ed to the earth by a power greater than his will. The club was
inches away, and Jenkins closed his eyes to it and made a silent prayer.

There was a dull thud as the club dropped from the giant's hand to the
ground. And another thud as the body of the giant landed with
breath-taking force across that of the Earthman. Jenkins grunted in
pain. He shoved at the inert figure sprawled across him and rolled it to
one side. His breath whistled through his nostrils as he arose and
brushed the dirt from him and he wondered dully how he had been saved.

"They are as children," a voice replied to his unspoken question. "And
like children, they can't reason ..."

The whistle came from his lips this time, as he did a double-take at the
figure which confronted him. She was standing not three feet from him, a
tall, lissome figure, dressed in a sheer costume which hid her figure,
yet left enough to be seen to entrance the eye. Midnight black hair, a
beautifully carved throat, perfection for nose and lips, and eyes
haughty as a queen's, made up the rest of her. He could only stare,
open-mouthed in admiration, lost in her beauty.

A faint smile touched her lips as she advanced toward him. He caught the
movement of others, also, and from the corners of his eyes saw that she
had not come alone. Attending her were mailed bodyguards wearing
sixteenth century armor.

"I thought the other came alone," Lucretia said, "but now I see I was
wrong. He is up there. You will be there, too."

"Up there?" Jenkins asked somewhat foolishly, pointing to the castle in
the distance.

"Yes. Up there. Come along, now." She turned and moved away from him,
and the mailed men took her place.

This time Jenkins made no move of protest. The long swords and small
knives these men carried in their belts made foolish any attempt to
fight them.

* * * * *

It took a great deal less time to reach the castle than Jenkins would
have thought possible. Yet, there were no means of transportation other
than walking. The castle was much like one Jenkins remembered in a movie
he had seen. A huge drawbridge swung down over the wide and deep moat
before the perpendicular walls of the castle, trumpets sounded and
mailed guards ran to appointed places at the castle's entrance. The
beautiful creature nodded in acknowledgment of their salute as she
stepped past them, Jenkins at her side and the eight bodyguards, two
abreast, walking behind.