### 264

The thick, trunk-like stamen is covered with fine hairs which help you to make the long climb towards the amber-coloured light far above. However, as you get nearer to the light, the stamen hairs become coated with lumps of sticky, sweet-smelling yellow pollen. These pollen clusters hamper your progress, as you have to struggle to unglue yourself from them every time you shift your position.

You are nearing the stamen’s bud-like top when you become aware of a distant buzzing sound. Rapidly the noise gets louder, until you are suddenly plunged into semi-darkness. A huge winged insect is hovering directly above you, its multi-coloured body blotting out most of the pale amber sky. It lunges back and forth with its great head as it sucks away clumps of pollen from surrounding stamens with its long, spear-like proboscis. Then the creature detects your presence, and the deafening noise of its wings changes pitch. It rises several feet above the stamen and hovers there for a few moments while it studies you with massive composite eyes. Unfortunately it takes only a few seconds for the creature to decide that it wants to vary its diet of pollen. With a sinister nod of its head, it extends its proboscis and then stabs its sticky point towards your unprotected back.

If you wish to attempt to defend yourself from this creature’s attack, turn to 135.

If you decide to attempt to evade it, turn to 214.