Maybe there"s a chance for me. Vita thought, relieved. Which Incarnation is he being considered for?
Here Jolie drew a blank. "I-I think it could be any one of them. But each is so important mat it is vital that no errors be made."
Vita was dismayed. We made him sin-and now he won"t qualify? she asked.
He didn"t sin! Orlene demurred. Maybe we did, but he didn"t. He tried to do the decent thing all along, but in the end he was human, and I am glad of it.
"The question is, how does he feel about it?" Jolie asked. "If he feels it was a sin, then there is evil on his soul, and it will hurt him."
Perhaps you should ask him, Orlene suggested.
Jolie sighed, knowing she would have to do it.
She broached the matter as they rode the carpet to the city. "I understand the girls were active during my absence," she said.
"Exceedingly," he admitted. "I am sure you are aware that my interaction was with the child, not the woman, despite expectations."
He would not bend a bit to protect himself! "What are your intentions?"
"I shall report myself to the board of ethics, which I suspect will suspend me pending investigation and retire me thereafter."
She had been afraid of this. "Roque, I left because I felt that what was contemplated was wrong. But now I see it otherwise. There was no force, no coercion, no promises founded or unfounded. There was only love between man and woman. A young woman, granted, but old enough in experience and in guidance to know her mind. I don"t believe that should be the concern of the board of ethics."
"The law is clear, and I am charged with the upholding of it. When I transgress, I must pay the price."
"When the board investigates, they will question the girl. She will testify that nothing untoward happened. What will then be the disposition of the case?"
"But that would be untrue!" he exclaimed.
"The girl is young and has a checkered history. She knows what would happen to you and to herself if she confirmed any intimacy between the two of you. Do you think she will indict you?"
He stared at her. "This is blackmail!"
"This is reason. In your heart you know that no crime was committed and that the lodging of the report you contemplate would only hurt each of you. What is your ultimate definition of justice?""
"You speak like a creature from h.e.l.l!"
"I am the consort of the Master of h.e.l.l."
He pondered. "The girl must leave my house. Only then may we be a.s.sured that the event was isolated."
No! Vita thought.
"She loves you, Roque."
"And I love her. But it must be."
Jolie sighed. "You are a good man. Judge Scott. You hold to higher standards than we do. We shall depart your residence at our earliest convenience."
No! I can"t! I"ll die!
Quiet, you silly child! Orlene snapped. She has something in mind.
"Thank you, Jolie," the Judge said, looking miserable.
"You are not welcome, Roque."
At that he had to smile. "I think it best that you not relinquish control until the departure is accomplished."
Jolie nodded. He was indeed a good man.
Chapter 6 - DEATH.
Jolie took them to Luna"s office. She borrowed the Judge"s personal carpet; it would return to him on its own when she got off and dismissed it.
So what"s your plan? Vita demanded. You know it"s my body; you can"t keep me away from him forever!
"I can as long as I retain control," Jolie said. "But fear not, I am on the side of romance, having been the route myself. The Judge had to do what he did; it was his compromise after I threatened him with your noncooperation. If he couldn"t pay the penalty for his deed, he had to make certain that no further abuse occurred. So he will not report the matter, and you are gone from his household. But that does not mean gone from his life. We shall be seeing him again soon enough, I"m sure."
When? How?
"We are about to determine that. Meanwhile, Orlene, I think it is time we resumed your quest for your baby. You have recovered your equilibrium, and can now exist as a ghost without sinking to h.e.l.l."
Oh, Jolie, of course I want to do that! But "But you are halfway in love with Roque yourself, and wish to leave him hardly more than Vita does."
It is true. I have not forgotten Norton, nor do I wish to encroach on Vita"s interest, but It"s okay, Orlene! I feel so much better with you along. Without you I couldn"t have been with Roque on that vacation, and even when you let me do it with him, you were there, helping me not to make too much of a fool of myself. Without you I"d revert to H; I know you and Jolie are helping me get over the craving, and with three it"s much easier than alone. I really need you! I have no jealousy of you; you"re part of what Roque sees in me.
"So I believe that the three of us should remain together," Jolie said. "Working to accomplish both your desires, and mine too."
Yours too?
"I am highly impressed with Roque Scott, and not just because of the way you girls feel about him. I think he just might qualify to be an Incarnation, and I want to watch him closely with that in mind, so that I can make a full report when the time comes. So my job is compatible with yours: we can watch him, and sometimes be with him, and try to recover your baby, together. Of course we shall have to take some turns."
Agreed, Orlene thought, relieved. I confess that when you said I could leave this host, I was afraid; I prefer residence in the living state to being a ghost, and I very much like Vita"s company.
You do? I thought you regarded me as an impulsive juvenile.
I do. You do things I would never unbend enough to do. The way you tore open Roque"s robe-but I loved being along for the ride. You lend excitement to my life-I mean, my death.
And you lend maturity to mine. Vita thought, pleased. When you two came, I thought. What the h.e.l.l is this, spooks messing up my life even worse than it was, keeping me from the H. But you"re better than H! You got me to Roque, and you"re teaching me so much, I really think I can be something when I grow up.
