Once the surge stopped, Zeck stood up.  He looked up at Marigold, who looked distraught.  “Marigold, are you all right?”

Marigold looked down at Zeck and tried, with only partial success, to recompose her facial expression.  “Yes,” she said.  “It’s just that I’ve never had two growth surges so close together, and these are the two biggest surges I’ve ever had.  This last one was the biggest.  I think I’ve picked up another 25 feet in height, and my bust is looking even bigger to me than before.”

“Should we call off the tour?” Zeck asked.

Marigold set her expression resolutely.  “Absolutely not,” she said.  “I want to do this, it needs to be done, and you’re the one chosen to do it.  Besides, being taller, it’ll make the walk a little bit quicker.”

“Then let’s go,” Zeck said.

After a couple of minutes, Zeck said, “Marigold, what do you do when one of you dies?”

Marigold sighed.  “Not many have yet, because our life spans are so long,” she said.  “But we have lost a few of us.  We have funeral services, of course.  But, unlike most western practices for standards’ deaths, we cremate the bodies.  Since cremation is incomplete, and bones don’t burn to ash, we  bury the bones.”

“Do you keep the ashes?” Zeck asked.

Marigold gently shook her head, making sure her hair didn’t knock Zeck off her shoulder.  “The reality is, our ashes are another good fertilizer, and we need all the resources we have,” she said.

“You really try not to waste anything,” Zeck said.  “But why not bury your dead?”

“Think how big the graveyard would need to be,” Marigold said.  ‘We can’t afford to take that kind of space.”

Zeck nodded.  There was a pause as he processed what he had heard.

“Actually, our bones were central in developing artificial stone, the type we use for our housing,” Marigold said.  “Before our first death, we used either what you call pole barns or Quonset huts made of corrugated sheet metal.  They were our only real options.”

“Right,” said Zeck.  “That’s one of the benefits to the world from your culture.  It’s like the use of some of your antibodies, which were modified and have basically wiped out cancer and several other illnesses among standards.”

“Well, illness is basically nonexistent among us,” Marigold said.

“You were talking about services earlier,” Zeck said.  “To standards, Bellism is something of a mystery.  Can you explain it?”

Marfigold was watching the ground as she walked, trying to be careful of where she stepped.  “Um, well, it’s got the basics of Christianity.  We apply the Amish principals of living as people apart from the world, which is also just practical.  We also follow elements of Protestantism brought in by Eight-Papa Wes.  But we also honor the Two Miracles of our people.”

“The two miracles?”

Marigold gently nodded.  “If you’ve read Eight-Papa’s memoir, you know about them,” she said.  “The first was Eight-Mama’s growing, a gift some thought was a curse.  We tend to view all things as gifts of God, when we take time to reflect.  Being human, we don’t always do that part perfectly.

“The second miracle, the Great Miracle, was when Eight-Papa and Eight-Mama were able to conceive Seven-Mama Faith.  That led to all the blessings that followed -- Eight-Papa’s growth and the start of our community as others were able to become giants.”

“It sounds like the circumstances around the miracles are used as lessons in how to live,” Zeck said.

“Much like the Protestant church’s preaching style,” Marigold said.

There was another few minutes’ pause before Zeck asked, ‘Marigold, what about crime and criminals?’”

“What about it?” she asked.  “We don’t have any.”

Zeck pulled bac k his head with a confused expression.  “I don’t understand,” he said.  “How can you not have crime?”

“Crime tends to come from two sources: greed and agression,” Marigold said.  “We share so much, and have to rely on each other for everything, and, of necessity, live so simply that there’s nothing much to be greedy about, and agression tends to be a male thing.  Our men are smaller than our women, and cooler heads prevail more often than not.

“That’s not to say we don’t have disputes.  Each community’s elders help settle them.  Giants who are unsatisfied with that can appeal to Eight-Papa Wes and Eight-Mama Sarah, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of them overturning a decision.”

“There have been a couple of cases of giants acting aggressively toward standards,” Zeck said.

“Two cases in 250 years,” Marigold said.  “and, in both cases, the biggest of our giantesses went out, corralled the men and took them back to the community.  We dealt with them there.”

Zeck nodded.  “Have there been any other incidents you know of?”

Marigold chuckled.  “You’re going to think this is just P.R., but, no, none.”

“P.R.?” Zeck said.

“Public relations,” Marigold said.  “Isn’t that what you call it?”

“You must have gotten that term from your Eight-Papa,” Zeck said.  “These days, we call it ‘P.I.’ for public information, although I think sometimes it’s more like disinformation.”

Marigold looked at Zeck out of the corner of her eye.  “I feel like we’re not talking the same language,” she said.  “Eight-Papa said P.I. was short for private investigator, and I’ve never heard of ‘disinformation.’”

“I hope I get the chance to explain it to you sometime,” Zeck said.

Marigold blushed, then pointed ahead of them.  “There’s Myersville, and the Standard Sexual Center is on this side of town.  Let’s go there, if that’s all right.”

Zeck actually got flustered for a second.  “Standard Sexual Center?”

Marigold giggled.  “Not for us, silly,” she said.  “At least … Anyway, when a giant and a standard fall in love, they have two choices if they want a relationship.  The standard can grow to giant size, using some of the growth hormone from our women’s milk, or they can come to a sexual center so the standard can remain standard-size.  Sometimes that’s what they choose to do.”

Zeck shook his head.  “This wasn’t what I expected here at all, with all the inherent Amishness,” Zeck said.

