e the Sea-King to shock
us."

Rastignac smiled his appreciation of this coup. Mapfarity's ears
crackled blue sparks of joy, his equivalent of blushing.

"Ah, then you have doubtless listened in to many broadcasts. And you
know where the Earthman is located?"

"Yes," said the Giant. "He is in the palace of the Amphib King, upon
the island of Kataproimnoin. That is only thirty miles out to the
sea."

Rastignac did not know what he would do, but he had two advantages in
the Amphibs' Skins and in Lusine. And he burned to get off this doomed
planet, this land of men too sunk in false happiness, sloth, and
stupidity to see that soon death would come from the water.

He had two possible avenues of escape. One was to use the newly
arrived Earthman's knowledge so that the fuels necessary to propel the
ferry-rockets could be manufactured. The rockets themselves still
stood in a museum. Rastignac had not planned to use them because
neither he nor any one else on this planet knew how to make fuel for
them. Such secrets had long ago been forgotten.

But now that science was available through the newcomer from Earth,
the rockets could be equipped and taken up to one of the Six Flying
Stars. The Earthman could study the rocket, determine what was needed
in the way of supplies, then it could be outfitted for the long
voyage.

An alternative was the Terran's vessel. Perhaps he might invite him to
come along in it....

The huge gateway to Mapfarity's castle interrupted his thoughts.

VIII

He halted the Renault, told Archambaud to find the Giant's servant and
have him feed their vehicle, rub its legs down with liniment, and
examine the hooves for defective shoes.

Archambaud was glad to look up Mapfabvisheen, the Giant's servant,
because he had not seen him for a long time. The little Ssassaror had
been an active member of the Egg-stealer's Guild until the night three
years ago when he had tried to creep into Mapfarity's strongroom. The
crafty guildsman had avoided the Giant's traps and there found the
two geese squatting upon their bed of minerals.

These fabulous geese made no sound when he picked them up with
lead-lined gloves and put them in his bag, also lined with lead-leaf.
They were not even aware of him. Laboratory-bred, retort-shaped, their
protoplasm a blend of silicon-carbon, unconscious even that they
lived, they munched upon lead and other elements, ruminated, gestated,
transmuted, and every month, regula