met. He knew his life hung in the balance.

He watched, fascinated and helpless, as the Indian who had slain Ensign
Chandler came toward him.

* * * * *

Tashtu said: "Two raiding bands, Lord. One go north. Other south. We
follow?"

They had reached the advance Indian camp on the fringe of the Wild
Country. So far they had seen nothing of the Cyclopes who lived in this
part of the world. Of all their creations, Charlie and Robin feared and
avoided only the Cyclopes, the enormous one-eyed giants which had so
intrigued Robin in the encyclopedia that she'd had a compulsion to
create them, and had done so.

"We can't follow both bands," Charlie said, looking troubled.

"Why can't we?" Robin asked. "You go north with some of the braves,
Charlie. I'll go south. We ought to be able to overtake the raiding
parties before anything happens."

"I can't let you go alone."

"All right. I'll take Tashtu with me. Don't you think Tashtu can take
care of me as well as you can?"

"Well, I just don't like the idea--" Charlie began.

"That's silly. If we have to find them before there's trouble, we have
to find them. Well, don't we?"

Charlie gave her an uncertain nod. He had grown up with her and had seen
her every day of his life, but every time he took a good look at her, at
the lovely face and the tawny, long-limbed form ill-concealed by the
gold-mesh garments, it took his breath away. Although in a sense a whole
world was his plaything, he had never seen anything so lovely. Finally
he said, "I guess you're too logical for me. Take care of her, Tashtu."

"With my life, Lord," the Indian vowed as the group broke up. Robin ran
to Charlie and hugged him, kissing his cheek half playfully, half in
earnest.

"You be careful, too," she said, and went off with Tashtu and several of
the braves.

* * * * *

Naturally she was excited. She knew more about spacemen than Charlie
did. She had read the encyclopedia more carefully, hadn't she? She
wondered what the spacemen would be like. She couldn't help wondering it
because the only man she had ever known, except for those they had
created, was Charlie. Of course, she hadn't told Charlie this in so many
words, but she felt, had always felt, vaguely and now felt clearly, that
before she could settle down contentedly with Charlie, she would have to
know something of the world beyond Crimson. And there was a vast
world--a