Part 41 (1/2)

Veg was looking at the Tamme/Aquilon couple. ”That's as pretty a set as you'll ever see,” he murmured.

”So there may be an infinite number on the treadmill,” another Tamme said. ”We can work it out by ourselves -- but that's just a fraction. Useless.”

”Yet there is a frame for each couple -- somewhere,” a Taner pointed out. ”A one-to-one ratio. No need to compete.”

The Tamme disagreed. ”We can't pinpoint our exact alternates or guarantee that others will. Some would be missed; others would get half a dozen couples. Just as we find ourselves doubling up right here. That will play merry h.e.l.l with the equality of alternates. Some governments will catch on no matter what we report. Then -- ”

”Then war between the frames,” Tamme murmured to herself, and heard the others coming to the same conclusion. All agents' minds worked similarly, of course.

”Whose world would be ravaged?” Taler asked rhetorically. ”Mine? Yours? I don't care about the others, but I want my own left alone even if I don't return to it.”

”We can't guarantee that any alternate is left alone -- the moment one government catches on to the exploitative potential of alternity, the lid's off,” the Tamme said. ”We all know what our governments are like.”

”Omnivores!” an Aquilon cried with feeling. ”Ravening omnivores!”

”We are omnivores, too,” Taler said. ”We are all killers at heart.” He raised his left arm. He wore long sleeves; now the cloth fell away to reveal a stump. His arm had been amputated at the elbow. ”An alternate Taler -- myself! -- did this to me. I was lucky to escape with my life, and as it was, I spent some time recuperating. If it had not been for my normal companion -- ” He smiled, glancing at another Aquilon, who lowered her eyes demurely -- ”Well, let's check this out here and now. How many couples met their doubles on the way here?”

All hands went up.

Taler nodded. ”I thought so. Many of you conceal your injuries well -- but every agent here lost to his exact counterpart, correct?” There was agreement. ”Received a head injury -- a bad one?” Again, agreement. ”We represent the natural selection of that fragment of the circuit that met their doubles -- and lost, and so were delayed for recovery. Out of all the other possibilities happening elsewhere. So we know first hand: We are omnivores, destroying even ourselves. Yet it seems that the male-female aspect enhanced the chances of survival as though something more than mere competence were operant. We may have redeeming qualities.” He paused. ”And how many of us -- remember?”

All the agents' hands went up, including Tamme's own.

Veg turned to her. He was half amazed, half furious. All about them the other normals were facing their agents with the same question. Even the Aquilon with the chairman-Taler was on her feet, her pretty mouth open accusingly. ”You remember?”

Veg saw the universal reaction. Suddenly he laughed -- and so did the others. ”Wait till I get you alone!” he said.

”We are not as we were,” Taler said over the hubbub. ”We lost -- but we won. I tell the world, I tell alternity: I remember Budge, the lonely orphan boy, condemned as economically unsalvageable. I am Budge.”

Tamme stared at him. Taler had gone normal!

All around the wavorium others were staring.

”But I am also Taler,” the agent continued. ”Converted from unfit normal to fit agent. Veteran of seven anonymous missions, killer of men, competent liar, lover, philosopher -- ”

”Amen!” his Aquilon said.

”I remember both heaven and h.e.l.l,” Taler continued. ”I am heaven and h.e.l.l, and now purgatory -- as are we all.”

”This is intriguing, and it would be entertaining to compare notes -- but we must complete our missions,” an alternate Tamme said. ”Or agree not to...”

Taler nodded. ”If no one returns to a given world, the government is unlikely to expend more agents in such hazardous exploration. Paleo is not secure, owing to the presence of the manta's spores; the desert world has the known menace of the wild machines and the unknown menace of the sparkle cloud. So long as they have no hint of what lies beyond the sparkle, they will not pursue it further. It wouldn't be economic.”

”If no one returns...” It was another general murmur. The Cal spoke again. ”The matter is academic. The option is not ours. We were conveyed to this framework of frames by pattern-ent.i.ties, and we have virtually no chance to locate our original worlds -- Desert, Paleo, or Earth -- without the intercession of these ent.i.ties. We are in their power, confined to these worlds at their pleasure.” Taler looked about. He sighed. ”Any refutation?” There was none.

”Then I suggest we return to our points of entry into this alternate-pattern, rejoin our original companions, and wait on the pleasure of the sparkle ent.i.ties. They appear to have protected us from ourselves, and perhaps that is best.”

”But what if we return to the wrong companions by mistake?” his Aquilon asked.