Land of the Giants: A Love Story

By JR Thomas

 

Chapter Nine: Nemesis

 

After a night of partying with Sylvana, it had turned into a very long work day indeed for Steve Burton.  He’d had to spend most of the morning and afternoon assisting Mark and Dan in removing the Spindrift engines and welding the reactor shielding in place.  Although the giant technicians were on hand for the heavy lifting, their hands were too big and awkward to be of much assistance when it came to the actual attachment and detachment of the components, which called for detailed and delicate work.  The only respite Steve got was a very pleasant lunch with Sylvana in her private upstairs office while the rest of the Spindrift crew ate in the dinning room of their dollhouse. 

 

When Sylvana and Steve arrived home at the end of the workday, Sylvana had wanted to take Steve directly to her bedroom and resume where they had left off the night before.  Although this had been Steve’s exact intentions earlier in the day, as the afternoon dragged on all he could think about was getting back into the dollhouse in her family room and taking a nap.  Sylvana had at first seemed reticent to take no for an answer, but when Steve promised his giant lover that he just needed to lay down for an hour or so to regain his stamina, she went along.  In any event, she figured she could use the time to freshen up, prepare dinner, and change into something sexy for her little man.

 

Steve lay on his bed in a state of reverie, watching the natural light begin to fade with the onset of dusk.  The diminishing light, filtered as it was by two sets of windows; the giant house outside and those of  his dollhouse, darkened his bedroom considerably.  His tired eyes appreciated the cozy atmosphere. 

 

Steve’s mind went back to early in the day when Sylvana had dropped him off at the workshop.  Things had gotten off to a rocky start when he entered the dollhouse/mansion on the giant table, just as the others were preparing to begin their work regimen.  Dan and Betty were the first to greet him, and upon hearing their captain’s return the other four filed out into the dollhouse living room.

 

Coming down the staircase, Mark met the captain’s gaze and gave him a sarcastic smile.  “Good of you to make it Steve”, he said.  Valerie entered from the kitchen and gave Mark a look that signaled he should leave Steve alone.

 

Steve imparted to the engineer an incredulous stare but remained silent.  The unpredictable Fitzhugh, sitting on the toy sofa, decided to speak up in support of Mark.  “Captain, why did you abandon us without telling us where you were going?  We were terribly worried until Mrs. Obek told us you had gone home with Miss Noor”.  Fitzhugh emphasized Miss Noor, simultaneously giving Steve a scandalous look.

 

Steve looked down at Fitzhugh.  “Relax Fitz, I didn’t abandon you.” 

 

Dan Erickson, leaning on the wall next to the kitchen entrance, spoke up.  “Steve, I guess I don’t have a problem with you and Sylvana, but you really should have told us.  You didn’t have to sneak out like a back-door man.” 

 

Steve turned to his copilot.  “I know Dan, and I’m sorry.  I was tired and I didn’t want a big scene, which is why I asked Mrs. Obek to tell you.”  That seemed to satisfy everyone except Mark, who gave Steve a scowling expression. 

 

Steve looked around and addressed the group, focusing on no one in particular.  “Did, ah, Mrs. Obek also tell you I will be spending most nights at Ms. Noor’s house?” 

 

The others gave him looks ranging from surprise to shock, and Steve lamented that the Archon’s wife had obviously not made that point clear.

 

Mark shook his head in disbelief.  “That’s great Steve.  Instead of staying focused on the ships repairs and getting us home, you’re more interested in playing around in bed with a woman twelve times your size!”  Mark immediately regretted his comment, but it was too late.  Valerie and Betty looked at him in horror.  Although they were shocked at Mark being so blunt, they were especially concerned that he would make such a comment in front of Barry.  The boy, for his part, although not entirely certain what Mark had meant, made a pretty shrewd guess based on his experiences with the giant high school student Shiva Torridge.

 

Steve was totally outraged, and without thinking he lunged at Mark.  The inertia of Steve’s body colliding with Mark forced the engineer back, and he fell over the coffee table and rolled on the floor.  “Steve!  Mark!” Stop it!”  The girls screamed. 

 

As Mark got up from the floor, Steve clenched his right fist and dived at Mark again.  Dan Erickson moved in close to the fight in an attempt to break it up, and as he moved between them, Steve’s fist, meant for Mark, caught the copilot squarely in the stomach.  Taking advantage of Dan’s intervention, Mark ran out the door of the dollhouse on to the giant table.  Turning around to face the door, he assumed a defensive stance and waited for Steve to come out.  In a moment Steve bolted through the door, and the others followed with the exception of Betty who was helping her winded husband to his feet. 

 

This time Mark was ready, and when Steve struck at him again, he blocked the captain’s fist and countered with a jab to his jaw.  Steve moved back, and wiping a hand over his mouth, could see that blood was trickling from his lip. 

 

A moment later, Dan came out.  “Now look you two!  Stop this right now!” he exclaimed.  He came close to the two combatants in an attempt to break up the fight, but was again unsuccessful. 

 

The commotion created by the fight on the table attracted the attention of two of Obek’s security guards.   They came over and peered down with big grins at the apparent show before them.  One guard spoke to the other:  “I put twenty Kronos on the little man in the red uniform.” 

 

The other guard looked at his partner. “They must be having a disagreement over important scientific matters.”       

 

Grond Harko entered the workshop and was unpleasantly surprised to find the two little men having a go at each other.  He looked at the security guards with displeasure.  “Why haven’t you two stopped this?  The guards looked at the scientist and shrugged.  “Oh, must I do everything myself?” he said with much annoyance in his voice. 

 

Harko leaned down over the table, and Mark and Steve, now grappling with each other, were totally oblivious to the giant’s presence.  He simultaneously grabbed the two little men from behind with his hands.  He pulled them apart, and they struggled futilely in the giant’s grasp, one in each hand, as he lifted them to his face.  He peered at the two tiny men with big, angry eyes.  “Mark Wilson!  Captain Burton!  What’s the meaning of this altercation?”

 

Steve and Mark had by now calmed down and stopped struggling.  They peered into the ugly face of the giant but said nothing. 

 

Harko continued.  “Why, what would have happened if you two had been hurt?  It could have spelled disaster for everything we’ve been doing here!  The Archon would be very displeased if he found out.” 

 

Mark was the first to speak, anxious to put the incident behind him, and especially to get out of the vice-like grip of the giant’s smelly hand.  “I’m sorry Grond.  It won’t happen again.”

 

“Yes, we won’t do it again, but don’t tell the Archon”, Steve implored. 

 

The giant gave them a thin smile.  “Alright you two, but I want no more of this tomfoolery.” 

 

The two little men nodded their ascent, and Grond set them down rather un-gently on the table.  Steve and Mark rolled a few feet then got up, but did not face each other.

 

“Alright little people, shall we get to work?” 

 

The rest of the Spindrift crew standing by the dollhouse breathed a collective sigh of relief, though they wondered how long this enforced truce would last.

 

                                                                                                **************************   

 

Steve dozed for perhaps thirty minutes when he was awoken by the somewhat softer, though still loud “Clomp, Clomp, Clomp, Clomp” of Sylvana’s Marabou high heels.  He also thought he heard some soft music coming from her stereo.  Getting up from his bed he instinctively grabbed his red jacket (like he always did when leaving the Spindrift), and put it on as he went down the steps.  Walking out the door, he was confronted by Sylvana’s sexy painted toenails and freshly shaved legs.  Bending his neck back, his eyes slowly followed her splendid limbs up until they ended in a very nice, skimpy pink nightgown that matched her sandals.  He could just make out her smile and gorgeous auburn hair that seemed to sparkle in the dim light. 

 

“Hi there little sleepy head.  Have a nice nap?” she said in a bright, sing-song voice. 

 

Steve bent his mid-section back as far as it would go, and jauntily placed his hands on his hips.  “I feel like a million bucks dear.  Are you ready to set a new world record?”  She gave him a quizzical look like she hadn’t quite understood him, and then lowered herself on her knees.  He moved closer and placed his hands on her perfectly rounded knee, nearly as wide in diameter as his entire body.  “What I said, Sylvana, was that I want to have passionate sex with you!”    

 

“My, my Steve, aren’t we feeling daring this evening.”   She sighed pleasurably.   “Dear, I just started dinner.  Wanna come out to the kitchen with me and have some wine?” 

 

“I’d love to dear” he said with a bright smile. 

 

 “Steve, why don’t you put your bathrobe on?  You know how I love to see and touch those husky little legs of yours.”  They chuckled amorously.

 

“Ding, Dong.” 

 

Sylvana looked in the direction of the living room.  She pursed her lips, and a worried look crossed her face. 

 

“What’s wrong hon?  Are you expecting visitors?”  Steve shouted. 

 

She returned her gaze to him and shook her head back and forth.  “No, I’m not.  I wonder who it could be.”

 

“Ding, Dong.”

 

“I suppose you’d better answer it then” Steve replied, feeling not at all comfortable. 

 

“Now look, Steve.  I think everything will be OK.  Why don’t you go back in to your little house and change?” She tried to sound reassuring, but Steve felt she wasn’t really succeeding.  Sylvana continued.  “I’ll see who it is, and get rid of them as fast as I can.” 

 

She stood upright, towering over Steve and his dollhouse.  She turned to walk out of the family room, but then stopped and looked back at her tiny live-in boyfriend.  “Steve, just to be safe, don’t come out until I return, OK?”

 

Steve shrugged, wondering what was making her paranoid.  “Sure dear.  I’ll stay put until the coast is clear.”  She waved the fingers of one hand at him, and then walked out of the family room.  As usual Steve stood in place enjoying Sylvana’s gorgeous legs as she left the room.   He loved how her delicate-looking, if huge, feet were flattered by the marabou sandals, and the heels accentuated her curvy calf muscles.  He sighed pleasurably, momentarily forgetting the unexpected visitor at the door.   When the floor stopped vibrating from her giant footsteps, he turned around and walked back into the dollhouse. 

 

Sylvana reached the front door as the bell rang again.  The visitor then started knocking, obviously getting impatient.  “Who is it?” she asked in a slightly louder tone in order to be heard by the person outside. 

 

“Sylvana, it’s Tor.  Let me in.” 

 

This caught Sylvana completely by surprise, throwing her into a state of mild panic and confusion.  She had been so enjoying her reunion with Captain Burton these past few days that she had almost completely forgotten about the rather untactful way she had broken off the engagement with Tor.   

 

 She replied timidly.  “Uh, Tor, I, I really don’t think there’s anything for us to discuss.”

 

Meanwhile Steve had decided to put off for the moment changing into his bathrobe.  He was lounging around the dollhouse living room when he thought he heard Sylvana utter the name ‘Tor’ from the next room in the giant house.  A troubled look came over his face, and he got up from the couch and walked up to the living room window.  If her ex-boyfriend was really out there, he hoped that she had the good sense not to let him in.  He thought uncomfortably that things could get very ugly.

 

 “Sylvana, we need to talk”, he stated emphatically.  “After two years, you owe me that much.”      

 

“I, I don’t know Tor.”  She raised a hand to her face in consternation. 

 

“Sylvana, please!” he shouted.  “Please let me in!  I just want a few words with you, and then I’ll leave.”   

 

Tor’s pleading; practically begging tone appealed to her empathetic nature and softened her resistance.  He was right, she thought.  Breaking up an engagement by mail had not been the most diplomatic way to handle the situation.  She took a deep breath, unlatched the upper lock, and opened the door. 

 

She immediately regretted doing so, as Tor was a mess.  He had a disheveled look about him, and as he moved close to her she could smell alcohol on his breath.  His eyes were bloodshot from tears, moving Sylvana to momentarily feel pity for him.  He looked her up and down, shaking his head.  She suddenly realized that she was still wearing her nightgown and marabou heels.  She should have changed before letting Tor in, but it was too late now. 

 

He grasped her arms below her shoulders.  “Why, Sylvana, why?”

 

Sylvana backed away from him.  “Tor, I thought my note was clear.  I like you, but I don’t think we’re right for each other.” 

 

He gave her an annoyed look, and closed the distance again.  “What’s that supposed to mean?  Don’t I buy you things and take you to dinner and shows?  Don’t we have great sex?”

 

Sylvana slowly retreated towards the bar that separated the dinning area from the kitchen.  She looked up at her jaded ex-lover.  “Now look Tor, if you don’t know the answer to that question, it’s too late for me to try to explain it now.” 

 

Sylvana had not closed the door to the family room, and the two giants were now in Steve’s line of vision, standing as he was in the dollhouse living room and looking out the window.  He recognized Tor Brazen from the picture in Sylvana’s office.  His massive eighty-foot hulk loomed over Sylvana threateningly, and by now Steve was getting very worried.  At five inches tall, what could he do other than wait it out in the dollhouse and hope that she could somehow get ride of him without incident?

 

Tor mocked her words in the disrespectful, sing-song manner that children often use, and then advanced threateningly to her.  “So who’s the new guy Sylvana?”

 

“There’s no guy Tor”, she lied. 

 

He looked down at her sexy sandals, and returning his gaze to her face gave her an evil grin.  “Don’t give me that bullshit Sylvana.  You’re not exactly dressed for tea time with the ladies.” 

 

By now she was starting to get frightened.  “Tor, I think you should leave.” 

 

The man ignored her, and turning his body started looking around the immediate area.  “Where is he?  Wait until I get my hands on him!”  His gaze stopped at the entrance to the family room, and Sylvana shuddered in horror.  “Hey, what the hell is this?” 

 

Tor entered the family room and walked over to where the dollhouse was situated on the floor against the wall.  Steve quickly backed away from the window, nearly loosing his footing from the enormous shock wave caused by the giant man’s gargantuan feet.  Tor kneeled down to look inside, and when Steve noticed the giant’s bushy moustache appear outside the living room window, he darted out of the room and hid in the stairwell.  Tor thought for a moment he had heard movement in the dollhouse.  His eyes darted around, taking in the tiny furniture.  Steve crouched low on the stairs, not daring to move a muscle, thinking to himself that he was glad he didn’t have any of the dollhouse lights on.  That really would have aroused Tor’s suspicions.

 

Sylvana was getting scared.   She shuddered to think what would happen to Steve if Tor found him.   She walked up to the family room entrance.  “Tor.  Don’t touch the dollhouse.  It’s very expensive.”

