than themselves. They were clothed in green, hard to see.

There was a quick exchange of arrows as the armies neared each

other. London Tree's warriors used long footbows: the bow grasped by the toes of one or both feet, the string by the hands. The cloud of arrows loosed by the savages moved more slowly, and the arrows were shorter.

"Cnossbows," the pilot murmured. He played the jets, kicking the

carm away from the fight. Lawn felt relief, until he started his turn.

"You'll endanger the carm! Those savages could snatch at the nets!"

"Calm down, Scientist's Apprentice. We're moving too fast for

them." The cam' curved back toward the melee. "We don't want them close enough for swordplay, not in free-fall."

lithe Scientist had his wish, the cam' would never be used for war at

all. Putting his Apprentice aboard had been a major strategic victory.

He'd told her, "Your sole concern is for the cam', not the soldiers. If the carm is threatened, it must be moved out of danger. If the pilot won't, you must."

He had not told her how to subdue a trained fighter, nor how to fly the ancient machine. The Scientist had never flown it himself.

Savages flew toward the bow window. Lawn saw their terrified eyes before the pilot spun the cam' about. Masses thumped against the carm's belly. Lawn shuddered. She would do nothing, this time. She would more likely wreck the cam' than save it. . . and there would be hell to pay even if she got home to London Tree.

The savages were grouping to attack again. The pilot ignored them.

He eased the carm into the midst of his own warriors.

"Nice going. Thanks," said the radio voice. Lawri watched the cloud of savages advancing.

"We're all aboard," said the Squad Leader.

The carm turned and coasted across the green cotton, southwest. Savages screamed or jeered in its wake. They hadn't a hope of catching up.

There was time to look, and time to feel rising fear. Gavving tried to take it all in before the end.

It was curves and billows of green wall spotted with blossoms: yellow, blue, scarlet, a thousand shades and tones. Insects swarmed in clouds. Birds were there in various shapes, dipping into the blossoms or the insect clouds. Some looked like ribbons and moved with a fluttering

motion. Some had membranous triangular tails; some were themselves triangles, with whiplike tails sprouting from the apex.

Far to the east was a dimple in the green, funnel-shaped, perhaps half a klomter across; distances were hard to judge. Would a jungle have a treemouth? Why would it be rimmed with gigantic silver petals? The biggest flower in the universe set behind the jungle's horizon as they fell.

The storm had hidden a jungle. He'd never seen one close, but what else could it be? The moby had planned this well, Gavving thought.