"Today," said Murphy, "I get into a space-suit, and ride out to the ruins in the plain. Ghatamipol, I think they're called. Like to come?" "No, Weelbrrr." Soek Panjoebang looked off into the garden, her hands busy tucking a flower into her hair. A few minutes later she said, "Why must you waste your time among the rocks? There are better things to do and see. And it might well be--dangerous." She murmured the last word off-handedly. "Danger? From the sjambaks?" "Yes, perhaps." "The Sultan's giving me a guard. Twenty men with crossbows." "The sjambaks carry shields." "Why should they risk their lives attacking me?" Soek Panjoebang shrugged. After a moment she rose to her feet. "Goodbye, Weelbrrr." "Goodbye? Isn't this rather abrupt? Won't I see you tonight?" "If so be Allah's will." Murphy looked after the lithe swaying figure. She paused, plucked a yellow flower, looked over her shoulder. Her eyes, yellow as the flower, lucent as water-jewels, held his. Her face was utterly expressionless. She turned, tossed away the flower with a jaunty gesture, and continued, her shoulders swinging. Murphy breathed deeply. She might have made picturama at that.... One hour later he met his escort at the valley gate. They were dressed in space-suits for the plains, twenty men with sullen faces. The trip to Ghatamipol clearly was not to their liking. Murphy climbed into his own suit, checked the oxygen pressure gauge, the seal at his collar. "All ready, boys?" No one spoke. The silence drew out. The gatekeeper, on hand to let the party out, snickered. "They're all ready, Tuan." "Well," said Murphy, "let's go then." Outside the gate Murphy made a second check of his equipment. No leaks in his suit. Inside pressure: 14.6. Outside pressure: zero. His twenty guards morosely inspected their crossbows and slim swords. The white ruins of Ghatamipol lay five miles across Pharasang Plain. The horizon was clear, the sun was high, the sky was black. Murphy's radio hummed. Someone said sharply, "Look! There it goes!" He wheeled around; his guards had halted, and were pointing. He saw a fleet something vanishing into the distance. "Let's go," said Murphy. "There's nothing out there." "Sjambak." "Well, there's only one of them." "Where one walks, others follow." "That's why the twenty of you are here." "It is madness! Challenging the sjambaks!" "What is gained?" another argued. "I'll be the judge of that," said Murphy, and set off along the plain. The warriors reluctantly followed, muttering to each other over their radio intercoms. * * * * * The eroded city walls rose above them, occupied more and more of the sky. The platoon leader said in an angry voice, "We have gone far enough." "You're under my orders," said Murphy. "We're going through the gate." He punched the button on his camera and passed under the monstrous portal.