htning,sharpasasword,tothedarkclouds,followedbyadeafeningcrashofthuheweatheristurningnasty．Youshouldbebayourcozyhomelisteningtomusisteadofbravingtheelementshere.”

    "Istoppedtogetsomegasformyoldfriend,”saidMegginnpointingtohercarparkedatthecurb,andIneededsomerefuelingmyself,soIthoughtI’dgetasodaaswell.”

    "You’dbettergohomenow．Whatifyetsstuckagain．Itisn’tsafeforayoungdylikeyoutobeoutherealonight.’

    "Iknow．ButIhavefinallydecideditwastimetoretirethisoldfriendofmine．Iwaakehimfororidebeforeleavinghimatthejunkyardtomorr．Overtheyears,ithasrunovereveryinchofthefreewayandroadsaroundhereagainandagain，keepingallthetrafficrulesandhadneverbeeninanact．I’msureitwillbesorrytoleaveandthefreewaywillmissittoo．They’vebeengoodpartners.”

    "Youarereallyacharmingandgood-hearteddyfullofimaginationaiment．It’sbeenapleasuretoknowyou.”ThethunderkeptonrollingandMegginnasked，

    "Whyareyououtsoteandyouseemtobeinahurry.”

    "Ihavesomebusioattendto．MyfriendsandI..."Richardwashonkingimpatiently，soDimitrisaid，"Myfriendsarewaiting．Gottogonow．Hopetoseeyouagain．"

    Megginnwavedandnoddedhergood-bye,butDimitriturnedbackalmostimmediatelyandsaid，

    11

    "I’dbetterseeyousafelyonyourwayfirst．Youmayneedanotherpushorshove.”

    "Thankyou.”saidMegginnsmiling．"Ireallyappreciateit.”

    Thegustywindblewherfullskirtaboutasshewalkedtohercar．Dimitristeppedforehecardoorforhersolicitously．Shequicklygotinandtotheirsurprisethemaestartedsmoothly．

    "Adios,myfriend!"Megginnsaid．"I’msurewe’llmeetagain.”

    Thesoon-to-be-junkedcarcarrieditsbeautifulmistressloyallythoughboriouslydownthefamiliarroad．Dimitriwatcheduntilthetaillightsdisappearedandhesaidsoftly，

    "Hopeyouhaveagooddrive．Maybothofyouenjoyyourstdrivetogether.”

    Thethundermumblediandthenrollednearerandilitculminatedinadeafeningcresdo．Lightningfshedrighta,asifwishingtosplitahedarkcloudsapartahebrilliantmoonandtwinklingstarshiddenbehindthem．Dimitrifeltamomentofpanic,asifsomethinguntowardwasabouttohappeninhisKingdom，buttherewasnotimetoloseinidlespecution．Richard’shonkinghornwashasteninghimonhisway．Hewalkedswiftlybacktohisgoodfriendsandledhislittlegroupintotheunknowndarknessofthenight．

    ThereseemedtobeaGodinheaven,whoheardtheprayersofthevilinousIleenandgrantedherrequest,fortethatafternoonathickfogroseandwasgettingheavierandheaviereveryminute．Shestoodatthewindow，herheartpoundingwildlyiementandexhiration．

    "Thisisthegoodomenwhichprovesthatheaveniswithme!SuchthickfogisthebestcealmenttoblockthesharpeyesofMedusa!"Inherheart，shebegantopnhercampaign．InthewholeoftheKingdom，theonlyoneshefearedwasthefierdferoedusa，herworstenemyandthehardestpersontotah．IfMedusacouldnotbedealtwithatorokeasformerlypheonlyalternativewastotakethebeautiesashostagesandforceMedusatoetoterms-toforfeitherlifeinexgeforthebeautieswhomDimitrihadleftinhercare．ShedecidedtousetheelementofsurpriseandstormthepaightwithCyclops,soastocatchthemalloffguard．Thisway，shewouldbeabletotakeallthebeautiesashostages．KnowingCyclopsinsatiablelust,shewould

htning,sharpasasword,tothedarkclouds,followedbyadeafeningcrashofthuheweatheristurningnasty．Youshouldbebayourcozyhomelisteningtomusisteadofbravingtheelementshere.”

