Robin stared up in frustration at the smoke hole, through which smoke from the Cyclops's fire poured out into the gathering night. It was hopelessly over their head, although help could reach them through it from the outside. But how could they possibly expect help to come...? "We wait," Glaudot said again, hopelessly. "For breakfast," Robin said. Glaudot broke suddenly. "I don't want to die!" he cried. "I don't want to die ..." * * * * * The feeblest of Crimson's three suns came over the horizon, lighting the landscape with the illumination of three or four full moons on Earth. "I told you I smelled smoke!" Charlie cried, pointing triumphantly at the thin tendril of smoke that rose through the cooling air against the weak sunlight. "Is it a campfire?" Chandler asked. "Chimney hole, probably. Come on." They left the two stallions grazing at the base of the rocky escarpment. They began to climb. Once Chandler stumbled and went sliding down the rocky slope, but Charlie caught his arm, all but wrenching it from the socket. Charlie thought: we have to hurry. Their lives may depend on it. Already we may be too late.... The smoke from the chimney hole was acrid. It was very strong now. Suddenly Charlie could feel the slightly increased slope of the rocks. The slope was precipitous now, almost perpendicular. "I can't--can't go much further!" Chandler groaned. "We've got to, man. We've got to." * * * * * "He's waking," said Robin. Glaudot had broken completely. The confident would-be conqueror was reduced to trembling and whining now. "M-maybe he's hungry. Oh, God, maybe he's hungry ..." But the Cyclops only turned over in its sleep and began to snore again. The fire had burned low. The sheep were resting. Robin thought of Charlie, probably many miles away. There would be a late moonrise tonight, she thought. They often spoke of the feeblest of Crimson's three suns as the moon, although it really wasn't. Then dawn would come. If the Cyclops were hungry and wanted a change in diet ... * * * * * "But you'll choke to death going down there," Chandler protested. "It's only a chimney hole. Nobody's going to choke to death." "Can you see down it?" "No. Too much smoke." "Then how do you know how far we'll have to fall?" "I don't. I'll have to take the chance. You don't have to, though." "I'll go where you go. That's what I volunteered for." "Good. It's almost morning, so the fire's probably almost burned down from now. If you land in the embers, jump aside quickly. You understand?" "Yes," Chandler said. Without another word, Charlie suddenly lowered himself into the smoke and let go. * * * * *