Outside they traveled by day and rested. Soon, by the way, they came to a wide place of high grass in which it was, to be lost, an easy thing, so simple.
How shall we come to the other side without a circle happening said She Sphinx, my left leg is shorter than my right since the accident.
We shall, said Sheba, I shall let out my hair from its clever fixing and lay it down in a straight as we go, so that even with your leg problem, we should make our way. So, this is then, we shall do it now.
Sheba took out her hair and made it leave behind a straight until they walked all day, many days until the grass was behind and not before. Now Sheba must find her hair and put it away in its place where is bigger inside than out, like a Tardis, or the bag that holds a tent.
But it was not moving, as if the road of hair had turned to stone. Hard as she might, her hair was stuck.
Sheba, most frightened, in caught up and down, unmoved.
Help me now Great Sphinx that is my love, help me in my time of need, she said soft.
That is a yes, I will, so sit tight and wait patient and I will be back, I will, Oh yes I will, said the Sphinx, proud as, to be of importance.
Then the Sphinx made along the hair road so fast that the blur was invisible. She came to the end of the hair, so far back where they had begun and there upon it, there upon the hair, right there, upon it stood a Hephalump or an Elephandum or an Efanticus. I’ve no idea, but boy was it big.
Excuse me Mr Big, said the Sphinx, would it please you so kindly to Get Off! my partners hair right and left, now.
I will go off this carpet of hair alike when so ever I wish. It was here when I turned the bend. My mother told me, when I was but the size of a small camper van, that if I stood upon this spot, then the rains would be plentiful. One time I am here and then I am gone, like the swallow in the ray of light. And anyway, what is it to you? Spoke it.
Well, said the Sphinx settling down upon. This hair upon which, belonging to my beloved, who is at the end far. She is so upset and rightly so because she cannot and yet she must. I am asking, like nice, because and for the reason of, she would want it so. But, if there is no moving in the quick, I may have to exert some claw work involved. This I regret in advance. By the way, it is not raining, if it once rained whilst your mother stood upon this very spot, go tell her that coincidence is not causation.
This is a tricky, intoned the Lump animal, I would like to comply, but my nature is very inertial, so that moving must start at the very limits of my trunk and travel at a snail’s pace around my carapace in turn, can always take near a month or more in the rainy season. Can I sleep on it and decide next year?
The Sphinx lifted the mighty Lump of Heft in one sweep and replaced it upon a hillock nearby.
Gosh, you are a mighty strong, said the Heft of Lump, all surprised and full of admire. Task accomplished, you can come again, and the Heavy Being went to sleep, curling its trunk around its ears to avoid disturbance.
The Sphinx flew back to Sheba upon the electric hovering mat and found her as she placed, returned and reput up her hair in its clever fixing.
It was an Efanticus that was standing, said the Sphinx, I did not hurt it and you would be proud.
Let us, said Sheba and went.
The Guardians of the Cave 