Key to Chroma

by Piers Anthony

  "It is straightforward. Choose the one you wish to indulge, and do so. Then you will use that exit."

  "I shall not!"

  The woman shrugged. “Then wait indefinitely."

  Gale stepped back. She surveyed the exit guardians again. There was a handsome red man, the pretty blue woman, a young green boy, a young brown girl, and two six-legged silver goats. She was supposed to have sex with one of these?

  She returned to the woman. “What of you? How do you feel about an interaction of this nature?"

  "My sentiment is not relevant to your decision. It is yours alone to make."

  So it was a test of sexuality, with no input from the others. Hetero, homo, pedo, or bestial. Gale could take no fault sex or leave it, but she had definite preferences as to partner and type. A handsome man was interesting at any time; a woman was not, and the other options were not in the picture.

  She made a mental decision to do it, and listened for the buzz of the dragon seed. It did not come. She contacted Throe again. How fare you?

  His answer confirmed it: If I do not take the blue woman, I must take the red man—or worse.

  Gale sighed. No fault sex—unless we make an issue.

  I can handle it if you can. She's a luscious woman.

  Gale smiled grimly. Last one out is a rotten lover.

  Then she walked to the man, removing her clothing. “Take me, Red.” She set aside her dulcimer.

  He did so, and she indulged him fully. Appearance did make a difference, and he was about as conducive a specimen as she had encountered since Havoc. She was doing this as a requirement, but there was real pleasure in it. In fact, she liked this man, and the fact that he was Red Chroma heightened the effect. If she ever had occasion to travel no fault with him, she'd be interested.

  "You remind me of my love,” he said as he finished. “You qualify."

  "So would you, if I were in charge,” she said. Then she gathered up her things and stepped out the exit before the man could recharge. She found a pleasant red courtyard with red bushes and trees, and a red stream crossing one corner. She donned her clothing.

  Throe appeared at the same doorway she had used, his clothing and weapons in a bundle. He spied her. You win, he thought ruefully.

  Perhaps it was more pleasure than business for you, she thought back, teasing him. He was twice the age of the robust young man she had entertained, so naturally was slower to perform. He had also had an intense interaction with the three Invisible Chroma sisters, and probably had not yet recovered fully.

  He scrambled into his clothing. “That was some test,” he said aloud. “You had to tackle a man?"

  "Agreement.” This was redundant, but they were concealing their telepathy from the observers who were surely eavesdropping.

  "So did we qualify, or disqualify?"

  A Red Chroma man emerged from the doorway, followed by a Blue Chroma woman. Which chamber were they from? Both looked like the ones in Gale's chamber, but that might be deceptive. Both were clothed in conservative uniforms. “You qualified,” the woman said.

  She sounded just like the one Gale had talked with. “Which chamber were you in?” Gale asked her.

  "There is only one qualification chamber,” the blue woman replied. “Fortunately the two of you selected different partners."

  Some sort of magic had given them the illusion of being in separate chambers. There had been only one set of guardians. “What would have happened had we both selected you?” Gale asked.

  "You would have been disqualified. Since we require two jurors of conventional sexuality, not one, you would have moved on across the zone without further interaction."

  "You could simply have asked our sexual orientations, if that's what's so important to you."

  "People do not necessarily tell the truth in such matters. It was important that the truth be known. We are satisfied that both of you are sexually normal, and not averse to such relations with those of other Chroma than your own."

  At this point they could hardly have doubted it! Gale thought again how she had approached the Red man as a necessary chore, but sincerely enjoyed the interaction because of his urgent masculinity. If any woman could restore Throe's vigor rapidly, the luscious Blue one was it. There was something liberating about no fault sex, and this was a variant. “There is, then a sexual component to the trial?” Throe asked.

  "There is. The guilty parties claimed the right to be judged by their peers in this respect, so we had to be sure. The two of you have demonstrated your capacity and even enthusiasm for no fault sex, so will not be biased on that account. Now we will present the case."

