Ch 4 The Orb

"The Hero of Bowerstone?" Clarice echoed unbelievingly. "That's impossible! I'm the Hero of Bowerstone."

"Yes." Celeste sighed. "I was afraid that would be your reaction, which is why I put off telling you until I was sure you could help me." Her voice became almost kindly. "I'm sure this is going to be as difficult for you as it was for me the first time – and for all the others I've met. So I'll try to put it simply. In my universe I'm Celeste, the Hero of Bowerstone. In yours, you're Clarice; also the Hero of Bowerstone. We're the same person, you see, but in parallel universes ..." She halted. "Sorry, I said I'd keep it simple, but unfortunately its hard to avoid using terms like that."

"We're … the same person?"

"Almost. There will be certain differences, just as the universes we inhabit are not quite the same."

"How can that be possible? That there are two of us … wait … didn't you mention the others? Oh, Avo protect me!"

"Clarice! Just … calm down a moment. I can explain how it works, but it'll be much easier if you've read a book called Orbs and the Multiworlds. Phil should sell it in his store across the square."

"You mean Phillippa, the book seller?"

"Whoops! That's an example of what I'm talking about! You see, in my parallel universe the store owner is male, in yours she's female. Well, can you remember reading the book?"

Clarice thought back. The first appearance of the Orb had tweaked her memory. Now she realised why. Phillippa had somehow persuaded her to buy the book, but the theories in it had been so ridiculous … or so she'd thought at the time … that she'd considered it a complete waste of money.

"I remember. It was something about how every choice we make creates a new universe. In each of them, we can be different people, sometimes even the opposite sex. And there were supposed to be Orbs which allow contact between these universes. But the book admitted their existence could be a complete flight of fantasy!"

"Seeing is believing, isn't it? Well, you seemed to have grasped the general idea. At some time in the past, we were one and the same person. Then a decision we made split our universes apart. And now we're separate people, though with many similarities between ourselves and the worlds we inhabit."

"A decision … which decision?"

"It could be any one of a thousand, a million even. Perhaps we'll never find out. Whatever it was, it was enough to send us down different paths in our lives, so that you concentrated on improving your Will to a much greater extent than me. And, to return to our business, that's why I need you now."

"But why can't you ..."

Celeste's voice grew impatient again. "Clarice! I understand that you've got a hundred questions to ask. But I'm not wasting time answering them until you show some commitment to helping me. Touch the Orb!"

Clarice said wavering, "You're still expecting me to trust you."

"Do you trust yourself? I'm you, more or less, as you'll see shortly! Look, believe this at least; you'll still have the choice to return to your universe after you enter the Orb. And things will be a lot clearer. Just touch it, please!"

"I ..."

Celeste said tauntingly, "Perhaps you've also turned into the kind of indecisive, fearful sort of person that's of no use to anyone. Perhaps I shouldn't waste any more of my time on you."

The anger and frustration that had been boiling in the subconscious part of Clarice's mind surged to the surface all at once. Before she realised what she was doing, she'd reached out towards the glittering object.

Instantly Bowerstone Town Square dissolved around her, along with the rest of her universe.

To be replaced by a world of glass.

"Ha! I thought I'd touched a raw nerve!"

She was reminded of the time when a travelling fair had set up near Bower Lake, and she'd visited the Hall of Mirrors. Shimmering surfaces were everywhere, distorting the light in an endless succession of reflections. The size of the area might have been no more than that of her front room, or it might have been infinite. The sudden transition would've been bewildering in itself, but not nearly as completely shocking as the vision before her.

"Oh my god!"

It was like looking through a window framed in crystal. Beyond it she could see the head and upper torso of a woman, wearing robes similar to her own, though instead of pure white, they were dyed a deep sky blue.

But the face was her own, unmistakably.

The positioning of the window within this realm of mirrors might have suggested it was another deceptive duplication of her own image. Clarice was almost certain it was not. For though there could be no doubt that she was looking at someone so like herself as to be her twin, there were differences, some subtle, some quite obvious.

Most strikingly the woman's hair was red, not brown, and her make-up was bold, dark eye-shadow and scarlet lipstick, instead of the lighter, more natural shades that Clarice favoured. Her expression was relaxed and confident rather than alarmed but it was the finer details of her demeanour that made the most impact on Clarice's already stunned mind.

