Under A Velvet Cloak (29 page)

They watched other visits to the tree, as the girls grew and leaned, and Niobe aged. She gradually became a middle aged woman, a bit heavyset, no longer lovely. “Oh, I wish I had stayed in shape!”

“That is hard to do, when you are mortal. Once the girls went out on their own, you return to become the second Aspect of Fate, Lachesis, who measures the threads of life. As far as I know, you are the only one ever to have occupied two such offices.”

“What did I do after that?”

“Nothing. You remain Lachesis in my time.”

Niobe thought about that. “Are we friends, then?”

“We can be,” Kerena said. “I haven’t gotten there yet.”

“Let’s be friends then.”

“But I must take away your memory now, so that none of this well be changed.”

“Will you restore it, then?”

Kerena was taken aback. Would that be possible, most of a century later? Why not, if she saved them? “But by then you will know all this, from living it.”

“My memory of this meeting.”

Ah. “Yes, if I can. If I can’t, I will tell you about it, so you’ll know.”

“Thank you.”

Kerena glanced at the hamadryad. “You will not tell?”

The nymph shook her head, agreeing not to tell.

Kerena touched Niobe and drew out her memory of this occasion. Then, before the girl could see her again, she resumed her travel into the past.

“But if she has no memory of it,” Molly asked as they traveled, “Why was it so important for you to talk with her?”

“I wish I knew,” Kerena said.

Jolie didn’t know either. The contact with young Niobe had been a phenomenal revelation to them all, but in terms of her mission, what was the point? Why had Kerena been drawn to that site at that time? Why had the lines of alignment faltered only when she tried to avoid it? Evidently it was a necessary thing, but it seemed to make no sense.

“And you never did get to settle down to think things through,” Molly said.

“I think I no longer need to. Now I know that this whole business is more complicated than I had imagined. That provides perspective.”

Could
that
be the reason, Jolie wondered. Somehow she doubted it. Perspective could be gained in simpler, less risky ways.

They returned to the warren. Kerena meant to make it an instant after she left for her future venture, but found herself balked. She was unable to settle into normal mode until two weeks after her departure.

“How was it?” Morely asked as they made love.

“Tell us everything,” Vanja said as she watched.

Kerena did. “But I don’t understand why I couldn’t return to a time of my choosing. I did when I traveled into the past.”

“I have no problem with that,” Morely said. “You traveled only spiritually into the past, but physically into the future. You actually lived those two weeks. So your sundial was moving, as it were. It’s the same as if you had visited London for two weeks.”

“But when I sought the Incarnations, I returned thirty years later.”

“Then you visited purgatory, and interacted with supernatural beings whose time-scales aren’t fully of this world. Now that you are an Incarnation yourself, you control your own time. You probably won’t suffer any more such lapses unless you choose to.”

It made sense when he analyzed it. “Thank you.”

“Always glad to be of service,” he said, smiling with the pun as he completed his act with her.

“Will you show us the device from the science future?” Vanja asked.

Kerena lifted the coin and touched the disk embedded in it. The screen appeared in the air between them. She realized that it had another nice feature: it could be read from the other side as well as her side. Her sister’s lovely face appeared on it. “My first entry,” Kerena explained. “My secret jealousy of my older sister’s beauty.”

“But you are lovelier than she,” Vanja said.

“It seems I became so,” Kerena agreed. “All I needed was time to mature, and the love of a good man.” She kissed Morely. “But that secret feeling remained. Now all I have to do is fathom and record the secrets of everyone else in the world.”

“Why?” Vanja asked.

“Because that is what Nox does: keeps the secrets. That will be the basis of my power.”

“Naturally our secrets will be your next entries,” Morely said. “Can you fathom them?”

Kerena focused on him, exerting her newfound power. “Hoof she exclaimed.

“Why do I suspect you are not bluffing?” Morely asked, evidently intrigued.

“Because your Seeing knows I have it.”

Vanja’s eyes glittered. “Tell us what he never told me.”

