Attack of the Amazons by Gilbert L. Morris Page A

“We wouldn’t have saved your life if we didn’t come in a peaceable manner.”
    Merle stared at Dave with great interest. She had to tilt back her head to look up, for he was wearing boots that added to his height. “Are all the men as tall as you in your country?”
    Dave blinked with surprise. “Some of them are. Reb there’s taller than I am.” He waited until Merle hadinspected Reb and then turned her eyes back to him. “Why do you ask?”
    â€œOur men are not so tall,” Merle said. There was a speculative light in her eyes, and she turned her head to one side, studying all the Sleepers. She put her gaze on Abbey. “What is that on your face?” she asked.
    â€œWhy—it’s makeup.”
    â€œMakeup? What is that?” Merle stepped up and touched Abbey’s lips, then looked at the red mark on her finger. “Your mouth is bleeding.”
    â€œThat’s lipstick,” Abbey said.
    Merle studied her, then turned to Sarah. “Are you the leader?” she asked. “You are the biggest.”
    â€œWhy, no. Josh here is the leader.”
    Surprise caused the girl’s eyes to fly open. She turned back to look at Josh. “That is unusual.”
    Josh thought that she meant that Dave would make a better leader, and he said stiffly, “Goél selects who will be the leaders among us.” Then he said, “But can you take us to your village? We need to talk to your chief.”
    â€œI can do that,” the girl said. “We must go before dark. Travel then would be dangerous. The tiger roams after dark, and even you would not be able to defeat him.”
    Reb was insulted. “I never saw a tiger I was afraid of.”
    â€œIs that right? Then you never saw the tigers around here.” Merle smiled. The smile made her look younger, and she laughed a surprisingly light laugh. “Come then, I will take you to my village.”
    The young woman covered the ground at a swift pace.
    As the Sleepers followed her, Abbey said, “She’s abrazen hussy, isn’t she? I never saw a girl like her before.”
    â€œShe’s very brave,” Sarah answered. “But I wonder why she thought I was the leader.”
    Abbey did not answer. It took all her breath just to keep up with the group. Night was falling fast, and the mention of tigers did not make staying outside the village enticing. Abbey put herself in the middle of the line, for it made her feel safer. She knew that none of them felt safe, for somewhere Ulla, chief of the Londos, was out there looking for revenge.

6
Another Fine Mess
    A first-time journey always seems far, Josh thought. When we’re familiar with the distance, the traveling time seems to shrink.
    As the Sleepers followed Princess Merle along trails that twisted through forest, over hills, and across brown streams of water, he whispered to Sarah, “I wish we’d get there. It seems like this goes on forever.”
    â€œSo do I. It’s getting dark, and I’ve been thinking about those tigers. Why is it that a tiger seems so much worse than a lion?”
    â€œWell, they’re bigger, for one thing,” Jake said. “A lion won’t weigh over two hundred pounds or two fifty, but a tiger can weigh four hundred or even more. Just one snap, and you’re gone with those dudes.”
    Sarah gave a shudder and moved closer to Josh, her arm brushing his. “I can’t get over how strange that princess is. She seems to have no nerves at all. If they’d been about to light a fire under
my
feet, I think I would have screamed loud enough to wake the dead.”
    â€œMe too.” Jake seemed unable to restrain a slight shudder himself. “Can’t think of many things worse than getting burned to death while you’re alive.”
    He had no sooner said this than the princess called back, “I see we cannot make it back to my village tonight. We must