okeintosplintersandtheroofwasenvelopedintotaldarkness．

    "Goodjob!"excimedRichard,pattinghimontheback．Thenturningtotheothers，hesaidsolemnly，"Ofthefiveofus,itishardtosaywho,ifany，wouldlivethroughthis，butwemustdoourbest．JamazandIwillgoinoppositediresasdecoystodistracttheirattention，whileyou，Dimitri，takecareofthetwogirlsandmakeuseofeveryopportunitytthemtosafety.”Dimitrinodded,forwhenlifeahwereatstake,therewaserpn．Inafsh，Richardranlithelytowardsthewatertowerontheright,whileJamazscootedtowardstheelevatoro．Thereatterofshots,Richard’stragicdthensilence．Hehadfallenaneasyprey,asAlleandshothimcoollyandcasuallyasahunterwouldtargetalowerlevenimaloingground．MeanwhileJamazandStevenwereengagedinhandtohandbat．Thebarehanded,onlessJamazwasnomatchforthefullyarmored，experieeranarmysergeant．Thistime，JamazwasnotupagainstthemindlessbeastsofthewildshewasusedtohuntingonthegrassndsofAfrica，butawilyarmybayocharger．Soonhisbodywasstabbedandwoundedinnumerouspdfellinapoolofblood．Allthishappenedsoquicklythatitwasoverbeforetheyk．Mr．Kaffee’sgunremainedpoiDimitri,givinghimnocetodashatfreedomwiththetwogirls．Fromtheerofhereyes,YokoandMaracouldseethetwobutchers,AllenandSteven,ebacktowardsthemagain．Tremblinginfrightandaheythrewtheirarmsaroundeachotherinadesperateembrace,preparedtodie．Backedintoaer，DimitrisuddenlythoughtofMedusa’spartingwords．HeraisedhisheadtotheskyandcriedoutMedusa’snameloudlythreetimes．

    Amiraclehappened!Anenormousbckbirdsuddenlyappearedfromoutoftheblueandswoopedd，

    "Don’tworry，mymaster，I’mhere!"HerfivesharpironcwsclutchedSteven’sheadsotightlyinhermightygripthattheyweredeeplyimbeddedinhisscalpandhescreamedinagony．Allenatoncewhippedouthisgunpreparedtoshoot．MedusaflewoutintospadletgoofSteven’sunsciousbody,whichfluttereddowntheheightstondinacrashonthepavementbelow．Turningback，shegatheredspeedaraightatAllen，imperviousoftheshotshefiredather．Herpowerfulwingsknockedhimagainstthewall，whichcrackedopenhisskull．Theimpetusofthatcollisiondidnotweaken,butwentontohurlhisbodyovertheedgeoftheroofanddowntheheightsafterhisfriend．DimitriwatchedasMedusadisposedofhisoppossoeasilyandthoughtinanguish，

    12

    "Oh!Howstupidofmenottohavecalledherearlier．IfIhaddoneso,myfriends，RichardandJamaz，haveperished.”Justthen，Mr．Kaffeetriedtomakeuseofthemomentwhennoonewasnotighimtoslipawayunobserved,butDimitricalledout，

    "OliverKaffee!Don’trun．eback!"Theauthoritativevoicestoppedhimdeadinhistradheinstinctivelyturofacehismaster．Hiseyesenteredthebzinggnedusa,whohadgedbacktoherhumanform,asnake-hairednakedbeauty，andwasstandingbehindDimitri．Theverminhesawinhereyesmadehimshudderandhishaintuitivelyfun，preparedtoshoot．Butevenasheullirigger，hefelthisfiiffenandloseallsenseoffeeling．Soon，itspreadoverhisentirebodyahimselfgraduallyturningintostone．

    "StopMedusa!"Dimitricalledout．"Weotlethimoffthateasily．Lethisbrainstinuew,encasedinabodyofstone．Makehimliveintorment．Thatismypunishmentforhim!"