“When he was a boy of ten, his family had to travel briefly without him, so they left him in the care of a neighbor. She was a handsome woman, and he had a secret crush on her. He had never spoken of it to anyone, for fear of ridicule, but he longed to possess her to the extent he was able. When it got cold at night she kept him warm in the normal manner by sharing her blanket and body heat with him, holding him close. Her bare breasts against him were marvelously soft and exciting. Then when she slept he got his groin close to hers and managed to wedge his stiffened member into her warm damp cleft. There was no fluid from him, but he had a glorious sensation and possible climax. Thus he had his will of her. She never knew, and of course he never told; she would have been appalled by such abuse of her hospitality. It was his deepest secret.”

“And I trust you will keep that secret,” Morely said tightly. “It has been a lifetime, and she may no longer live, but I would not have it known what I did.”

“It was no secret from her,” Vanja said. “She knew.”

“How can you be sure of that?”

“The same way I know when you have your will of me as I sleep,” she told him. “A woman does. Your crush would have been as subtle as dog poop on your foot. She surely liked you, and was intrigued to see whether you could manage it. But she had to pretend oblivion, lest she be charged with molesting a child.”

“She wanted it,” Morely breathed, realizing. “That’s why she shared her blanket with me; she could have made me sleep alone and shivering. Oh, those breasts! Her man had died; she must have missed his embrace.”

“So she clasped you close, pillowed your head with her conducive bosom, and feigned sleep, giving you leave. She kept her legs a little apart so as to promote access. She was gratified by her evident sexual power over you. But she surely never told.”

“Surely not,” he agreed. “All this time I thought it was my secret alone.”

“And now it is mine,” Kerena said, classifying it and putting picture and feeling into the database.

“Now fathom Vanja’s secret,” Morely said, licking his lips.

“There is no need,” Vanja said quickly.

“Yes there is. You heard mine; it’s your turn.”

“Damn.” But the woman remained still as Kerena oriented on her.

“Her older brother forced her into sex, but that isn’t really her secret,” Kerena said. “She didn’t like it because it hurt, and hated him, but didn’t tell lest he beat her up worse. Then when they were out picking berries, the pickings were small, so they ranged into unfamiliar territory. He slipped and fell into an old well; she heard the splash. The sides were slippery and he couldn’t climb out. But instead of going for help, she hauled branches to cover the hole, concealing it, then went home and pretended she had been sleeping. They never found him, having no idea where to look She got away with murder.”

Vanja cringed, awaiting Morely’s reaction.

“He molested you?” Morely asked.

“Almost daily,” she said. “It was easier to let him
do
it than try to fight him. I learned to moisten my cleft with balm so it wouldn’t hurt so much.”

“Then it wasn’t murder so much as retribution. He brought it on himself.”

“You believe that? You don’t hate me for it?”

“Yes. You did what you had to do.”

“What a relief!” Vanja moved into him, pushing him down, and they were promptly into sex while Kerena recorded the secret.

“But how are you going to proceed?” Morely inquired when Vanja let him up. “Even if you read a secret every minute, there are too many people to interview. You’ll never catch up, and meanwhile more are being born and old ones dying.”

“I hadn’t thought of that.” Kerena considered. “I surely have the power to achieve it, if I can figure out how to use it.”

“There need to be many of you,” Vanja said, smiling.

“Now that may be feasible,” Morely said. “Do the powers of Night include multiplying yourself?”

Kerena investigated. Then she split into three copies of herself. “Yes,” the three said together.

Morely was not really surprised. “But can they act independently?”

The three pondered a moment. Then the one on the right went to Morely, the one of the left to Vanja, and the middle one with the coin at her chest spoke. “Yes.” The right one kissed Morely, and the left one hugged Vanja. All three were solid and conscious.

Jolie was not reproduced. She remained with the middle figure, the one with the coin. That had to be the original Nox. Just as well; she wasn’t sure she wanted to be constantly duplicated. It might have a confusing effect on her identity.

“Me too,” Molly agreed. She had remained single as well, as far as they knew.

“And can you then recombine,” Morely inquired, “so the landscape isn’t littered with sexy girls?”

The three walked together and merged into one. “Yes.”

