Well, I sat back on the sand for a while and watched the calming waters of 
the lagoon.  That was quite an experience.  I stood up, waded into the 
water, rinsed off, and went back to the pier.  I sat down in the warm sun 
and waited for Mirax to show.  I had no idea how much time had passed.

Eventually I lay back on the pier and dozed off.  I was a bit tired from my 
workout with the sea creature.  I had no idea how long I slept.  When I 
awoke, the sun had moved a bit higher in the sky.  The temperature was 
warm, with just the right humidity.  I decided that Mirax wasn't going to 
show.  I stood up, stretched, and headed for the path by the stream.  It 
looked like I was going to have to walk.

I headed off along the path by the stream.  I had to be careful because I 
was naked, and that meant barefoot.  Every so often I would catch a 
pebble with my foot and it would hurt somewhat.  Mirax was going to get 
an earful when I got back to his estate!

The path was easy, staying close to the stream and winding through some 
pretty jungle foliage.  The plant life kept me in shade, so I did not get 
overheated.  I still felt as if I were being watched.  Maybe I was a bit 
paranoid because I was nude, and had just been loved by a rather unusual 
humanoid.  But the feeling would not go away.  It was not threatening, 
just a little uncomfortable.

I continued down the path a bit until it came to a fork.  Okay, now which 
way do I head?  Mirax had never said anything about any turns.  I stood 
there, thinking, and decided the best way was to flip a coin.  The problem 
was that I did not have a coin to flip.

I decided to head to the right.  My logic on the decision was dictated by 
the fact that I am right-handed.  I had gone maybe one hundred yards 
when the feeling that I was watched became overpowering.  I stopped, 
turned around, put my hands on my hips, stomped my right foot, and 
yelled.

"All right!" I shouted, "Whoever you are, you surely have better things to 
do than peep at naked petite girls.  Show yourselves!"

They did, and very quickly.  They were the same race as the grayish-green 
man I had seen at the market selling magic.  They were between three and 
four feet in height, with overly large arms, large hands and feet, and quite 
ugly.  There were three of them.  They all had on comfortable sandals and 
a kilt of a camouflage pattern that came to their knees.  Two of them had 
ear piercings.

The first one spoke and I could not understand him.  I simply shrugged 
my shoulders and smiled.  He smiled back, snapped his fingers, and when 
he spoke, it came out in English.

"We are gnomes," he said (he pronounced it "guh-nome.")  "We saw you at 
Isstvor's lagoon playing with his sea creature.  We will take you to our 
compound, where you may refresh yourself before you go on to Mirax.  It 
is only a short distance from our compound to Mirax's estate."

I blushed deeply, nodded yes, and followed the gnomes.  We walked 
slowly, as I was barefooted.  They helped me along.  After what seemed 
like forty-five minutes, we came to their compound.

The compound was in the center of a jungle clearing.  It was surrounded 
by a low stone wall, about two feet in height.  There was one opening, 
very wide, and no gate.  The road we were on was part of another fork, 
leading off in a different direction to the jungle.  The compound itself was 
very neat and tidy.

In the center was a large pool, surrounded by four picnic tables.  The 
houses, which were made of wood and stone, were small and tidy.  There 
were two larger buildings at the back, which my guides explained were 
workshops.  All of the houses had very lovely fruit and flower gardens 
around them.

A lot more gnomes came out to view me when I entered the compound 
proper.  They were all the same: grayish-green skin, three to four feet in 
height, no hair, and long arms.  They were all dressed in kilts of varying 
colors and prints, and all wore sandals on their feet.  Some wore jewelry 
and some had piercings.  The entire place gave an impression of being 
very neat and functional.

I jumped into the pool the minute we reached it.  The water was cool and 
refreshing, and I soaked my whole body and head.  I needed a rinse after 
the sex and the walk.  I soaked in the cool water a bit.  I felt a little tired, 
and when I was done I would ask the gnomes for some food and a place 
to nap.