"So I think we are agreed," Jolie said. "We shall work together, until it seems appropriate to separate, and perhaps we shall in time achieve all our desires." The truth was that she, too, rather liked experiencing the living state again. She had never had enough of it, the first time, with Parry.
We are agreed, Orlene thought.
Great! Vita added.
The secretary in Luna"s office looked up. "May I help you?"
"I need to see Senator Kaftan," Jolie said.
"The Senator is away from the city this week. Do you wish to make an appointment?"
That wouldn"t do; they needed a residence today. Jolie, in her concern with moving them out of the Judge"s residence, had not antic.i.p.ated this.
Maybe Mom . . .
Good notion! "Is Vera here?" The folk at Luna"s office were all first names, as was Luna herself, normally.
"Why yes, you may see her if you wish."
"I will have to put you back in charge," Jolie murmured.
They were shown into a back office piled with books and papers and video screens: the research department. There was a woman who looked a lot like Vita, thirty years older.
"Mom!"
The woman looked up, startled, and burst into tears. Vita went over and hugged her, crying herself.
Before long they were comparing brief notes. It seemed that Vera had gotten a notion of the problem in the family, but didn"t want to speak of it openly. She did not importune Vita to return home. Vita was at pains to explain that though something had caused her to leave, and that she had had some bad times, she was now much better off and perhaps even had a better life than she might have had.
"I"ve been staying with Judge Scott," she concluded. "He has a housekeeper who"s nice, but you know he can"t keep a juvenile girl in his house forever, it would look wrong, so I have to move out. I"ve got a friend with me, a ghost, and when I need to do something adult, she takes over. We"re going to do some traveling, and we"re helping in your research, maybe."
Vera"s look indicated that she had a glimmer of why her daughter had to depart the presence of the Judge, but again she preferred to let it lie. It was obvious that Vita was physically healthy and emotionally sound, and that was an immeasurable rea.s.surance. "You know of my research?"
"Some, Mom. The final confrontation between Good and Evil, when-"
"Enough! You are helping in this?"
"In part. Looking for candidates for-"
"Don"t say it! Satan"s minions are everywhere."
"Satan knows it"s coming, Mom. Anyway, I sort of need a place to stay, for a while, until I travel. We thought Luna might know-"
"Let me ask." She got up and hurried out. In a moment she returned, the look of surprise still on her face. "Luna left word: you are to go to her house immediately. It seems that Judge Scott notified her."
"The Judge is a great man. Mom."
"I am not sure I grasp all of what is going on here."
"I guess you know. Mom, it was Luna who sent the ghost to me, to get me straightened out. She wanted you to feel at ease. The Judge, when he learned about her involvement, decided to help."
"She is a great woman."
"I guess that"s why she and the Judge understand each other so well."
"There seems to be a good deal of understanding,"
Vera remarked somewhat wryly.
A carpet took them to Luna"s estate. The two griffins charged up as it came down. Jolie took over. "Griffith! Grissel!" she called. "Smell my soul!"
They recognized an approved visitor and relaxed. They stopped at the front door, cautiously. "Muir!" she called to the moon moth within. "It"s me, Jolie, in human host."
Muir, too, recognized her, and she entered without challenge. Gee, Vita remarked, impressed.
They walked through the house, admiring the aura paintings on the walls. Luna could see auras, Jolie explained to the others, and so could judge people in much the manner Orlene could. Perhaps that was not surprising, for Orlene was very like a niece to her.
There was a note on the kitchen counter. WELCOME, TRIO. FOOD IS AVAILABLE. USE THE EAST ROOM. DRESS IN SOMETHING NICE.
"Dress in something nice?" Jolie asked, perplexed. "To stay alone until she returns?"
They checked the East Room. It was a beautiful suite, complete with a closet stocked with several lovely dresses of the appropriate size. There were slipper-shoes which fit Vita"s feet perfectly. There would be no problem dressing nicely!
They made a project of it, taking a good bath, washing the hair and putting a slow curve in it by using a spell-stone designed for that purpose, and donning a dress that was first cousin to an evening gown. Vita had filled out during her time with the Judge and now looked impressive in the low decolletage. I think I"ve been turned into a princess for a night! she thought admiringly.
There was the sound of a chime. They tripped down to the front door, uncertain who could be calling, but certain that Muir would allow no intruder.
Roque Scott stood there. He gazed at them, astonished. "Here?" he asked.
Jolie turned the body over to Vita. "Oh, Roque!" she breathed. "Don"t go away!"
He stepped up and swept her into his arms. "This is not my house," he said. "I am not obliged to enforce standards here."
"Shut up and get on to the endearments," she said, lifting her face for a kiss.
"You are delightfully forward, my juvenile delight."
"I"m too young to know any better. How come you"re here?"
"I received a message from Luna"s office, asking me to check on an item of some value at her house. Naturally I came here after work, knowing that she would not ask such a favor capriciously."
"We didn"t see anything," Vita said. "Of course you didn"t, my darling innocent." He stroked her hair.
She t.i.ttered, catching on. "Gee, it"s fun to be innocent!"
Maybe we should depart for a few hours, Jolie thought.
"No!" Vita said. Roque"s hand, having proceeded beyond the length of her tresses and on down her back toward her rear, froze.
"No?"