ecial treatment. Certainly, Mallory reflected, she was nothing if
she was not co-operative.

After showing her around he wasted no time in getting down to the
business on hand, and stepping into the control room, he punched out
the data necessary to take the _Yore_ back to 7:15 p.m. of the same
day, and to re-materialize it one half mile west of its present
position, as an overlap was bound to occur. There was a barely
noticeable tremor as the transition took place, and simultaneously the
darkness showing on the control-room telewindow transmuted to dusk.

Turning away from the jump board, he saw Rowena regarding him with
large eyes from the doorway. "We're now back to a point in time that
precedes the theft of the Sangraal," he told her, "and we're relocated
farther down the valley. But don't let it throw you. None other than
Merlin himself built the magic apparatus you see before you in this
room, and you know yourself that once he makes up his mind to it,
Merlin can do anything."

She blinked once, but evinced no other signs of surprise. "Yea, fair
sir," she said, "I am ware of the magic of Merlin."

"However," Mallory went on, "magic such as this isn't something for a
gentlewoman such as yourself to fool around with, so I must forbid you
to enter this room during my absence from the castle. Also, while
we're on the subject, I must also forbid you to leave the castle
during my absence. Merlin would be upset no end if there were two
damosels that hight Rowena gallivanting around the countryside at the
same time."

She blinked again. "By my troth, fair sir," she said, "I would lever
die than disobey thy two commands." And then, "Have ye ate any meat
late?"

This time, Mallory blinked, "Meat?"

"It is fitting that ye should eat meat afore ye ride out."

"Oh, you mean food. I'll eat when I get back. But there's no need for
you to wait." He took her into the supply room and showed her where
the vacuum tins were stored. "You open them like this," he explained,
pulling one out and activating the desealer. "Then, as soon as the
contents cool off a little, you sit down to dinner."

"But this be not meat," she objected.

"Maybe not, but it's a good substitute, and a lot better for you." A
thought struck him, and he took her into the lavatory and showed her
how to operate the hot and cold-water dispenser, ascribing the setup
to more of Merlin's magic. He debated on whether to explain the
function and purpose of the