  "Objection,” Gale said, her simmering anger flaring. “It is not fair to call them guilty before that issue has been decided."

  "There is no question of their guilt,” the woman said evenly. “The question relates to the comparative degree of their guilt. This you will decide."

  "I would prefer to see the evidence first,” Gale said grimly.

  "The guilty parties will present it for you."

  "But that's self incrimination! That isn't right."

  "The Red Chroma determines what is right for the Red Chroma,” the woman said.

  "But you are Blue Chroma!"

  "So I am. This is nevertheless a Red Chroma matter."

  "So we have qualified,” Throe said quickly, intercepting Gale's next expression. “What is the case we have to judge?"

  "We will present it now,” the man said. “If you will sit to the side, we will act it out."

  "Act it out!” Gale said as she and Throe took seats at the edge of the yard. “Aren't we allowed to question the accused?"

  "The guilty,” the woman said. “You may question at any point, and be answered."

  "The accused,” Gale repeated. “I don't understand this rush to a decision."

  They ignored her. The Red Chroma man took center stage. “I am Auger, a researcher on plants in the Purple Chroma zone. The plants here have aspects of both Blue and Red Chroma magic, as do the animals. I want to know more about their mixed potential."

  The Blue Chroma woman came to join him. “I am Aura, a researcher in animals. I want to know more about their special nature. Is it similar to what occurs in the plants?"

  The man spoke again. “There is a research station in the Purple zone, open to anyone. I go there to share information with the animal researchers, as we may be able to do each other good."

  Aura spoke. “I go there for similar reason. Blue has knowledge of the Blue aspects of Purple magic, but that can be only half the story. A Red researcher might provide invaluable keys to what I lack."

  The two turned to face each other, and it became a play rather than a presentation. “Because there is rivalry between our two Chroma, we tend not to associate,” Auger said. “On a given night, I made a no fault tryst with an attractive Red Chroma woman of my acquaintance. I was between relationships, and her husband was traveling to another Chroma, so that she was amenable to some passing entertainment. Because no fault is generally for travel rather than at home, she preferred to seem anonymous. Thus it was that she chose to come to me in darkness, without speaking, so that I would not officially know her identity."

  Gale and Throe nodded together. They knew how it was. No fault relationships extended farther than was generally openly acknowledged.

  Aura spoke. “Because this was beyond my home Chroma, I preferred to be circumspect. I caught the eye of a healthy Blue Chroma worker, silently querying as to his interest. He nodded, so I noted his nocturnal location. Then I went there at night. This, at least, was my cover story. I had seen a rather handsome Red Chroma man, and the temptation came upon me. So I switched the chamber markings, this misdirecting the Red Chroma woman, and I entered the Red Chroma man's chamber instead."

  The two embraced and kissed, sharing love, without at this point demonstrating the sex itself. This was understandable, since each had just had sex with another person. They seemed to be very well mat
ched.

  "I did not know,” Auger said, smiling. “But I was impressed with the form and enthusiasm of the silent woman who came to me. I liked her very well. In fact I was sorry she was married, as I thought her to be."

  "And I liked him very well,” Aura said. “In fact, I realized that I wanted a continuing relationship. This would be awkward in secret. So as it came time for me to leave, I spoke. “Confession."

  "You are not my date!” Auger said, surprised. “I do not know your voice."

  "I am not the woman you sought. I took her place, desiring you. Now I desire you more."

  "Who are you?” he demanded suspiciously.

  "I am a Blue Chroma researcher."

  "Blue!"

  "I apologize for deceiving you. I was curious, and now am interested. I would like to have a genuine relationship."

  "How can such a thing be based on deception?"

  "It can't. It must become open, or end. Will you consider me, though I am of foreign Chroma?"

  Auger hesitated. “I do not like deception, but I find you to be delightful to hold. Are you married?"

  "Negation."