 

He turned his head around and looked up at Sylvana.  “Gosh Sylvana, isn’t this cute” he said with a heavy dose of sarcasm.  “But aren’t you getting a bit old for dollhouses?”       

 

Sylvana rolled her eyes.  “Tor, I’m going to ask you one more time to please leave.  If you don’t, I’m going to call the police.”  She trembled as the words came out of her mouth.  After all, she was a woman, and Tor was a big, brawny man, and in his distraught and intoxicated state he might hurt her.

 

Tor got up and menacingly approached the woman.  She backed away from the family room entrance.  “I’ll leave when you tell me who the other man is!”   

 

Sylvana backed against the dinning room table, and slowly moved to the other side to put it between her and her distraught ex-fiancé.  He quickly darted around the table, and before she could make a run for it he had grabbed her wrist. 

 

She tried to get away, but the man was far too strong.  “Tor, you’re hurting me!” 

 

Steve had seen enough.  He knew how ridiculous it was to think that he could in any way challenge this gigantic man, and that if he tried he would be putting himself in terrible danger, but he couldn’t stand anymore this brute abusing her.  He got up out of the stairwell and ran back to the living room.   Looking around, he found the giant safety pin and razorblade hatchet he kept on hand in the event that a spider or insect ever found its way into the dollhouse.  Steve picked up the pin and ax, and securing the ax in his belt, he darted outside and scurried across the floor into the giant dining room where Tor was threatening his woman.

 

The two giants continued to struggle as Captain Burton approached.

 

“Tor, let me go!” 

 

“Not until you fess up baby!”   

 

Presently the dinning room table loomed above him.  He ran under it, stopping for breath next to a table leg that was close to where Sylvana was unsuccessfully attempting to break free of Tor.  The giant’s upper-bodies were obscured by the table top, but Steve was mere yards from their feet.  He gazed at the two pairs of lower limbs for a moment, thinking how odd it was to compare Tor Brazen’s huge, menacing, ugly shoes that were nearly fifteen feet long standing next to Sylvana’s sexy marabou high heels with her beautifully manicured toenails and smooth skin.  Sylvana’s feet looked tiny compared to Brazen’s, although to Steve they were still nearly nine feet long.  It was like comparing heaven and hell, he thought.

 

By now Steve was becoming terrified thinking what he now must do.  There was nothing for it though.  His sense of honor demanded that he attempt to defend his giant girlfriend, no matter how futile the gesture.  He raised the pin up laterally as if he were some medieval lancer, held his breath, and lunged at the exposed portion of Tor’s Achilles tendon between his shoe and pants leg.  

 

“Damn!” Tor exclaimed.  He felt a sharp pain at his right ankle.  Looking down, he was shocked to see a sewing needle firmly embedded in his skin.  He was about to reach down and remove the pin when something else caught his eye.  There at his feet standing between himself and Sylvana was a tiny man in a red uniform not more than five or six inches tall! 

 

“Leave her alone!”  Steve shouted defiantly, brandishing his razorblade ax.

 

Sylvana looked down and gasped in delight and horror as she put a hand up to her mouth.  “Oh Steve!” 

 

Brazen looked over at the dollhouse, then thought of Sylvana’s boss - the little people lover Garm Obek.  He looked at Sylvana, and then returned his gaze to the tiny man.  He put two and two together, and the revelation was all too much for him.  Tor was so stunned that he entirely forgot about the pin sticking out of his ankle.

 

Tor looked at Syvlana with much surprise and shock evident in his face.  “You dumped me for a five-inch tall man?”  She didn’t answer him. 

 

He returned his gaze to the floor and lifted his foot to squash the little man, but he was gone.  Tor lowered himself to his knees, just in time to see Captain Burton running out from underneath the table on the opposite side. 

 

Sylvana grabbed Tor’s shoulder with both hands.  “Oh please Tor, don’t hurt him!” 

 

He looked up at her with big, wide eyes.  “Don’t touch me, you depraved, perverse woman!”  He pushed her aside, and she slid to the floor, sobbing. 

 

Steve bolted in the direction of the family room.  Of course he knew it would be foolhardy to attempt to hide in the dollhouse, but he hoped to make it to the ventilation duct that he had used to leave Sylvana’s house after their first night together. 

 

Tor started ambling about the dinning room, looking for the tiny man.  “Come here little man.  I don’t want to hurt you, I just want to crush you until there’s nothing left but a bloody pulp!” he said with a touch of madness in his voice. 

 

Brazen turned his gaze left, just in time to see the tiny man dart across the floor into the family room.  He smiled, and slowly followed him.

 

Steve reached the duct opening just as Tor’s giant shadow appeared, shrouding the little man in darkness.  Steve tried opening the duct, but it wouldn’t budge.  With horror he realized that Sylvana must have discovered it was open after his last use, and she had evidently secured the latch.  With the crazed giant now seconds from him, there was no chance of Steve opening it in time.  In desperation he looked around, but saw no place to run.  Tor lowered himself to the floor.  “Now I’ve got you, you little shit!”  Steve turned around and started running along the wall, but it was too late.  He had gone only a few yards when he suddenly felt brutal, giant fingers around his body.  Steve’s arms were still free, and he attempted to swipe at the giant’s fingers with his hatchet, but no sooner had he raised his arms when he felt Tor’s fingers start compressing his torso.  The wind was totally knocked out of him, and his hatchet fell to the floor.  The pain was excruciating as Tor started to slowly crush the life out of Steve.  Any second he expected his ribs to snap.  “Why doesn’t he get it over with?” Steve thought.  “The sadist was probably savoring the moment.”  Steve knew he had seconds to live, and he thought he saw his life rush before him.

 

All at once Steve heard what sounded like glass breaking.  His exposed face and upper body, protruding as they were out of the giant’s hand, were doused with a bitter liquid.  The giant suddenly released him, and Steve fell twenty feet and landed with a thud on the carpet below.  In a few moments Steve regained his senses, and looking up saw Sylvana with a broken wine bottle in her hand, kneeling at the head of Tor Brazen who was now straddled across the floor, totally still.  She was crying.

 

Steve cautiously approached the enormous hulk of Brazen, walking along the length of his arm until reaching his wrist.  Steve easily found the giant’s vain, bulging as it was like some large-diameter water hose underneath the skin, and placed his hands on it.  He could feel the giant’s strong, rhythmic pulse, confirming his suspicions that the giant was not dead, only knocked out cold.   The man’s course skin and the abrasive smell emanating from it assaulted his senses, making him feel nauseous.  Steve removed his hand and backed away, yet again reflecting on how repulsive the giant men could be up close.

 

He looked up at Sylvana.  Her head was bowed low and she was still sobbing profusely.  “Sylvana!  Sylvana!” Steve shouted. 

 

She raised her head slightly until Steve could see her bloodshot eyes.  “Tor’s not dead, only unconscious”, he said.  She forced a quick smile, but said nothing.          

 

Steve could see that she needed some comforting.  He walked up to her shin at a point just below the knee, and started gently stroking and kissing her silken soft skin.  Sylvana noticed Steve’s tender ministrations, and presently her crying subsided.  She placed her palm flat on the ground next to him.  Steve walked up on it, and she brought him up close to her face.  He placed a hand on her check and stroked it. 

 

“Sylvana, you’ve saved my life yet again.  Thank you dear.” 

 

She replied between sniffles.  “Oh Steve, I was wrong to bring you here and put you in danger.  It was very selfish of me.” 

 

“Sylvana, you are the most caring, beautiful woman I’ve ever known.   I don’t blame you for anything, and I love you.” 

 

With her free hand she wiped her bloodshot eyes, and then planted a loving kiss on Steve’s face. 

 

                                                                                                **************************

 

A few minutes later Sylvana called the police.  A pair of officers arrived just as Tor was beginning to regain consciousness.  They were surprised to see Tor Brazen, the fire chief of Nar Shaddaa, lying on the floor.  They roused him, and although now somewhat conscious, the officers could see that he was at least a little intoxicated.  They somewhat nervously handcuffed him and took him out to their patrol car.  They returned for Sylvana’s deposition, and gave the attractive woman admiring stares as they approached her.  Upon reaching the table, they were astounded to find a tiny man standing on it before her. 

 

“Hey sarge, it’s one of the little people!”  

 

The officer reached over to grab Captain Burton, but before he could Sylvana thrust an official looking document into his hands. 

 

“Not so fast buster!” she exclaimed. 

 

“What’s this?” he asked. 

 

The police sergeant took the document from his deputy and glanced over it.  “It’s a permit for one Earthman named Captain Steven Burton.”  He looked at it a few more moments.  “Everything appears to be in order.”  He handed the permit back to Sylvana and gave her a sly glance.  “I won’t presume to ask you why the little man is here.”   He regarded Steve with a hostile look. 

 

“Thank you officer” Sylvana replied, but otherwise didn’t comment on his not so subtle innuendo.  She looked down at Steve and smiled, then set the document on the table. 

 

“So what happened here tonight Miss Noor?  You said Chief Brazen attacked you?  Why?” 

 

She gave them a sad, forlorn look; she was still somewhat traumatized by the events of the evening.  “I, I broke off our engagement, and needless to say, Tor didn’t take it very well.” 

 

The police sergeant continued his questioning.  “So he attacked you, and you hit him with the wine bottle?”  The deputy looked on silently, though he was finding it increasing difficult to keep his eyes off Miss Noor’s shapely legs.

 

“Well, not exactly” she replied. 

 

“Explain.”  The sergeant prompted. 

 

“Tor was being rough with me, trying to force me to tell him who the other man was.  And…..and……”

 

“Yes Miss Noor?”  He prompted her again.

 

Sylvana sighed, thinking to herself that although she hadn’t had a cigarette in five years, she could sure use one now.  “Captain Burton attacked Tor with a sewing needle to try to chase him away from me.” 

 

The two policemen started to regard her very curiously.  Steve just stood on the table silently with his arms folded.

 

She continued.  “He let go of me and chased after Captain Burton.  Tor was about to crush Steve when I came up from behind and hit him with the wine bottle.”

 

The sergeant put a hand to his chin and looked down in contemplation.  After a few moments he concluded the questioning.  “I guess that will be all for now Miss Noor, although we will need you to come down to the station and file a formal deposition.”

 

Sylvana gave him an uneasy look and darted her eyes nervously.  “Uh, sergeant, I don’t think I want to file a formal complaint.”

 

“Oh really, why ever not?” he replied. 

 

“Tor and I had been going steady for some time.  It must have been very hard for him when I returned the engagement ring.”  She paused for a moment, and then continued.  “I do think I’d like to file a restraining order on him though.” 

 

“As you wish, ma’am; given that it is Fire Chief Brazen, it is probably a wise decision not to press charges.  It would avoid a lot of unpleasantness and difficult questions.  We’ll let him sleep it off at the station this evening and release him in the morning.  We will need you to come by the station soon though to sign the restraining order.”

 

Sylvana nodded. 

 

The sergeant concluded the questioning.  “OK then, I think we’re finished here.”  He motioned to his deputy that it was time to leave, and Sylvana thanked them for coming promptly and wished them a good night. 

 

As they prepared to leave, the heretofore largely silent deputy accosted Sylvana.   “Uh, Miss Noor?” 

 

“Yes officer?” she replied. 

 

 “I don’t mean to pry, but the other man, was it, it……….”  He looked over at Captain Burton still standing on the table. 

 

She gave the officers a coy smile, and then gazed upon her tiny boyfriend standing on the table before her. 

 

The two police officers stood in place for a moment, totally astonished at what Sylvana had more or less admitted.    “Come on, let’s go” the sergeant said annoyingly to his deputy.

 

The police officers drove to the station with Chief Brazen in the back, sleeping.

 

“Sarge, what do you think a hot dame like Sylvana Noor sees in a five-inch tall man?”

 

“I don’t know, but I don’t want you spreading rumors back at the station.  Chief Brazen would be the laughing stock of Nar Shadaa if it ever got out that he lost his woman to one of the little men” his superior replied.  

 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right sarge.  I feel sorry for Chief Brazen though.  I mean, how would you feel if you found out your girlfriend was in bed with one of those little Earthmen?”

 

The sergeant gave him a blank stare and shook his head incredulously.

 

Meanwhile, Sylvana and Steve were finishing up a nightcap before going to bed.  Sylvana was reclined on the sofa with her legs crossed and feet up on the coffee table.  Steve had finally managed to get out of his clothes and put on his robe.  He was standing on the coffee table, leaning with his back against her lower leg just above the ankle.

 

She took a sip of her drink and then looked down at him.  “Steve?” 

 

“Yes dear?”

 

She smiled.  “You know that was a very brave, but very foolish thing you did.” 

 

“I know, but I never miss an opportunity to come to the rescue of a damsel in distress.”  He grinned.

 

She gave him a fake surprised look.  “But Steve hon, I thought that the knight was supposed to carry off the princess to his castle and live happily ever after?” 

 

Sylvana nudged his shoulder with her big toe, and they laughed at her comment for a good minute.  When Sylvana took Steve to her bed shortly after, they expected their lovemaking to be short and sweet due to the earlier trauma with Tor and their lack of sleep the night before.   Alas, by the time they were finished the sun had come up, and Sylvana’s alarm clock went off shortly after.

 

 

**************************

 

Inspector Kobick was alone in his office, going over the daily briefings on the little people.  Even though it was mid-day, the lighting in the office was dim; almost cavern-like.  A single lamp illuminated Kobick and his desktop, but the rest of the office was covered in shadows and darkness.  In spite of the recent liberalization in the policies of the High Council, the inspector still maintained his police-state trappings. 

 

He put the papers aside and removed his glasses.  He was in a foul mood.  With High Councilwoman Placidia’s increasing interference with SID operations against the little people, to say nothing of her support of Archon Obek’s dealings with the miniscule monsters, he was making absolutely no headway.  “Don’t the fools know that they are dangerous enemy aliens, and should be treated as such?”  Kobick lamented the fact that not only had they managed to slash the SID budget, but now they’d denied him access to police records concerning the little people, leaving him nearly blind.  He gave out a long sigh.

 

He needed a miracle, and he got one later that afternoon. 

 

Kobick’s intercom buzzed.  “Yes, what is it?”

 

“Inspector Kobick, Fire Chief Brazen is here to see you.  Should I send him in?”  The secretary asked. 

 

“Yes, Miss Archer” he replied. 

