not my finest moment." "Ah. It was you, then." "Jameson, can I speak with my mate here for a moment? No need to get up." "Certainly." She smiled vaguely and sat forward to lean her chin upon her palm. The two turned their chairs to face each other. * * * <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <<75-25>> <<50-50 or she decides.>> <> <> <> <> * * * Jameson watched the exchange in quiet bemusement. They were making a series of interesting sounds, a very liquid language unlike anything she'd heard before. And their expressions were amazingly, well, greedy. They reached some sort of agreement and turned back to face her. "OK. Now that the business is out of the way, down to business." 'Raelf said happily, and leaned slightly forward. "Business?" Jameson tilted her head slightly to one side. Ar'Elya smiled and pulled a handset datapad from some hidden pocket - it had arcane patterns and runes inscribed in the sides. She started writing with a stylus on something like an LCD surface, using a symbol-language. "Information is the only commodity of lasting value, Ms. Walker." She smiled again, and Jameson had a momentary flash of a black-haired woman of the classical dragon-lady mold. "Our culture places great value on first contact." "I see. Please, call me Jameson. So who won?" "It was a draw. We all win." "Lovely." Jameson smiled. "So, how do you want to begin?" "Usually we establish the rate of exchange, but I suspect you would like to know that we have something useful to exchange." The woman looked with mild distaste at the notepad. "This table doesn't have a wideband display." 'Raelf smiled a sort of quirky grin. "You can use mine, Raye, remember?" She quirked an eyebrow at him, and sketched a sign in the air. The deck came to life again, sputtering for a moment but then blinking into full visibility. "Jameson, do you have any interest in maps?" The woman smiled at Jameson's quietly schooled expression of extreme interest. "Hey, cool, I've got some ... oh. Right. The storm really trashed things, I'll have to update. Aw well, the streets are still right, and most of the tunnel system..." The man's fingers played across an inlaid keyboard on the deck, and an overhead holographic view of a city materialized. The image changed, all the colors vanishing, the white lines of the streets below abstracting into a line-map, buildings fading to grey outlines, all the perspective and elevation disappearing. Runes began to appear, labelling various points of interest. The Low City and the Buffer were clearly laid out - obsolete, though, since the storm. "What you think? We've also got a gross landmasses for this world, gates are all marked, along with some of the details - not all the roads though." "Roads?" Jameson said casually, with a thin note of inquiry, "I can give you Roads." She smiled slowly at both of them. * * * Kardia's mind was full of measurements and design ideas as she strode into the main taproom of the Dragon's Inn. So full that she didn't even notice that she was walking with her limp, again. Milder than her old one, but still a rhythm of habit. She wandered over to the warmth of the fireplace; and, still thinking, stood before it and warmed her hands and body. When she looked over at 'Raelf's table she found him in an intense and quiet conversation with a woman who was as tall as Kardia. She had brown hair pulled back and was dressed in sturdy travelling clothes that looked like they'd seen some wear recently. A glowing display in the center of the table held the attention of 'Raelf, ar'Elya and the woman. Kardia's eyes widened just a touch at the holographic map. She quietly slipped around and sat down at the table. The woman looked Kardia over, and then, with a slight smile sang arrythmically in a soft tenor: "In time I will collect the world,..." Kardia's eyes widened but she joined with a clear second saprano... "the eggs "I love and wings the wings of butterflies." of butterflies." ('Raelf sighed. "We need to get that CD, Raye.") Kardia laughed and said, "You must be Jameson." She looked at the scrap of parchment in her hand and smiled, shaking her head, "I didn't know that there were pens that could do such a thing here." Jameson smiled in return. "It was a gift from ... someplace else. I am not a native." Turning back to 'Raelf, she said quietly, "If we are going to continue with our conversation, we will need some privacy." Kardia blinked and nodded, "Oops... if you'd like for me to leave..." Smiling reassuringly, Jameson shook her head. "I meant someplace private for all of us. If these two trust you, and we are going to live together, I had better trust you too. The question is, of course, do I trust them?" She looked at 'Raelf and ar'Elya questioningly, a hint of a smile behind her eyes. Kardia chuckled at the question. * * * "Speaking of trust," ar'Elya said wryly, "'Raelf promised to buy lunch for you, Kardia. I think we should hold him to his promise." Kardia started to shrug, and then was distracted by a distinct internal rumbling - yes, hunger was indeed present. She grinned at the others, nodded at ar'Elya and waved for Serene, who finished wiping a table and came over, Mista gurgling and waving from her kindersling on the waitress' hip. "What's good?" Kardia gestured at 'Raelf. "He's buying." "Oh, they're doing Ydoinoise onion soup today... we got some cheese and a couple bushels of onions from a merchant whose warehouse was ruined, he had to sell his whole stock." "Ydoinoise onion sounds good." Serene nodded and went off to the kitchen. "A foine and proivat' place" 'Raelf muttered. "Well, Lancos