    "Yes,yourMajesty,”saidMedusa，pullinghereyesawayfromMr．Kaffee．"Yourwishshallbedone.”MeanwhileYok

okeintosplintersandtheroofwasenvelopedintotaldarkness．

    "Goodjob!"excimedRichard,pattinghimontheback．Thenturningtotheothers，hesaidsolemnly，"Ofthefiveofus,itishardtosaywho,ifany，wouldlivethroughthis，butwemustdoourbest．JamazandIwillgoinoppositediresasdecoystodistracttheirattention，whileyou，Dimitri，takecareofthetwogirlsandmakeuseofeveryopportunitytthemtosafety.”Dimitrinodded,forwhenlifeahwereatstake,therewaserpn．Inafsh，Richardranlithelytowardsthewatertowerontheright,whileJamazscootedtowardstheelevatoro．Thereatterofshots,Richard’stragicdthensilence．Hehadfallenaneasyprey,asAlleandshothimcoollyandcasuallyasahunterwouldtargetalowerlevenimaloingground．MeanwhileJamazandStevenwereengagedinhandtohandbat．Thebarehanded,onlessJamazwasnomatchforthefullyarmored，experieeranarmysergeant．Thistime，JamazwasnotupagainstthemindlessbeastsofthewildshewasusedtohuntingonthegrassndsofAfrica，butawilyarmybayocharger．Soonhisbodywasstabbedandwoundedinnumerouspdfellinapoolofblood．Allthishappenedsoquicklythatitwasoverbeforetheyk．Mr．Kaffee’sgunremainedpoiDimitri,givinghimnocetodashatfreedomwiththetwogirls．Fromtheerofhereyes,YokoandMaracouldseethetwobutchers,AllenandSteven,ebacktowardsthemagain．Tremblinginfrightandaheythrewtheirarmsaroundeachotherinadesperateembrace,preparedtodie．Backedintoaer，DimitrisuddenlythoughtofMedusa’spartingwords．HeraisedhisheadtotheskyandcriedoutMedusa’snameloudlythreetimes．

    Amiraclehappened!Anenormousbckbirdsuddenlyappearedfromoutoftheblueandswoopedd，

    "Don’tworry，mymaster，I’mhere!"HerfivesharpironcwsclutchedSteven’sheadsotightlyinhermightygripthattheyweredeeplyimbeddedinhisscalpandhescreamedinagony．Allenatoncewhippedouthisgunpreparedtoshoot．MedusaflewoutintospadletgoofSteven’sunsciousbody,whichfluttereddowntheheightstondinacrashonthepavementbelow．Turningback，shegatheredspeedaraightatAllen，imperviousoftheshotshefiredather．Herpowerfulwingsknockedhimagainstthewall，whichcrackedopenhisskull．Theimpetusofthatcollisiondidnotweaken,butwentontohurlhisbodyovertheedgeoftheroofanddowntheheightsafterhisfriend．DimitriwatchedasMedusadisposedofhisoppossoeasilyandthoughtinanguish，

    12

    "Oh!Howstupidofmenottohavecalledherearlier．IfIhaddoneso,myfriends，RichardandJamaz，haveperished.”Justthen，Mr．Kaffeetriedtomakeuseofthemomentwhennoonewasnotighimtoslipawayunobserved,butDimitricalledout，

    "OliverKaffee!Don’trun．eback!"Theauthoritativevoicestoppedhimdeadinhistradheinstinctivelyturofacehismaster．Hiseyesenteredthebzinggnedusa,whohadgedbacktoherhumanform,asnake-hairednakedbeauty，andwasstandingbehindDimitri．Theverminhesawinhereyesmadehimshudderandhishaintuitivelyfun，preparedtoshoot．Butevenasheullirigger，hefelthisfiiffenandloseallsenseoffeeling．Soon，itspreadoverhisentirebodyahimselfgraduallyturningintostone．

    "StopMedusa!"Dimitricalledout．"Weotlethimoffthateasily．Lethisbrainstinuew,encasedinabodyofstone．Makehimliveintorment．Thatismypunishmentforhim!"

    "Yes,yourMajesty,”saidMedusa，pullinghereyesawayfromMr．Kaffee．"Yourwishshallbedone.”MeanwhileYok