Illustrated by Paul OrbanHigh Dragon Bump
BY DON THOMPSON
A young and very beautifulgirl with golden blond hair andsmooth skin the color of creamedsweet potatoes floated in the middleof the windowless metal room intowhich Wayne Brighton drifted.The girl was not exactly naked, buther few filmy clothes concealednothing.
Wayne cleared his throat, his apprehensionchanging rapidly to confusion.
"You are going to reduce me?"he asked.
"The word is seduce, mister," thegirl said. "They told me reduce,too, but they don't talk real good,and I think I'm supposed to seduceyou so you'll tell 'em something,and then they'll let me go. I guess.I hope. What is it they wantcha totell 'em?"
Wayne cleared his throat again,striving merely to keep a firm gripon his sanity. Things had been happeningmuch too fast for him tohave retained anything like his customarycomposure.
He said, "Well, they want me toget them a, uh—well, a highdragon bump." He pronounced thewords carefully.
"So why dontcha?" the girlasked.
Wayne's voice rose. "I don't evenknow what it is. I told them andthey don't believe me. Now you'rehere! I suppose if I can't be reduced—seduced—intogetting themone, it will wind up with torch hair.Believe me, I never heard of a highdragon bump."
"Now, don't get panicky!" thegirl pleaded. "After all, I'm scaredtoo."
"I am not scared!" Wayne repliedindignantly. But he realizedthat he was.
So far, in the hour or so he'dbeen a captive of the Cirissins, he'dmanaged to keep his fright prettywell subdued. He'd understood almostat once what had happened,and his first reaction had not beenterror or even any great degree ofsurprise.
He was a scientist and he had ascientist's curiosity.
And at first the Cirissins—or theone that had done all the talking—hadbeen cooperative in answeringhis questions. But then, when hewasn't able to comprehend whatthey meant by high dragon bump,they'd started getting impatient.
"What's your name?" he askedthe girl. She was making gentleswimming motions with her handsand feet, moving gradually closerto him.
"Sheilah," she said. "SheilahRalue. I'm a model. I pose forpitchers. You know—for sexymagazines and calendars and stufflike that."
"I see. You were posingwhen—?"
"When they snatched me, yeah.Couple hours ago, I guess. Theflash bulb went off and blinded mefor a second like it always does, andI seemed to be falling. Then I washere. Only I still don't even knowwhere here is. Do you? How comewe don't weigh nothing? It'sghastly!"
"We're in a space ship," Waynetold her. "In free fall, circling eartha thousand miles or so out. Ithought you at least knew we werein a space ship."
The girl said, "Oh, bull. We can'tbe in no space ship. How'd we gethere so fast?"
"They have a matter transmitter,but I haven't the slightest idea ofhow it works. Obviously it's limitedto living creatures or they could justas well have taken whatever it isthey want instead of ... You don'thappen to know what a high dragonbump is, do you?"
"Don't be dumb. Of course I ...well, unless it's a dance or something.I use to be a dancer, yaknow. Sort of."
"With bubbles, I imagine,"Wayne said.
"Tassels. They was my specialty.But there's more money in posingfor pitchers, and the work