 

The inspector leaned back in his chair, putting his hand on his chin.  “Chief Brazen……Hmmm.”  Kobick had heard the other day that Brazen had gotten into a brouhaha at his fiancée’s house, but when he tried to obtain the police report he had been denied on reasons of state security.  Thinking further on this, he seemed to recall that Brazen’s ex-fiancée had been none other than that little people lover Garm Obek’s personal assistant, what’s her name….Ms. Noor.  “Hmmm.”

 

The door opened, and the department secretary came in with the Fire Chief. 

 

“Can I get you anything sir”, the mature but comely dark-haired woman asked. 

 

Kobick got up from his desk.  “No Miss Archer, that will be all thank you.” 

 

The secretary left the room, and the two men watched her admiringly as she departed.  It occurred to the Inspector that his secretary’s skirts had been getting shorter of late.  “Must be a new fashion trend”, he thought, not that he was complaining. 

 

Kobick shook the man’s hand and offered him a seat.  He then returned to his own chair. 

 

“To what do I owe this pleasure, Chief Brazen?” Kobick asked formally.

 

Kobick noticed his face take on an uncomfortable demeanor.  “Well Inspector, I find this matter difficult to discuss, but as a citizen of Brobdinia I felt it important enough to bring to the attention of the SID.”

 

Kobick leaned forward and removed his glasses, looking at the man with much interest.  “Continue, please.” 

 

Brazen looked away, feeling embarrassed.  “My fiancée broke off our engagement, and when I went to her house for an explanation, I found her there with one of the little people!”

 

Kobick’s eyes glowed.  “Oh really?  Please tell me more.”

 

Brazen moved nervously in his chair and fidgeted with his hands.  “There’s really not much to tell……except……..”

 

“Except what Tor?”  Kobick got up from his chair, and moving around to the front of his desk, leaned back on it.  He often found this intimidating ploy useful when attempting to subtly interrogate people.

 

“You’re not going to believe this inspector, but she was wearing a sexy nightgown, as if ready for a night of partying!”

 

Kobick’s eyes grew very wide.  He’d heard rumors of strange goings on between some Brobdinian women and the little men but had dismissed them as nonsense.  “Tell me Tor, what pray tell did the little man look like?” 

 

“He was dark haired, and was wearing what looked like a red uniform”, he replied sheepishly.  He lifted up a clenched fist.  “I had the little mouse right in my hand, and I would have crushed him if Sylvana hadn’t snuck up from behind and hit me with a wine bottle”, he said with a trace of anger bordering on madness.

 

Realizing that Brazen was talking about his old nemesis Captain Burton brought an evil smile to Kobick’s face.  He got up and patted the distraught man on the back.  “Thank you Tor.  I know this must be very difficult to talk about”, he said with false sincerity.   “Is there anything else you can tell me about the little man?  Does he have anything to do with Miss Noor’s boss, Garm Obek?” 

 

The inspector’s query stimulated Brazen’s memory, and he sat up in his chair.  “Sylvana told me that Obek has some of our scientists there studying the little people and learning their technology.”

 

“Interesting”, he quipped.  “Anything else?” 

 

A revelation suddenly dawned on Brazen.  “Oh, yes, come to think of it, she let slip the last time we had dinner together that Obek had the little people’s spaceship at his estate, and he’s helping them repair it.” 

 

Kobick frowned.  It seems that he had to move quickly, or Captain Burton would escape his clutches for good.  Kobick smiled and offered the man his hand, signaling that the interview was at an end.  Brazen got up and the two men shook hands.  “Tor, thank you for coming to me with this very interesting information, I think it may prove to be most useful.  You are indeed a true patriot.”

 

“Thank you inspector”, he replied.  “I hope you can do something about the little people menace.  I mean, when their men start going to bed with our women, why it’s, it’s obscene!” 

 

“Quite right Tor, quite right.  It’s worse than that; it’s an abomination!”  He said sternly.   “And I might add, that if Miss Noor would rather see Captain Burton than you, then you’re better off without her.  She disgraces herself with her conduct.” 

 

Brazen walked out the door.  Talking about his ex-fiancée had sparked some wistful, longing thoughts in Tor.  Ruminating on Kobick’s logic, however, made him feel a little better.    

 

When Brazen had departed, Kobick wiped the insincere smile from his face.  “The man’s pathetic!” he thought.  “Any man who would let a five-inch tall Earthman steal away his woman was beyond contempt.”  He shook his head in disgust.

 

Kobick slumped back in his chair and digested the information that Brazen had given him.  After agent Gothmog’s report several weeks ago he had suspected something was going on at Obek’s estate, and Brazen had just confirmed this.  With that damnable harridan Galla Placidia of the High Council supporting Obek, however, an SID raid on his estate was out of the question.  He also thought it unlikely he could catch Captain Burton alone at Miss Noor’s residence, as she probably would not leave the little man unaccompanied.  What he needed was a good old-fashioned mole at Obek’s estate.  “But who?”

 

An idea came to him.  Putting on his spectacles, he got up from his chair and went over to one of the numerous file cabinets in his office.  He’d had Agent Gothmog watch the comings and goings at the Archon’s estate, and after a moment of shuffling though papers he found the folder and pulled out the document he was looking for.  Scanning Agent Gothmog’s report, his eyes stopped on one particular name that he knew, that is, used to know, quite well – Dr. Dektora Lefay.  His lips curled in an evil smile. 

 

                                                                                                **************************

 

Dektora Lefay was moderately irritated as she drove to the University for a ten o’clock Class she was teaching that morning.  For the past week she’d been thrilled at the prospect of bringing Captain Burton home with her.  Although the above-board reason had been to show him her collection of Earth artifacts and hopefully get some incites on them from the little Earthman, she sensed from last week’s interview with him that he found her desirable and would not be averse to having some fun with her.  When, however, Dektora had called the Archon’s office earlier that morning to confirm her rendezvous to pick up Captain Burton, she had been flatly told by his secretary that the Archon had vetoed the plans.  Not one to give up easily, Dektora had requested to speak with Obek personally about it, but the haughty Miss Noor had told her the Archon was unavailable.  The conversation had ended with the secretary stating that although she was welcome to make another appointment to interview Captain Burton at the estate, the Archon felt that it would be unwise at this juncture for any of the little people to be taken offsite. 

 

Sylvana had actually lied to her.  She didn’t trust Doctor Lefay, and now that Sylvana and Steve had been reconciled and were going steady, she had become very possessive of her little Earthman.  Dektora perhaps sensed this, but more or less accepted what Miss Noor had told her at face value and comforted herself with the knowledge that all was not lost, as she still had permission to visit Captain Burton at the Archon’s estate.

 

The class Doctor Lefay was teaching that morning was an anthropology/sociology class on the little people.  She noted with some satisfaction when walking into the classroom that it was nearly full.  Interest in the little people had increased dramatically the past few years, and as resident expert Dektora’s lectures on the subject were frequently well-attended.  As usual Dektora was wearing a miniskirt, and the young men in the class gave her admiring stares as she walked up to the lectern.  Indeed, most of the male students at the University idolized Doctor Lefay as the archetype of the sexy mature woman.

 

She began her lecture, and after about thirty minutes a visitor quietly entered in the back and sat down.  She recognized the man right away as an old boyfriend, Inspector Kobick of the SID.  Kobick’s unexpected visit threw her a little off kilter, but she quickly recovered and continued with the lecture.

 

A student raised his hand, and she acknowledged him.  “How did the little people get here, ma’am?” 

 

“A good question”, she replied as she walked to the front of her desk, and then sat down on it.  She crossed her legs, and the sight of her voluptuous thighs caused more than a few skipped heartbeats among the male students.  Inspector Kobick, sitting quietly in the last row, rolled his eyes.  “Typical Dektora” he thought. 

 

She continued.  “Based on speculations by our astronomers as well as interrogations of some captured Earthmen, we think there is a wormhole close to Brobdinia with the other end near Earth.  This wormhole is as yet uncharted, but we believe that the Earth’s advanced space technology has enabled their spacecraft to travel near the wormhole.  Some of their ships must have accidentally fallen into it, and were propelled great distances to our world.” 

 

A studious-looking young girl with glasses raised her hand.  “Does that mean someday we may be able to travel to the Earth?”

 

Dektora smiled.  “Yes, the High Council has been moving forward with our space program to do just that.”

 

“But Doctor Lefay, the Earth people are so small compared to us.  “Wouldn’t we frighten them if we landed on their world?” the girl countered. 

 

Dektora got up from where she had been sitting on the desk (much to the disappointment of some) and folded her arms.  “Probably”, she replied.  “In any event we have a few years to go before our manned space program is ready for such an attempt, and in any case what you are talking about is culture shock, a subject for another lecture.” 

 

The girl nodded but said nothing. 

 

Another student lifted his hand.  “Doctor Lefay, how many Earthmen do you think are here on Brobdinia?” 

 

“Another good question” she replied.  “Statistics collected for the High Council suggest that there are probably no more than three or four hundred on our world, though again, this is pure speculation.  Many regrettably have died when their ships crash-landed here.”    

 

Looking around and seeing no other questions, Dektora walked up to the chalkboard.  She wrote some figures on it, and then turned back to face the class.  “Please note the average dimensions of the little people.  They are roughly one-twelfth our size.” Several of the students gasped at this.   

       

Dektora faced the class. “Have any of you ever seen the little people?” 

 

Several students raised their hands, stating that they had seen some pictures of them on the news.  A pretty young girl with long blonde hair sitting in the third row actually had considerable interactions with one of the little people.  Shiva Torridge was tempted to raise her hand, but immediately thought better of it.  Her reminiscing about the tiny Earth boy Barry Lockridge brought back wistful memories, and in any case their story was altogether too personal for present company.

 

“Yes, I thought as much”, Dektora said smugly.  She walked over to her desk, and pulled a large photograph out of her book bag.  “I have something I want to show you.  Pass it around, but remember that I do want it back.” 

 

The males in the class regarded the photo in silence.  They were obviously embarrassed by it, and quickly passed it on.  The girls, however, were another matter entirely.  Dr. Lefay detected gasps, ooohs, and ahhhs, from them.  Several of the girls held on to the photo a bit long and had to be prompted by their fellow classmates to pass it along.  Of course it was the photograph that Doctor Lefay had taken of semi-nude Captain Burton standing on the desk next to the upright ruler and her high heel. 

 

When the photo reached Inspector Kobick, he regarded it distastefully.  “Whatever do these women see in that mouse-man Captain Burton?” he thought.  He shook his head and quickly passed it on.  He cracked a sly grin.  Judging from the slightly risqué nature of the picture, he surmised that Doctor Lefay must also have more than a professional interest in Captain Burton.  This boded well, as he felt that Dektora would probably be more inclined to help him with his scheme.

 

“Wow Doctor Lefay, he’s cute!  He can stand in my high heel anytime!” Everyone’s eyes turned to the beautiful young girl with long auburn hair sitting at the center of the class.

 

“I don’t know Tarla, do you think you could handle him?”  A boy in the class replied teasingly. 

 

The girl gave him a catty look.  “Well Zoren, given the choice between him and you, I’ll take the little man any day!” 

 

The students immediately erupted in riotous laughter, and before it had entirely subsided the bell rang signaling the end of the class period.  Doctor Lefay retrieved the picture from the student, noting as she did that the girl was Tarla Noor, daughter of Archon Obek’s secretary.  Dektora thought it a curious coincidence, and reflected with a trace of uneasiness that Tarla seemed to share her admiration of Captain Burton.  She immediately dismissed the thought and approached Inspector Kobick, now standing near her desk.

 

“My word Doctor, you definitely know how to keep your students entertained.”

 

She gave him a blank expression. 

 

“And I would add that you look as lovely as ever, my dear.” 

 

“Save it Kobick” she said sternly.  “I was through with you a long time ago, and I’m doubly through with you now!”

 

“Oh come now Doctor.  Can’t we let bygones be bygones and renew our friendship?” he said with a hint of sarcasm. 

 

“Not a chance.”  She walked over to her desk and picked up her papers, then looked up at him impatiently.  “What do you want Kobick?  And make it quick.  I’m very busy.” 

 

“But of course Dektora.”  He removed his spectacles.  “I can call you Dektora, can’t I?” he added with insincere charm. 

 

“No you may not!” she replied curtly.   

 

“As you wish Doctor Lefay” he gave her his customary evil grin.  “I’m here to talk with you about your favorite subject - the little people.” 

 

She leaned against her desk, shook her head back and forth and sighed.  “Big surprise that” she said sarcastically.   “Sorry to disappoint you inspector, but I’m afraid you’re wasting your time.  I study them, and you want to stomp on them.  We have nothing to discuss.”

 

“I think we do” he replied.  Kobick walked up to the desk and picked up the picture of Captain Burton standing next to her high heel.  He glanced at it objectionably, and she immediately grabbed it out of his hand. 

 

“Would you get to the point Kobick, I haven’t got all day!” 

 

“I’ve heard from very reliable sources that Archon Obek has been harboring the little people and their spaceship at his estate, illegally I might add, and you’ve been visiting them.”

 

She was by now starting to get very annoyed.  “First of all, the Archon has the approval of the High Council….”

 

Kobick interrupted.  “That depends on whom you ask on the High Council.” 

 

She ignored the interruption and continued.  “…..and secondly, it’s none of your damned business!”  She put her papers and photo into her book bag.  “I guess you’ve wasted your time coming here”, she said with heavy sarcasm.  “I have nothing to say to you.” 

 

Kobick was un-phased.  “Alright Doctor, but at least have the courtesy of hearing my offer.”

 

Dektora stood with her book bag in hand, ready to depart.  She raised her eyebrows. 

 

“I want you to abduct Captain Burton for me.  I’m authorized to pay you ten thousand kronos upon delivery.” 

 

She shook her head back and forth.  “Inspector Kobick, if you think I’m going to help you, you’re sadly mistaken; not for twice the money.  Now if you will excuse me.”  She started walking towards the door, and Kobick starred at her elegant nylons. 

 

 He clicked his tongue and shook his head.   “That’s a pity Doctor.”

 

She opened the classroom door, about to exit. 

 

“Oh Doctor, by the way, did you know that little Captain Burton has been seeing Obek’s secretary, Sylvana Noor?” 

 

She stopped in her tracks.  That had gotten her attention, as the manipulative inspector knew it would.  Dektora hesitated for a moment, and then walked back into the classroom, closing the door behind her. 

