taken to be tatters of clothing and odd bits of flesh turned out to be three women with veils and ruffles The first woman spied them "Ah, you are the men who have come to marry us1" she exclaimed
"We are7' Dolph asked, perplexed
"Aren't you9" she asked, coming up to embrace him "I am Miss Conception Do you wish to kiss me before or after the wedding9"
"But I'm already married1" Dolph protested
The second woman approached Bink "Yes, he is eager to be married," she said "And I hope you are too, even if you do seem a bit young for me I am Miss Interpret "
"I'm eighty one," Bink said
"Now I know I misheard that' You can t be over twenty one "
"Something is not right about this," the third woman said, approaching Dor "Is there something wrong with you too7 I am Miss
Givings "
"I'm afraid there is," Dor said "We are looking for zombies "
"Your taste in women is weird1"
"I mean that we wish to question zombies We thought you were— that is, that you looked like—" He realized that they might not take kindly to the comparison
"Like girls ready to marry," Miss Conception said "Of course And you are right Let's do it right now, and summon lots of storks "
"Wow1" her veil said "That should be fun "
"We are all married1 " Dolph said desperately
"Yes, you all want to get married," Miss Interpret agreed, staring blissfully into Sink's young eyes "It's so nice that we are in agreement I'm sure you will mature in due course "
"In a pork s eye," d tassel said
"But you do look a bit old," Miss Givings said to Dor
"He certainly does," the ground said "Any day now he'll start to totter and dodder '
"This is all a misunderstanding," Dor said hrmly "We three kings are merely trying to find out why the zombies are stirred up "
"You are kings>" Miss Interpret asked, delighted "What a great marriage this will be1"
'We can visit Castle Zombie on our honeymoon " Miss Conception said "The Zombie Master should know "
ZOMBIE LOVER 43
"The Zombie Master'" Bink exclaimed "Why didn't we think of that9"
"Because your hearts were set on marriage," Miss Interpret said reasonably "But as soon as the ceremony is done, we can set out for there We want you to be happy ''
"I don't think so," Miss Givings said regretfully "I fear we are confusing things These men mistook us for zombies "
"Mistook us for zombies'" Miss Conception exclaimed "Does a zombie have this9" She lifted her tasseled blouse and showed her bare but healthy upper torso
"Wow1" a nearby stone said "She must have nymphly ancestry I haven't seen boobies like that since that flock of dodos waddled by"
"That's boobs, you boob'" another stone said "You got rocks in your head9"
"Whatever," the first said stonily
Meanwhile, Dolph stared He was still young enough to really appreciate such a sight ' Maybe not as full or firm, for a zombie," he said His eyeballs were beginning to glaze
"I should hope not How about this9" She tugged at her skin
Dor knew he should do something, but his own eyeballs were locked, and he knew that Bmk's were too It wasn't possible for a man to look away from such a sight voluntarily The effect was similar to that of the hypnogourd And if she showed her panties—
"This is really getting interesting," a piece of deadwood said "What does she have under there7"
Then a bug happened to fiy by just at eyeball height, interrupting Dor's view He clamped his eyes closed and turned his head away, so as not to get caught again
"That's fine," Dor said quickly, before she could freak anyone out and have her will of him He stepped between Bink and the sight, freeing him Then he did the same for Dolph, and took the young man by the shoulders turning him around ' No zombie can match any of you, I'm sure," he said over his own shoulder "We are sorry we can't marry you, but we must be on our way We
Jan (ILT) J. C.; Gerardi Greenburg