"All right, what is it?" Ivy said as briskly as she could, trying to force down the sudden fear. "Stop that damned bowing. A sillier bunch of skinny idiots I never saw. Men! Huh! You're dying out, all right, that's obvious." The two men looked at each other. Then one of them recaptured his grin. "It is time for your breeding," he said lecherously. Ivy yawned again, started to rise. "Okay, I'll be with you in a minute. I hope it doesn't take too long. I've lost a lot of sleep." She managed to stand up calmly, with composure. The only thing she could think of to do now was to regard this whole thing lightly, and to make an occasional remark about the rather obvious defects of her captors. There was no sense in collapsing. The two men, puzzled, followed her with their eyes as she fluffed up her hair. "No need of that," one of them said quickly, "you will be prepared by others." Ivy let her hair fall. "Okay Oscar. Whatever you say." In a very unladylike manner, she yawned again, scratched herself. She grinned at them both. "I don't mean to be nasty, fellas, but why don't you pull up a chair for a minute? Old guys like you shouldn't be running around all day--" The near one growled. The other one restrained him, smiled thinly. "We have no need of rest," he said slowly. "We possess a certain--vitality." His smile broadened. "As you shall presently see for yourself." Ivy did not look at him, walked suddenly past him and out the door. They made a motion to grab her, but held back as she stopped. She stood in the afternoon sun and stretched lazily. "To your left," the man behind her said. She waited for a moment, and then she walked. She strode upon bare ground, upon soft grass, unable to be flippant now, looking stiffly ahead toward a flat gray building. The door was open and she could see the far wall, which was richly hung and colored in a strange deep red. The two men left her at the door, where another man, very old and white gowned and prissy, took her by the arm. The man prepared her. She dropped all pretense at hardness, at disinterest, and sat like a stone. In with the other, the breeder, she would have to be icy. She became vaguely aware of a thick fragrance around her, a musky, oily smell. Then the man released her. She was prepared. He stood her up, waved at the door at the far end of the room. "There," he said without interest, turning away. She took a deep breath and walked forward. * * * * * It was a long way up and Web went most of the way at a crouch, the knife and the gun both ready at his belt. He had taken off his coat and tie; it was chilly in the woods but he did not feel it.