for a weapon amid the debris, but there was nothing here she could even lift.
Then the bellow sounded at the gateway. Vina shrank into the nearest shadow, pulling Pike with her. He was in no mood to hang back; memory was too strong. The figure at the courtyard entry was a local Kalar warrior, huge, hairy, Neanderthal, clad in cuirass and helmet and carrying a mace. It looked about, shoulders hunched.
"What nonsense," Pike said under his breath. "It was all over weeks ago . . ."
"Hush," Vina whispered, terrified. "You've been here—you know what he'll do to us."
"It's nothing but a damn silly illusion."
The warrior roared again, challengingiy, raising tremendous echoes. Apparently he hadn't seen them yet.
"It doesn't matter what you call this," Vina whispered again. "You'll feel it, that's what matters. You'll feel every moment of whatever happens. I'll feel it happening too."
The warrior moved tentatively toward them. Either in genuine panic or to force Pike's hand, Vina whirled and raced for a parapet stairway behind them which lead toward the battlement above. The Kalar spotted her at once; Pike had no choice but to follow.
At the top was another litter of weapons; Vina had already picked up a spear with a head like an assegai. Pike found himself a shield and an unbroken sword. As he straightened, the girl pushed him aside. A huge round rock smashed into the rampart wall inches away from him, the force of the fragments knocking him down.
The pain was real, all right. He raised a hand to his forehead to find it bleeding. Below, the warrior was picking up another rock from a depleted pile on the other side of the catapult.
While Pike scrambled back, Vina threw her spear, but she did it inexpertly, and in any event her strength proved insufficient for the range. Changing his mind at once, the Kalar dropped the stone and came charging up the stairs.
Pike's shield was almost torn from his arm at the first blow of the mace. His own sword clanged harmlessly against the Kalar's armor, and he was driven back by a flurry of blows.
Then there was a twanging sound. The warrior bellowed in pain and swung around, revealing an arrow driven deep into his back. Vina had found a crossbow, cocked and armed, and at that range she couldn't miss.
But the wound wasn't immediately mortal and she obviously did not know how to cock the weapon again. The Kalar, staggering, moved in upon her.
From that close, a crossbow bolt would go through almost any armor, but Pike's sword certainly wouldn't. Dropping it, he sprang forward, raised his shield high, and brought it down with all his strength on the back of the warrior's neck. The creature spun off the rampart edge and plummeted to the floor of the compound below. It struck supine and lay still.
Vina, sobbing with relief, threw herself into Pike's arms . . .
. . . and they were back in the menagerie cage.
She was now wearing her own, shorter hair, and a simple garment of the metallic Talosian material. His own bruises and exhaustion had vanished completely, along with the shield. It took him a startled moment to realize what had happened.
Vina smiled. "It's over."
"Why are you here?" he demanded.
She hesitated slightly, then smiled again. "To please you."
"Are you real?"
"As real as you wish."
"That's no answer," he said.
"Perhaps they've made me up out of dreams you've forgotten."
He pointed to her garment. "And I dreamed of you in the same metal fabric they wear?"
"I must wear something." She came closer, "or must I? I can wear anything you wish, be anything you wish . . ."
"To make this 'specimen' perform for them? To watch how I react? Is that it?"
"Don't you have a dream, something you've wanted very badly . . ."
"Do they do more than just watch me?" he asked. "Do they feel with me too?"
"You can have any dream you wish. I can become anything. Any woman you ever imagined." She tried to nestle closer. "You can go anyplace, do anything—have any experience from the
Then the bellow sounded at the gateway. Vina shrank into the nearest shadow, pulling Pike with her. He was in no mood to hang back; memory was too strong. The figure at the courtyard entry was a local Kalar warrior, huge, hairy, Neanderthal, clad in cuirass and helmet and carrying a mace. It looked about, shoulders hunched.
"What nonsense," Pike said under his breath. "It was all over weeks ago . . ."
"Hush," Vina whispered, terrified. "You've been here—you know what he'll do to us."
"It's nothing but a damn silly illusion."
The warrior roared again, challengingiy, raising tremendous echoes. Apparently he hadn't seen them yet.
"It doesn't matter what you call this," Vina whispered again. "You'll feel it, that's what matters. You'll feel every moment of whatever happens. I'll feel it happening too."
The warrior moved tentatively toward them. Either in genuine panic or to force Pike's hand, Vina whirled and raced for a parapet stairway behind them which lead toward the battlement above. The Kalar spotted her at once; Pike had no choice but to follow.
At the top was another litter of weapons; Vina had already picked up a spear with a head like an assegai. Pike found himself a shield and an unbroken sword. As he straightened, the girl pushed him aside. A huge round rock smashed into the rampart wall inches away from him, the force of the fragments knocking him down.
The pain was real, all right. He raised a hand to his forehead to find it bleeding. Below, the warrior was picking up another rock from a depleted pile on the other side of the catapult.
While Pike scrambled back, Vina threw her spear, but she did it inexpertly, and in any event her strength proved insufficient for the range. Changing his mind at once, the Kalar dropped the stone and came charging up the stairs.
Pike's shield was almost torn from his arm at the first blow of the mace. His own sword clanged harmlessly against the Kalar's armor, and he was driven back by a flurry of blows.
Then there was a twanging sound. The warrior bellowed in pain and swung around, revealing an arrow driven deep into his back. Vina had found a crossbow, cocked and armed, and at that range she couldn't miss.
But the wound wasn't immediately mortal and she obviously did not know how to cock the weapon again. The Kalar, staggering, moved in upon her.
From that close, a crossbow bolt would go through almost any armor, but Pike's sword certainly wouldn't. Dropping it, he sprang forward, raised his shield high, and brought it down with all his strength on the back of the warrior's neck. The creature spun off the rampart edge and plummeted to the floor of the compound below. It struck supine and lay still.
Vina, sobbing with relief, threw herself into Pike's arms . . .
. . . and they were back in the menagerie cage.
She was now wearing her own, shorter hair, and a simple garment of the metallic Talosian material. His own bruises and exhaustion had vanished completely, along with the shield. It took him a startled moment to realize what had happened.
Vina smiled. "It's over."
"Why are you here?" he demanded.
She hesitated slightly, then smiled again. "To please you."
"Are you real?"
"As real as you wish."
"That's no answer," he said.
"Perhaps they've made me up out of dreams you've forgotten."
He pointed to her garment. "And I dreamed of you in the same metal fabric they wear?"
"I must wear something." She came closer, "or must I? I can wear anything you wish, be anything you wish . . ."
"To make this 'specimen' perform for them? To watch how I react? Is that it?"
"Don't you have a dream, something you've wanted very badly . . ."
"Do they do more than just watch me?" he asked. "Do they feel with me too?"
"You can have any dream you wish. I can become anything. Any woman you ever imagined." She tried to nestle closer. "You can go anyplace, do anything—have any experience from the
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