  "Come to me openly tomorrow, and I will try an open relationship."

  "Appreciation,” she said, and departed.

  In the morning she approached him openly. “Greeting, Blue,” he said, intrigued for a reason he did not speak. There was unlikely to be more than one Blue woman coming to him on this day, but it was possible.

  "Acknowledged, Red."

  "I seek Blue information on Purple magic."

  "I seek Red input similarly."

  "Would it be convenient to work together?"

  "It seems so to me."

  "Observation: you are a well formed woman, for a Blue."

  "Appreciation. You are handsome for a Red man."

  "No fault?"

  "None."

  They kissed. Then they faced their small audience. “It proceeded to an open affair,” Auger said. “Actually less random than might have appeared, as we had already taken each other's measures in darkness. We cooperated in research, and learned much that was useful, but the personal aspect was rewarding too. I had not before had such relations with an otherChroma woman, and found that I liked them very well."

  "In fact,” Aura said, “not only did we learn much about the nature of Purple animal and plant magic, we fell in love."

  "This of course was difficult,” Auger said. “Because we could not practice our magics outside of our Chroma. Only in the Purple Chroma zone, which was the overlapping of Red and Blue Chroma, could we be together with our powers complete."

  "So we considered settling in the Purple Chroma zone, perhaps marrying and having Purple Chroma children. That would extend our researches, and our relationship, and our love."

  "Are there questions at this point?” Auger asked.

  "You are the Accused!” Gale exclaimed.

  "The Guilty,” Aura agreed.

  "Now we must have this out. How can you be guilty before the trial? Why are you presenting your own case? And selecting the jurors? It is not us you wish to clasp, but each other. Endless confusion!"

  "Perhaps these issues will clarify in the remainder of our presentation,” Auger said. “If not, then we can answer directly, before the punishment."

  "There must be more here than we know,” Throe murmured.

  Gale took caution. “Acquiescence,” she said shortly.

  The play resumed. “Unbeknownst to others, I had a secret mission as a spy,” Augur said. “The Red authority suspected that Blue was planning a nefarious deal to make the animals and plants of the Purple zone controllable by Blue Chroma magic. That would in effect put the Purple zone into the Blue circle of influence, to the disadvantage of Red. It was my job to ascertain whether this was true, and if so, to discover how to stop it. This was in my mind as I encountered the Blue Chroma maiden; perhaps she knew something I could fathom if I developed a sufficient relationship with her. So my approach to her had an ulterior motive."

  "Unbeknownst to others, I too had a private mission,” Aura said. “I was a counterspy. The Blue Authority was suspicious of the Red researcher, and wished to ascertain whether he was a spy, and if so, to effectively nullify him so that he could not do much damage to our cause. Because, of course, Blue did have a project to make Purple fauna and flora responsive to Blue magic. We wished to do this before Red discovered how and took the Purple zone from us. This was in my mind as I approached the Red Chroma man. If he proved to be a spy, I had to have a way to stop him."

  "Thus our relationship was after all based on deception,” Auger said.

  "Mutual deception,” Aura agreed. “I had approached him in the night not merely because I found him appealing, but because it was my assignment to get close to him. I did that by seducing him, thus guaranteeing that he would acquiesce to an open relationship thereafter. Men are subject to such influencing."

  "Affirmation,” Auger agreed ruefully. “Yet had I known, I would not have had it otherwise. She is the best sexual partner I have encountered, regardless of her mind."

  "As is he, though I love his mind."

  They kissed again. They had trouble keeping their hands off each other. Gale, seeing it, wished she could be with Havoc this instant. The two Chroma folk reminded her of the two of them. Love would not be denied.

  "But the research was real,” Auger said.

  "As was our love,” Aura agreed.

  "As time passed, I saw that the Blues were indeed engaged in preparations to control purple. I learned all I could, without alerting the Blue woman to that private mission."