 

“What?  Why, why, that’s preposterous”, she said uneasily.

 

He smiled.  “My thoughts exactly, my dear.  In fact, I have it on very good authority that the little man is spending his nights at her house.” 

 

“Why that little……”, she said under her breath.  Dektora was by now feeling incredibly jealous, and as hard as she tried not to show it, Kobick could see it in her face.  He gave her a malevolent grin.

 

“I take it you’ve reconsidered?”

 

She folded her arms across her chest and looked down at the floor.  “I don’t know”, she said quietly.

 

She was by now flummoxed.  Inspector Kobick had made a career out of manipulating people and using their weaknesses against them.  In the case of Doctor Lefay, he need look no further than the picture of Captain Burton standing next to her shoe to know what her weakness was, though he couldn’t for the life of him ken what these women saw in that mouse-man.  He played his final card.

 

“I’ll tell you what I’ll do Dektora.  After you remove Captain Burton from the Archon’s estate, there’s no need to bring him to me immediately.  After all, I’m sure you’d like a day or so to study him, would you not?  I mean, for the advancement of science, of course.”   He drove the nail home.

 

The woman nodded her head, but still kept her glance low, by now being too intimidated and embarrassed to look him in the eye.  “But how do I get him past the guards?”

 

Kobick gave her a sly grin, looking over his glasses.  “Why Doctor Lefay, you’re a woman.  I should have thought that was obvious?” 

 

Her face reddened.  “I……I……when the guards notice him missing Miss Noor will search me.”

 

“Not if they are otherwise occupied, my dear.” 

 

She looked up at him quizzically, and creased her eyebrows. 

 

“It’s really quite simple my dear.  You’ll schedule an interview with Captain Burton, and at a pre-appointed time while you’re alone with him I’ll create a distraction with some of my SID men.  While Obek and his security guards are outside dealing with me, you can quietly slip away with Burton.” 

 

“You’re forgetting one thing” she said.  “After your diversion is over and they find Captain Burton gone, they’ll know I took him.”

 

“That’s right Doctor, but I’m willing to bet they won’t come to you immediately, and by the time they do, you will have already deposited Captain Burton into my waiting hands.”

 

“You’ve got it all figured out, haven’t you?” she noted with some displeasure, knowing full well that she was being played like a fiddle.

 

“The SID likes to be thorough” he said officiously. 

 

She hesitated for a moment, and then looked up at Kobick.  “Alright, I’ll do it.” 

 

“Ah good” he offered her his hand to consummate the deal, but she did not move to take it.  “Set up the meeting with Captain Burton, and then call me with the details.” 

 

Dektora nodded her agreement.  The inspector put on his glasses and walked out the door.

 

Considering the relatively short length of the conversation with Kobick, Dektora felt totally drained.   

 

Later that afternoon Doctor Lefay again called Obek’s Office.  The previous conversation she’d had with his secretary had not been terribly pleasant, and knowing what she knew now about the relationship between Miss Noor and the tiny Earthman, talking with her left Dektora seething with jealousy.  She told the secretary she wished to continue her discussions with Captain Burton on Earth culture and geography, and Miss Noor had imperiously replied her that she would check with the Archon and that Dektora would have to call back later.  When Dektora did so, she was relieved to find that her appointment request had been approved for a three o’clock meeting two days hence.  Dektora thanked her perfunctorily, all the while hating Sylvana for her special friendship with Captain Burton.

 

Dektora hung up, doing her best not to slam the receiver on the phone.  “Bitch!”

 

She leaned back on her desk chair, by now livid over the manipulations of Inspector Kobick and the perceived smugness of Miss Noor.  She thought about her up-coming appointment with Captain Burton, and after a few minutes an idea came to her.  It was a bold plan, but she wanted the little Earthman badly.  A wry smile came upon her face.  She picked up the phone again and placed a call to the Narr Shadaa airport, making a reservation for a flight scheduled to leave the day after her appointment with Steve. 

 

The die had been cast, and she got up from her desk and looked out the window.  “Kobick thinks he can play me like a violin, and that smug bitch Miss Noor thinks she has Steve all to herself.  They are in for a surprise” she thought.  “The little man will be mine, and I’ll and teach the fool Kobick and that hussy a lesson for daring to so contemptuously underestimate me!”  A dark, sinister grin crept upon her face.            

 

                                                                                                **************************

 

Sylvana was overcome with an uneasy feeling while escorting Doctor Lefay to the office where Steve was awaiting the scheduled appointment with the professor.  With her shiny dark nylons and short, short skirt outfit, Sylvana felt the collage professor was dressed far too daringly for what was supposed to be a professional meeting.   She tried to comfort herself with the knowledge that the meeting had been approved by the Archon, and that Doctor Lefay in fact usually dressed provocatively most of the time anyway.  There was also the given that, due to the important work being conducted here under the sanction of the High Council, any misconduct on the part of the visitors could land them in serious trouble.  She shook her head and curled her lips in a thin smile, thinking what she was feeling was probably just a healthy dose of good old-fashioned jealousy and possessiveness concerning Captain Burton.  Still in all, Dektora’s haughty, almost condescending manner in which she was carrying herself today, and her sexy attire, were making Sylvana feel edgy. 

 

The two women entered the office and found Steve waiting patiently on the desktop.  The Doctor and Steve exchanged greetings, and when Dektora offered Steve her hand, Steve graped his tiny hands around her index finger and kissed it.  Sylvana cringed.  Without saying anything she turned around and stomped out of the office, barely avoiding slamming the door behind her.   Steve looked up wondering what was wrong with Sylvana. 

 

Sylvana strutted down the hall, and after a moment regained her composure.  “I’m being silly”, she thought.  “Dektora had offered him her hand, and Steve’s kissing it was just him being his naturally polite self.”  She sighed.  To her mind, however, the sooner the meeting was over and Doctor Lefay gone, the better Sylvana would feel.  She put it out of her mind and proceeded to the upstairs veranda where ladies teatime awaited her with Honoria Obek and the two Earth women, Valerie and Betty.

                                               

Doctor Lefay set her book bag down on the floor next to the desk and sat down in the chair.  She clasped her hands on the desktop directly in front of the tiny man and gave him a bright smile.

 

“How’ve you been Steve?”

 

“Just fine Doctor Lefay, and yourself?” 

 

“Oh, I’m a bit disappointed that I couldn’t take you to my house to see my Earth collection, but at least I can still interview you here” she replied.  

 

Steve had not been aware of this cancellation; in fact had entirely forgotten Dektora’s invite until she mentioned it now.  He nodded but said nothing.  As with their previous meetings, he found himself very distracted by her very elegant and sexy appearance.

 

“And Steve, please call me Dektora”, she said with a smile. 

 

 “Oh yes, Dektora.”  

 

“Steve, look, since we’re just going to talk today, why don’t we make ourselves more comfortable.”

 

The tiny man gave her a curious look, wondering what she meant.

 

Dektora let out a short laugh, and Steve felt her warm breath blow across his face.  She gave him a big smile, exposing her huge, perfectly aligned teeth.  “I mean, why don’t we move to the couch?  I’ll put you on the coffee table.”  She moved her right hand close to Steve and opened her fingers, ready to take hold of him. 

 

“Sure, I don’t see why not?”  Steve replied.  He looked in the direction of the couch, then back at his giant guest.  “Uh, Dektora, I don’t see a coffee table.”

 

She looked behind her, and sure enough, there was not.  She thought for a moment, and it occurred to her what they could do.  “I’ve got an idea Steve.” 

 

She stood up, and grasping the wheeled chair she had sat in, started pushing it towards the sofa.  Steve gazed admiringly at her sexy legs and shiny black heels as she intentionally bent over while slowly pushing the chair to a position in front of the couch.  She knew Steve was checking her out, and it gave her a most pleasurable feeling.

 

When Dektora returned to the desk, Steve pinned his arms to his sides, and she carefully wrapped her fingers around his tiny body.   She slowly carried him over to the chair, savoring the moment and sensations of his tiny body, and placed him on it next to the backrest.  Steve sat down, leaning back against the chair with his legs sprawled forward.  The heat generated from Dektora’s enormous body when she had sat in the chair, combined with her strong perfume, flooded his senses with a very warm, pleasing sensation.  He glanced from side to side and reflected on how ridiculous he must look sitting in this giant chair.  He was very comfortable though, and the fact that this sexy giant woman had just sat in it gave him an oddly erotic feeling.   

 

Dektora pulled a notebook and pen out of her bag, and then sat down on the sofa.  Slowly, alluringly, she crossed one leg over the other.  Her skirt lifted up until almost all of her magnificent thighs were visible.  To tiny Steve, situated as he was level with her legs, it was a thoroughly breathtaking sight. 

 

The enticing view before Steve caused him to speculate on what some of the other giant women might be like in bed?   He couldn’t deny that Dektora compared very favorably to Sylvana.   Steve cracked a smile, thinking that although he and Sylvana were not married, that it might be unwise to play two-time with his giant girlfriend.  He thought, however, that when he and Sylvana returned home that evening he would have to talk to her about buying some sexy clothes like the kind Dektora wore. 

 

“Shall we begin Steve?”  Present company brought him back into the here and now.

 

The giant woman looked up from her notebook and subtly licked her lips.   She arched her foot out of her pump, balancing it on her toes just a few yards in front of him. 

 

This is going to be a great session, he thought.  If he couldn’t touch, he could certainly enjoy the scenery. 

 

For her part Dektora thought she was completely succeeding in turning on the little Earthman.  She exhaled pleasurably, thinking that Steve might possibly come with her willingly and not have to be forced.  Things were turning out better than she had expected.        

 

                                                                                                **************************

 

Using an eye dropper, Sylvana took some tea out of her cup and carefully placed a few drops each in Valerie and Betty’s tiny cups.  The two little Earth women thanked Sylvana and sipped the hot tea.  It was delicious, they thought.  Sylvana resumed sipping from her own cup, with Honoria Obek sitting at her side and doing the same. 

 

Sylvana looked down at the two tiny women sitting at the dollhouse table, situated before her and Honoria on one of the tables in the Obeks’ upstairs veranda.  “Valerie, Betty, I’m glad we finally got the opportunity to get together and chat.” 

 

“Yes, with everything so hectic and busy these days, I was beginning to wonder if we were ever going to get the chance”, Betty responded. 

 

Honoria interjected.  “Yes, it’s about time we got away from our men long enough for some ladies’ talk.”  The four women giggled lightly.

 

Valerie put her cup down and looked up at the two giant women before her.  “Speaking of men…..”

 

Betty nudged Valerie on the shoulder.  “Hey Val, you mean our favorite subject?” she said flippantly. 

 

“And why not?” Mrs. Obek added.  “After all, we’re theirs’.”

 

“Yeah, but sometimes I wonder about my Mark”, Valerie commented.  The four women laughed in unison. 

 

Valerie gazed up at the giant secretary.  “Sylvana, we don’t know each other very well, and I should warn you up front that I tend to speak my mind.” 

 

“That’s an understatement!” Betty noted.

 

“Stuff it Betty!” Valerie responded jokingly. 

 

“Hey!” Betty shouted with feigned upset tone, slapping Valerie on the shoulder. 

 

Sylvana put her cup down and leaned close to Valerie.  “You were about to ask me something about men?” She said with a grin..

 

“Well Sylvana, yes.  I can see that you and Steve love each other very much, but I must say that the two of you are without a doubt the oddest couple I’ve ever seen.  No offense Sylvana.”

 

“None taken Valerie”, Sylvana responded graciously. 

 

Valerie continued.  “I mean, to be blunt, how do you make love to Steve without crushing the life out of him?”

 

Betty looked at her friend with wide eyes and jaw dropped to the ground.  The four women laughed for a good half-minute. 

 

Finally when everyone had settled down, Sylvana responded.  “Actually Valerie, that is a very good practical question.”  The other three looked at Sylvana with much anticipation.  Sylvana continued.  “We were very careful at first; both of us wondering if it would be dangerous for him.”

 

“And?” Honoria prompted her, and the three women looked at Sylvana with imploring eyes. 

 

The secretary took a sip from her cup, and then smiled at the tiny women.  “Your Captain has a very strong and muscled little body, and I think it would take a lot to hurt him.” 

 

Mrs. Obek nudged Sylvana.  “So does that mean he was good?”

 

Sylvana gulped, and a blank expression came upon her face.  She looked at Honoria, and then down at the two little women, then smiled.  “Steve is the best sex I’ve ever had!”

 

Valerie and Betty looked shocked, but Mrs. Obek smiled knowingly. 

 

“Not only that…..” Sylvana added.  “Steve is the master of massage and foreplay.”  She looked at the lady sitting next to her.  “Honoria, you haven’t lived until you’ve had one of his foot massages, or felt him caressing your legs.”  She paused for a moment, looking a little embarrassed. “….. or felt him climbing over your breasts.” 

 

The four women giggled. 

 

Sylvana looked around at the others.  “But seriously girls, Steve could teach men our own size a thing or two about how to treat women.”

 

“No kidding?” Betty said rhetorically.   She turned to Valerie.  “Val, see what you’ve missed out on?”

 

The two giants looked down at the tiny women quizzically, wondering what Betty meant. 

 

Valerie sensed this.  “What Betty means is that Steve and I were an item for a while after we first crashed here, but things never quite clicked between us.”

 

“Why not?” Sylvana asked, ‘Not that I’m complaining.  He’s handsome, brave, husky, resourceful, intelligent, and he’s great in bed.  What more could a woman want?”  Sylvana grinned.   

 

Valerie stood up from her tiny chair and faced Sylvana.  “I’m sure what you’re saying is true, but Steve is just an airline pilot, whereas Mark………He’s a brilliant engineer, a millionaire many times over, and he owned twenty-five corporations before the age of thirty.”  She paused and put a hand to her face.  “Or was it thirty corporations before the age of twenty-five?????” 

 

The four ladies laughed heartedly at Valerie’s perceived facetiousness.   

 

Valerie raised her arms at each side with palms up.  “Hey, I’m a card-carrying social climber.  I admit it.”

 

“Honk!  Honk!” 

 

Startled, the four ladies looked up towards the safety wall in the direction of the car horn. Sylvana quickly got up and walked over to the waist-high wall, and what she saw out by the front gate made her heart sink.  Three SID patrol cars were parked out front, with at least six or seven MIB’s congregating around them. 

