11. Lords of Eros
"You've reached the final stages of your trials, Don, and it's time we gave you some additional information," Pamela said seriously. "You have not simply been being evaluated on whether or not you accomplished your tasks, but also on
how
you have accomplished them, how you have conducted yourself. The rings grant substantial power in Eros. Those who have them exercise quite a bit of authority in making this world into what they desire, and thereby shape the experience of everyone else in Eros. We watchers, as you call us, try as much as possible to refrain from interfering directly, and have followed this policy for some time. However, we do not want Eros to become a static environment.
"It should instead be something that grows and changes with the interests and decisions of those to whom it matters most. That is, you and the others who have gone to such lengths to gain these rings. We concluded that we should bequeath dominion of this world to you and the others. We have, in effect, made the owners of the rings lords of Eros. This is a grave responsibility, and we cannot give such power to anyone who will not take it seriously."
Don frowned thoughtfully and said, "That makes sense."
"Throughout your time in Eros, with the possible exception of the unpleasantness with those ruffians by the river, you have exhibited patience and kindness in your dealings with others. When the Wizard asked you for help, you responded creatively and cheerfully."
"Well, he didn't really give us much choice," Don smiled.
"That's not true," Pamela shook her head. "You could have resisted, or at the very least helped him grudgingly. Even when you fought your way through the Sisterhood to rescue Tascha, you went out of your way to disrupt their little culture as little as possible. You and Tascha consistently treated the people you met with respect. Your care and concern for your travelling companions was evident throughout your time in Eros.
"When you were in Shagbottom, rather than simply ask for where to find Lady Primrose and then leave, you made friends. When you were sent into the untamed lands, you spent the time to learn about the tribes' ways and customs, and then adapted your approach accordingly. Over the course of a year in the Resort, when you were prevented from interacting with the guests in a directly sexual way, you consistently helped people find ways to enjoy themselves. For instance, there was this..."
Suddenly there was, hovering over the table between them an extremely well-rendered holographic display of a scene at the Resort. Don and a young woman were sitting on a bench outside the Temple of Venus and Aphrodite. The woman was in her early twenties at the most and Don had found her outside the temple crying. She had just spent several hours in the orgy room, and then suddenly felt that she was doing something very wrong. This was the first time Don had encountered anything like this in Eros. He had only talked to her and then sat with her until she felt better.
"She felt guilty about enjoying so much sex so much," Don explained. "She couldn't remember it, but I'm sure she was raised in a very repressive family, probably a fundamentalist Christian one. I guess most of those folks who end up here just roll with it, but she had internalized the whole insane set of rules and thought of her healthy sexuality as depravity. She was too honest, too good a person, to just dive in and live with the hypocrisy."
"Did you say any of that to her?" Pamela asked.
"No, that wouldn't have been helpful," Don shook his head. "She just needed someone to listen and not tell her what to do for five minutes."
"You spent more than an hour and a half with her."
Don shrugged.
"Then there was Ms. Biel," Pamela smiled. "When she realized Eros wasn't just a dream and that she had been cheating on her husband, you talked her through it, helping her come to a happy understanding of her situation."
"Oh, yeah, Saint Don," he laughed. "I was hoping to have a lot more sex with her."
"Of course, but there are many ways of going about meeting that end, and you chose a thoughtful and caring approach," Pamela said. "I'm going over all of this to emphasize the kind of character we see in you Don and to stress that it is because of that character, more than the fact that you want the ring or have accomplished these tasks, that we are allowing you to continue onto the final two steps. You are worthy of the responsibility."
Don sat silently for a moment before saying, "Thank you." Then, suddenly concerned, he asked, "Is Evelyn worthy? I don't mean that
I
think she might not be!"
Pamela smiled again and said, "That is between her and us. Though I can tell you that she has already been given her sixth task."
Grinning, Don said, "Oh, excellent! But do you often decide someone will not continue?"
"Often? No, but it does happen."
Don thought about Stephanie and Nicole and wondered if they would pass onto the next stage, or if they had already.
"For your next task, we require that you contribute something to Eros. This is to be a lasting feature of this world. You might think of this as a graduate project. For example, The Jungle Room was India's project in response to this task, and the Dark Labyrinth was built using the capability we'll be giving you."
"Okay, but..."
Pamela anticipated his question, "Your ring has been upgraded so that you now have 'Builder' permissions."
Don looked at his ring, which now looked like a simple gold band.
Pamela went on, "You'll see the 'Builder' option next to travel, but this is simply a mode you'll enter. How to actually build things and the limits of your ability are things we leave to you to discover. Do not be surprised, though, if people without rings seem to ignore you while you are in builder mode. They will know you're there and stay out of your way, but they will not be interested in what you're doing. When you dismiss that menu bar, you will exit the mode."
Don frowned and said, "I guess I'll work it out, then."
"That's the idea," Pamela smiled. "Do you have any questions?"
"Yes, actually. Can two of us collaborate?"
"As long as there are two clearly distinct contributions to Eros at the end of things, yes."
"And we can do whatever we like and put it anywhere?"
