The man bowed, his eyes huge with awe and fear, and hurried off. Blade looked at Nob and pointed to the war horse. It had found a tiny patch of rank beach grass and was grazing.

«Fetch the horse for my lady, Nob. When we have reached the caverns again it is yours to keep.» New pain moved in Blade's head.

Nob did what Nob had never done before. He fell to one knee before Blade and from his good eye a tear scoured through the dirt on his rugged face. «Sirel I had thought you dead-my eye did not believe and I had no faith. And I–I had already thought how to make my terms with the Samostans. I am not worthy of such a gift, master, I am worthy of nothing. I-«

Blade clapped him on the shoulder. «On your feet, man. It worked out well in the end and yqu will not have to change your coat again. Go now. Fetch the horse for Juna.»

Nob went. Blade looked at the girl, gazed into those blue pools, and nearly lost his resolution. But he had promised Izmia.

Juna took a step toward him. She knew. It was in her glance and manner. She stared long at Blade. Wind moaned about them, tossing her hair wildly.

Juna said, «Must I, Blade? I would not have it so. Since I first saw you I have schemed to have you with me, to love you always, to face the intrigue and plotting together and somehow, when it was over, to be happy together.»

Blade shook his head. It pained him still, but was bearable. The computer was seeking.

«I cannot stay, Juna. What you do is, must be, decided by you. You know of what Izmia has spoken to me?»

«I know.» Her voice was cold, bitter. «Since a tiny child I have known this day must come. You could save me, Blade. You could take me with you.»

«I cannot. Of all things in the world that I cannot do.»

Nob was approaching with the horse. Juna was pale, her lovely face gleaming with moisture borne by the wind, her eyes half closed as she surveyed Blade up and down. She gathered the white cloak about her slim body.

«Let us go, then. If there is no help for it. Izmia told you all that must be done?»

«Izmia told me.»

CHAPTER 14

In the little cavern, close by the Cavern of Music, Blade and Juna lay entwined and made love for the last time. Juna, clasping his brawn with her with pale limbs, whispered, «Do not spend all, my heart. Some of you must be saved for-you know what.»

«I know.»

They lay on the black catafalque. Nearby was the sword and the pearl and the chalice and the wine. They waited, symbols all, wind and water, fire and earth.

Juna, her tongue hotly enshrined with Blade's, whispered again. «Why am I thus cursed, Blade? I was dutiful, obedient. I gave all my life to Izmia and to Patmos, I was her envoy and her creature in good faith and in intrigue and treachery. And never doubted the right of it-until I saw you. Now I would be but an ordinary woman, free to love the man she chooses, and I cannot. It is bitter.»

He could only nod and hold her close. Aye, it was bitter. And must be done. Quickly now. The head pains were recurring every few minutes; he had not much longer to stay in Dimension X.

But it was Juna who finally said, «If it must be done, Blade, do it now.»

From the catafalque she watched as he took the black pearl in one hand and the sword in the other. With great force he smashed the hilt of the sword against the pearl. It shattered into shards and dust.

Blade put wine in the chalice and three pinches of the pearl dust and returned to the catafalque. Juna took the chalice from his hand and knelt beside him. Blade was near spent and she must perforce suckle him for some moments. Then, with expert fingers, she brought him to climax and caught his spew in the chalice. The effort cost her and her eyes were haunted as she handed him the chalice again and fell back on the catafalque. Blade could not rest.

He mixed the potion in the chalice, stirring it with the sword point, and when it was thick and giving off a faint smoke, he anointed the steel with it, from hilt to point. A patina formed on the sword, dulling the sheen, and from it arose the same faint mist. Blade, sword in hand, turned back to Juna.

She was ready. Legs wide spread, naked, breasts trembling as she breathed and stared narrow-eyed with fear and regret and-or did he only imagine it,?-anticipation.

Blade hesitated. He gazed from the sword to the body of Juna. Was it possible? Even in Dimension X-was it possible?

Juna cried out. «Do it, Blade. Do it now! Else I lose courage.»

Blade lowered the sword point and guided it in between her outflung legs.

Juna arched and flung her head back and screamed once. Her face became a mask through which eyes watched Blade and they were not the eyes of Juna. They changed color, became amber lakes in which smoke swirled and clotted and vanished and came again.$

He kept sharp watch for blood and there was none. Juna-this woman creature who had been Juna, moved and writhed and contorted on the engorging sword. Inch by inch, foot by foot, the steel crept within her body. She engulfed it, swallowed it, welcomed the steel into her inner recesses. Her eyes were golden caverns now in which there flickered the fires of some ecstasy Blade could never know. Her features began to alter, subtly at first, then with speed until be saw not Juna. The blue-eyed maid was gone. He saw-lzmia.

Her body flesh changed color, shimmered with light and flame, flickered through the spectrum. Blade, running with sweat, pressed the sword home until the hilt rested against her flesh, pinned there like some shining ornament. The great sword lay within her body, a body now grown turgid, enhanced in every limb, breasts larger and heavy, legs longer and shoulders wider.

Blade stepped back and stared at her. And knew heryoung Izmial

There remained but one thing to do. He seized the hilt of the sword and plucked it out with a single motion. She screamed loud and writhed and sent the echoes scurrying through the cavern. Blade flung the sword from him.

Izmia stirred and raised herself on the catafalque and looked at Blade. She smiled and lifted her hand to him. Blade-

The roof blew off the world. The volcano cast off its mute and exploded in a delirium of sound. Blazing lava poured into his brain and he heard himself scream in agony as the cavern collapsed around him. The catafalque and the woman vanished in a whirling pinpoint of nothing. Blade ran at an insane pace on a treadmill of loti and on either side was whacked by balloons with phantom faces. He shrank to midget size and the gauntlet stretched to the ends of the universe. Fylfot banners flapped about him like evil wings and a snake, tail in mouth, pursued him like some dreadful hoop with intent to strangle. The balloons turned to faces and floated past-Nob, Hectoris,

w Edyrn, Gongor and Captain Mijax, the lisping evil of Ptol. Blade screamed and ran on and on-and on-

There was no succor, no escape. But yes-for now he ran into the great wide mouth of Izmia. The white teeth were cliffs and the red tongue a path and Blade slipped on the moist surface and fell and was sliding down that gaping maw, that gullet. The mouth closed, the great teeth x snapped, and all was darkness while Blade fell a million miles into a stomach larger than the world. x snapped, and all was darkness while Blade fell a million miles into a stomach larger than the world.

:Their taxi was trapped in Lothbury Street near Copra

4 House. The same newsboy was waving a placard. It had all happened before-nine months ago.

There had been, said Lord Leighton, a time slippage.

.; As a rule his Lordship did not worry about time in]5imension X; it seldom matched that in Home Dimension, but allowances were made and the matter was of no great import. But this time Blade had suffered a severe blow on the head-a hairline fracture of the skull that would heal of itself-and while this had brought on his amnesia it also baffled the computer until the proper adjustment was made. They had nearly given up on Blade.