It was proof enough for me. I turned desperately to Gamine behind me.
"Where have I gotten, to? Where--_when_ am I? Two suns--those
mountains--"
The change in Gamine's voice was swift; the veiled face lifted
questioningly to mine. What I had thought a veil was not that; it
seemed to be more like a shimmering screen wrapped around the features
so that Gamine was faceless, an invisible person with substance but
no apprehensible characteristics. Yes, it was like that; as if there
was an invisible person wearing the curious silken draperies. But the
invisible flesh was solid enough. Hands like cold steel gripped my
shoulders. "You have been back? Back to the days before the second sun?
Adric, tell me; did Earth truly have but one sun?"
"Wait--" I begged. "You mean I've travelled in time?"
The exultation faded from Gamine's voice imperceptibly. "Never mind. It
is improbable in any case. No, Adric; not really travelling. You were
only sent out on the Time Ellipse, till you contacted some one in that
other Time. Perhaps you stayed in contact with his mind so long that
you think you are he?"
"I'm not Adric--" I raged. "Adric sent me here--"
I saw the blurring around Gamine's invisible features twitch in a
headshake. "It's never been proven that two minds can be interchanged
like that. Adric's body. Adric's brain. The brain convolutions, the
memory centers, the habit patterns--you'd still be Adric. The idea that
you are someone else is only an illusion of your conscious mind. It
will wear off."
I shook my head, puzzled. "I still don't believe it. Where am I?"
Gamine moved impatiently. "Oh, very well. You are Adric of Narabedla;
and if you are sane again, Lord of the Crimson Tower. I am Gamine."
The swathed shoulders moved a little. "You don't remember? I am a
spell-singer."
I jerked my elbow toward the window. "Those are my own mountains out
there," I said roughly. "I'm not Adric, whoever he is. My name's Mike
Kenscott, and your hanky-panky doesn't impress me. Take off that veil
and let me see your face."
"I wish you meant that--" a mournfulness breathed in the soft
contralto. A sudden fury blazed up in me from nowhere. "And what right
have you to pry for that old fool Rhys? Get back to your own place,
then, spell-singer--" I broke off, appalled. What was I saying? Worse,
what did I mean by it? Gamine turned. The sexless voice was coldly
amused. "Adric spoke then. Whoever sits in the seat of your soul, you
are the same--and past redemption!" The robes whispered sibilantly on
the floor as Gamine moved to the door. "Karamy is welcome to her slave!"
The door slammed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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