l across the
valley. Elaine would have liked that, but she wasn't with him, now.

Then he realized that somebody was speaking to him, in a small,
bashful voice. He turned, and saw a little girl in shorts and a
sleeveless jacket, holding in her arms a long-haired blond puppy
with big ears and appealing eyes.

"Hello, both of you," he said.

The puppy wriggled and tried to lick the girl's face.

"Don't, Mopsy. We want to talk to this gentleman," she said.
"Are you really and truly the Space Viking?"

"Really and truly. And who are you two?"

"I'm Myrna. And this is Mopsy."

"Hello, Myrna. Hello, Mopsy."

Hearing his name, the puppy wriggled again and dropped from the
child's arms; after a brief hesitation, he came over and jumped onto
Trask's lap, licking his face. While he petted the dog, the girl
came over and sat on the bench beside him.

[Illustration]

"Mopsy likes you," she said. After a moment, she added: "I like you, too."

"And I like you," he said. "Would you want to be my girl? You know,
a Space Viking has to have a girl on every planet. How would you
like to be my girl on Marduk?"

Myrna thought that over carefully. "I'd like to, but I couldn't.
You see, I'm going to have to be Queen, some day."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Grandpa is King now, and when he's through being King, Pappa
will have to be King, and then when he's through being King, I can't
be King because I'm a girl, so I'll have to be Queen. And I can't be
anybody's girl, because I'm going to have to marry somebody I don't
know, for reasons of state." She thought some more, and lowered her
voice. "I'll tell you a secret. I am a Queen now."

"Oh, you are?"

She nodded. "We are Queen, in our own right, of our Royal Bedroom,
our Royal Playroom, and our Royal Bathroom. And Mopsy is our
faithful subject."

"Is Your Majesty absolute ruler of these domains?"

"No," she said disgustedly. "We must at all times defer to our Royal
Ministers, just like Grandpa has to. That means, I have to do just
what they tell me to. That's Lady Valerie, and Margot, and Dame Eunice,
and Sir Thomas. But Grandpa says they are good and wise ministers.
Are you really a Prince? I didn't know Space Vikings were Princes."

"Well, my King says I am. And I am ruler of my planet, and I'll tell
you a secret. I don't have to do what anybody tells me."

"Gee! Are you a tyrant? You're awfully big and strong. I'll bet
you've slain just hundreds of cruel and wicked enemies."