Now Jolie was aware of the perspectives of the other two selves. It was as if the original self had done three slightly different things in turn. It might have been confusing, but wasn’t. This also verified that there had been no Jolie or Molly copies made. It was strictly Nox.

“So you can split into as many copies as required to get the job done,” Morely said, satisfied. “And one of them can remain with me to make perpetual love.”

“Hey!” Vanja said. “What of me?”

“Correction,” he said equably. “Two for us, the other to make love with Vanja.”

They dissolved into laughter, pretending not to remember that Kerena and Vanja did make love often enough. It was fun discovering her powers. “But one thing nags me,” Kerena said. “Why did I have to tell the girl Niobe everything, then erase her memory so that her course was unchanged? What sense does that make?”

Morely nodded. “I agree that the rationale is elusive. The Incarnation of Good is said to be omniscient; maybe you should ask him.”

“God? He refused to answer me before. That’s why I want to get him replaced. I want them all replaced.”

“Vengeance,” Vanja said approvingly.

“But then you were mortal,” Morely said. “Now you are an Incarnation yourself. You should be able to compel a response.”

Kerena _nodded. _”Maybe so. I’ll try for God again.” She phased down and moved toward Mount Ararat.

She stopped there and extended her Seeing, tuning into the Incarnation of Good. As before, there was no response. But this time she brought the powers of Night.
Answer me, God, or I will tell your secret to the world: that you are hopelessly tuned out.
She was not bluffing. She had the power to reveal secrets as well as fathom them.

A shining handsome male figure appeared before her. “A greeting, Nox.”

She focused her Seeing. “And to you, Angel Gabriel.”

Molly was amazed. “What’s he doing here?”

Jolie wondered too. She hadn’t known that Gabriel existed this far back.

“I was created to handle the routine business of Good, Ladies,” Gabriel answered. “So that the Incarnation need not be bothered with trivia. I have existed since God was formed as a separate entity from Chaos.”

It seemed that Kerena did have as much of God’s attention as was available. “Then perhaps you will do. I wish to talk.”

“Of course.” Gabriel gazed at her directly, and she felt the impact of his scrutiny. “You are a remarkably esthetic woman.”

Kerena smiled. So he was a typical male in at least one respect. She knew exactly how to play on that. “I was preserved at my age of blooming. I presume you were created according to the template for the ideal man.”

“True, in every respect.”

Well, now. Kerena was experienced in recognizing male interest, and he was confirming it. Sex was not something promoted in Heaven. “I know a private place not associated with your business.”

“That would be appreciated.”

“This way.” She phased down and led the way rapidly back to the warren. When there, she split into two, and her second self went to locate Morely or Vanja and ask them to protect the privacy of their chamber for an hour. Meanwhile Kerena stripped away her futuristic clothing.

Gabriel’s robe faded out, leaving him gloriously naked. He was well endowed and perfectly proportioned. They came together, and there followed a considerable sexual session. His member had the property of conveying intense delight by its internal contact, enhancing her pleasure of the occasion. He was very soon aware of her matching desire, and not at all turned off by it.

After several rounds, as it were, they lay beside each other, sated for the moment. “That’s the best I’ve had in a century,” he said, speaking literally.

“I confess to taking a certain pride in my sexual expertise,” she said. “So many secrets concern sex, that I need to understand its nuances well.”

“Heaven is, in this respect, sterile. I dislike slumming, but the women of Heaven are not interested in carnal activity. They prefer to assume the likenesses of their most esthetic youth, but also affect complete innocence about the erotic appeal of such fine bodies. At times it causes me to envy the attention of the smoldering damsels of Hell, who have no such diffidence. Yet I distrust demonesses for obvious reason. So I have to mask myself and take up with unknowing but willing mortal girls. I have to hide the full nature of my ardor, lest they be overwhelmed. It’s a nuisance, especially since news of it would not be well received in Heaven.”

“Fortunately I will never go to Heaven,” Kerena said. “But what of the female Incarnations?”

“Only Clotho, the youngest Aspect of Fate, is appealing in this respect, and her interest in such liaisons is slight.”