to see the spaceship, please," said Robin.

"Afterwards, I promise you," Glaudot said. "Why, we can make all the
spaceships we want--out of nothing. Can't we?"

"Yes," said Robin. "I guess so. But even if we hide from your friends,
my friend Charlie will find us. He'll be worried about me and he'll find
us. Charlie can do everything I can do, you see."

* * * * *

Glaudot stared at her with anger in his eyes. Then something else
replaced the anger. No, he thought, Charlie couldn't do everything she
could do. She was beautiful. Her half-nude body summoned desire in him.
Tentatively, ready to withdraw his hand at the first indication of
protest, he touched her bare shoulder. She made no response. She merely
stood there, waiting for some kind of an answer from him.

"Then we'll have to hide from Charlie too. Please believe me," Glaudot
said. "I'm a spaceman and you know very little about spacemen. Do you
want to learn?"

"Yes. Yes, I do."

"Then take me some place even Charlie will have difficulty finding us."

"But he'll know."

"What do you mean he'll know? Don't tell me you can read one another's
minds?"

"Oh, goodness, no. Nothing like that. But when we were very little I
once told Charlie if ever I got mad at him I would go to hide in the
country of the Cyclopes and he would never be able to find me because
the Cyclopes would eat him. That was after we read about the Cyclopes in
the Ulysses story in our encyclopedia. You see?"

"Cyclopes, huh? You really mean one-eyed giants?"

"Yes. We made them but they don't obey us."

"Can the two of us hide in their land? Is it far?"

"No. Very close. But I don't know if I want--"

"I'm a spaceman, aren't I? And you want to learn all about spacemen and
the worlds beyond this place, don't you? Then come with me!"

"But--"

"If you say no and I go back to the spaceship we'll blast off and you'll
never see spacemen again the rest of your life," threatened Glaudot.

Robin did not answer. "Well?" Glaudot snapped, as if he was quite
indifferent. "Would you want that to happen?"

"No," Robin admitted after a while.

"Then let's go." They had to hurry, Glaudot knew. Riding that stallion,
that incredible conjured-out-of-nothing stallion, Chandler had probably
reached the spaceship by now. A few words, a few hurried explanations,
and Purcell would lead an armed party out after Glaudot.

Again Robin was silent. Glaudot stood stiffly i