| Fred could now remember falling asleep when they had rested just before
dawn, having chosen the lee of a high sand dune that should provide protection
from the sun for a while. Astra was just waking up, and he asked her if
she had had a strange dream. "Yes, how did you know?" she said. "I dreamt
that I was in a place where there were several other Astras as well as
me, only in my dream I differed from them in having extremely large breasts.
And I had seven babies and was breastfeeding them all! And there
were several of you as well, and one of those Freds was half man and half
fox. And, most improbable of all, there were several friendly dragons."
"A strange dream indeed, though hardly stranger than a world with two
moons," said Fred. "But what are we going to do now? Before long the sun
is going to move round enough that this dune will no longer provide shelter,
and since all the dunes run parallel there will be no shade to be had anywhere
else either. I fear that by sunset, though we may still be alive, we will
be too weak to resume walking." "Yes," said Astra, "but look behind you."
She suddenly had a look of hope on her face. Fred turned and saw:
-
 A cloud of dust coming
towards them. A group of riders or a caravan perhaps?
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