Emerald said, “So you’ll support me even though you don’t completely trust me? You’ll make sure this duel doesn’t come to pass?”

Diopside replied, “I will try. My host wants to talk to your host.”

By now Emerald knew that Jake and Diopside didn’t have the same complicated relationship that he had with Joey. The slight change of expression on Jake’s face just meant that he was preparing to speak for himself rather than repeat what Diopside asked him to say – and was looking for a similar change of expression on Joey’s face.

Jake asked, “How much do you remember about when you decided to become a host – and when you actually did?”

Joey shook his head, not in negation or refusal so much as if trying to shake something off. “I don’t. I’ve lost a lot of my memories. I have some memories before I became a host, but none from just before or during.”

Joey didn’t mention specifically his military service or the court martial. He didn’t know how Jake would respond to those, or how much he needed Jake as an ally. Anyway, he felt Emerald uneasy in the back of his mind, wondering if he should interfere in the conversation. There was no harm being discrete.

When Jake remained silent Joey asked, “Is that unusual? Are you missing any memories?”

The other man replied, “No. Diopside has been very good to me. I always loved Eightfold books and movies and games, but I decided I must be crazy when I actually felt an elder trying to communicate with me. Finally I asked him for some technological innovations I could actually sell on Earth. Not all elders could do that, but he’s actually a technomancer specializing in ancient technologies, so he did. He also warned me that it had been a rougher than average transition and elders were hungry. I go to crowded places during the week where he can absorb little fragments of mindstuff.”

Joey asked, “So he consumed little bits of other’s minds?”

Jake replied, “No. Apparently minds cast off little bits of detritus, which are no longer part of them. Elders subsist on this energy, and ethically they can’t consume anything that hasn’t already been discarded. Although the hosts from the early stage of a first contact are a special case.”

He told Emerald, “I’m feeling so special right now. You never suggested anything like that to me.”

Emerald stirred uneasily within him. “This is our first day, isn’t it?”

That Joey remembered anyway.

And he had a couple of other strange things he needed to ask about. “Have you ever … gone up levels?”

Jake looked at him strangely. “Like in a tabletop RPG? Or a computer game?”

Would Jake think he was crazy if he told the truth? Was it dangerous to let a bunch of mad people think you were crazy? Did everyone go up in levels here, or were they all NPC’s?

On the other hand, if everyone knew something he didn’t, it was time to fix that.

“More like a computer game, complete with a blue box telling me I’ve gone up a level.”

Jake studied him. “Modern VR and AR games don’t work that way. Did you play a whole bunch of online RPG’s when you were younger?”

Joey couldn’t remember specific incidents or games, but he knew the answer to that question. After a moment he gave it truthfully. “Yes.”

Jake spoke more slowly now, as if feeling his way as he spoke, or trying to decide how much to give away. “There’s something wrong with both you and Emerald. All the other elders can sense it. Sapphire wanted to take advantage of it, and was surprised when Emerald won his last fight. I don’t want to make things worse by causing suspicion without need …”

Suddenly Joey knew how Jake wanted to finish that sentence, but wasn’t quite sure he should. He braced himself internally, and resisted any thoughts that might risk letting Emerald take over in the next few seconds. He said, “If some of this is Emerald’s fault, is there anything I can do to defend myself against him?”

Joey felt Emerald stir uneasily inside his mind, but he did not or could not take over. Jake answered, “No, not really. The two of you could probably be separated with help which is unavailable on Earth right now. Other than that, if he just left you would probably stop living. And so might he, but that wouldn’t help you.”

Joey said grimly, “So whatever issues there are between us, we live or die together now.

“Well, you have one advantage. If he’s challenging you to a duel, you get to choose the weapons.”

“They’re going to claim that I’m challenging the determination of the other members of the Green Alliance that I’m not the representative of Green Sword Honor. Surely they can’t get away with that?”

“Does Sapphire think they can?”

Joey nodded. “He seems to.”

Jake sighed. “I gather from Diopside that he’s clever and cunning and in no way deluded or a fool. We’re going to try to fight that tonight, so make sure you’re here by about 7:30 pm so he can’t claim you didn’t bother to meet with the River.”