Free Flytrap by Piers Anthony Page A

outside, wielding their giant clubs, the seven travelers inside. Elasa still carried Bunky; that would enable her to protect him. They started across the field.
    Nothing happened. Did the presence of the ogres dissuade the wolves from attacking? Or were they simply gathering their pack?
    When they were well into the field, the attack came. A dozen dire wolves charged in from all sides. Five clubs smashed into them so hard that their bodies flew back the way they had come, broken.
    But the remaining seven leaped over the bodies of their comrades and smashed into the ogres before they could recover their swings. The ogres grabbed them and squeezed them in bear-hugs. Elasa could hear ribs cracking.
    That left two wolves. One came at the Ewe and was promptly skewered. The other came at Bunky, and was met by Elasa's small fist. Directly on the nose, staving it in. That made the giant beast pause momentarily. It evidently had not realized it was not dealing with a weak woman, but a machine. Then it tried to bite her. It still had not caught on. Elasa put both hands on its mouth, against its teeth, and moved them apart with a force no human could match. The jaw hinge was popped apart, leaving the wolf unable to bite.
    She saw the Ewe looking at her. She realized that the sheep had known she would do that. So had Bunky. Elasa herself hadn't known until the moment; she had simply done what offered. Normally she tried never to show her strength; it was not ladylike.
    Then their formation moved on, leaving twelve hurting wolves behind.
    “Fortunately it was a token effort,” Oria remarked beside Elasa. “They had to make a show of force, because this is their territory, but they knew they could not prevail while the sheep was with us.”
    “A token effort!” Elasa exclaimed. “They are all dead or dying!”
    “They sent expendable youngsters. If they had been serious, they'd have sent twice as many.”
    “And we would have been lost?”
    “No. The sheep would not have crossed the field. We trusted her to know the parameters.”
    Elasa shook her head. This was not her world.
    Beyond the field the ogres put away their clubs, picked up their burdens, and resumed their rapid trek as if it had never slowed. They waded through a quicksand bog almost with enthusiasm, and crossed a bridge over a vent that showed lava far down in its deep cleft.
    How could their party ever have made this journey on its own? It seemed impossible. Then Elasa realized that the Ewe had known the ogres would help, and counted on it. It had always been part of the plan.
    Not far short of nightfall they came to a larger body of water. The ogres halted well back from its bank. “Here we must leave you to your devices,” the ogre leader said. “We do not care to tangle with the vampires. But we will be ready when you return.”
    Brian stopped playing his mirliton and set it aside. “Thank you, ogres. We truly appreciate your assistance.”
    “Your music is lovely.” Then the ogres retreated.
    “Let's make camp for the night,” Elasa suggested. “We can tackle the vampires in the morning.”
    The others were glad to agree.

Chapter 6:
    Vampires
    In the morning after they had cleaned and eaten, Mona surveyed the situation, walking along what turned out to be an inland sea with Brian and Elasa, but at a reasonable distance, so as not to evoke the vampires. The scene seemed placid, with fairly ordinary trees resembling oaks, elms, birch, beech, and hickory, buttressed by ordinary shrubs and grasses. In the sea was an island large enough to support a fair community of trees and creatures. That would be where the rams lived. There was nothing to suggest any horrible danger. That was of course one of the deceptive things about this whole planet: it masked its dangers.
    They returned to the inlet where the peddle-boats were tied. There were three, and any one was large enough to hold their full party. Not that they planned to cross to the island. They would use