it so you'll recognize her when you see her."
I looked at the pixcube and saw a three dimensional image of Lyonella. The image was accurate, displaying her tall, slim body with good muscle definition; her triangular face with the knowing expression and the haunted brown eyes that appeared to have seen more than I could imagine. I felt an inadvertent rush of blood to my groin: Lyonella’s sensuality had been captured by the pixcube.
"Is something wrong?" Clandine asked.
I was still hoping that I wouldn’t have to tell Clandine that I’d encountered Lyonella previously. "No, I'm just concentrating to make sure that I'll recognize her when I see her."
"I should get the location of her dwell today from the rainbow who oversees the Listener Guild. After third meal, I want you to try to arrange a listening session with her. I want you to be ready with your story as we rehearsed it."
"I'll be ready." I had mixed feelings about seeing Lyonella again. If she accepted me as just another gray, who wanted to tell her the story of his troubles, I'd be all right and I could tell Clandine whatever Lyonella said. But, if Lyonella identified me as Vargan, there might be several kinds of trouble. If I had been Vargan before I was brainwiped, I didn't want Clandine to know that, just like I didn't want her to know I'd encountered Lyonella previously. Clandine might think I had been or was now some part of the grand conspiracy that she perceived. I thought it quite possible that she was a bit paranoid, seeing a power-grabbing conspiracy where there might be none.
The rainbows and her other suspects were people with power; they might not be in a conspiracy at all. Just merely indifferent to those who posed no threat to their positions and activities.
* * *
Later in the day, Clandine returned with Lyonella's location. When she was sure I knew how to get there and had my story straight, I headed toward Lyonella's dwell, hoping that all would go well.
Clandine told me that the most direct route to Lyonella's dwell involved going to the Medical Complex and walking through to the opposite side. I took three different slideways to reach the Medical Complex. It was a refreshing change to see buildings that were shaped differently from the ubiquitous urbodes. I followed the walkways through the cluster of buildings, heading for the slidestrip on the far side.
I passed the Rejuvenation Center, a tall oval building, where the sick and injured were taken to be healed or readied for reincarnation. It was next to the House of Rebirth where citizens were reborn without their memories into young and healthy bodies, ready to begin a new life. In the distance I saw the Fane of Change where aging rainbows went so they could emerge with their bodies reconditioned and their memories intact—eternal life with periodic renewal.
I envied the rainbows their retention of memory. I felt I could lose that envy only by becoming a rainbow myself. I had hopes. I'd been good at the Game when I played it in Ural's dwell. If I managed to get a wristlock of my own instead of wearing one that identified me as Errox, I'd play the Game again. Maybe I could become a rainbow and hold onto my memories forever.
I took the slideway on the far side of the complex to a section of one hundred urbodes, got off, and counted my way to the urbode in which Lyonella lived. The entrance portal was guarded by the same tough-looking woman who had been at the door of the urbode where I'd gotten Errox's wristlock, the urbode where Hushel and Lyonella both had dwells. I remembered Lyonella had told me she would be near Hushel.
I supposed that Hushel, Lyonella, and many others had moved from the former urbode to this one on Transit Day. I stooped down in front of the portal guard and said, "I'm here to see Lyonella the Listener." With her hands, she indicated the floor and dwell number. Then she motioned for me to enter. I pressed the wristlock against the door plate. The door opened and
I looked at the pixcube and saw a three dimensional image of Lyonella. The image was accurate, displaying her tall, slim body with good muscle definition; her triangular face with the knowing expression and the haunted brown eyes that appeared to have seen more than I could imagine. I felt an inadvertent rush of blood to my groin: Lyonella’s sensuality had been captured by the pixcube.
"Is something wrong?" Clandine asked.
I was still hoping that I wouldn’t have to tell Clandine that I’d encountered Lyonella previously. "No, I'm just concentrating to make sure that I'll recognize her when I see her."
"I should get the location of her dwell today from the rainbow who oversees the Listener Guild. After third meal, I want you to try to arrange a listening session with her. I want you to be ready with your story as we rehearsed it."
"I'll be ready." I had mixed feelings about seeing Lyonella again. If she accepted me as just another gray, who wanted to tell her the story of his troubles, I'd be all right and I could tell Clandine whatever Lyonella said. But, if Lyonella identified me as Vargan, there might be several kinds of trouble. If I had been Vargan before I was brainwiped, I didn't want Clandine to know that, just like I didn't want her to know I'd encountered Lyonella previously. Clandine might think I had been or was now some part of the grand conspiracy that she perceived. I thought it quite possible that she was a bit paranoid, seeing a power-grabbing conspiracy where there might be none.
The rainbows and her other suspects were people with power; they might not be in a conspiracy at all. Just merely indifferent to those who posed no threat to their positions and activities.
* * *
Later in the day, Clandine returned with Lyonella's location. When she was sure I knew how to get there and had my story straight, I headed toward Lyonella's dwell, hoping that all would go well.
Clandine told me that the most direct route to Lyonella's dwell involved going to the Medical Complex and walking through to the opposite side. I took three different slideways to reach the Medical Complex. It was a refreshing change to see buildings that were shaped differently from the ubiquitous urbodes. I followed the walkways through the cluster of buildings, heading for the slidestrip on the far side.
I passed the Rejuvenation Center, a tall oval building, where the sick and injured were taken to be healed or readied for reincarnation. It was next to the House of Rebirth where citizens were reborn without their memories into young and healthy bodies, ready to begin a new life. In the distance I saw the Fane of Change where aging rainbows went so they could emerge with their bodies reconditioned and their memories intact—eternal life with periodic renewal.
I envied the rainbows their retention of memory. I felt I could lose that envy only by becoming a rainbow myself. I had hopes. I'd been good at the Game when I played it in Ural's dwell. If I managed to get a wristlock of my own instead of wearing one that identified me as Errox, I'd play the Game again. Maybe I could become a rainbow and hold onto my memories forever.
I took the slideway on the far side of the complex to a section of one hundred urbodes, got off, and counted my way to the urbode in which Lyonella lived. The entrance portal was guarded by the same tough-looking woman who had been at the door of the urbode where I'd gotten Errox's wristlock, the urbode where Hushel and Lyonella both had dwells. I remembered Lyonella had told me she would be near Hushel.
I supposed that Hushel, Lyonella, and many others had moved from the former urbode to this one on Transit Day. I stooped down in front of the portal guard and said, "I'm here to see Lyonella the Listener." With her hands, she indicated the floor and dwell number. Then she motioned for me to enter. I pressed the wristlock against the door plate. The door opened and
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