 

Honoria Obek walked up beside her.  “What is it Sylvana?  What’s the SID doing here?”   

 

By now Sylvana was feeling very uneasy.  “Honoria, I’ll get the Archon and the guards and find out what’s going on.  I think you’d better take Valerie and Betty back to the workshop.” 

 

Sylvana walked briskly out of the veranda and into the house.  Foremost in her mind was the thought that if there was a coup in the High Council, then all the little people that they had given sanctuary there, including her Steve Burton, could be forfeit.  She prayed to Mother Shandris that this was not the case. 

 

                                                                                                **************************

 

Meanwhile, Dektora had been listening to Captain Burton describe the Earth’s geography, diligently taking shorthand notes on everything he said.  After a time Steve started to notice her note taking taper off, and he soon discerned a preoccupied look on her face.  She looked at her watch three times in five minutes, making Steve wonder what she was expecting.

 

“Is anything wrong Dektora?” 

 

She took in a deep breath.  “Oh, no Steve, please continue.” 

 

Steve resumed his description of the magnificent mountains, forests, and plains of New Zealand, all the while wondering what was on her mind.  Although he had been moderately distracted by the giant woman’s incredible legs and cleavage which she had been unashamedly displaying for him in the course of the session, when she sat up in the sofa, hiked up her skirt, and moved her crossed legs to the side, he started finding it altogether difficult to concentrate on business.  Her exposed thigh left little to the imagination.  He started stammering and his speech tapered off.  

 

The giant woman flashed him a smile, giving him a hungry look.  She leaned forward slightly to give him a better view of her cleavage.  “Steve?”

 

“Ye, yes Dektora?” 

 

“Do you find me attractive?” 

 

Though her bold question surprised Steve, he definitely liked the show she’d been giving him, and didn’t see the harm in admitting as much to his giant guest.  “Why, why, yes Dektora”, he nervously replied.  You are very lovely, incredible even.”  He stood up, folded his arms and smiled. 

 

She exhaled contentedly, thinking that Steve had just given her the green light.  Without saying anything, she put her feet up on the chair next to the tiny man, crossing one over the other.  She enticingly put a finger to her tongue. 

 

The sweet, pungent odor emanating from her hosed skin filled his nostrils, completely breaking down his resistance.  He reached out with his hands and started caressing her huge, shapely ankle.  She moved her foot nearest him out of her shoe slightly, exposing more of her skin to the little man standing at her feet.  He ran his hands up and down the length of her instep, and then kissed her huge foot.  His conscience immediately reared its ugly head, telling him that he was being mildly unfaithful to Sylvana.  He also started feeling a little tense; paranoid of Sylvana or Obek walking in on them, but he found Dektora just too desirable and overpowering to resist. 

 

“Ouuuuuu……Steve……That’s marvelous”, she said ecstatically.

 

Massaging and kissing her hosed legs and feet reminded him of his first night with Sylvana, when she’d given him the run of her hosed legs before they’d gotten down to more serious business.  Thinking of Sylvana again caused Steve some feelings of guilt, and he momentarily paused in his exploration of Dektora’s lower limbs.  The giant woman then lightly brushed her foot against his tiny body, and Steve immediately put his conscience in a box. 

 

For the next minute or so Steve continued massaging and kissing her feet, ankles, and lower legs, when suddenly he felt giant fingers wrapping around him.   His body rose rapidly as the woman got up from the sofa, and the next thing he knew her huge lips were practically smothering his face.   He gasped for air.

 

“Hey!  Be careful, will ya!” he shouted while twisting his body between her enormous fingers. 

 

She gave him a half-serious sullen look.  “I’m sorry Steve.  It’s just that you taste so good.”  She winked.  

 

“Honk!  Honk!” 

 

Dektora looked towards the window.  The car horn was the pre-arranged signal from Inspector Kobick that she had been waiting for.  She took a deep breath and her body quivered with feelings of excitement and trepidation.  This was the point of no return. 

 

“What’s that?” Steve asked, still ensconced within her hand.   

 

Without answering him, she walked to the window.  Dektora looked outside, and sure enough she could see Inspector Kobick and some SID agents boiling out of several patrol cars.  Steve strained to see what she was looking at, but Dektora was careful to keep him away from the window.

 

Steve asked again what was going on outside.  She looked at him with a sly grin, and as she slowly walked to the desk allowed the hand holding the little man to fall to her side so that his tiny body brushed against her thigh.  Steve was disoriented from her movements, and when he opened his eyes was shocked to see Dektora’s stocking top and panties just a few feet from him.  He allowed his hands to slide across her silky hose as her legs slowly moved back and forth.  Steve marveled at the wondrous sensations assaulting him, though he was taken aback by her audacity, and he still wondered what was going on outside.   

 

Arriving at the desk, Dektora lifted the hand holding Steve over it and relaxed her grip on him.  She misjudged the timing of the release, however, and he fell several yards to the desktop.  His body rolled for a few feet to break the fall.  She peered down on him with her hands underneath her chin and elbows resting on the desktop, and gave him a glowing smile.  “That was just a sample of what you’re going to experience with me tonight, my precious little man.” 

 

Steve got up on his feet and attempted to wipe off the gobs of lipstick now covering his face and uniform jacket.   He reflected uncomfortably that there’d be hell to pay if Sylvana found him like this.  Steve looked up at her, confused at what she had said.   “What do you mean Doctor?”

 

“Isn’t it obvious Steve?  I’m abducting you.”  She giggled.  “We’ll spend the evening at my place, and then we have a plane to catch in the morning.”

 

His look of surprise slowly turned to shock.  

 

She continued.  “I’m taking you someplace where no one will find us.  We’ll be so happy together, just you and I.”  She beamed him an enormous smile; over a yard wide.  

 

Her apparently premeditated plan had taken Steve completely by surprise.  He thought that she liked him, but he had no idea until now just how much.  He shook his head from side-to-side, and put his hands on his hips.  “Now look Doctor Lefay, I find you very beautiful, but my going anywhere with you is totally out of the question.” 

 

The sultry smile she had maintained slowly left her face.  “Why?” she asked.  “You want me, don’t you?”

 

“Come now Doctor, let’s be reasonable.  For one thing I’m heading back to Earth as soon as the Spindrift is repaired.  For another……..”, he paused, suspecting she would not like what he had to say.  “I’m seeing Sylvana Noor right now.”    

 

Dektora sighed with considerable disappointment.  She guessed she’d have to do things the hard way after all.  “A pity”, she thought, “but either way he’s mine.” 

 

She looked at Steve threateningly and laughed as she shook her head back and forth.  She slammed a fist on the desktop, knocking the little man off his feet.  “Now see here little man!  You come to this world and think you can pick and choose the women here as if you were at some singles bar.  Have you stood next to a ruler lately?”

 

Steve got up, by now becoming perplexed and frightened at the giant woman’s sudden change in disposition.    

 

Steve put his hands on his hips and looked up at the giant with all the assertiveness and authority he could muster. “Doctor Lefay, I must ask you to leave.  Go now and I’ll make no mention of this to the Archon.”   He had played his hand.  If she didn’t heed his advice, well, he could only hope that Sylvana or a guard came back for him soon.

 

“Nice try little man, but by the time the Archon finds out anything, you and I will be long gone.”

 

She tried to grab him, but he darted towards some books at the back of the desk.  He quickly looked around for something to use as a weapon, and spied a pencil lying next to some giant documents.  He dived towards the pencil, again barely avoiding her huge hand. 

 

“So, my little man wants to play?” she said teasingly.

 

He picked up the enormous pencil with both hands and pointed it up in the giant’s direction.  She extended her fingers towards him, and as her hand hovered near, Steve lunged with the pencil at the soft center of her palm. 

 

“Ouch!” 

 

Dektora quickly retracted her hand and grasped it with the other.  She looked down at him angrily, and the sudden loudness of her voice frightened Steve.  “Why you little insect!  I should swat you like a fly for that!”

 

Steve resumed his defensive stance, with pencil brandished high to his front.  Dektora moved a hand underneath the desk and produced one of her high heels.  She clutched the shoe at the toe and waved the spiked heel threateningly at him.  

 

“Sylvana! Obek!  Help!”  Steve screamed.  It was the only thing he could think to do at this point. 

 

“Squeak all you want little man, but I think you’ll find the Archon, your alleged girlfriend, and the guards are rather busy at the moment” she said with much confidence.     

 

She slowly lowered her shoe towards him, using it as a shield against further jabs from the pencil.  Steve’s mind raced, groping for options.  There was no way he could shimmy down the phone cord before she captured him, and jumping off the desk with the ground nearly forty-feet below was suicide.  He stepped slowly backwards as her massive shoe edged closer to him.  Steve’s eyes were focused on the spiked heel hovering ominously over him, and he didn’t notice Dektora’s other hand sneak up from the side.  She quickly snatched the tiny man, and the sudden pressure exerted by her fingers on his mid-section knocked the wind out of him.  He was forced let go of the pencil, and the next thing he knew she had dropped him in her heel.  She raised the shoe with Steve in it up to her face.  The strong, musky odor from inside the high heel distracted him slightly from the pain he still felt in his gut, and he grabbed the sides of the shoe and pulled himself up on his feet.  Lifting his head, he found himself looking straight into her huge face leering at him mere feet away. 

 

“You’ll never get away with this Doctor!” 

 

She shook her head back and forth.  “It seems I already have Captain.  You know you look soooooo cute in my shoe.”  She giggled, and by now Steve was feeling totally humiliated. 

 

Dektora wagged a finger at him.  “There’s one more thing we need to do before we go little man.  It wouldn’t do for you to be squeaking and alerting someone when we leave.”  She dumped him out of her high heel, and he hit the desktop with a thud.  After putting her shoe back on, Dektora reached in her bag, and in a few seconds Steve could see her holding what looked like a medicine bottle, a ball of cotton, and some tweezers. 

 

Dektora removed the bottle cap, then placed the ball of cotton over the opening and saturated it with the solution.   She replaced the cap on the bottle, set it down on the desk, and then clasped the cotton ball with the tweezers.  She then advanced on him menacingly.  He backed towards the edge of the desk, but he knew that unless someone came through the door within the next few seconds, the game was up. 

 

“Now this is going to hurt me more than you little man”, she said with a malevolent grin.  She grabbed him with her free hand, and lifting him up off the desktop, slowly inched the cotton ball towards his face.  The last thing he remembered was a strong, nauseating, hospital-like smell, and the feel of the sickly wet cotton ball smothering him. 

 

Dektora quickly replaced the items in her book bag, and then picked up Steve’s limp, unconscious body.  She was about to place him in the bag as well, then immediately remembered Inspector Kobick’s thinly-veiled suggestion.  She curled her lips in a sardonic smile, and grasping her blouse collar; extended it outward from her neck.  She then proceeded to stuff the tiny man in her bra.   Dektora lightly patted the spot where she had placed Steve, and smiled triumphantly as she picked up her bag and trotted out the door. 

 

                                                                                                **************************

 

Sylvana quickly gathered the five security guards, leaving one in the workshop to protect the little people while the others followed her out the front door.  They ran up to the main gate where Archon Obek had himself only just arrived to confront Inspector Kobick and his MIB’s. 

 

 “What’s the meaning of this outrage Inspector?”  Obek asked sternly.

 

“Archon Obek, it has come to the attention of the SID that you are harboring little people on your premises.  I needn’t remind you that they are illegal aliens and enemies of the state”, he said with much forcefulness in his voice.

 

Obek looked at Sylvana as she came up with the guards.  “Are the little people safe Miss Noor?” 

 

“Yes Archon”, she replied. 

 

The two opposing parties faced off nervously, giving each other hostile glares and threatening to un-holster their weapons.

 

Obek faced the SID Inspector.  “Inspector Kobick, have you gone completely daft?” 

 

The Inspector gave him a sardonic smile.  “Now, now Archon.  No need to get personal.  What gives you any special insight into my mental processes?” 

 

Sylvana rolled her eyes at Kobick’s facetiousness, and the Archon continued.  “Now see here inspector, you and your men have no legal right to be here.  My little people are under the direct protection of the High Council, so I’m afraid you’re wasting your time.”

 

Kobick raised his voice.  “Archon Obek, it is the clear mandate of the SID to take into custody the little people, whenever and wherever found!”  He turned around and looked at his men, and they immediately flipped open their holsters and placed their hands on their weapons.  Sylvana nodded to the Archon’s guards, and they did the same.

 

Obek glared defiantly at the SID official.  “Inspector Kobick, any attempt by you or your men to gain entry onto my property will be met with force!”

 

Kobick shook his head from side-to-side and puckered his lips.  “Well Archon, we appear to be at an impasse.”  He paused for a moment and removed the glasses from his beady eyes.  “The SID wishes to avoid any unfortunate incidents, as I’m sure do you Archon, especially since I have your men outnumbered.” 

 

“Make your point Kobick!” Obek said with a scowl. 

 

“I’ll tell you what I’ll do Archon.  You show me the permit you claim to have for the little people, and my men and I will leave peacefully.” 

 

The Archon looked at his secretary.  “Miss Noor, go and get the permit from my office.”

 

“Yes Sir”. 

 

As she turned to leave, Kobick accosted her.  “Sylvana Noor, I presume?” 

 

She stopped and turned around to face the Inspector.  “Yes?  What of it?” 

 

An twisted smile crossed his face.  “Oh, nothing.  It’s just that I’m very disappointed.  I would have thought a lady of your stature would have more sense than to take one of the little men to her bed.  Have you no pride or dignity?” 

 

Obek looked at the inspector with venom in his eyes.  “Of all the low down…….”

 

The security guards, all great admirers of Sylvana, were equally incensed.  Two of them started to pull out their pistols, but Obek reluctantly motioned them to desist. 

 

Sylvana stood in place for a second, giving the evil Inspector a blank stare.  She turned around and headed for the door, just in time to prevent Kobick from having the satisfaction of seeing a tear stream down the side of her face.  Although Sylvana was very hurt by his callous comment, she was still a professional, and she understood that Kobick was obviously trying to bate them.  She quickly regained her composure, entered the house, and then proceeded to the Archon’s office.  After a moment shuffling around the papers on his desk, she found the permit.  As she headed out of the office back into the foyer, she wondered how it was that Kobick knew about her and Captain Burton.

 

She froze in her tracks.  “Steve!” she cried.  With everything going on she’d completely forgotten about Steve being interviewed by Doctor Lefay in the upstairs office.  “Omygod!” 

