ng and loading supplies; I noted from the
corner of my eye that Regis Hastur was taking his turn heaving bundles
with the rest. I sat down on some still-undisturbed sacks, and motioned
her to sit.

"You've had trail experience? We're going into the Hellers through
Dammerung, and that's rough going even for professionals."

* * * * *

She said in a flat expressionless voice, "I was with the Terran Mapping
expedition to the South Polar ridge last year."

"Ever been in the Hellers? If anything happened to me, could you lead
the expedition safely back to Carthon?"

She looked down at her stubby fingers. "I'm sure I could," she said
finally, and started to rise. "Is that all?"

"One thing more--" I gestured to her to stay put. "Kyla, you'll be one
woman among eight men--"

The snubbed nose wrinkled up; "I don't expect you to crawl into my
blankets, if that's what you mean. It's not in my contract--I hope!"

I felt my face burning. Damn the girl! "It's not in mine, anyway," I
snapped, "but I can't answer for seven other men, most of them mountain
roughnecks!" Even as I said it I wondered why I bothered; certainly a
free Amazon could defend her own virtue, or not, if she wanted to,
without any help from me. I had to excuse myself by adding, "In either
case you'll be a disturbing element--I don't want fights, either!"

She made a little low-pitched sound of amusement. "There's safety in
numbers, and--are you familiar with the physiological effect of high
altitudes on men acclimated to low ones?" Suddenly she threw back her
head and the hidden sound became free and merry laughter. "Jason, I'm a
free Amazon, and that means--no, I'm not neutered, though some of us
are. But you have my word, I won't create any trouble of any
recognizably female variety." She stood up. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd
like to check the mountain equipment."

Her eyes were still laughing at me, but curiously I didn't mind at all.
There was a refreshing element in her manner.

* * * * *

We started that night, a curiously lopsided little caravan. The pack
animals were loaded into one truck and didn't like it. We had another
stripped-down truck which carried supplies. The ancient stone roads,
rutted and gullied here and there with the flood-waters and silt of
decades, had not been planned for any travel other than the feet of men
or beasts. We passed tiny villages and isolated count