_as this woman might havelooked when she was young ... or might have wanted to look._
No, that was not quite it.
_As she knew a man would have liked her to look!_
The woman on the screen spoke, her eyes smiling into his in a mannerthat was painfully familiar.
"Your Illustrious Sublimity has become the first to share my littlesecret."
Vyrtl, with a concentration of will, prevented his eyes from peepingsidelong at Wilkins' expression.
"We are somewhat surprised," he said, knowing it for an asinine remarkbut afraid to risk his dignity by being plainer.
"Of course," she said, "I hardly expect it to make any difference inthe imperial announcement of peace, but if any clarification isdesired of me, I shall be happy to oblige."
Vyrtl thought furiously. Had he actually _said_ anything to Wilkins oranyone else? He tried to remember every word spoken at the conference.It seemed to him there had been one or two slips, but they had beentaken for imperial witticisms.
No, he was safe enough. The Jursan Council and their techniciansnaturally must know the "clarification" offered him, but they wouldknow better than to publicize it. He could afford to show no mercy ifthey did. As things stood, it might be best to stand by his publishedword.
"We desire," he said slowly, "that you, as ambassador, returnimmediately. You will have every facility to communicate with yourgovernment, to repay the inconvenience."
The old woman stared him in the eye, then bowed silently.
Vyrtl saw that she realized what it might mean. He hoped she would notarrange an "accident" before her ship returned.
He had Wilkins take over and check with the captain of the rocket. Itwas determined that the best effort would bring the ship back to thedome on Klo about "mid-morning." Vyrtl left orders that the woman wasto be brought before him the moment she arrived, and retired for thenight.
He found Xota sprawled confidently upon his bed, and kicked her off ina temper. His groping had found no loose object to fling after her asshe slunk out the door, and that made his temper worse. He was a longtime getting to sleep....
* * * * *
The next morning, he pecked at his breakfast and sneered at theartificial dawn that had been delayed for his benefit.
"Get me a lozard and a squad of guards!" he snarled to Wilkins. "I'llhave a run through the woods while I wait."
He left the guards at the fringes of his engineers' forest and rodethe eight-legged reptile recklessly among the huge trunks. Since thebuilder had artfully omitted all low branches, there was little chanceof his knocking his head off.
Towards noon, he paused to rest at the little pool on the edge of thewoods. He waved to a group of guards he saw peering at him across anopen field of what looked very much like grass. One of the men ranover.
"The Jursan envoy is back, Your Illustrious Sublimity."
Vyrtl sighed.
"Tell General Wilkins to bring her here immediately."
He turned away and sat upon a flat stone beside the pool.
After a while, he noticed that the ground was liberally supplied withpebbles for casting into the water. He was watching the spreadingripples about fifteen minutes later when he heard approaching voicesbehind him.
A glance over his shoulder showed him Wilkins and two guards escortingthe old woman. He turned away, tossing another pebble into the poolwith a half-hearted motion of his arm.
When Wilkins coughed discreetly behind him, he told the aide and theguards to withdraw. He listened to the footsteps until he knew theywere beyond range of ordinary conversation.
"You are the same Daphne Foster?" he asked, still facing the pool.
"The same, Your Illustrious Sublimity."
"Let us dispense with formality. Tell me how you did it."
"It is simple ... in a way. But it requires the use of a not-so-simpleinstrument."
"Such as I?" he asked, apparently intent upon the water.
"I did not mean Your Illustrious--I did not mean it that way. It is alittle triumph of our Jursan technicians, which will shortly be atyour disposal. I used it to force an illusion upon you."
"And very cleverly, I admit. Do you have it with you?"
"Yes. It is compact. It merely operates upon the idea that otherforces can be used to produce hypnosis besides lights, drugs, andsoothing sounds."
"Turn it on!" ordered Vyrtl.
* * * * *
He waited a moment, then twisted around on the stone to face her.There was no sign of the woman he had seen crossing the field. Beforehim seemed to stand the black-haired, lithe girl.