and his mob are visiting us at the lighthouse for the next hour, so ... Hm. Jameson, I've promised Kardia I'd show her how I made her prostho foot. It's in the labs at the Mages' Guild - would you mind stopping by with us? We can go from there to our Lighthouse." "You made her foot?" "Well, inasmuch as relativity and the local spacetime allow, I'd say I _am_ making it, right now. Or will be by the time we get there." Serene returned with a crust-covered bowl, steaming hot, and Kardia started eating it with delicate caution. She smiled and sighed at the taste and then dug in with some blowing on the spoonfuls but much more speed. Meanwhile Listener began playing a set of roundelays and conversation stopped for the duration, and when they finished, the weaver was also finished. "Shall we off?" She rose and paused just a moment to shift her weight to balanced on both feet. The four of them set out, striding the seven-odd blocks north to the Mages' Guild and then to the door. Kardia took a very sharp breath inward at her first solid look at the Guild's building, there was open wonder on her face and then delight. Kardia blinked at the sight of a revolving door in what was supposed to be a late-medieval city, but then multidimensional buildings looking like the work of Frank Lloyd Escher had a right to have revolving doors. "Raye, have you been in here before?" 'Raelf asked, suddenly remembering the array of sensors and probes in the entry. "Only in propia personae. Which I'd best assume before I get too close to those scanners." She flickered, and her attire changed from the long casual cotton dress (Victoria's secret page 30) to a virgin-white kirtle with dagged sleeves, and a fair of multicolor dragonets each barely the size of a kitten peering out from her newly blond hair, from the sleeves, from under the hem of the kirtle. Jameson scratched her nose and shifted from one foot to the other. Kardia didn't notice as she was right up against one of the glass walls around the revolving door, intently looking at the construction. When she turned around her jaw dropped. She blinked and then drew a deep breath for a sigh. Kardia then shook her head, grinned and followed the others in. The door practically whined as they entered. "Oops. Shields up," 'Raelf muttered, and nodded slightly towards the oncoming figure of Archmage Dasham. Jameson moved to the far side of ar'Elya, hoping to avoid being seen in the swath of dragonets. Kardia was too busy trying to get a look at the dragonets to notice. "'Raelf. I've been expecting you all day." "Sorry, Dash, I've had a busy few days. I'm working an experiment that might turn into proposal five." "Good, but that's not immediate. I have to prepare my presentation for tonight's council meeting, and I wanted to let you know you're off the hook for our regular get-together." "Dash, I do have an aethermail drop." "Really? Rivy didn't tell me. I suppose you got the general annoucement then, so you already knew." "Yes. Oh, Kardia, could you step over here?" Kardia blinked and looked up. Her face stilled at seeing Dasham, and she stepped up into Dasham's scrutiny with a very smooth stride indeed. When she stilled, 'Raelf noticed that it was nearly a perfect ready stance. "Archmage Dasham, I introduce Journeyman Specialist Kardia of the Weavers, a specialist in cursebreaking. When we've resolved the question of its exact nature, she'll be preparing a counterspell for your affliction." "A pleasure to meet you," Dasham said, masking the gesture that activated her probespells with an extended hand. "Likewise," Kardia replied, a little breathlessly. She extended her hand with a flustered movement that ended up catching the end of her scarf in her hand as well. She blushed a little at what looked like a blunder as she clasped the extended hand with her hand still full of scarf. Dasham nodded, then excused herself. Kardia's eyes narrowed as the red-headed mage walked off. She muttered softly, "Hazard pay indeed." Then, more clearly, she asked "What was that? She cast something at me. I felt it unravel against my scarf." "She's very intrusive," 'Raelf replied, and Jameson nodded in agreement from behind the dragonets. Kardia grinned a little at the sight of Jameson behind the dragonets. "So, you're working for her?" the Walker asked. "Oh, sort of. She wants to live forever, and I'm supposed to help." Kardia's face stilled again. "And you are going to?" Jameson scowled. "It was that or watch her torture and kill innocent people." "Uhm. Isn't that black magic?" Kardia asked. "Oh no. She didn't draw power from it." 'Raelf began leading them to the laboratory section. "I see." said Kardia very quietly. Her still face and the slightly pinched look around her eyes showing her disquiet. "Well, he DID make the point," ar'Elya interjected. "He made her swear the oaths of binding compulsion." "You're kidding." Jameson laughed. "The spells that protect a person from a summoned demon?" "They also protect the demon," 'Raelf replied. Kardia relaxed and started grinning. "Did you use the impossible oaths?" Jameson asked. "Yes, with coercion clause." "Oh gods," Jameson stifled a chuckle behind her hand. "So she agreed that she was performing black magic in forcing your aid." She had obvious difficulty restraining her laughter. "Fer sure. It's in the contract too." They entered the laboratory. [ Comments appreciated ] Kelly J. Cooper kjc@cs.rutgers.edu Liralen Li | "What you feel can make it real aka Phyllis Rostykus | real as anything you've seen..." li@Data-IO.com | - Peter Gabriel, _So_ Hutch (Combinatorial posts are such fun)