Chapter 7

Author’s note: [ and ] delineate mind-to-mind dialog.

We decided to spend the night in the town, so we needed a room in an inn. Hippolyte thought that this would be a good chance for Janos to start learning how to be a free man, so she told him to rent the room. “Hippolyte, I don’t know how to bargain with an innkeeper. What do I do?”

“You have been around when a buyer and seller have talked, so you must have heard what went on. Just do the same kind of thing and try to get a room at a decent price. I’ll be there with you to back you up if you should need help.”

“Well, all right, but I am depending on you to make sure that I don’t do something stupid.” We went inside an inn that looked suitable, and Hippolyte pushed Janos up to the counter. “I want to rent a room for tonight for two people. We also want bathing facilities, supper, and breakfast tomorrow included.”

“Very well, I have just the room you want. I can have a tub of hot water brought to your room. The total charge will be five coppers.”

Janos looked at Hippolyte, and she shook her head. Of course, the innkeeper saw the exchange. It was obvious that he was kicking himself for not asking for even more money when he saw Janos ask for advice from a WOMAN! Janos said, “We have stayed at other inns much finer than this one for only two coppers. Your price is too high. I will pay two coppers for everything that I asked for.”

“Ha! You insult my fine establishment with an offer of only two coppers. Either pay me five coppers or get out of my inn.”

Well, that was too much for Hippolyte. Quick as a flash of lightning, she drew her short sword and banged its flat side on the counter. Either her quick reaction or the noise, or maybe it was both, got the innkeeper’s attention. She said, “Okay, we have been polite long enough! Any more insults from you, you fat fish, and I will gut you with one stroke of this puny sword! Now, either make us an honest price or we will leave to find a better inn.”

“By the gods, woman, you can’t talk to me like that. The price is now seven coppers. Take it or leave it!”

“You fool, you have no idea who you are talking to. I am Hippolyte, the erstwhile queen of the Amazons, and my patience is running thin. Do you want our business or not?”

For what was probably the first time, the innkeeper took a good look at Hippolyte and saw all of the weapons that she was carrying. “My Lady, please forgive me for my rash and impolite manner. I will be happy to let you and this gentleman have a room for two coppers. Please put up your sword and let us discuss this matter calmly.”

“Very well, I will retract my threat. We will take the room for two coppers, provided it meets our requirements. Show it to us immediately.”

Hippolyte had thoroughly cowed the innkeeper. He led us to a room that surely must normally rent for more than two coppers a night, but that would be to a merchant who was less well armed, even if he had a bodyguard. He opened the door and we trooped in. Hippolyte looked around and said to Janos, “Well, Janos, do you think that this room will serve our needs?”

“Yes, Hippolyte, I think that it will do well enough, provided we have the bath delivered shortly after supper.” Aha! Janos was a fast learner! Hippolyte handed the innkeeper two coppers and dismissed him.

Janos sat heavily on the bed. “By the gods, Hippolyte, I had no idea there was so much to renting a room for the night!”

Hippolyte laughed and said, “Janos, my love, the fool of an innkeeper just had no idea who he was dealing with. The important point for you to learn from this little episode is that you must assert yourself or you will constantly be cheated.”

Janos reacted in a totally unexpected manner. “Hippolyte, you called me your love! Did you mean that, or were you just teasing me?”

“By the gods, I did say that, didn’t I? Janos, I don’t know where the word ‘love’ came from. I will have to think on it, but I will say that you mean more to me than any other man I ever associated with. That is due to your great abilities with sex, even surpassing the renowned Herakles. Whether or not I can truly love you for only that remains to be seen, but I will truthfully say that I feel blessed to know you. I can’t say any more right now.”

Janos dropped to his knees in front of Hippolyte and said, “Hippolyte, I know that I have been blessed by the gods to meet you. From this moment on, I will try as hard as I can to earn your love in every way, not just from sex. All I ask is that you continue to teach me what I need to know to please you.”

Hippolyte had a bemused look on her face, but she pulled Janos to his feet and hugged him tenderly. “Janos, you have just gone a long way toward winning my love. Yes, I will work hard to teach you what you need to know to be the man that you can be.”

That was when I had my brainstorm. [Hippolyte, when do you think that it would be a good time to tell Janos about us. You know that it will have to be done pretty soon, or he could start to think that you are insane.]

[Janos would not be the only one to think that. Sometimes, I wonder if you are really there or if I am dreaming. Do you really think that it is time for us to tell him?]

[I can’t think of a better time. You certainly have his attention right now, so he is primed to hear the truth from you.]

[Okay, I guess that you are right.] “Janos, I must tell you a secret about me, and you are going to find it very hard to believe. Sit back on the edge of the bed, and I will sit beside you while I tell you of a most wonderful and unique gift that I have received from the gods.

“First, a little background. Have you ever seen anyone else using a saddle like mine with stirrups? Have you ever seen anyone else using her right hand for a sword and her left hand for a mace? Have you ever seen anyone else with plastic armor? Have you ever seen anyone else with soap for bathing? Have you ever seen anyone else with so many new forms of sex? I could go on, but that is enough for now.”

“No, I have never seen any of those things, but I figured that things must be done that way in Amazonia.”

“Well, let me tell you that those things would be just as odd and mysterious in Amazonia as they are here. I have been greatly favored by both Ares and Aphrodite. Maybe there are other gods, too, who have contributed to my favor, but I don’t recognize them yet.

“I never saw or heard of any of those things until I left Amazonia. Those wonderful things started happening for me only a few months ago. I received this great gift from the gods one night while I slept. I woke up one morning and found myself sharing my body with a companion from the far future where all of these wonderful things are commonplace.

“Naturally, at first, I thought that I was cursed, but it didn’t take me long to see what a gift I had received. I am sharing my body and mind with a woman from the future named Jane. Things are so very different there that you would not believe them. I had trouble at first accepting the new things that Jane was showing me, but she has not guided me wrong a single time. Naturally, I am selfish and hope that she will continue to show and teach me things that will help me to live a long and happy life. Now I want you to meet Jane and bring yourself to believe what I have been telling you.”

“Hello, Janos. This is Jane speaking to you. I don’t know if you believe Hippolyte or not, but what she tells you is absolutely true. The easiest illustration of our duality is that she is the one who swings the sword with our right hand and I am the one who swings the mace with our left hand. We had to learn to do that so that we did not mess each other up, but it has become a very useful ability. What can I do to show you that I am really here?”