bundle as readily as he had carried his.
But now he understood her point: if something attacked her right now, she would be unable to fight back, because her jaws were taken by the clothing. If she dropped the clothing to fight, then she would be unable to dress when she resumed human form later. It would be quite awkward. So he had to protect her, in this moment of her vulnerability. That made him feel obscurely good.
Fortunately nothing attacked. The serpent completed the crossing, dropped the bundle, and became the naga. "Finish dressing," the human head said.
Dug hastily did so. Then he turned to face away, so that Nada could change: first to human form, then to human clothing. He picked up the knapsack, to close it up again and put it on. Then he noticed the shiny buckle on it
Shiny buckle. Reflective. If he held it up, just so, could he possibly manage to see—?
He fought with himself. Could it be so bad to catch just a distorted glimpse, if she didn't know? How could a creature invented as a game character know or care? Especially when she thought the real crime was showing panties? It wasn't her panties he wanted to see!
He lifted the knapsack, angling it so that the buckle turned. The reflection showed the tops of trees, then the river, then—
Suddenly the screen was blank. Dug was back in his room, staring at a dead computer screen. A system malfunction? No way! He had done it! He had broken a rule, and the game had kicked him out Bleep!
He looked around. Everything seemed so infernally mundane. Not like the pretty colors and magical contours of the game. He had never realized before exactly how dreary ordinary life was.
Why had he done it? He had known he wasn't allowed to look at the body of the princess. He hadn't known that the game had this way of enforcing its rules, but mat didn't matter. The point was that he had tried to do wrong, and had been punished for it.
"Oh, Nada Naga, I'm sorry," he breathed, experiencing cutting remorse.
Then he seemed to hear something. He cupped an ear listening. He didn't hear anything, but taint words appeared in the screen: DUG! DUG! WHERE ARE YOU? It was Nada's speech! Very faint, but definite. The lock-out wasn't complete!
“I’m out in Mundania!" he answered. Then, remembering, he typed it on the keyboard.
There was a pause. Was he getting through? The screen remained dark, except for the faint glow where a speech balloon might be.
DUG! IS THAT YOU? I CANT SEE YOU.
“My screen went blank," he said as he typed it
WHAT HAPPENED?
There was no point in trying to conceal it "I tried to see you," he typed. "In the buckle on the knapsack. I'm really sorry, and I apologize. I deserved my punishment."
The screen brightened. Now he could see Nada, clothed, standing beside the river. Near her was his fallen knap…
She turned to face the screen. "But did you actually see me?" her speech balloon asked.
“No. But it didn't matter. I tried, after I promised not to. I’m disgusted with myself."
"If you didn't see me, then I have not been compromised," she said. "I can still be your Companion."
"Except that I'm out of the game," he typed. "I'll have to start over." Somehow that seemed dreadful.
"No! It is just a warning. You can return, to this scene, if you are careful."
Dug was abruptly excited. "I can! Great! I'll be really careful!"
He refocused his eyes, and in a moment the scene became three-dimensional. But the screen remained; he was seeing the scene, without being in it
Nada peered through the screen at him. "What is the matter?"
“I’m seeing it but I can't seem to get back into the scene," he said. "Maybe that's my remaining punishment”
"No, your belief must have been damaged," she said. "Can you get it back?'
How could he patch up a damaged belief? The game had punished him doubly: first by kicking him out, and second by reminding him that he was just a figure behind a screen, unable ever to be really part of the scene. He was never going
But now he understood her point: if something attacked her right now, she would be unable to fight back, because her jaws were taken by the clothing. If she dropped the clothing to fight, then she would be unable to dress when she resumed human form later. It would be quite awkward. So he had to protect her, in this moment of her vulnerability. That made him feel obscurely good.
Fortunately nothing attacked. The serpent completed the crossing, dropped the bundle, and became the naga. "Finish dressing," the human head said.
Dug hastily did so. Then he turned to face away, so that Nada could change: first to human form, then to human clothing. He picked up the knapsack, to close it up again and put it on. Then he noticed the shiny buckle on it
Shiny buckle. Reflective. If he held it up, just so, could he possibly manage to see—?
He fought with himself. Could it be so bad to catch just a distorted glimpse, if she didn't know? How could a creature invented as a game character know or care? Especially when she thought the real crime was showing panties? It wasn't her panties he wanted to see!
He lifted the knapsack, angling it so that the buckle turned. The reflection showed the tops of trees, then the river, then—
Suddenly the screen was blank. Dug was back in his room, staring at a dead computer screen. A system malfunction? No way! He had done it! He had broken a rule, and the game had kicked him out Bleep!
He looked around. Everything seemed so infernally mundane. Not like the pretty colors and magical contours of the game. He had never realized before exactly how dreary ordinary life was.
Why had he done it? He had known he wasn't allowed to look at the body of the princess. He hadn't known that the game had this way of enforcing its rules, but mat didn't matter. The point was that he had tried to do wrong, and had been punished for it.
"Oh, Nada Naga, I'm sorry," he breathed, experiencing cutting remorse.
Then he seemed to hear something. He cupped an ear listening. He didn't hear anything, but taint words appeared in the screen: DUG! DUG! WHERE ARE YOU? It was Nada's speech! Very faint, but definite. The lock-out wasn't complete!
“I’m out in Mundania!" he answered. Then, remembering, he typed it on the keyboard.
There was a pause. Was he getting through? The screen remained dark, except for the faint glow where a speech balloon might be.
DUG! IS THAT YOU? I CANT SEE YOU.
“My screen went blank," he said as he typed it
WHAT HAPPENED?
There was no point in trying to conceal it "I tried to see you," he typed. "In the buckle on the knapsack. I'm really sorry, and I apologize. I deserved my punishment."
The screen brightened. Now he could see Nada, clothed, standing beside the river. Near her was his fallen knap…
She turned to face the screen. "But did you actually see me?" her speech balloon asked.
“No. But it didn't matter. I tried, after I promised not to. I’m disgusted with myself."
"If you didn't see me, then I have not been compromised," she said. "I can still be your Companion."
"Except that I'm out of the game," he typed. "I'll have to start over." Somehow that seemed dreadful.
"No! It is just a warning. You can return, to this scene, if you are careful."
Dug was abruptly excited. "I can! Great! I'll be really careful!"
He refocused his eyes, and in a moment the scene became three-dimensional. But the screen remained; he was seeing the scene, without being in it
Nada peered through the screen at him. "What is the matter?"
“I’m seeing it but I can't seem to get back into the scene," he said. "Maybe that's my remaining punishment”
"No, your belief must have been damaged," she said. "Can you get it back?'
How could he patch up a damaged belief? The game had punished him doubly: first by kicking him out, and second by reminding him that he was just a figure behind a screen, unable ever to be really part of the scene. He was never going
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