Beetle Juice by Piers Anthony Page B

minds were thus an embarrassment.
    Meanwhile the young man was dismayed. It seemed that he had had access to both women, and now feared competition. He wondered what they had gotten into. He needed reassurance, as Wetzel did not want to have to deal with a jealous husband or equivalent. “Perhaps I can answer that too, Tod,” he said, naming the man. “There is a concept in my mind that I presume stems from the Amoeba and relates to our mission.” Again, this was partly guesswork that he hoped to have confirmed.
    â€œA concept?” the man asked. He was evidently the leader of this group. “What is it?”
    â€œBeetle Juice. I am as perplexed by it as you are, but there it is.”
    â€œWe will surely be finding out soon,” the older man said. His name turned out to be Wizard, and it seemed that was literal. He could actually perform magic.
    â€œBug juice,” Vanja the Vampire said. “That could be considered a form of blood.”
    â€œOr simply a squished insect,” the young man, Tod, said.
    â€œFirst things first,” the luscious vampire said. She had voluminous black hair that flounced about her shoulders and breasts, contrasting red pupils, and of course visible fangs. “You must be worn from your journey here, and there is much we will need to tell you. Why don’t I just get you alone for a while and bring you up to date, Wetzel?”
    Both men smiled, agreeing, knowing her nature, and the other woman, after a pause, agreed too. It seemed that Vanja would be the one to initiate him into their group. He was amenable.
    â€œYour other form is a unicorn,” Vanja said. “I’m a girl, and girls love horses. Similar species. Would you let me ride you?”
    Such a thing had not occurred to him. Be ridden like an animal? Yet he wanted to get along with these people, and if this was the price of her favor, he could do it.
    And that will alleviate your nakedness
,
which is embarrassing Veee,
she thought.
    Oh. He transformed.
    She stood beside him, then jumped, sprawling onto his back. She swung a leg over, grabbed his mane, and sat up, steadying herself. “I’m not an experienced rider. You can readily dump me off if you have a mind to. I won’t be hurt; I’ll simply go to my bat form and hover.”
    Now he realized something else. She wore no clothing. What had looked like clothing was pigmented skin. He felt her bare thighs against his skin, all the way up to her crotch. That was a sexual turn-on. She was no virgin, but she was certainly interesting, and would do for a sexual partner. He stepped forward carefully so that she would not be dislodged.
    I assume you are reading my mind
, she thought without speaking.
You know I want to have sex with you. That’s why I’m touching you in a way I know you are noticing. There’s a private glade up this path where we can stop and do it. Then we’ll talk.
    He could not speak in this form, but he could respond. He walked along the path her mind indicated. She was correct about his noticing her warm thighs and crotch. He was eager to have sex with her, more so than with any non-virginal stranger he could remember.
    We’re two of a kind, transformers, just different types. We should get along. But tell me by nodding your head: is it true about unicorns and virgins?
    He nodded his head.
    But you can enjoy regular women too?
    He nodded again. He was already enjoying their physical contact.
    â€œThen we’ll get along,” she said, reverting to audible speech now that she had confirmed the telepathic mode. “Now I have some points to make while I have you muzzled. I’m no virgin, but I can seduce any man in short order when I try. I will be happy to demonstrate with you. Meanwhile I’ll answer your most likely question: yes, it’s true about vampires and blood. But as a general rule I don’t take the blood of friends, and I do have an alternate way to