  "As time passed, I became satisfied that the Red man was indeed a spy. I helped him all I could, because otherwise he might have suspected my private mission. I wanted him to trust me."

  "I loved you,” Auger told her. “I did not trust you."

  "I suspected that, and tried to persuade you that I was your friend.” She kissed him. “And I was, but I still had my job to do. I was not comfortable with that, but seemed to have no easy way out."

  "We were caught in a difficult situation. All we could do was continue our researches and our cooperation."

  "And our love,” Aura said. “For we feared it could not last."

  "Our love became desperate,” he agreed. “But what else was there?"

  "What else?” she echoed.

  "Then I found confirmation. The Blue scheme was almost complete, and would soon be implemented. I had to go report to the Red authority, so that it could act in time.” Auger began to walk offstage.

  "I tried to stop him,” Aura said, clinging to the Red man. “I tried everything.” She virtually wrapped herself around him, and indeed they were soon in the midst of lovemaking, heedless of their audience. Each had had sex recently, but their love evidently made that irrelevant.

  Throe glanced at Gale. Oh to be with Ennui this moment!

  With Havoc, she agreed. If I get any hotter, I'll have to do it with you, obscenity with our platonic understanding.

  If it happens, I will answer to Havoc's name if you will answer to Ennui's name.

  Endorsement!

  "I truly hated to leave her,” Auger said as he completed the process. “But time was limited, and my job required it."

  "As my job required me to prevent his going,” Aura said. “But it was also love, for I feared I would never see him again once he departed."

  "It was awful. I wanted more than anything to stay with her, for I feared I would never see her again. But I did what I had to do."

  "He took himself away,” Aura said, weeping. “I knew he did not want to, any more than I wanted him to, but I also knew he had to do what he had to do. Just as I had to, too."

  "And so I left her, leaving my heart behind."

  "He left me, taking my heart with him."

  "I reported my findings to the Red authority,” Auger continued. “It put me in charge of the counter-strike, because I understood the situation best. We had an
ectoplasm bomb to loft by catapult at the research site, for that was where the key Blue personnel and equipment was for the takeover of Purple. The bomb would both immobilize it and preserve it, so that our forces could move in and take it over. Then the power would be ours, and Purple would become ours. We were ready to strike the day before their implementation."

  "We knew we lacked time either to implement or escape with our secret process,” Aura said. “I had not been able to hold the Red spy quite long enough, so that Red would be able to strike and eliminate our project. It was my fault—"

  "It was not your fault!” Auger cried. “You did your best."

  "My best was not good enough. Therefore the fault was mine, and I had to make up for my failure."

  "I should have taken you with me, and spared you that."

  "I should have kept you with me, and spared you your crisis."

  They kissed again. This was getting to Gale, and she knew to Throe too. Love and desire suffused the chamber.

  "We did what we had to do,” Auger said sadly. “I readied the bomb. But I hesitated, because I did not want Aura to be caught by it. I wanted her out of there, so that at least she would survive. For the bomb would kill the personnel; immobilization does not hurt inanimate objects, but living things need to move and breathe. So I sent her a demonic message: I LOVE YOU. GO NOW."

  "I received the message, and understood what it portended. I sent back my own message: I LOVE YOU. I WILL NOT GO."

  The Red Chroma man walked around the stage, distraught. “I thought she did not understand that she would die horribly if she did not flee the premises. I could not bear that. So I sent the demon back. GO NOW. COME TO ME. I WILL MARRY YOU."

  Now the Blue Chroma woman walked the stage, similarly distraught. “I understood what threatened, and what offered, but I could not betray my people. I had to make him postpone the bomb until we could clean out the station with our equipment and personnel. So I made myself hostage. I WILL NOT GO. COME TO ME AND I WILL MARRY YOU."

  "And there it was,” Auger said. “If I ordered the strike, my love would die. I knew it was no bluff."

  "I was ready to die,” Aura said tearfully. “I loved him, I could not have him, so death was the alternative."