point,
Robin behind him, Chandler in the rear. They jabbed with the stake as
the Cyclops's hand swept along the floor again. The Cyclops roared with
pain and rage and beat both mighty hands on the rocky floor, attempting
to crush its tormentors.

Just then Glaudot regained consciousness and stood up groggily. "Don't
move!" Charlie warned, taking the chance of revealing their own position
in an attempt to save Glaudot's life.

But Glaudot, seeing the huge creature so close, began to run. It was
like running on a treadmill. He ran and he ran and after a while the
Cyclops reached down and plucked him off the floor. He screamed thinly.
There was the same crunching as before--and no Glaudot ...

Now the Cyclops, its appetite whetted, searched the floor in a frenzy of
earnest on hands and knees. The great head swung low, close to the
floor, the single eye stared myopically. Once the huge hand clubbed the
rock so close to them that Charlie could feel the floor shaking. They
retreated slowly toward the far wall of the cave, the monster following
relentlessly. They still held the heavy stake between them but had not
yet gathered either the strength or the courage for their one try. If
they failed--

They had backed up as far as they could. The wall was behind them. The
monster came on, its head low, its nose practically scraping the ground.
It swept the floor with a giant hand, a fingertip barely touching
Charlie and almost knocking him senseless. He shook his head and took
deep breaths until his strength returned.

"Now," he said, as the hand began its swinging arc again.

* * * * *

They ran forward toward the creature's single eye with the stake.

Charlie barely remembered the contact, or the bath of eye-fluid and
blood which followed, or the wild roaring of the brute creature, or its
frantic charging back and forth, blinded, across the cave, while the
flock bleated and stampeded. After a while the crazed Cyclops ran to the
cave entrance and shouldered the great door-rock aside, rushing out into
the day.

It went tearing down the slope and did not stop until, battered and
bleeding, it reached the sea. It stood on the narrow strand of beach for
a moment, scooping great handfuls of water for its stricken eye. Then
it plunged into the surf.

They went outside and watched it. They made their way down the slope
while it advanced into the sea. Finally only the great head remained
above th