He estimated now that none of them stood more than five feet high, they talked more quickly than before, and the pitch of their voices was higher. None of them could get into the clothes. Lucia tried, but could not get her legs into the trousers, and split the sleeves of her shirt. When they left the camp, the girls’ clothes were left too, and they continued on their way naked. Helward could not take his eyes off them. Every hour that passed seemed to reveal a more obvious change in them. Their legs were now so short that they could only take small steps, and he was forced to dawdle so that he would not leave them behind. In addition, he noticed that as they walked their posture was bedoming more and more at an angle, so that they appeared to be leaning backwards. They too were watching him, and when they stopped for water there was an uncanny silence as the strange group passed the canteen from one to the other.
