Amy saw that
at the end of the branch, well hidden under the dark green, glossy
leaves, was a slender, translucent, hollow thorn. It was about the size
of the hypodermic needle the doctor had used when, in her last year's
physical examination, he'd taken a sample of blood. Amy knew exactly what was going to happen. First the hollow thorn,
until her veins were dry, and then the slowly opening maw, gaping above
the big, swollen, meter-wide base the thick leaves of the Rambler had
served to conceal. It would take a long time, but Hjalmar would never
miss her before it was too late. [Illustration: _She knew exactly what was going to happen._]

The Rambler's branch moved delicately over the surface of Amy's right
wrist, the one with the modeling knife. The other branches were
drooping limply away from the purple-pink of its swollen base, waiting,
while it hunted the exact spot. It hesitated for an instant and
then--Amy's mouth drew into a soundless Oh of pain--struck home. A dark fluid began to stain the hollow thorn. For just a fraction
of a second the Rambler's mental grip on Amy Dinsmore relaxed; she
could feel its blind concentration on its own black enjoyment. And in
that fraction of a second Amy threw the cake of soap in her left hand
straight into the Rambler's fleshy maw. The Rambler gripped at her mind again, but it was a disturbed and
feeble grip. Its branches began to move around the fleshy bole they
had shielded, slowly, and then in a furious heaving. The thorn which
had entered her wrist was jaggedly withdrawn. Amy, her wrist streaming
blood, stared at the Rambler for a moment and then lunged at it with
the menacing knife. *       *       *       *       *

Sitting outside on the ground beside the hothouse afterward, her
forehead on her hands, feeling sick and faint, Amy had an idea. At
first she pushed it from her; it was far-fetched, silly, even a little
repulsive. But was it so silly after all? And as to being unpleasant, well, bollo
meat commanded enormous prices in the market and, from everything she'd
ever heard, the bollo was the very reverse of a fastidious feeder. Even
pigs certainly weren't dainty in their eating habits. If she parboiled
it in several waters and then braised it slowly, with a hint of ginger
in the sauce.... Well, after all, why not? Amy, the modeling knife in her hand, went into the hothouse again....

... "Gee, Aunt Amy, this meat's good," Robert said. He was talking with
his mouth full. "I've eaten indigenous chow on three planets--four, if
you call the stuff they serve you on Uranus food--and it's my opinion
that there isn't a better cook anywhere in the system than you. Fact. How do you do it, anyhow?" Amy Dinsmore lowered her eyes. She could feel herself blushing through
her cosmi-lac. "Oh ... thank you, Robert." "She sure is, Bob," Hjalmar Bjornson said expansively. "That gravy! She's the best cook on Terra all the time, but when you're in port she
gets sort of inspired." "What kind of meat is this, though, Amy? And could I have some more?" "Of course," Amy said. She refilled Hjamar's plate. "It's something new
I found in the big auto-market in the city," she said vaguely. "By the way, Aunt Amy," Bob said, laying down his fork, "after I sent
you that plant I heard it was supposed to be carnivorous. I forgot to
mention it in my last 'gram. You didn't get into any trouble with it,
did you?" "No, it died," Amy said smoothly. "I had to throw it out. Too bad." She