Part 1 (1/2)
Cube Route.
By Piers Anthony.
Chapter 1: Rear View.
Looking back, as was natural in the circ.u.mstance, Cube concluded that it all started with the rear-view mirror. What a complicated route, from such a minor trigger.
She was out picking bubble gum from the bubble gum tree beyond the hay field when there was a swirl of smoke beside her. ”What are you doing?” the smoke inquired.
Startled, Cube gazed at it. ”Talking smoke?”
”That doesn't exactly answer my incert.i.tude,” the smoke said, forming a set of eyes.
”Your what?”
”Dubiousness, skepticism, suspicion, mistrust, uncertainty--”
”Question?”
”Whatever,” the smoke agreed crossly.
”I don't see why I should answer you if I can't see you,” Cube said. ”Are you a refugee from the smoking section?”
The smoke formed a mouth. ”Ha. Ha. Ha,” it said. ”Very funny. Not. Don't you recognize a lovely demoness when you see one?”
”A demon!” Cube sidled nervously away from the smoke. ”I never did anything to you. Why are you hara.s.sing me?”
”Because that's what demons do.” A head formed around the eyes and mouth, framed by smoky hair. ”Demoness Metria, not at your ritual.”
”Not at my what?”
”Observance, rite, liturgy, ceremony--”
”Service?”
”Whatever! So who are you?”
”I'm called Cube.”
”Cube! What kind of a stupid name is that?”
”It's not my name.”
The hair spread out and formed a question mark. ”You just said it was.”
”I said I was called that. I didn't say it was my name.”
The smoky features swirled a moment, then coalesced back into the face, which was now pretty in a dusky way. ”Score one for you, drab mortal. So whatis your name?”
”Cue. But when other kids saw me, they nicknamed me Cube, because I'm just not with it. I tried to pry it off, but that nickname stuck fast.”
”They do,” Metria agreed. ”That's part of the curse of being human. Now answer my first question and I'll give you something.”
Cube decided that she should do that, before the demoness got angry and did her some harm. ”I was just picking bubble gum for the boys.”
”What use have you for boys?” the demoness asked.
”I like them. But they don't like me.”
The smoke formed a vaguely human female body below the head. ”Of course they don't! Look at you.”
”No thanks. I know I'm not pretty.”
”That's the understatement of the hour. You give plain a bad name. Whatever made you suppose that any boy anywhere would ever be interested in you?”
”Well, I do have a certain quality of character.”
”Like what?”
”Gumption.”
”What?”
”Initiative, courage, aggressiveness, resourcefulness, common sense--”
”Guts?”
”Whatever,” Cube agreed, frowning. ”I've got gumption galore, but that doesn't seem to be what boys want.”
”Naturally not. Boys can see, not think. They don't much notice character.”
”So I have learned. But I thought that maybe if I got them something nice, like fresh bubble gum, they might let me hang around, and maybe get to know me.”
”Not without a better appearance. Look at this.” A dusky hand extended toward her, holding something. ”Use the mirror. It is my promised gift.”
Cube took the mirror and held it up before her. But it did not show her homely face. It showed an unsightly posterior in a dull skirt. ”It's not working.”
”Yes it is. It's a rear-view mirror.”
”Rear-view mirror?”
”It shows your rear, idiot.”
”Ugh! That's worse than my face. Take it back.” She pushed the mirror toward the demoness.
”Nuh-uh! That gift can only be given, not taken back.”