The hints of world-weariness she'd observed in the looking glass earlier were entirely absent. Instead an air of satisfaction, a youthful joie de vivre suggested that her other self either had none of the cares which marked her own face, or made light of them. Her complexion had a softer fullness, on which the signs of good living were apparent. Clarice had seen the same expression of contentment, of almost bored serenity, on the faces of the wealthier inhabitants of Bowerstone, and had been inclined to dismiss it with contempt. Now she was suddenly consumed by a desire to know how someone so intimately related to her could seem so carefree, so light hearted.

To further confirm that her eyes weren't playing tricks, Celeste spoke again. "I told you, didn't I? Seeing is believing!"

Shaking her head in wonderment, Clarice said. "It … it's true, isn't it. You are ..." Her voice sounded peculiar to her own ears.

"Yes. Its like looking in the mirror, isn't it? Well, almost."

"Your hair … its the same colour as my daughter's. Exactly."

"That's an interesting coincidence … if it is one. It's dyed, of course. The natural colour is dark brown like yours. Or at least ..." she gave a mischievous grin "like yours was before you came here."

"Before?" Puzzled Clarice instinctively reached up to touch her hair. The locks hung to her shoulders in a way which felt odd … and they were golden. At the same time she became aware of another strange sensation; her body seemed different, as though she'd lost several inches in height, while her girth and breasts had grown in size.

"What … what have you done to me?" Her voice tone was definitely slightly lower than normal.

Celeste was still grinning. "Me? Nothing. Its the Orb. Its given you a new body."

"What!?"

"Don't freak out! There's no need to be alarmed."

"No need? Are you joking? You didn't tell me this would happen!" Clarice felt her face in distress. She was sure that her nose and cheek-bones weren't the same. "Please, tell me how I can get back to how I was!"

"Don't worry, you'll get your old body back when you return to your own universe. Until then, I'm afraid you'll have to put up with this one. And I didn't tell you because I thought it might put you off entering the Orb. You'll soon get accustomed to the idea."

"But why? Why must I?" Clarice continued to frantically explore the various parts of her body. Her clothes had changed as well. A red kerchief was wound around her throat, and a tight-fitting navy blue bodice with gold trim displayed her fuller cleavage. White sleeves emerged beneath a matching blue cape, and the outfit was completed with light, tan trousers and black, calf-length boots. It was the kind of flamboyant outfit she would have been inclined to wear when she was starting out as an adventurer.

Celeste cleared her throat, and adopted a lecturing stance, gesturing with her hands in an explanatory fashion. "According to the lore of the monks who told me about the Orbs, it isn't possible for any physical material to travel from one universe to another. Or rather it is, but if it ever happened both universes would be destroyed in a terrible catastrophe. You wouldn't want that, would you? Instead the Orb has given you a body and clothing made out of the same substance as the universe you're entering. But your mind and your skills, including your magical powers, should be intact and unaltered." She shrugged. "It looks a perfectly good body to me, quite attractive in a wholesome kind of way, though I expect it'll feel smaller than what you're used to. Take a peek in the window to the side there, and you'll see what you look like, along with some other bodies you could choose if you want. I think the Orb's selected the one it thought was the most suitable."

"The one it thought?" Clarice turned in the direction Celeste was pointing. This time she was confronted by a stranger, a woman with blue eyes and blonde hair parted and bobbed to shoulder length. She had a good-natured, almost matronly look, and she was wearing the same dashing apparel. More than anything else it convinced Clarice that this was the true mirror of her present appearance.

Celeste gave a chuckle. "Evidently the Orb believes you're a nice, clean-living kind of person. But feel free to pick another you're more comfortable with; you just need to reach out with your mind."

Behind the blonde woman were other faces, arranged as though in a gallery. As Clarice concentrated on them, they grew larger and moved into the foreground. For the most part she found them uncongenial. Some had a narrow-eyed, evil look, and an appearance of hungry depravity. More than half were men. The only other female that slightly appealed looked sexually vivacious, but with a strong hint of cruelty. Clarice suspected Celeste would tease her whatever choice she made.

True to form, her alter ego gave a sly wink. "How about trying a man's body for a change? You could find out what its like to have a penis!"