 

Sylvana quickly ran up the stairs then down the hallway to the office.  She burst into the room, looked around, and then gasped in horror.  Steve and Doctor Lefay were nowhere to be seen.  Sylvana frantically searched several of the upstairs rooms, and then it dawned on her what must have happened.  Running down the stairs, she dashed out into the garden and pool area in back, just in time to see Doctor Lefay proceed out the now unguarded rear gate.  The woman quickly entered her car parked just beyond the gate, and in an instant drove off.  Sylvana felt her life crumble around her. 

 

Obek was about to send one of the guards inside to see what was holding up Sylvana, when she finally emerged from the house with the permit in her hand.  When she got up close to him, Garm could see that she’d been crying, and figured it was due to that damnable Kobick’s extremely rude comment.  He took the permit from her and handed it to the impatient Inspector.     

 

“Now if you will excuse me for a moment Archon, I’m going to my car radio to authenticate this permit.”

 

“Inspector Kobick, you can be sure that I’m going to file a formal complaint of your behavior to the High Council!”  Obek stated emphatically. 

 

“As you wish Archon.”  The Inspector gave him a thin smile, and then headed to his patrol car.  He thought smugly that the High Council would probably just give him a good hand-slapping.  By then, however, he would have the prize; Captain Burton. 

 

Sylvana moved close to her boss and tapped him on the shoulder.  “Garm”, she whispered. 

 

He could see that she was still quite distraught, and figuring she needed comforting, he put an arm around her shoulder.  “Yes my dear?” 

 

She continued in a low voice so as not to be heard by the SID.  “Doctor Lefay has absconded with Steve!”

 

The news hit him like a bombshell.  “Shit!” he exclaimed. 

 

                                                                                                **************************

 

The entire Spindrift crew sans Steve were milling about outside the workshop dollhouse, with Obek, Sylvana, and the security guard lieutenant sitting in chairs close to the low table. 

 

The usually reserved Barry was very concerned about Captain Burton, and he inadvertently opened the emergency meeting.  “Miss Noor, why would Doctor Lefay do such a thing?  Everyone knows she took him.”  Chipper yelped, as if agreeing with the point his master was making.

 

She peered down kindly at the tiny boy and dog and smiled.  “Why yes Barry, but I rather think she doesn’t plan on getting caught red-handed with Steve.”

 

Mark Wilson looked up at the three giants. “I think the solution is obvious.  Contact the High Council and have them issue a warrant for the arrest of Doctor Lefay.”

 

The security lieutenant looked at the Archon.  “Yeah chief, you could get permission for me and the boys to raid her house and rescue Captain Burton.” 

 

Sylvana looked down at Mark, and then turned to Obek and the lieutenant.  “I don’t think that would work.” 

 

“Why not?” Sylvana heard Valerie’s faint voice coming from below. 

 

Obek gazed down at the little people.  “Although the High Council might agree to it, it’s getting late in the day.  I think it unlikely that they would take any action before tomorrow.”  The elderly politician put his thumbs in his suspenders.  “You see, although Doctor Lefay is certainly the prime suspect, the only evidence we have at this point is purely coincidental and circumstantial.”

 

“Tomorrow?  By then it may be too late!” Betty shouted frantically.

 

“My point exactly”, Sylvana noted.  “And we have to assume that Doctor Lefay is in league with Kobick.” 

 

The Archon looked surprised.  “What?  So that whole thing with the SID this afternoon was just a charade to distract us while she snuck out with Captain Burton?” 

 

“The circumstances would seem to suggest that”, Dan Erickson shouted from the tabletop.  “Kobick had to know that you have us here with the approval of the High Council.  He may be a number one asshole, but he’s no fool.” 

 

Betty grinned at her husband’s spirited remark.

 

Fitzugh had been hanging back, and he presently walked up to the edge of the table to join the discussion.  He looked around at his fellow Earthers, and then up at the giants.  “Then don’t you see what this means?  If Doctor Lefay is indeed working with Inspector Kobick, she’s probably already handed Steve over to the SID.”

 

Dan walked up and put a hand on Fitzhugh’s shoulder, giving him a wry smile. “Ever the optimist, aren’t we Mr. Fitzhugh.”  Everyone frowned.

 

“There is something else”, Sylvana interjected.  All eyes turned to her, and she lowered her glance and fidgeted with her hands in her lap, as if her thoughts were causing her some embarrassment.  “I, I think Doctor Lefay wants Steve, and it’s my guess she won’t give him up to Kobick right away, if at all.”  It was not lost on the others that she said this with some discomfort evident in her voice.  She continued.  “That should give us the rest of the afternoon and evening to act.” 

 

The other giant’s and little people’s countenances immediately brightened at this thread of hope. 

 

“Does anyone have any ideas?” Obek asked as he looked at Sylvana and the guard lieutenant, then down at the little people.

 

Dan came up to Mark, and the two walked a few paces away from the rest of the group.  They conferred in low voices for a few moments.

 

Valerie approached the two men and put her hands on Mark’s arm.  “So what do you guys have in mind?”   

 

Mark glanced at Valerie, and then faced Dan.  The copilot put his hands on his hips assuming an authoritative stance, and then looked up at the giants.  “There would be some risk involved, and we’ll need a little luck, but we think we have a plan that will work.”  Mark faced Valerie and the others.  “There is a precedent here; we did something like this before.  Remember that giant photographer, and that scientist who created the robot?  And there was also Doctor North.”

 

The three giants were mystified, but the little people knew right away what the two men had in mind.  They gathered around in a circle while the giants looked on.

 

In a moment the huddle broke up, Mark ran into the dollhouse to fetch repelling gear, and quarterback Dan Erickson walked close to the edge of the table where Sylvana was sitting.  “Miss Noor, can you take Betty to the lab?  There’s something important we’re going to need.”   

 

“Sure Mark” she replied.  “Come here Betty.”   She placed her hands palm up on the table, and Betty immediately walked on to them.   In an instant Sylvana was out the door with her little passenger. 

 

Mark presently returned with the repelling gear, and Valerie approached him as he walked up to Dan. 

 

“OK guys, I know you’re not planning on leaving me out of this.”  Valerie said ardently.

 

“Not a chance honey.  It’s too dangerous”, her boyfriend Mark replied. 

 

Valerie slowly raised her arm and brushed a hand through her thick reddish-brown hair.  “Oh come off it Mark.  You know you’re going to need at least three, so the way I see it, it’s either Betty, or moi”, she said with a trace of flirtation in her voice.    

 

Mark was momentarily distracted by Valerie’s gorgeous hair and nicely developed bicep as her arm flexed.  It had not been lost on him that several years of strenuous living on this giant world had turned her from a flabby, spoiled socialite, into, if not quite a body-builder, at least a very healthy and well-developed young woman. 

 

Mark smiled at her, and she ran up and hugged him.  “I just want to do my part dear”, Valerie declared.    

 

                                                                                                **************************

 

Steve awoke feeling groggy, trying to remember what had happened and where he was.  The first thing he noticed was the low hum of an automobile engine.  A very strong perfume assaulted his nostrils, and though the smell was oddly familiar, he sensed it was not Sylvana’s.  Steve opened his eyes, but could only make out a very dim light.  He felt a soft, fibrous substance over his face, and his hands could feel what seemed like smooth, pliable flesh underneath him.  He moved his hands slightly, and his right came into contact with what appeared to be some kind of large protrusion; still fleshy but noticeably harder than the surrounding surface.

 

Steve heard giggling from above.  He felt movement around him, and all at once his environs get noticeably brighter. 

 

“Steve, you’d better behave yourself in there.  You wouldn’t want to cause us to get in an accident, would you?”  The giant woman giggled again.

 

Leaning his head back, Steve could make out the dim outline of Dektora’s face peering down on him, and with more than a little shock it dawned on Steve where he was.  The giant let go of her blouse collar and Steve was again covered in relative darkness.  He normally would have enjoyed his present situation had it been with Sylvana, but this woman’s forceful abduction of him left Steve feeling humiliated.  For the remaining ten or so minutes of the trip he remained almost entirely motionless and made sure his hand stayed away from the protrusion. 

 

Upon arrival at her house Dektora unlocked the door and made a beeline for the master bedroom.  With one hand she extended out her collar, and with the other plucked Steve out of her brassier and set him down on the bedroom vanity. 

 

“Did you enjoy the ride Steve?” She said with a laugh.  

 

Steve was not amused.  Standing up on her vanity next to a huge ten-foot long hairbrush, he folded his arms and looked up angrily at his giant captor.  “You’ve got a lot of nerve Doctor.  You must realize that the Archon and Sylvana will know it was you who took me.  In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re on their way now with the police” he said confidently. 

 

She leaned close to him with her polish nails resting near his tiny body.  “Oh I don’t think so Steve.  You see, a certain SID inspector assures me that according to police procedures concerning search and seizure, it’s unlikely a warrant can be issued by the High Council before late tomorrow morning, and by then you and I will be far, far away.”

 

“What?”  Steve shouted.

 

She let out a sinister laugh.  “Oh yes my little dear.  In fact, Inspector Kobick thinks I’m going to hand you over to him in the morning, but that self-important fool is in for a rude surprise.”   

 

“What kind of game are you playing Doctor?  What are you going to do with me?” 

 

Dektora smiled, and then to his alarm sat her huge body on the vanity next to him.  She crossed her legs, and her enormous thigh bulged out very close to him.  He moved back in disgust.  He noted with some discomfort that these erstwhile beautiful giant women suddenly became very unattractive when forcing themselves on him like Dektora was presently doing.        

 

“As I said Steve, I’m taking you far away, to a place where I can have you all to myself.” 

 

Without warning she snatched him up, and he squirmed futilely in her firm grasp as she lifted him to her face and placed a big, wet kiss on his exposed head.  Steve tried pushing her face away, but his tiny arms buckled under her enormous strength. 

 

“Hey, what’s the big idea?  Be careful; you could hurt me!” he shouted.   

 

She ignored his supplications, and extending her tongue, proceeded to lick his face.  “Ummmm, you taste good little man.”    

 

Temporarily satiated with her tiny prisoner, she put him down and slid off the vanity.  “Now look Steve, you make yourself comfortable while I freshen up.”  She leaned down close to him, allowing her long blonde tresses to cover his minuscule body.  Steve backed away from her, and she stood upright.  

 

“Steve dear, you might want to take off those clothes.”  She looked off to the side and placed a hand on her face, then returned her gaze to her tiny prisoner.  “Of course, I think I’d prefer you wait until I get back and let me do it.”  She enticingly touched a finger to her tongue and licked her lips.  “I know we have an early flight tomorrow morning, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun tonight.”  She winked.

 

Steve looked up at her with indignation.  “With you?  Never!” 

 

The giant woman laughed lightly and shook her head from side-to-side.  “As if you had a choice, little man.” 

 

Dektora opened one of the vanity drawers, causing the top to shake beneath Steve’s feet.  She took out a pair of silky nude nylons, turned around, and, unseen by Steve, slid off her shoes.  She then went over to the closet, and in a moment produced a skimpy white skirt outfit and matching high heels.  She sauntered into the bathroom, leaving the door half open behind her.

 

Steve thought rather uncomfortably that unless he wanted to end up as Doctor Lefay’s pleasure toy and research project for the rest of his days, he’d better start looking for a way out.  His eyes scanned around the vanity top, past the gigantic perfume bottles, makeup dishes, and lipstick cylinders lying on it, and sure enough, there looming off to his right was a lamp.  He smiled and thought with an air of smugness that, fortunately for the little people the giants have a tendency to underestimate them most of the time.  Running up to the lamp, he found the cord behind it, but his enthusiasm sank when he saw that rather than straddle over the side of the vanity, the lamp cord disappeared down a hole drilled in the vanity top.  He stood next to the hole and inspected it.  It was only about two feet in diameter, and with the cord going down it he realized there was no way he’d be able to squeeze through.  He shook his head in disappointment, thinking that he’d have to come up with something else.

 

Steve suddenly heard water running, and he looked in the direction of the open bathroom door.  Presently Dektora started singing a series of la, la, la, la’s in the shower, and Steve thought with some humor that she had a long way to go before competing with Sylvana.

Coming back to the problem at hand, Steve thought he’d have to hurry.  He probably only have maybe 15-20 minutes to get down to the floor and find a way out before the giant woman would be ready to party.

 

Steve walked up to the vanity mirror, following it along to the right edge.  Grasping the wood frame of the mirror for support, he leaned around to inspect the back.  He looked down, and his body swayed with mild vertigo as he peered at the 40-foot drop to the floor.  He held on tightly to the mirror frame, eventually steadying himself.   Inspecting the rear area from his awkward position, he noted that the dresser was fairly close to the back wall.  It looked to him to be about a five-foot gap.  He smiled, thinking that he had found his method of escape.  The tricky part though would be getting his body wedged initially in the crevice without falling to the floor and breaking his neck.

 

Steve held his breath, then mentally counting “One, Two, Three”, quickly swung his legs around while still holding on to the mirror edge.  He straightened his knees, and in the split second when his feet made contact with the back wall he quickly moved his hands around the edge to the rear of the vanity.

 

Steve was now situated face down, bent in a near 120 degree angle with his arm and leg muscles flexed to support his body.  He nearly lost his balance when he opened his eyes and could see the abyss below him.  He tightened his muscles, and in a moment exhaled deeply.  His body was stable.  Slowly and methodically he started down, alternately moving one leg and arm at a time.  He felt like Spiderman.

 

In a few minutes he had descended roughly twenty-five feet, when all at once he noticed a silence.  The shower water had stopped running!  He had to hurry.  When he reached what he judged to be a safe distance from the floor, he collapsed his leg muscles and fell feet-first the remaining ten feet.  Although the landing on the shaggy carpet was reasonably soft, he banged his head against the back wall, momentarily stunning him. 

 

Steve rubbed his head, then forcing himself on his feet, headed slowly along the wall until he came out from behind the vanity on its right side.  Situated where he was on the carpet floor, he scanned the bedroom environs, observing the giant bed, nightstand, bookcase, the open closet, and the open bathroom door from which he now detected movement.  Doctor Lefay was obviously by now out of the shower and probably drying herself off and putting on her evening wear.  He also couldn’t help but notice her giant black pumps on the floor where she had slipped them off close to the bathroom door.