The only change was in her eyes, which no longer smiled into his soprovocatively.
_Funny_, thought Vyrtl. _When we actually were strangers, she seemedso intimate. Only now does she look at me so coldly._
"You see?" she said, and started to reach for some switch or buttonconcealed by the jewel at her breast.
Vyrtl stopped her with a gesture.
"You must also be skilled in the sciences of the mind," he remarked."What I mean is ... I suppose you never really looked like that?"
She shook her head a trifle ruefully.
"Not quite. Most of it is in your own imagination. We know a good dealabout you, Your--"
"You deduced somehow what I would look for," interrupted Vyrtl,nodding. "I can see how a study of the things I chose to have aboutme--paintings, statues, furnishings, even people--might yield keys tomy preferences. You did remarkably well."
He tossed another pebble and stared at the ripples.
"I suppose every man has his ideal of a woman," he said. "I doubt thatany man has _seen_ his absolute ideal--except me. I wonder if you knowwhat it does to one?"
He chose a flat pebble and sent it skipping across the surface with avicious snap of his wrist. It bounced three ... four ... five times,and sank.
"I presume," said Daphne Foster, breaking a tight little silence,"that you will grant me time to set my affairs in order?"
Vyrtl weighed a pebble in his hand.
"You expect to be executed," he stated flatly.
"Naturally, we knew all along that someone would have to pay fortricking you. The Emperor of Pollux must, after all, maintain hisdignity."
Vyrtl wondered if he had detected a note of irony in the musicalvoice. He marveled anew at the pleasure of listening to her. But ofcourse, he reminded himself, he heard his own imagined ideal of what alovely woman's voice should be.
"No," he said abruptly, swinging about. "I am merely going to insistthat you fulfill the terms of the agreement by remaining at my court.I want you near me from now on."
She blinked at that.
"But, surely ... you must realize ... it is only an illusion!" sheprotested.
"As am I," said Vyrtl. "A figurehead imprisoned in a maze offormalities and so-called pleasures."
* * * * *
He saw that she could not understand what could be wrong with hisposition.
"Once, when I was very young," he said, "I thought I would rule. Butfourteen planets require a whole _council_ of co-ordinators! I gave upthat idea and tried to enjoy myself."
She stared at him uncertainly. He waved a hand at the artificialforest.
"It has been like that ever since. They fall all over themselves todevise new ways of getting my attention and to present pleasures andentertainment I am incapable of enjoying. I have more wealth than Ican estimate, I sometimes forget which palace I am in, even my wiveslook alike by now."
"I must sympathize with Your Illustrious Sublimity."
He flung her a hard stare.
"Perhaps you ought! Even my generals and their soldiers have theirdreams--of conquest or loot. The engineer who built this dome pictureshimself famous and admired. Wilkins is proud of his influence, andother courtiers have visions of doing away with Wilkins and replacinghim."
He stood up restlessly.
"You will laugh at
me, I know--but there is little enjoyment in lifewhen every whim is catered to at a snap of one's fingers. What have Ito _desire_?"
"I see." She nodded slowly. "The old saying about the pleasure ofanticipation outweighing that of attainment."
"You should know. You Jursans and your scientific renaissance, yourgoal of contacting Terra again."
He beckoned to Wilkins and the two guards. They ran eagerly across thegrass.
"You see?" he snorted. "Sometimes I almost wish they would ignore me!"
He looked at her and saw the blue eyes achieve their knowing, amusedsmile once more.
"That's right," he said, smiling back. "Now I shall have something tokeep my thoughts from becoming dull and bored. A man needs someimpossible dream for moments when he wants to relax."
Wilkins panted up, trying to look alert and willing.
"The unattainable Lady Daphne will accompany us to our capital," saidVyrtl. "Make the necessary arrangements."
He enjoyed the way his aide covered up a momentary bewilderment.
_No one else will ever, ever understand this_, he thought with anunaccustomed thrill of pleasure and amusement.
* * * * *
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