Arthur
was another student at the school, who took a walk in the forest behind the
school and found the warp that led to Miss Balfour’s giant garden. He saw her
and re-introduced himself and told her how beautiful she looked, and then
became a little embarrassed.
"It's
alright. I’m flattered," she said, "I have something to tell you too.
You look so young and delicious, that I would love to eat you."
The
idea fascinated him.
"Do
you think that I would taste nice?"
"I'm
sure you would."
"I
think I’d enjoy watching you eat something, and pretending it was me,” he said.
“Do you really mean that?” asked Miss Balfour.
“Yes."
That
night, Miss Balfour, at his suggestion, prepared a ham salad for main course,
and pavlova for dessert.
"This
is very nice," she said, during dessert.
"I
must confess, I chose this, because I wanted to watch your tongue dealing with
the pavlova."
She
smiled.
"I
noticed you paying close attention, every time I put out my tongue and spoon
another mouthful onto it."
“I’ve thought of your beautiful mouth wanting
to eat me for the rest of the day. It’s amazing to consider it,” he said.
"I'm
so grateful," she said, "You're a very special boy."
She
kissed his entire face.
"I
love you, Miss Balfour."
"I
love you too, Arthur, and I really would like to eat you. Would you go along
with it, knowing that?”
“Yes, I know I would.”
"Arthur,
look at you!" she said, effervescing with happiness, "Where would you
like me to eat you?"
"If
you do it, sitting up in your bed, you'll be able to lie down and stay there
for the night, once I'm in your stomach."
She
carried him to the bedroom of her giant house, and climbed into her bed.
She
sat there, with the reading lamp on, and raised him to her lips.
"Shall
I start?" she said.
"Yes,
Miss Balfour."
"Farewell
then."
She
opened her mouth, and placed him onto her tongue.
After
a few minutes, she took him out of her mouth.
"Arthur, this isn't quite what I'd dreamt of. You've offered yourself to
me. Part of the fun was to eat someone, who wished he could escape."
She
told him of how she’d originally invented her shrinking device for the purpose
of reducing and eating boys, and later used it in reverse to become a giant.
"What
if you didn’t know I was a willing participant?" he asked, and told her of
the time machine he’d built as one of Miss Corlani’s students, and of the idea
he’d just had, “Your past self wouldn’t know I was willing, and you could tell
me everything I need to know in order to sneak into her house and get hold of
the machine and reduce myself.”
She
put him on the spare pillow beside her face, kissed him several times, and they
talked themselves to sleep.
In
the morning, she awoke to see him staring in adoration at her.
She
told him everything that would be pertinent to what they were planning:
"The
past Miss Balfour won’t know you’re a willing quarry from this time, if you
don't tell her. So you might as well let her know that you’re Arthur and let
her think you snuck into her property for other reasons and accidentally shrank
yourself while playing around with her shrinking device. Would you be happy to
go out there and pretend to be afraid of being eaten?"
"I
guess so. You wanting to eat me has made me feel very special. If your other
self eats me, even in the past, I'd be happy to do your idea then."
"Arthur,
you're a darling!"