“This looks like a nice place, don’t you think?” she asked at last.

He stared down into the valley and out to the green wilderness beyond. He would even be glad to lose himself in that isolated spot, if it meant she could not go ahead with the next stages of her plans for him. How he hoped that there might be something in the picnic basket that he could fold into a hang glider and use to glide off the edge of the escarpments, which would make it impossible for her to follow. It would take a real giantess to step down from them.

“Yes,” he said nervously.

He watched his hopes sink away, as she put him down, unfolded the rug, placed the basket and himself on it, and then sat down, looking out at the scenery. She picked him up and turned him around on her open palm to face it.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she said.

“Yes.”

“I’m sure you couldn’t think of any panoramic in Mount Victoria, that you’d rather see as your last view from inside my mouth,” said Mrs Robertson.

“That’s true,” said Stefan.

Mrs Robertson turned him around to face her again, and licked her lips with glee.

“It’s time, little fellow. You’ve had last night, and a nice long pleasant drive here to get yourself ready. Now I’m going to put you into my mouth and gobble you down whole.”

“I wonder if Thora would have done this to me,” said Stefan.

“I don’t think she would,” said Mrs Robertson, “We’ve known each other since high school, and our friendship’s grown stronger, now that we’re both widows.”

“I thought you were married,” said Stefan.

“I was for a long time. I got married when I was 19,” said Mrs Robertson, “I dated my husband through the last three years of high school.”

He was still in more danger than he could have imagined 24 hours earlier, but for the first time since his university semester had begun, Stefan could abandon the struggles he had been having with his feelings for Mrs Robertson. She was a beautiful woman who had enjoyed a happy youth without him, and she was about to swallow him for pleasure, but at least he could allow himself to enjoy the touch of her mouth as she did it.

“That must have been fun,” he said, “… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ask a lot of intrusive questions. I just wanted to get to know the lady I’m going to be eaten by.”

“There’s no harm done, and I was happy to tell you, but I’m afraid we’ll have to cut this conversation short. You’re out of time now, little fellow. I’m ready to start.”

As he watched and felt it in awe, Mrs Robertson’s enormous tongue came out of her mouth and began to slide slowly over him in various movements. Stefan had been dreading his final moments since the afternoon before, but the pleasant nature of the current stage of her activity was unexpectedly enjoyable.