Clarice blushed crimson. Not so much at the lewd manner of Celeste's suggestion, but because it came close to guessing at her own secret feeling of curiosity. She summoned up as much dignity as she was able.

"I suppose this body will have to do. I've had enough changes to cope with already."

"Well you know best, though I've a hunch you'll have plenty more to deal with in future. So, if there's nothing further to detain us …?"

"Wait!" Clarice said hastily. "I still can't understand why you need my help. You have your own life and responsibilities just like me. Why don't you simply concentrate on improving your magic powers, if you need them as badly as you say?"

For the first time Celeste's expression became a trifle less cock-sure. "It isn't quite as easy as that, Clarice. As you must know, the only effective way to improve our powers of Will is to use them in battle. The opponents I need to match myself against would take only small harm from the low level of magic I can summon. The temptation to finish them using my sword or gun would be too much, especially in a dangerous combat. Building my Will up that way would take too long. How much better to have someone at my side whose abilities complement my own, and who can teach me to use magic more effectively."

"Well then use Strength and Skill alone, if that's where your inclination lies. You've obviously managed well enough up till now."

"It's true that I have so far. Therese says the tasks before me require something more, and I'm inclined to believe her this time. Have you heard of the Crucible?"

A chill thrilled up Clarice's spine, a mixture of excitement and apprehension. "The Arena in Westcliff? Where adventurers run the gauntlet against impossible odds, and are slaughtered for the entertainment of the thieves and low lifes that live there? Of course, I've heard of it, but why on earth ..."

"The odds aren't impossible, Clarice." Celeste sounded reproving. "Certainly not for a hero. Mad Dog McGraw, who helps run the place, won through once, and he's not even of hero blood."

"But he was the greatest champion ever! And I've heard that Lucien's made it even tougher since that time."

"Exactly. He's made it into a test of becoming a Spire guard. Hardly anyone qualifies but the strongest and most cunning. And the Spire is where I need to go to rescue Garth. You can see now why I need your help. Against so many deadly opponents, magic will greatly shift the odds in our favour."

Clarice shivered. "We'll be lucky to get anywhere near Westcliff. There's scores of bandits in the way, and rumour has it the area's infested by Balverines."

Celeste drew herself up proudly. "There I have the advantage over you. I've already made it to Westcliff. And Balverines aren't so dangerous if you fight them one or two at a time."

Clarice raised her eyebrows. "That's not what I've heard. Still if you find them so easy to defeat, you obviously don't need me at all."

Celeste looked a little shamefaced. "I had some help from that idiot Hammer. But she was really just covering my back; I did most of the fighting. And we only ended up in the Howling Halls because the stupid smuck insisted on helping a townswoman rescue her son. Turned out she was a White Balverine."

"Skorm's blood, no!"

"All right, I admit things got a bit near the nub, and we certainly aren't walking into that death-trap again. But together we can make it through all the way, I know we can."

"Even if we can ..." Clarice said dubiously. "I can't just turn aside from my own quest. Jeeves won't give me Lucien's diary, and I'm afraid if I don't get it soon, Lucien's going to find out and stop me, probably by killing Jeeves."

"Why in the world couldn't you get it?" Celeste exploded. "He only wanted a thousand gold pieces, for Avo's sake!"

"That's more than I can afford without selling my weapons and equipment." Clarice looked downwards in embarrassment. "And he … he wanted me … to do something quite disgusting."

"And you let him insult you like that, the filthy animal! You should've put the fear of the gods into him like I did! He didn't dare to refuse me."

"Believe me, I tried. He just wasn't convinced I would hurt him."

"Wasn't convinced? After what he did … he was an accomplice to murder, the bastard! He didn't need much convincing of what I would've done to him."

Clarice fell silent. The implications of Celeste's words were coming home to her. She realised that a desperate hope had raised itself in the back of her mind and been utterly dashed within a heartbeat.

She said slowly, "Rose … she's ..."

"I'm sorry, Clarice." Tears glittered in Celeste's eyes. "It's … it's no different in my universe. I've searched and searched for a world in which she was still alive." Her voice broke. "I … never found one."

Clarice felt the moisture welling behind her own lids. "Not even one?"