 

Steve quickly made up his mind that the best thing to do was move along the wall towards the bathroom, then make a dash across the entrance before getting to close.  After that he would follow along the bedroom wall and look for a ventilation shaft.  If he failed to find one, he would crawl under the door and out of the bedroom. 

 

Steve cautiously moved along the wall until he was within about twenty yards of the bathroom entrance.  He was about to bolt across the opening to the other side when all at once out came Dektora, wearing a white micro-miniskirt, mid-drift top, shiny nylons, and white heels. 

 

WUMPH!  WUMPH! WUMPH!  WUMPH!     

 

Even taking into account the sound attenuation from the carpet, the ground beneath Steve’s feet still shook from the giant’s footsteps.  He crouched low on the ground to avoid losing his footing from the tremors.  Dektora passed within about ten feet of him and walked up to the vanity. 

 

Much to her surprise, the little man did not appear to be on the vanity top.  “Where are you hiding Steve?  Come out, come out, wherever you are, little man”, she quipped playfully. 

 

Steve gazed up at the huge creature, and although he liked what he saw, he quickly reminded himself that this was not his gentle Sylvana.  Dektora started moving items in an effort to find him, and Steve realized that in his exposed position next to the wall all she had to do was turn around and look down and she had him.  He quickly evaluated his situation, and when his eyes came upon her black pumps that she had removed earlier, he knew what he had to do. 

 

Dektora had moved her search to the floor area on the opposite side of the vanity, and Steve guessed it was now or never.  He quickly scurried across the floor to where her black pumps were situated.   One of the shoes was lying on its side, and he ducked behind it, holding the four-foot spiked heel for support.  Fortunately the shoe was wide enough to hide his crouching body, and Dektora did not see him when seconds later she turned around and looked in the direction of the bathroom.  Steve sensed this, and dared not try to peak around the heel for fear of discovery.

 

In a moment Steve heard her footsteps recede, and peering around the back of her shoe, could see the giant was now on her knees and looking under the bed.  In her flexed position, her skirt stretched up until the entire length of her thigh was showing, and her behind jutted out tightly against the skirt.  To the tiny man on the floor it was a most erotic sight.  Steve shook his head from side-to-sdie, thinking this was no time to get distracted.    

 

He bolted for the wall, just as Dektora got up from where she had been looking under the bed.  Fortunately she didn’t turn around, but rather moved slowly along the wall in the opposite direction.  Steve quickly came to the conclusion that he would make for the long window drapes skirting the ground, and from there wait for an opportunity to sneak out of the bedroom.

 

Steve ran up to the drapes, but unfortunately for him, had temporarily lost sight of the giant while she was on the opposite side of the bed.  He was therefore taken totally by surprise when he suddenly heard giant footsteps drawing near.  The next thing he knew, her huge feet halted within a few short yards of him.  He ducked under the drapes just as she looked down, and although she missed seeing him by a split second, she thought she detected movement in the drapes. 

 

She smiled. 

 

“Now where can that darling little man be?” she said teasingly.  

 

She lifted up a foot, and stomped it down close to the drapes.  The shock caused by the close impact knocked Steve off his feet, and he fell to the ground within plain site of the giant woman.  She reached down and scooped him up with both hands, and the next thing he knew, Steve was looking at two huge eyes staring at him lustfully. 

 

“Well, well, little man.  You’ve had your fun, and now I’m going to have mine, though I do hope you enjoy it too.”  She playfully patted him with a finger.

 

She strolled over to her bed and set the tiny man down near the foot.  The surface of the bed rolled and bulged wildly as she laid her huge body down on it.  Steve sat up, still a bit dazed and confused, and when he looked to his side could see that Dektora had moved one of her enormous feet close to him.  He sighed, regretting now that he had ever come on to this woman’s flirtations in the course of their various meetings. 

 

Dektora sat up slightly, and leaned towards him.  “Little Steve, I think it’s time for you to get out of those clothes, don’t you?” 

 

“No I don’t!” he said defiantly.  

 

She tutted her tongue.  “Steve, you never cease to amaze with your audacity, considering your miniscule size.  I can see you’re going to have to be retrained.”

 

Before he had time to ponder her words, she reached over with her left hand and whisked him off the bed.  With her free hand she started trying to remove his tiny jacket.  “Now, now dear, you’d better lift up your arms.  You wouldn’t want me to accidentally break them, would you?”  She giggled, and Steve reluctantly did as he was told.  She clasped the tiny collar between a thumb and forefinger and pulled off his jacket.  With nary a thought she tossed it on the floor, as if discarding a gum wrapper. 

 

“Now it’s time for your pants dear.  Be a good little man and undo your buttons please.” 

 

He did this slowly, with Dektora’s index finger hovering impatiently in front of him.

 

Knock!  Knock!  Knock!

 

The giant woman and tiny Earthman looked in the direction of the bedroom door, and an annoyed expression came upon Dektora’s face.  At first she was going to ignore it, but when the knocking persisted she thought she’d better answer it.  With the lights on and her car in the driveway, whoever was at the door knew she was home.  Dektora also surmised that it was probably someone looking for Steve, and it would behoove her not to look too suspicious. 

 

She got up from the bed, then snatching the tiny man, held him up to her face.  “You are obviously much too resourceful to leave you on the bed Steve.  I’d better put you someplace where you won’t cause me any trouble.”

 

The tiny man immediately regretted his abortive escape attempt.  He correctly surmised that she would not underestimate him again, and that future escape attempts would be more difficult.

 

Dektora looked around the bedroom, and then returned to the vanity.  At first she was going to put him in the vanity drawer containing her undergarments.  “Wait a minute, I have a better idea.”  She walked over to the open closet door, and regarded the pair of black knee-length boots that were hanging on the reverse side of the door.   She held Steve up to her face, giving him a mischievous grin.  She then dropped him in one of the boots.  He slid down the boot interior and came to rest at the toe.  She could hear his muffled cries for help, and they completely vanished when she shut the closet door.  “There, that’s better”, she said haughtily.

 

Dektora then proceeded out of the bedroom to the front door.  “Who’s there?” she asked.

 

A woman’s voice replied.  “It’s Sylvana Noor.  May I have a word with you Doctor?”

 

“What about?” 

 

“It’s Captain Burton.  He’s missing” Sylvana replied worriedly.

 

Dektora looked through the peephole and could see no one except for Obek’s secretary.  Although she didn’t relish the idea of confronting this woman whose’ tiny boyfriend she had abducted, she reasoned that Obek’s secretary wasn’t going to find Steve without a thorough search, and she wasn’t going to do that without policemen and a warrant.  She unlocked the door and opened it.

 

When Sylvana saw Doctor Lefay in her sexy evening attire, she feared the worst.  She did her best to act nonchalant though. 

 

Dektora greeted her but did not invite her inside.  She folded her arms across her chest and spoke with fake concern.  “Why Miss Noor, whatever happened to the little Earthman?”

 

“We don’t know Doctor.  When I came for Steve in the upstairs office after your interview, he was gone.”  She tried to sound as unthreatening as she could. 

 

Unbeknownst to Doctor Lefay, three little people were outside, crouched low next the doorway.  While Dektora was occupied with Sylvana, Valerie stealthily slipped past the giants and into the house.   Dan and Mark followed; the two men carrying a giant hypodermic needle.  The giant professor was close to the edge of the door, forcing the little men to pass dangerously near her feet.  They regarded the two pairs of giant woman’s lower limbs with much incredulity, and Dan reflected that it looked like some bizarre leg forest.  Mark thought it curious that the good giant Sylvana was wearing black heels and the bad one Doctor Lefay was sporting white pumps. 

 

“Well Miss Noor, I left Captain Burton on the office desk.  He must have gone off for a stroll or something.  He’s a strong and resourceful little man; I’m sure he found a way to get down to the floor.”   She shifted her weight to her right foot, and then continued.  “He’s probably walking around the floor somewhere in the Archon’s house, looking for you.”  Doctor Lefay grinned, and Sylvana sensed she was implying something.

 

While Sylvana continued to distract Dektora, the three little people made their way along the wall until they reached a desk which provided some modicum of cover.  The two men set down the giant hypodermic needle behind a desk leg next to the wall, and the three then crouched low to the floor next to the leg. 

 

Valerie looked at the two men.  “What now guys?”

 

“Judging from the way that giant is dressed, I think it’s a safe bet that Steve is somewhere in her bedroom”.  Mark said. 

 

“Big surprise huh?  Let’s go get him”, Valerie said worriedly. 

 

Mark put a hand on her shoulder and spoke softly.  “Val, I doubt if Sylvana will be able to distract her long enough for us to try anything just yet.  We’ll have to wait.”

 

Dan looked at the engineer.  “Mark, you and Valerie stay put until Miss Noor leaves, then follow Doctor Lefay back to her bedroom and find a safe hiding place.   I’m going to look around for a ventilation duct or some other egress point”, Dan said.   “When I find one, I’ll meet up with you two in the bedroom.”  Dan then darted off, leaving Mark and Valerie crouching low next the desk leg looking in the direction of the two giants at the door. 

 

“Gosh Miss Noor, I don’t know what to say?  I wish I could help, but I’ve told you all I know.”  Dektora was by now anxious to get back to her little man, but she didn’t want to be rude or abrupt, inviting more suspicion. 

 

Sylvana gave the woman a look that said “I know you have him, bitch!”  Dektora sensed this, but was careful not to take the bait. 

 

Sylvana replied with all the fake politeness she could muster.  “I expect you’re right.  Sorry to have troubled you Doctor.”

 

Dektora backed away slightly, and started closing the door.  “Don’t worry Miss Noor, I’m sure Steve will turn up.”

 

Sylvana nodded, but remained silent. 

 

Dektora looked at the secretary through the half-closed door.  “We should get together sometime for a drink.  I’d love to hear all about your little boyfriend.”  She smiled and winked at her, then closed the door.

 

Sylvana was furious at the woman’s smugness, but she comforted herself thinking that Dan, Mark, and Valerie should now be safely hiding somewhere inside and setting their rescue plan in motion.  She walked back to her car parked a few houses down towards the corner of the road.  She got in, took the tiny Earth communicator out of her purse, and waited.  She said a silent prayer for Steve’s rescue.  She thought she didn’t know just how much she loved the little man until something like this happened. 

 

Dektora walked back into the bedroom feeling very pleased with herself.  She hadn’t done anything to unduly arouse Miss Noor’s suspicions, and what’s more, she should have no more interruptions while she enjoyed the rest of the evening with Steve.  Opening the bedroom door, she pulled it in behind her as she entered.   She walked over to the closet, and opening it, took her boot off the door hook.  She walked over to the bed and upended her boot over it.  Captain Burton slid out and bounced on the bed as he hit the surface.  She dropped the boot to the floor and lowered herself with her hands on her knees, peering down at the tiny man and licking her lips. 

 

Captain Burton stood up and put his hands on his hips.  “What were you trying to do, suffocate me?”   

 

She pursed her lips and gave him a fake disappointed look.  “I’m sorry Steve, but I remember how much you enjoyed standing in Bertha Frye’s shoe at the Archon’s reception.  I thought you’d like my boot.”  She laughed, and then got on the bed as Steve backed away from her as far as he could.

 

By now Mark and Valerie had entered the room and were hiding at the base of a bookcase at the wall opposite the bed.   Fortunately Doctor Lefay had failed to close the bedroom door entirely.  Although the little people could have crawled under the closed door, getting their hypo-needle into the room would have been problematic.  They looked up in shock as the giant woman prepared to have her way with Steve.

 

Valerie turned to Mark.  “I hope Dan hurries”, she said worriedly.    

 

Dektora sat on the bed with one leg underneath her, and stretched the other until her foot was next to the little man.  “Now, where were we Steve?  Ready for some fun?” she asked playfully. 

 

Steve turned to face the giant woman perched before him on the bed, and he could see her smiling at him salaciously.   She slowly pulled her leg out from underneath her, opening her thighs slightly as she did.  He could now discern where her nylons ended high on her thighs, and much to his shock could see that she wasn’t wearing any panties.  Steve detected a large dark patch between her thighs that seemed half-again bigger than Sylvana’s, and he started to feel scared.  Sylvana had been very gentle with him, but who knows what this huge woman might do with his tiny body?  She slowly moved a hand down towards him, and Steve looked on in horror, thinking that escape was impossible and there was nothing he could do but ride it out.  He wondered now how he could have ever been attracted to these huge beasts.  He must have been temporarily crazy, he thought. 

 

Hiding as they were down on the floor next to the bookcase, Mark and Valerie did not have a clear view of what was happening on the bed.  They thought uncomfortably, however, that it would not take a Masters and Johnson to figure it out.  Suddenly Dan Erickson appeared beside them, crouching low next to the bookcase. 

 

Valerie put a hand on his shoulder.  “Dan, where have you been?  We were starting to get worried.”

 

“Did you find an escape route?”  Mark asked. 

 

Dan looked at them, winded from his apparent physical exertions while exploring the house.  “Yes, I think so, but never mind about that now.  What about Steve?” 

 

Mark nodded in the direction of the bed, where Doctor Lefay’s giggling could be clearly heard.

 

Dan’s innate leadership abilities quickly kicked in.  Indeed, he had been up for his own captaincy when the ill-fated Spindrift flight had cut his career short.  He stood up and quickly scanned the bedroom area, then looked at Valerie.  “Val, I want you to run over to the coat stand next to the dresser and start making noise.”

 

She gave him a confused look.  “But, but…….”

 

“Don’t worry Val.  If she gets too close you can run behind the dresser”, Dan responded.  “Go! Now!” 

 

Without saying anything, she darted off in the direction of the bedroom vanity. 

 

Dan looked at Mark.  “Come on Mark, let’s get the needle.”  The two men picked up the giant hypodermic needle, then poised themselves crouching just behind the corner of the bookcase.  Thinking back to his military service days, Dan reflected with some humor that they must look like two soldiers brandishing a bazooka and waiting for an enemy tank.

 

Valerie arrived at the coat stand and looked up in the direction of the bed.  She was scared, but knew that if she didn’t act quickly……..well, she didn’t like to think about it.  She cupped her hands around her mouth.  “Hey!  You!  Giant hussy!  You aren’t woman enough for Steve!” 

 

Mark and Dan looked at each other and smiled at Valerie’s boldness. 

