He gripped her hand. They ran swiftly through the woods. They were already several hundred feet from the arcade. The lagoon was on its other side; ahead of them was a patch of woods, dark, for the lantern-flowers did not grow along here. And beyond the woods, the shore of the island where the shouting sounded. They ran. Soon Zee was ahead, leaping like a young chamois, her veils and hair flying. "Wait!" he called. "Not so fast!" She stopped abruptly. And Martt stopped. There was a pounding on the shore; waves rolling up, as though the peaceful lake were torn by a storm. "What's that, Zee?" But the shouting began again; and without answering, Zee started ahead. The starlit lake came into view. Like a distant, monstrous shadow, the retreating giant was visible against the stars. On the shore, white waves were rolling up. A boat was here, with its sail flapping. A wave caught it, turned it over. On the strand a group of people were standing with the man who had come in this boat from Reaf. Zee joined the group. In a moment she returned. "He says--the messenger says--that giants are in Reaf! The city is emptied--the people have scattered into the country. The road to Crescent is crowded with people coming here." "Giants! There--as well as here----" "Yes. They did not attack. There were two giants. They stood in the lake and laughed while the people fled from the city. Hundreds were killed in the rush to get out--hundreds were swept away into the subterranean rivers and the giants stood and laughed. The city is deserted, and the two giants are there now." Men were helping the messenger right his boat. The group on the shore scattered back over the island, calling, "Giants! Giants are in Reaf!" The messenger climbed into his boat, headed it out over the now calmer lake. Martt and Zee momentarily were alone. He stared at her. He was stunned, confused. Giants, everywhere. This thing that had been worrying Brett for so long had come. Death, everywhere. "Let's get back, Zee. We must find Brett." It seemed shorter along the shore--a turn of the island near by, into the lagoon, and thus back to the arcade. They started off, running again. It was deserted along here. Zee was leading. Suddenly she stopped in full flight, gripped Martt, drew him behind a huge, pot-bellied tree trunk which stood near the water's edge. "Zee, what----?" "There, over there." "Where? I don't see anything." She whispered insistently, "Over there--in that open space. Back from the shore." She was crouching, and he crouched beside her; followed her gesture with his gaze--and saw what she saw.