“It’s Amish in its practicality,” Marigold said.  “And, if God is calling these two people both to love and to different lives, we can still work to help them connect.”

Zeck was now the one blushing.  “So, how does this work?” he asked.

Marigold ducked into the building.  “Couples sign up for a room and a special sensor suit for the standard.  Depending on which one’s the standard, the suits are very different.  Women’s suits are designed mostly to protect them from the sheer force of a giant man’s ejaculation.  Men’s suits are like your diving suits: pressurized and with an air supply.  Each suit increases the stimulation the giant feels from the standard’s contact with … key areas of the body, and help the standard feel pleasure as well.”

Suddenly Zeck felt a strong, and now familiar, sensation.  “Marigold, are you sending out pheromones again?’

Marigold’s eyes got wide as she blushed.

“Thinking about using this place with me?” Zeck asked.

Marigold’s eyes widened further.  “How did you know?” she asked.

Zeck looked embarrassed.  “I was thinking the same thing,” he said.

Suddenly Marigold’s expression took on a familiar look -- familiar from two prior situations.  “I need to get outside now,” she said.

“Oh, no,” Zeck said.

Marigold smiled down at him as she ducked out the door.  “Oh, yes,” she said.

As soon as Marigold got outside, the sound of 50 freight trains struck Zeck’s ears.  He realized that Marigold was growing more and faster than ever.

When it stopped, Zeck looked down from Marigold’s shoulder  It was obvious her outfit was nearing its limit, and that her bosom was growing faster than the rest of her with each surge.  He believed her breasts were big enough now for him to climb down them safely, and he was tempted to do so.

Then he realized how much lower the building he had just been in seemed.  Marigold could no longer enter the building, and wouldn’t have been able to stand up or exit it if she had been inside.

Zeck looked up at Marigold.  How could she be getting more beautiful? he wondered.  Yet clearly, she was.

“Well, that’s your biggest yet,” Zeck said.  “I think you picked up about 20 more meters.”

Marigold laughed nervously.  “Yeah,” she said.  “I’ve picked up about 100 feet today.  Um, well, that’s everything I wanted to show you, and I think I’d better get you home before I …” her voice trailed off.

“Before you outgrow your clothes,” Zeck said.

Marigold looked at him and nodded gently.

She walked back to Yoder.  “I’m a little afraid to see Eight-Mama,” Marigold said.  “She worries about my surges, and today isn’t going to help that.”

“Marigold, can I admit something?” Zeck asked.

“Surely,” Marigold said.

“Maybe I should be worried about your growth surges, but I’m not,” Zeck said.  “In fact, I’m flattered.  All this growing you did today is because of how you feel about me, and I like it.  All I need to do is look at you and I know just how you feel about me.”

Zeck could see gallons of tears -- a tiny amount to Marigold -- forming in her eyes.  “Really?” she said.

“Really,” he said.  “And I wish I could show you how I feel.  I mean, I’m a believer in love at first sight, and … Maybe I’ve said too much.”

Marigold’s expression screamed what was about to happen.  “Tell me if that’s how you feel in a few minutes,” she said.

Now it was the sound of 100 freight trains Zeck heard as Marigold shot even higher into the air.  In minutes she had grown more than 100 feet.  Her outfit ripped, but maintained basic levels of coverage -- barely.

Zeck was crying and smiling as he stared up athe face of the 900-foot-plus beauty.  “You, too?” he said.

Marigold nodded.  “What do we do now?”

“Um, if I want to date you, don’t I have to clear it with somebody?” Zeck asked.

“An elder in my family,” Marigold said.  “And we’re going to the eldest elders’ house now.”

“Let’s go,” Zeck said.

Marigold simply tapped on the house roof, which no longer came up to her hips, when they arrived.  Sarah freaked out, as Wes would have put it, until Zeck spoke, his voice feeding into a huge screen Sarah could read.

“Mrs. Bell, I understand your concerns,” Zeck said,  “But Marigold and I both think her condition is a gift of God -- not a gift without its burdens, but a gift nevertheless,” Zeck said.  “and we think our meeting is a gift, too, one that could lead to something more.  We know there are consequences, but we believe we’re being led to take those chances.  Please, give us that chance.”

Sarah looked up at Marigold.  “What he said,” Marigold said.

Sarah looked at Wes.  “Remind you of anybody?” he asked.

Sarah smiled.  “How could it not remind me of us?” she said.  “But, Wes, the cost to Marigold --”

“--  Is her choice to bear,” Wes said.

Sarah nodded.  “You’d best get out some spare sheets and blankets,” the first giantess said.  “I think we’re going to need them for Sunny when we tell her the news.”

Sarah had forgotten how keen Marigold’s ears were.  “You’re saying yes?” the tallest giantess said ecstatically.

Sarah gave Zeck a smiling glance as she turned to marigold and said, “yes, we’re saying yes.”

Zeck heard the loudest rumble yet and realized that this surge was more than 200 feet.  Marigold was now somewhere around 1,150 feet tall.  She was literally so tall as to be a human mountain now.

Marigold knelt down to what she saw as her increasingly tiny beau.  “I’ve never even been allowed to think much about boys for fear of the surges,” she said.

“I can see why,” Zeck said.  “But I love it.”

Marigold carried Zeck and his hover car off on her fingertip, wearing a makeshift bikini and waving back to her ancestors as she left.

Sarah stared after her.  What have we done? she thought.