 

Dektora had Captain Burton in her hand and had wedged a little finger inside his crotch, ready to remove his pants.  Valerie’s taunt took her quite by surprise. 

 

“What?” Dektora exclaimed.  She was sure she heard a woman’s voice.  “Oh, what is it now?” she said with great irritation. 

 

Dektora got up from the bed, and knowing better than to leave Steve unattended, placed him in her bra.  Steve opened his eyes and sighed, realizing that yet again he was lying between the giant woman’s huge breasts.  Upon hearing Valerie Scott’s voice, however, Steve’s disposition improved greatly.     

 

“Leave him alone, you overgrown ho!”  Valerie shouted, with much contempt in her voice. 

 

Doctor Lefay looked down, and was shocked to see a tiny woman standing next to the coat hanger.  “Well, well, well, what have we here?”  She smiled, thinking that not only would this mean another little person for her collection, but she could occasionally share Steve with her and possibly breed a whole litter of little people. 

 

She walked up next to the coat stand, and crouching low, reached out her hand towards the tiny woman.  Before she could grab her, however, she had already darted behind the bedroom vanity.

 

Valerie peered up at the giant from behind the dresser.  “Not quite fast enough, are you?  Ever think of trying an Adkin’s diet?” 

 

By now this little woman was getting on Dektora nerves.  She moved the coat stand out of her way, and then slipped her hand behind the vanity.  Valerie retreated from the giant hand, and just when Dektora thought she had her, she felt the progress of her arm obsturcted, and realized that it wouldn’t go in any further.  She retracted her arm, and then grasping the sides of the vanity with both hands, started pulling it away from the wall.  Valerie thought uncomfortably that the men better do something soon. 

 

The two men had been watching the giant spectacle, and Dan felt Mark tap him on the shoulder.  “I think we’d better make our move Dan.”  Mark said frantically; by now very concerned for the safety of his girlfriend.

 

“OK buddy, let’s do it”, Dan replied calmly.  The two men stood up with their huge hypo-needle and advanced towards the giant, who was now stooping low to the ground and trying to reach behind the dresser to nab Valerie. 

 

They paused within about ten yards of the giant, waiting for her to stop moving.  In a moment Doctor Lefay’s feet went still, and Dan immediately saw that she had unknowingly presented them with the perfect target.  As the giant leaned forward to reach behind the vanity, the back of her nearest foot came up out of her shoe, exposing the soft, sensitive skin of the bottom of her foot.

 

“Now Mark!” Dan shouted. 

 

With Dan guiding in front, the two men walked quickly up beside her high heel.  Dan aimed the needle, and they jabbed it right into the bottom of her exposed foot.

 

“EEEEEEOOOOOOOOWWWWWW!” 

 

The two little men quickly retreated to avoid being stepped on, leaving the needle embedded in the bottom of the giant woman’s foot. 

 

Dektora, totally stunned by the sharp pain in her right foot, stood up with her weight supported by her left.  Fortunately for her the needle fell out of her foot as she pulled it entirely out of her shoe.  She slowly limped back to her bed and sat down on it, grasping at her injured foot with both hands.  She noticed the two little men on the floor next to the vanity, but before she could get up and try to catch them, Dektora suddenly felt herself getting very dizzy, and her vision became blurry. 

 

Valerie came out from behind the dresser, and the three little people looked on in horror as Dektora’s huge body came crashing to the floor.  They had seen her put Steve in her bra, and now wondered if he could survive her fall.

 

After the shock wave from Dektora’s collapse had subsided, they walked up to the giant woman, lying as she was unconscious in a prone position on the carpet. 

 

“Steve, are you OK?” Valerie shouted.   No answer.  Mark walked up to Valerie and put an arm around her.  “You were very brave Valerie”, he said tenderly. 

 

She rested her head against Mark’s chest.  “After all he’s done for us it was the least I could do for him.”  She started to cry, and Mark did his best to comfort her. 

 

“Hey!  Look!” Dan exclaimed. 

 

Mark and Valerie looked up, and they could detect movement underneath Dektora’s chemise.  In a moment Captain Burton staggered out from under her blouse, dropping a few feet to the floor. 

Mark, Dan, and Valerie ran up to their Captain, all smiles.  They helped him to his feet.  Valerie hugged him, and Dan and Mark patted him on the back. 

 

“We thought you were a goner Steve”, Dan said. 

 

Captain Burton looked back at the giant woman still lying unconscious on the floor, and then gazed at his crewmates.  “Yeah, but I’m just glad her breasts were big enough to shield me from the fall, and I’m glad she was wearing a mid-drift top.” 

 

The four of them broke into a bout of uncontrollable laughter.  

 

In a moment after they had regained their composure, Mark put his hand on Dan’s shoulder.  “Now Dan, about your escape route……?” 

 

Dan smiled.  “This way.”   

 

As the party headed towards the door, Steve spied his jacket lying on the floor where Doctor Lefay had discarded it.  He walked over to it and picked it up, then put it on.  The others stared at him.

 

Steve looked at them in surprise.  “What’s the matter?” 

 

Valerie, Mark, and Dan gave each other embarrassed grins, and Valerie spoke up.  “Well Steve, judging from the lipstick on your jacket, we saved you just in the nick of time.”

 

He gave her a self-conscious glance, and then tried half-heartedly to wipe off the lipstick.  The party then resumed their trek, making their way out of the bedroom and following Dan to the kitchen. 

 

Dan pointed up to a window next to the giant sink. 

 

Valerie looked unhappy.  “Oh great, I guess we have a climb, huh?” 

 

“There weren’t any ventilation ducts near the floor, and that was the only window I could find with a latch that we could reach”, Dan noted.

 

“OK, but we’d better hurry.” Mark replied.  “There’s no telling how long we have before our friend Doctor Lefay wakes up.”

 

Dan un-slung his safety pin grappling hook, and after three unsuccessful attempts finally secured the pin on the counter top.  Dan went up first, followed by Mark, then Valerie, with Steve bringing up the rear.

 

After gaining the countertop, the four little people walked over to the huge latch at the bottom of the window. They made several futile tries to open it, and finally managed to wedge it loose by Mark and Steve pulling on it while Dan, propping himself against the window, pushed on the inverse side with his athlete’s legs. 

 

The three men then braced themselves against the window and tried to push it up and open, but it would not budge. 

 

By now Valerie was getting tired and cranky.  “OK geniuses, what do we do now?” 

 

Dan grinned.  “Oh ye of so little faith”, he said facetiously.  He pulled the communicator out of his jacket pocket, and handed it to Steve.  “Steve, why don’t you call your girlfriend?”

 

It suddenly dawned on Steve what Dan was thinking and he gave him a half-hearted smile as he took the communicator from his copilot. 

 

Captain Burton held the communicator to his mouth.  “Steve to Sylvana……Steve to Sylvana……Over.”

 

Sylvana was so excited to hear Steve’s voice that she initially had trouble depressing the tiny talk button with her huge thumb.  “Oh!  Steve!  Are you alright?”  She waited anxiously for his reply, and when it wasn’t forthcoming remembered that she had forgotten to say “over”. 

 

“Yes Sylvana, I’m fine.  Over.” 

 

Sylvana was practically in tears, so glad was she to hear her little man’s voice.  “I love you Steve!  Over.” 

 

The others noticed the look of embarrassment come over Steve’s face.  He answered, though not acknowledging her amorous comment.  “Hey, look, Sylvana.  We need your assistance here in getting out of Doctor Lefay’s house.  Can you come up to the kitchen window in the backyard?  Over.” 

 

“I’ll be right there dear!  Over and out.”  Sylvana put the miniscule communicator in her purse, and getting out of the car, walked at a brisk pace back towards Doctor Lefay’s house.  Sylvana noticed the sun had set and evening was rapidly falling.  She thought amusingly that she’d better make it quick, as she didn’t want neighbors calling the police thinking she was a burglar.

 

Meanwhile the tranquilizer the little people had injected into Doctor Lefay had started to wear off, and she awoke feeling like she had a major hangover.  She staggered to her feet, putting a hand to her head.  Her foot hurt.  She still had a high heel on her other foot, and she kicked it off.   Dektora looked around the bedroom, trying to recall what had happened.  All at once her memory returned.  “Little people!  Steve!”  Slowly regaining her senses, she limped out of the bedroom.

 

Sylvana arrived at the kitchen window, and when she looked inside and saw the little people, and more importantly, Captain Burton, standing on the counter top, she breathed a major sigh of relief and gave them a huge smile.  After a moment she looked puzzled, wondering what they wanted her to do.  Steve sensed this, and he first pointed at the window, and then made upward motions with his hands.  She nodded her understanding, and after removing the outside screen, placed her hands flat against the window glass.  It came up easily.  

 

She rested her huge hands on the window ledge and looked in on them joyfully.  “Oh Steve, little people, I can’t tell you how happy I am everything turned out alright.  I was on pins and needles waiting in the car.”  

 

Steve forced a smile and remained silent, but Valerie answered the giant woman.  “Sylvana, there’ll be plenty of time for congrats and reunions later, but just this minute we need to get out of here.” 

 

“Right you are Valerie.”  She opened her purse, and then reached a hand through the open window.  “Who’s coming first?” she prompted. 

 

Valerie moved forward, and the giant secretary gently grasped her and set her in her purse, followed in rapid succession by Mark and Dan.  She then looked at Steve, and when he moved towards her she tenderly wrapped her fingers around him and gave him the biggest smile he’d ever seen. 

 

“Oh Steve, I’m so sorry I ever left you alone with that woman.  I’ll never forgive myself.” 

 

She moved his body up to her face; preparing to give Steve a giant kiss, when all at once she heard movement inside the kitchen.  Doctor Lefay suddenly appeared in the window. 

 

“Give him back to me right now you bitch!” 

 

Sylvana backed away from the kitchen window.  “Not a chance Ms. Lefay.”  Sylvana refused to dignify her with the surname ‘Doctor’.  Sylvana gave the distraught woman a triumphant smile, and much to Dektora’s displeasure she proceeded to place Steve gently within the “V” of her blouse.  She waved the fingers at Dektora.  “Bye, bye”, then turned around and walked away. 

 

Still in much physical pain, Dektora collapsed on the floor and began to cry.  “Why can she have a little man and not me?” she said over and over between her sobs. 

 

Within the dark confines of the purse, Dan touched Mark’s arm to get his attention.  “Hey Mark, where’s Steve?”  Had Valerie’s face been visible to them, they would have seen a grin worthy of the Cheshire cat.

 

Steve, riding home in Sylvana’s cleavage, thought uncomfortably that other than the different perfume, there seemed little difference, at least physically, between Sylvana and Dektora. 

 

Dektora stumbled back into her bedroom, crying until she fell asleep.  After a few hours she woke up and started crying again.  She thought dejectedly that she’d spent a career studying the little people, and it didn’t seem fair that the upstart Sylvana Noor could have a little man and she couldn’t.  “Why, oh why?”  She sobbed.

 

**************************

 

Steve had just finished changing into a bathrobe, when he discerned Sylvana’s telltale giant footsteps drawing near.  The ground shook beneath him causing him some mild irritation.  He reflected uncomfortably that the Dektora Lefay incident had started giving him second thoughts about these giant women, and, regrettably, Sylvana in particular.

 

The movement outside presently ceased, and he got up from his sofa and walked out the front door.  Steve looked up at Sylvana from the doorway of his dollhouse.  The giant woman was sitting on the floor with her legs stretched out before him.  She was wearing one of her sexy nightgowns and a pair of shiny gold high heels.  Perfume permeated the air around him.  A giant wine bottle was next to her, and she was sipping the wine out of a champagne glass.  Normally the site before him would have aroused Steve, but after today’s ordeal, he found himself wishing that she would leave him alone this evening.

 

She moved her wine glass towards him.  “Want a nightcap Steve?” 

 

“No thanks Sylvana. I’ve got a mild headache”, he replied. 

 

“Oh, sorry to hear that dear.”

 

Her eyes darted around, as if she was trying to think of something to keep the conversation going.

 

“Steve, the crew of your ship must really love you” she said warmly.

 

Steve stepped out from the door slightly.  “Yes, I know.  They’re a good bunch of people”, he replied.  “We didn’t get along all that well at first, but now I’m happy to call them my friends.”   

 

The giant woman took another sip from her glass, and then gazed down on him. 

 

“Steve?” 

 

“Yes Sylvana?” he replied.

 

She lowered her head towards him and smiled.  “I love you too.”

 

Steve looked up and gave her a half-grin, but otherwise remained quiet.  There was an awkward silence between them for a few moments.

 

“Coming to bed Steve?” Sylvana asked tenderly. 

 

He looked away from the giant woman.  “I don’t think so Sylvana.  It’s been a very trying day, and I’m pretty tired.” 

 

His giant girlfriend was disappointed, but she was determined not to give up easily.  She pulled up her knees, and moved a foot close to Steve; brushing him lightly with the toe of her high heel. 

 

Her flirtatious move caught him by surprise, and she inadvertently knocked him to the ground.  He got up and straightened his bathrobe.  “Sylvana, would you cut out the monkey business.  I told you, I’m tired!”  Steve hadn’t meant to snap at her, but he really was feeling mentally and physically exhausted. 

 

Sylvana, however, was surprised by his tart reply.  She felt hurt.  She quickly got up on her feet and looked down on him with her hands placed threateningly on her hips.  “Well Steve, I guess you’d rather you were back with Doctor Lefay?  Don’t think I didn’t notice you kissing her hand, and what about the lipstick on your jacket!”

 

“What?” he shouted.  Steve looked up at her, by now feeling equally irritated.  He shook his head.  “OK, fine Sylvana!  I’m moving back to the Archon’s tomorrow!”

 

He turned on his heel and tramped back into the dollhouse, slamming the door behind him. 

 

Sylvana hadn’t expected his apocalyptic response, and immediately regretted what she had said. 

 

“Steve, I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean it.” 

 

There was no response. 

 

“Steve........” she cried. 

 

Still no response. 

 

She tutted her tongue, and turning around stomped out of the family room.  “Men!” she said irritably.

 

CLOMP!  CLOMP!  Clomp! Clomp!  Clomp.  Clomp.  clomp.  clomp………..

 

Steve sat on his living room sofa, listening to Sylvana’s giant footsteps recede in the distance.  

 

“I guess women are still women, no matter what their size”.  He sighed, then got up from the sofa and went upstairs to bed.