* * * * *
During the Golden Age of Hollywood, "Bronco Jack" Barrett had starred in a string of "singing cowboy" movies. Nowadays, though, he worked for Interchem as a TV commercial spokesman for the (formerly) Independent Petroleum Company. And, this Thanksgiving, he would be aboard his cabin cruiser, "La Rosa Amarilla," watching either a Telstar broadcast of the Macy's Parade from New York City; or the cavorting of Calfornia sea lions between the islands of Santa Cruz and Anacapa in the waters of Channel Islands National Park.
Officially, anyway.
For, in reality, the Thanksgiving dinner that had been served in the main salon was turning out to be more of a business luncheon. Seeing as how he was entertaining an Arabian oil sheik named Abdul Hassan, and a Japanese industrialist named Toyoma Hajime. With the latter currently explaining something to the former in layman's terms.
"Basically, there are four kinds of guided missiles, Your Majesty. Surface-to-surface; air-to-air; surface-to-air; and vice-versa. The Nike Artemis (an upgraded version of the Nike Zeus) will combine all four of these attributes. Making it the ultimate hunter/killer projectile! Hence, the partial reference to the ancient Greek goddess of the hunt."
"Yet, the computer chip controlling the missile's guidance system must be made from a special kind of silicon. And, right now, there is only one place in the whole world where this special silicon can be found."
The sheik could not help smiling.
"My province?"
Toyoma-san nodded. Whereupon, the sheik meditatively sipped on his Long Island "iced tea" before asking his next question.
"If I agree to let Dai-no-byte construct the required branch plant in my province, what is in it for...my people?"
"Ten percent of the first hundred thousand such missiles that come off the assembly line," replied Barrett: "Along with a dozen 'free-lance military advisors' for trainin' your own armed forces how to use 'em. Like, say, in the event of an Israeli air strike!"
"A very tempting off..." Abdul Hassan began to reply.
Only to be interrupted by a sudden left-to-right lurching of the entire cabin cruiser. Followed by the excited shouting of the top-side deck hands! This, in turn, prompted Barrett to head for a nearby wall-mounted intercom.
"Barrett to bridge. What in tarnation is happenin' up there?!"
"Sorry, sir! But, there must've been an undersea tremor of some kind. Because, the sea water around us is bubbling and frothing like a tea kettle!"
"Then, what're you waitin' for, you idiot? Raise anchor and haul ass out o' here!"
"Aye-aye, sir!!"
The boat's captain gave the necessary orders, and the crew complied accordingly. Yet, even as they did so, their path was suddenly obstructed by the head and scowling face of a giant-sized woman! A woman with kelp strewn throughout her blonde hair. And, with blue eyes that each looked to be as big and round as an ocean sunfish.
The bridge crew were stunned speechless for a few moments. That all ended, however, when the cabin cruiser was lifted out of the water by the giantess' right hand. While her left hand peeled back the roof of the main salon like the lid of a sardine can!
"Allah have mercy!" exclaimed the sheik.
Those would prove to be his last words as the giantess' left hand now lifted him up...and bit off his entire upper torso.
His lower half was gulped down even faster. Prompting Toyoma-san to try and flee from the salon, back to the dubious shelter of his stateroom. The Japanese industrialist was manually intercepted, however, and lifted up toward the giantess' gaping mouth. Where he subsequently suffered the same fate as Sheik Hassan.
But, when it became his turn, Barrett proved unwilling to go down without a fight. Ergo; when the giantess' left hand lifted him up, he made sure that his pearl-handled, nickel-plated Colt Peacemaker single-action revolver was in his right hand.
"Eat lead, you over-grown bitch!" he defiantly yelled, as he began fanning the gun with his left hand.
The giantess, however, merely turned her head in annoyance. The way a normal-sized woman might who was being dive-bombed by three pairs of mosquitoes in the summer twilight. When the bullets ceased flying, she turned her head back in Barrett's direction...and promptly swallowed him whole.
When that was done, the giantess flattened the remainder of the cabin cruiser between her massive hands. As effortlessly as a normal-sized man might crush a paper cup!
This, of course, caused an explosion of the cruiser's fuel. The ensuing heat and light, however, bothered her no more than a flashlight beam would bother someone who has spent five minutes in pitch darkness. After which, she sank beneath the waves.
Ten minutes later, the U.S.S. Alewife surfaced to rescue the small handful of survivors.
tbc
Giantess World
Author's Chapter Notes:
SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL,
SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.
(NOVEMBER 22, 1962)
SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.
(NOVEMBER 22, 1962)