ly to him. "Let's--let's
go outside." His voice was little more than a croak.

"But, honey!" She pushed herself away, her low voice maddening him.
"Don't you have a private room? A girl doesn't like to be taken
outside...."

Her words bit into his brain like the blade of a hot knife.

No, he didn't have a private room at the club like the others. A private
room for his telporter receiver, a private room where he could take a
willing guest. No! He couldn't afford it! No! _No!_ NO! His lot was a
cheap suit of satin! Cheap whiskey! Cheap champagne! A cheap shack by
the river....

An inarticulate cry escaped his twisted lips. He clutched her roughly to
him and dragged her through the door and into the moonlight, whiskey and
anger lending him brutal strength.

He pulled her through the deserted garden. _All the others had private
rooms!_ He pulled her to the far end, behind a clump of squatty firs.
His hands clawed at her. He tried to smother her mouth with kisses.

She eluded him deftly. "But, _honey_!" Her voice had gone deeper into
her throat. "I just want to be sure about things. If you can't afford
one of the private rooms--if you can't afford to show me a good time--if
you can't come here real often ..."

The whiskey pounded and throbbed at his brain like blows from an unseen
club. His ego curled and twisted within him like a headless serpent.

"I'll have money!" he shouted, struggling to hold her. "I'll have plenty
of money! After tonight!"

"Then we'll wait," she said. "We'll wait until tomorrow night."

"No!" he screamed. "You don't believe me! You're like the others! You
think I'm no good! But I'll show you! I'll show all of you!"

* * * * *

She had gone coldly rigid in his arms, unyielding.

Madness added to the pounding in his brain. Tears welled into his eyes.

"I'll show you! I'll kill her! Then I'll have money!" The hands
clutching her shoulders shook her drunkenly. "You wait here! I'll go
home and kill her now! Then I'll be back!"

"Silly boy!" Her low laughter rang hollowly in his ears. "And just who
is it you are going to kill?"

"My wife!" he cried. "My wife! I'll ..."

A sudden sobering thought struck him. He was talking too much. And he
wasn't making sense. He shouldn't be telling her this. Anyway, he
couldn't get the money tonight even if he did kill his wife.

"And so you are going to kill your wife...."

He blinked the tears from his eyes. His che