    "Istoppedtogetsomegasformyoldfriend,”saidMegginnpointingtohercarparkedatthecurb,andIneededsomerefuelingmyself,soIthoughtI’dgetasodaaswell.”

    "You’dbettergohomenow．Whatifyetsstuckagain．Itisn’tsafeforayoungdylikeyoutobeoutherealonight.’

    "Iknow．ButIhavefinallydecideditwastimetoretirethisoldfriendofmine．Iwaakehimfororidebeforeleavinghimatthejunkyardtomorr．Overtheyears,ithasrunovereveryinchofthefreewayandroadsaroundhereagainandagain，keepingallthetrafficrulesandhadneverbeeninanact．I’msureitwillbesorrytoleaveandthefreewaywillmissittoo．They’vebeengoodpartners.”

    "Youarereallyacharmingandgood-hearteddyfullofimaginationaiment．It’sbeenapleasuretoknowyou.”ThethunderkeptonrollingandMegginnasked，

    "Whyareyououtsoteandyouseemtobeinahurry.”

    "Ihavesomebusioattendto．MyfriendsandI..."Richardwashonkingimpatiently，soDimitrisaid，"Myfriendsarewaiting．Gottogonow．Hopetoseeyouagain．"

    Megginnwavedandnoddedhergood-bye,butDimitriturnedbackalmostimmediatelyandsaid，

    11

    "I’dbetterseeyousafelyonyourwayfirst．Youmayneedanotherpushorshove.”

    "Thankyou.”saidMegginnsmiling．"Ireallyappreciateit.”

    Thegustywindblewherfullskirtaboutasshewalkedtohercar．Dimitristeppedforehecardoorforhersolicitously．Shequicklygotinandtotheirsurprisethemaestartedsmoothly．

    "Adios,myfriend!"Megginnsaid．"I’msurewe’llmeetagain.”

    Thesoon-to-be-junkedcarcarrieditsbeautifulmistressloyallythoughboriouslydownthefamiliarroad．Dimitriwatcheduntilthetaillightsdisappearedandhesaidsoftly，

    "Hopeyouhaveagooddrive．Maybothofyouenjoyyourstdrivetogether.”

    Thethundermumblediandthenrollednearerandilitculminatedinadeafeningcresdo．Lightningfshedrighta,asifwishingtosplitahedarkcloudsapartahebrilliantmoonandtwinklingstarshiddenbehindthem．Dimitrifeltamomentofpanic,asifsomethinguntowardwasabouttohappeninhisKingdom，buttherewasnotimetoloseinidlespecution．Richard’shonkinghornwashasteninghimonhisway．Hewalkedswiftlybacktohisgoodfriendsandledhislittlegroupintotheunknowndarknessofthenight．

    ThereseemedtobeaGodinheaven,whoheardtheprayersofthevilinousIleenandgrantedherrequest,fortethatafternoonathickfogroseandwasgettingheavierandheaviereveryminute．Shestoodatthewindow，herheartpoundingwildlyiementandexhiration．

    "Thisisthegoodomenwhichprovesthatheaveniswithme!SuchthickfogisthebestcealmenttoblockthesharpeyesofMedusa!"Inherheart，shebegantopnhercampaign．InthewholeoftheKingdom，theonlyoneshefearedwasthefierdferoedusa，herworstenemyandthehardestpersontotah．IfMedusacouldnotbedealtwithatorokeasformerlypheonlyalternativewastotakethebeautiesashostagesandforceMedusatoetoterms-toforfeitherlifeinexgeforthebeautieswhomDimitrihadleftinhercare．ShedecidedtousetheelementofsurpriseandstormthepaightwithCyclops,soastocatchthemalloffguard．Thisway，shewouldbeabletotakeallthebeautiesashostages．KnowingCyclopsinsatiablelust,shewould