"No. In the end I came to see that the events which doomed Rose made us into who we are. And that's true of all of the other universes I've been able to reach. It's a basic fact of our existence that Rose is dead. The beginning of our new lives as heroes was the end of hers." Celeste began to sob.

She knows! She understands! Hearing the pain in Celeste's voice, Clarice felt for the first time a bond between them that she could share with no other person.

"We would have saved her if we could."

"But … the guilt ..."

Suddenly the two voices were one voice. "We would have died for her."

They cried together, knowing the same sense of helplessness at events long gone beyond their control. Knowing that there was no hero power that could turn back time, that could erase their pain. The ever present urge impelling them to bring justice and seek revenge was the only means to hold back the overwhelming sorrow.

As their outpouring of grief began to lessen, Celeste was the first to speak.

"I could tell you how to find the diary, or just show it to you if you came to my universe. Though it might not be in the same place or contain the same words as in yours. But, in any case, I promise you that helping me with my quest won't delay yours. You'll return to the exact same place and time that you left, so nothing will have changed."

"You're sure of this?"

"I've confirmed it in one of the other worlds I've visited. The hero entered the Orb but refused to help me, and I watched her go back exactly as I've said." Celeste looked downcast. "Please … I've already searched so far and for so long, even though its taken no real time in my world. Now at last I've found someone who seems perfect. I don't want another disappointment."

She isn't quite so debonair as she first appears. She's really desperate for my help. But … what about my daughter, my family?

"Suppose I died in your universe?"

Celeste met her eyes directly. "To be completely honest, I don't know. The hermits … the monks … couldn't or wouldn't tell me. For all I know you could be completely invincible or might just come back in another body after death. I imagine though you won't want to test those theories to destruction?"

"No … I ..."

"Look, Clarice." Celeste spoke seriously. "I'm not going to tell you that there aren't any risks. But you and I have hero blood, and with that power comes great peril. From the time Lucien blasted us out of that castle window, death has been at our elbow. We can never tell when it might come for us, we can only follow our quest to its destined end. Yes, I'm asking you to put your life in my hands in a world that's not your own. I'm also giving you the chance to experience the greatest, the most amazing adventure a hero could ever be offered. Will you take that opportunity and help me? Or forever wonder what might have happened if you had?"

I can't … I can't turn back now. She's right, this chance may never come again. Whatever the danger, I've got to know …

Celeste extended her arm through the crystalline window. "If you want to join with me, take my hand."

As simple as that … the act of touching.

Without further hesitation, Clarice reached out towards Celeste. The two hands met and clasped one another in a mighty grip.

When she'd entered the Orb, discarding her natural body, there had been no sensation. Now she felt the universe tugging on her with the combined force of a billion billion atoms, and with a heave as from the hand of God, Clarice was wrenched into another world.

*The Orb: the rather obvious chapter title happily coincides with the name of the ambient haus-meisters, of whom the best story is their appearance on Top Of The Pops, in which they played chess while their music played. Much influenced by Kraftwerk, who were, IMHO, much better.

Just like looking in the mirror … almost: an echo of the confrontational scene in Face Off. 'Its like looking at a mirror … only not.' The point being that Troy and Archer see each other's faces and yet are not identical. In this case, only Clarice sees her own face.

It isn't possible for any physical material to travel: As you've probably realised by now, I've partly changed the theory behind characters switching universes. Orbs are not 'Other Reality Based Selves' as stated in the game, but mechanisms which allow 'souls' to travel from one universe to another inside compatible avatar bodies. I'm assuming that if the substance of different universes met there would be a 'matter meets anti-matter' type explosion destroying both. This is more consistent than the game, which debars the 'henchman' character from taking personal equipment and weapons, but still allows them to earn gold in the other universe. (Hardly surprising as the multi-player was cobbled together at the last minute. Its amazing it works at all well. I believe they made it a lot better in Fable3).

Sorry if there was a lack of action in this chapter; also that its taken so long to produce a relatively short one. Writing two stories amid difficult circumstances is a large part of the reason. Whether I'll be continuing with this one or re-concentrating on the other, I can't say right now. The fact that so far interest in I'll Be Your Mirror has been disappointing might influence my decision. But I've enjoyed writing it nonetheless, so who knows, if there are enough pleas … many surprises await Clarice in Celeste's universe.*