Below him there were tumbled rocks, ledges of ice and snow, clouds and--far, far below--the flat land of the Earth. He wanted to shut his eyes, but he couldn't. The whole vast stomach-churning panorama spread out beneath him endlessly. The people below, if there were any, weren't even big enough to be ants. They were completely invisible. Forrester took a deep breath and gripped the side ledges of the window. And a voice behind him said: "Welcome, Mortal." Forrester almost went through the window. But he managed to regain his balance and turn around, saying angrily: "Don't _do_ that!" As the last of the words left his lips, he became aware of the smiling figure facing him. She was standing in a spotlight, Forrester thought at first. Then he saw that the light was coming from the woman herself--or from her clothing. The dress she wore was a satinlike sheath that glowed with an aura even brighter than the room. Her blonde hair picked up the radiance and glowed, too, illuminating a face that was at once regal, inviting and passionate. It was, Forrester thought, a hell of a disturbing combination. The cloth of the dress clung to her figure as if it wanted to. Forrester didn't blame it a bit; the dress showed off a figure that was not only beyond his wildest dreams, but a long way beyond what he had hitherto regarded as the bounds of possibility. From shoulder to toe, she was perfection. This was also true of the woman from shoulder to crown. Forrester gulped and, automatically, went on one knee. "Please," he murmured. "Pardon me. I didn't mean--" "Quite all right," the Goddess murmured. "I understand perfectly." "But I--" "Never mind all that now," Venus said, with just a hint of impatience. "Rise, William Forrester--or you who were William Forrester." Forrester rose. Sweat was pouring down his face. He made no effort to wipe it away. "Were?" he asked, dazed. "But that's my name!" "It _was_," Venus said, in the same calm tone. "Henceforth, your name is Dionysus." Forrester took a while to remember to swallow. "Dionysus?" he said at last. There was another silence. Forrester, feeling that perhaps his first question could use some amplification, said: "Dionysus? Bacchus? You mean me?" "Quite right," Venus said. "That will be your name, and you'd better begin getting used to it." "Now wait a minute!" he said. "I don't mean to be disrespectful, but something occurs to me. I mean, it's the first thing I thought of, and I'm probably wrong, but just let me ask the questions, if you don't mind, and maybe some of this will make some sense. Because just a few hours ago I was doing very nicely on my own and I--" "What are your questions?" Venus said. Forrester swayed. "Dionysus/Bacchus himself," he said. "Won't he mind my--" Venus laughed. "Mind your using his name? My goodness, no." "But--" "It's all because of the orgies," Venus said. Everything, he told himself, was getting just a little too much for him. "Orgies?" he said.