“Sorry you unlucky bastards are stuck here now. But you’re welcome to follow us down the lower Alph into the Hollow Earth. We’ll take good care of you—just like you took such good care of Baxter, Doug!” Pause for a burst of mocking alien laughter. “No, seriously, I could feed you oxygen while we’re inside the river. And I could give you longevity so you last for centuries—until the trip to Yuggoth. And all along we could keep having s*x. Urxula’s into it. Scandinavian style, right?” Squeals of appreciation from Urxula. But Vivi still wasn’t done. She was enjoying the impression she was making on her fellow cukes. “Oh, and that climactic hop from the Hollow Earth to Yuggoth—some nasty accelerations in that hypertunnel. Like an corkscrew roller-coaster. I think I’d need to remove your brains