A different group of gnomes approached me while I was in the pool.  One 
had a dark green skullcap on his head; the other two were carrying towels 
and lotions.  They stood and waited until I had finished and exited the 
pool.

"I am Mkzpl," said the gnome wearing the skullcap.  "We will dry and oil 
you.  You will be given refreshment and allowed to rest.  Then you may 
continue on your journey to the home of Mirax."

I stood straight while the gnomes dried me with some large and fluffy 
towels.  Then I lay on one of the tables, where I was anointed and 
massaged with very sweet-smelling oil.  I got relaxed and drowsy.  As I 
was being massaged, Mkzpl filled me in on some politics.

"We are the gnomes, the forest-rulers," he said.  "We control the forest.  
Although Isstvor owns the lagoon, we keep a watch on it for him.  He 
pays us for that service.  We are also masters of high technology.  One of 
our merchants saw you in the market, with Myra, one of our girls.  He 
does occasional services for Isstvor."

"We knew when you would be at the lagoon, and watched to see if you 
would require assistance.  It soon became obvious that you would not.  
Now, after you have rested, you may return to Mirax."

The gnomes finished my massage, and I moved to another table.  A tray 
with fruits and vegetables, as well as a pitcher of water, was brought for 
me.  Even though I was tired, I was hungry, and I had some questions for 
Mkzpl.  And so I ate and asked.

Mkzpl informed me that Mirax and Isstvor were occasional business 
partners.  They were the two most powerful demons in Xenon, and they 
kept order.  He also reinforced the fact the no one had ever seen Isstvor.

Mkzpl told me that the gnomes supplied most of the technology in Xenon, 
as well as exporting some to other dimensions.  Their magic and 
technology combination was the best, although there were other suppliers 
who supplied very good specialty products on request.  Mkzpl said that 
the mix of techno and magic was very much in demand.

Mkzpl also informed me that the gnomes required a princess, and had 
been without one for a while.  He said that if I behaved well during my 
stay here, I would be considered for the title.  Well, I planned only to rest 
up and leave.  I was really quite drowsy.  If that got me a princess job, so 
be it.  If not, well, that was fine too.

I got very drowsy after the bath, massage, and meal.  I stretched and 
yawned.  The gnomes led me off to a house, were I curled up on a small 
bed and wrapped myself in some lovely fur blankets.  In seconds, I was 
sound asleep.

Well, I really don't know how long I slept.  But when I awoke, I was no 
longer in the bed.  I was still naked, but tied at a slight backward angle to 
an x-shaped cross in a large room, with bright lights overhead shining on 
me.  Daylight streamed in through the open door, so I knew the sun had 
not set.  The walls were shrouded in shadow, and I could see what 
appeared to be rows of computers or other devices.  Gnomes were sitting 
in chairs, attending to them.  Directly in front of me, about ten feet away, 
and also shrouded in shadow, was a small cart.  I could not make out 
what was on the top of it.

Mkzpl stepped out of the shadow and approached me.  He smiled, and 
pulled a remote control from a pocket in his kilt.  He pointed the remote at 
something or other, and the cross moved and shifted me to a flat position.  
Mkzpl looked down at me and smiled.

"This," he said, "is a test of your behavior.  If you, Kelly, behave well 
enough, you will become our princess.  If you do not, you will be sent 
back to Mirax as flawed.  He may have use for you, or if you want, we 
may still use you on occasion.  We have done that with Myra, who had 
poor behavior.  I suspect Isstvor will also have use for you, as you are one 
of the few Earth girls who has taken on his sea creature and enjoyed it."

"If," he continued, "you wish to stop at any time during the test, simply 
ask, and we will stop.  You will, of course, have failed by requesting to 
stop.  If you need water, simple ask and it will be provided."

I was getting a pretty good idea of what the test involved.  As usual, I was 
only half-right.


  
Chapter 5