Glawen and Sessily had long since run to the flyer, where they;
packed baskets and net and without delay took the flyer aloft..
Glawen spoke in heartfelt emotion: "Safety! I've never appreciated;
it so much!"
"It was nice of the beast to go away," said Sessily.
"Very nice. It decided to give me another chance. My hands were, shaking so badly I could never have hit it. I wonder if I could have;
pulled the trigger ... I'm not pleased with myself." :!
Sessily said soothingly, "Of course you would have hit it, no doubt:
in some very painful place. The beast realized this. Also, I told it to:
go away."
"You did what?"
Sessily laughed airily.
"I used telepathy and told it to run off. It recognized a stronger will than its own and obeyed me."
"Hmf," muttered Glawen.
"Shall we go back and try again?"
"Glawen! It's wicked to tease me so. I was only trying to help." Glawen brooded: "I wonder if we should tell anyone what happened. It may sound too alarming, like a dangerous emergency--which it was."
"We'll say nothing about it. Do you feel hungry?"
"I still feel nothing but fright." Sessily pointed.
"There's a nice hilltop where we can have our lunch."
Early in the afternoon Glawen and Sessily returned to Araminta Station. Glawen landed the flyer in the park at the back ofVeder House, where Sessily alighted with her wings, net and picnic hamper. Glawen then flew the Mitrix to the airfield and landed beside the hangar.
Chiike came out to greet him.
"How went the butterfly hunt?"
"Quite well," said Glawen.
"Sessily is pleased with her wings."
Chiike looked over the Mitrix.
"The flyer seems to be in one piece. Why are you so pale?"
"I'm not pale," said Glawen.
"At least I don't think I am."
"I'd call you just a bit spooky."
"For a fact, there was something, but I don't particularly want to talk about it."
"Come, now! It can't be that bad. Speak!"
Glawen's story came out in a rush.
"Here is what happened.
We had finished netting the wings. Then just as we started back to the flyer, a big black tangle-top came out of the forest. It spotted us right away and began to stalk us, approaching really close. I had the gun ready but I didn't need to shoot, because it turned away and ran down to the shore, where it ate a yoot. Sessily says she chased it away by telepathy; for all I know, she did; I was too scared for anything even that sensible." Glawen took a deep breath.
"I
had buck fever so bad I could hardly hold the gun."
"A very moving tale," said Chiike.
"Is there more?"
"Just a bit. We left Maroli Meadow at full speed, and glad to get away. About ten miles north we got some of our nerve back and put down on a hilltop for our lunch. I was still annoyed with my seif I thought I'd practice shooting the gun, and getting a feel for it. I aimed at a rock, and pulled the trigger. The gun went click! I examined the chamber and found that there was no ammo in the gun."
Chilke's jaw dropped.
