the separation, she healed
by applying a salve, assuring him that he would in time grow a new tail
to take the place of the old, as is the way with snakes the world over.

* * * * *

When Dionaea awoke and found herself with a female snake's body, and
Baena mooning over her like a lovesick coil of ship's hawser, she let
out strings of oaths such as no ship's hawser had heard since the
beginning of time. All of which seemed strikingly snake-charming to
Baena, who only kissed Dionaea lovingly with his pointed tongue and
assured her she would get used to him or he would devour her and seek a
new mate elsewhere. With which assurance Dionaea ceased to curse and
began to fawn upon Baena, saying:

"Why, how can you think it is your noble self I object to, Baena? It is
just that I did not expect this development! I have grown so used to you
that there is really very little difference, after all."

So conversing, the now lowly Dionaea and the now lordly Baena glided
from the chamber and made their way down the ruby ladder of strange
crystal, and out into the world. For it is only so that a male can leave
the pole of the universal life force of the female principle, in the
company of a female good enough to keep his mind from obeying the
influence of the magnetic field.

Feronia, watching the scene, decided it was time for bed, and mentally
taking Druga by the ear, led him out and down the ruby ladder and across
the rainbow bridge of fragile glass into her own halls.

"Eos will handle her difficulties much the better without our presence,
Druga. Besides we must get to bed, for in the morning there will be much
work to attend to...."

"What you have in mind?"

"Well, first we have to practice the magical performance we have just
watched Eos go through, so that if we ever need it we too can release a
figure from that stony curse of petrifaction. It is a most uncomfortable
state. Then we have to return to Eos' disk palace and from her get
certain information, such as the whirlpool she used to suck up the
strength of Diana and cast it out into a current of force flowing
through hyper-space--for we might need it sometime in the future."

"Which I devoutly pray you will not manage," murmured Druga, yawning. "I
am too tired to even think about such a thing tonight."

With which words Druga stretched himself across the bed and straightway
began to snore, and Feronia, who had expected a warmer we