* * * * *
I think I am safe in diagnosing that there wasn't a man in the entire theater who did not stare, transfixed, at this demi-giantess' gyrations. For my part, I raised my foldable opera glasses up to my eyes, and adjusted them for a closer-seeming view!
Alas! Her face was veiled below the bridge of her nose. The veil being the same shade of black as her Turkish pantaloons. And, yet, where the latter were opaque, the former was translucent. That is; except for an emblem that looked to be made of gold leaf.
A strange emblem...shaped like a winged serpent.
I turned to Sir Anthony, who was looking through his own opera glasses.
"What do you think? A genuine acolyte, this time?"
"Possibly. That emblem is of the Egyptian goddess, Nekhebuto. The conflation of the patron goddesses of pre-dynastic Upper and Lower Egypt.* Yet, her stage name is a double reference to Greek mythology. 'Limnades' being the water nymphs who had charge of marshes and other wetlands. And, Stymphalia being the lake where Herakles performed his Sixth Labour: the killing of those bronze-feathered birds of prey. But, that's not half as fascinating as what this woman has belted around her waist. Look downward!"
I did as directed...and I instinctively gasped.
"Good Lord! That's no theatrical prop. That's a real, live snake!!"
"Yes," he replied: "A Malayan blood python, to be exact. A species that's reputedly untameable! Yet, this one seems to be acting as docile as the spotted Queensland python she's got draped across her shoulders. Not to mention, the African ball python she's sporting like a flesh-and-blood turban!"
"How do you want to handle this?" I whispered to him.
"I think we should leave, post-haste, and head for the nearest florist shop."
I was puzzled by this last statement, but I refrained from questioning it. And, a good thing, as it turns out. For, when we got to the back door of the theater, thirty minutes later, we were just barely ahead of half a dozen other men.
Each one carrying a bouquet of roses, just like Sir Anthony.
"Excuse me, my good man," he said to the burly stage-hand guarding the door: "Would you be so kind as to tell Miss Limnades that Sir Anthony Banfield would be honored to call upon her?"
"You and every other gent, Mac!" grunted the stage-hand, indicating our "rivals" with a movement of his chin.
Suddenly, the back door opened up and a slightly scrawnier stage-hand leaned out to whisper in the burly one's ear. The latter's eyes arched in shock. Then, he looked at Sir Anthony with the utmost suspicion.
"What'd you say your moniker was?"
"Sir---Anthony---Banfield," repeated my comrade, albeit a little more slowly. As if he were a geriatrist talking to a near-deaf novagenarian!
"Miss L done sent word she'd like to see you. Your friend, too! It seems she spotted how extra-hard you was lookin' at her, from the audience. Thought it was real flatterin'!"
"In that case," Sir Anthony replied: "...and with all due respect? Stand aside!"
There were protests of angry frustration from the other gentlemen-callers. But, once we were through the door, our new acquaintance resumed being as much an immoveable obstacle to them as he had, to us, moments earlier. While his scrawny co-worker led us straight to Stymphalia Limnades' dressing room.
He knocked on the door, two or three times. Following which, there came a decidely female voice from within.
"Entre'!"
Seconds later, Sir Anthony was introducing the two of us. I let him do most of the talking, for two reasons. Firstly; because he was naturally more erudite than I was. And, secondly; I was struck speechless. Not only because of this woman's exotic beauty.
But, also, because she was no longer ten feet tall!
tbc
Giantess World
Chapter End Notes:
*Nekhebet was the vulture-goddess who symbolized Upper Egypt. And, Wadjet (a.k.a. Buto) was the cobra-goddess who symbolized Lower Egypt.