Fractal Mode

Chapter 22

Meaning that in due course Colene would figure it out herself and explain it to the others. Maybe that was best. Anyway, they could use some rest in a single universe before tackling the rigors of the Virtual Mode again. "So take us to the castle, Nona," she said.

"Maybe I should do it," Stave suggested, his thought similarly translated. "I have less to hide from the despots."

Nona considered. "Would you, Stave?" And from her came gratitude bordering on love.

Stave looked at her, startled. He had a similar feeling for her, but had not realized that it was so strongly returned. They had never been telepathically linked before.

"We will keep each other"s secrets," Colene said.

They walked down the hill, away from the sea. The landscape was spread out before them: walled fields, patches of trees, a sprinkling of houses, and the escarpments leading up to the castle. Down in a hollow was a village, and now there was a path leading to it. It was quite pleasant, to Colene"s taste.

Nona separated from the group and went toward the village, while Stave led the way in the other direction, toward the castle. There seemed to be no mechanized transport for theows, or any other kind; people walked. Yet the houses did not look primitive. Archaic, rustic, minimal, perhaps, but not the type she would have expected on a world without heavy transport.

"The despots use the horses," Stave explained, responding to her thought. "They control everything." Then he had another thought, which Seqiro duly transferred: "This mind-magic-the despots will guess, if I respond to your thoughts. I must say I know nothing of you, but led you here."

"That is true," Colene agreed. "You do know nothing of us, and are leading us there." He smiled. "But I hope to learn more, if we meet again."

Colene glanced at Provos. "Some of us spent much time with him, and liked him well," the older woman said. "Perhaps too well. He is much a man."

That future memory was unnerving at times! But also frustrating. How were they going to experience Stave"s manliness? "Then maybe I should explain a bit more to you," Colene said to him. "We are from another reality. The world you know is only one of many."

"Of course," he agreed. "The despots try to hide the information from us, but we know that there are worlds beyond counting, if only we were allowed to walk to them. But the despots control the filaments, so we can not."

These folk knew of alternate realities? That was surprising. And what did he mean by filaments? So she sought a clarification of his concept of worlds-and got only a