y. "And it does not
appear seemly that an ordinary mortal should mention--"

"I teach History," Forrester said. "I know of such quarrels. Especially
between Athena and Aphrodite."

"And?"

"It's obvious. Since I'm an acolyte of Athena, it may be that Aphrodite
wished to keep my arrest secret."

"I doubt it," the High Priestess said.

Forrester wished he could believe her. But his own theory looked
uncomfortably plausible. "It certainly looks as if I'm right."

"Well--" For a second the High Priestess paled visibly, the freckles
that went with her red hair standing out clearly on her face and giving
her the disturbing appearance of an eleven-year-old. No eleven-year-old,
however, Forrester reminded himself, had ever been built like the High
Priestess.

Then she regained her color and laughed, all in an instant. "For a
minute," she said in a light tone, "you almost convinced me of your
forebodings. But there's nothing in them. There couldn't be."

Forrester opened his mouth, and _Why not?_ was on his lips. But he never
got a chance to say the words. The High Priestess blinked and peered
more closely at his face, and before he had a chance to speak she asked
him: "What happened to you?"

"A small accident," Forrester said quickly. It was a lie, but he thought
a pardonable one. The truth was just too complicated to spin out; he had
no real intent to deceive.

But the High Priestess shook her head. "No," she said. "Not an accident.
A fight. Your hands are skinned and bruised."

"Very well," Forrester said. "It was a fight. But I was attacked, and
entitled to defend myself."

"I'm sure," the High Priestess said. "Yet I have a question for you. Who
won?"

"Won? I did. Naturally."

It sounded boastful, he reflected, but it wasn't. He had won, and it had
been natural to him to do so. His build and strength, as well as his
speed, had made any other outcome unlikely.

And the High Priestess didn't seem to take offense. She said only: "I
thought so. Just a moment." Then she walked over to a telephone. It was
a simple act but Forrester watched it fervently. First she stood up, and
then she took a step, and then another step ... and her whole body
moved. And moved.

It was marvelous. He watched her bend down to pick up the phone without
any clear idea of the meaning of the motions. The motions themselves
were enough. Every curve and jiggle and bounce was engraved forever on
his mind.

The High Priestess dialed