“I don’t see why not. I’m sure I can trust my best friend to keep my secret,” said Mrs Robertson.

They finished their dinner and returned to the university and Mrs Robertson’s office.

“This is my friend Thora,” said Mrs Robertson.

“I’m pleased to meet you,” said Stefan.

“Thank you,” said Thora, “I understand that you’re going to be playing an integral part in Mrs Robertson’s lunch tomorrow.”

“So it seems,” said Stefan.

“She’ll appreciate it,” said Thora, “She always enjoys her food.”

Then she realised she was teasing an already frightened little boy. Mrs Robertson was much taller than Thora. There was no way that Thora could save Stefan, but it would not do to make fun of him.

They briefly talked some more, and then the two ladies left him alone to think.

Stefan slept on the cushion provided by Mrs Robertson, and dreamed of the trip, which awaited him the next morning. He saw images of the Blue Mountains from his excursions there a few years earlier, mixed with towering views of Mrs Robertson preparing to eat him. When one dream progressed to the point that he would be eaten, with no means of further delay, he suddenly awoke, and saw that it was morning.

Stefan looked around at the clock on her table. It said that it was just before nine o’clock. In less than an hour, Mrs Robertson would arrive on her merciless mission. He thought about it from her point of view. She had gone out and enjoyed a restaurant meal with her best friend, talked happily about her plans for him, he presumed, since their meal had led to his meeting Thora, and then gone home to a pleasant night’s sleep.

She was well aware of his unwillingness to participate in her luncheon plans. Yet nothing could prevent her from getting into her full sized car, driving to the university, and taking him with her into the Blue Mountains where she would …

If only he had been sure that both tablets worked first, before testing them. If he’d taken a small sample of the shrinking tablet, just enough to lose a foot or so in height, then at least he’d have had most of his size to work on perfecting the growth tablet, should it have failed to restore his size. He had been impulsive, reckless and careless, and Mrs Robertson would soon see that his mistakes would come with a very high price.

Soon Mrs Robertson arrived at her office.

“Good morning,” she said, “I think this is the first time I’ve ever come in on a Saturday, but the benefits speak for themselves.”

She took him to the car, and put him in her lap until she was well out of the city. As the Great Western Highway led her closer to the Blue Mountains, she lifted him up to her shoulder and let him look out at the scenery.

“Just hold onto the top of my jumper, so you don’t fall back down to my skirt,” she said, “I won’t have a free hand to catch you at the moment.”