table, all the color drained suddenly from his
face. He put his head in his hands and rocked back and forth.

"Snap out of it." Tasso's fingers closed over his shoulder. "Why did
you do it? Why did you kill him?"

"He was frightened," Hendricks said. "All this, the whole thing,
building up around us."

"Maybe."

"What, then? What do you think?"

"I think he may have had a reason for killing Rudi. A good reason."

"What reason?"

"Maybe Rudi learned something."

Hendricks studied her bleak face. "About what?" he asked.

"About him. About Klaus."

* * * * *

Klaus looked up quickly. "You can see what she's trying to say. She
thinks I'm the Second Variety. Don't you see, Major? Now she wants you
to believe I killed him on purpose. That I'm--"

"Why did you kill him, then?" Tasso said.

"I told you." Klaus shook his head wearily. "I thought he was a claw.
I thought I knew."

"Why?"

"I had been watching him. I was suspicious."

"Why?"

"I thought I had seen something. Heard something. I thought I--" He
stopped.

"Go on."

"We were sitting at the table. Playing cards. You two were in the
other room. It was silent. I thought I heard him--_whirr_."

There was silence.

"Do you believe that?" Tasso said to Hendricks.

"Yes. I believe what he says."

"I don't. I think he killed Rudi for a good purpose." Tasso touched
the rifle, resting in the corner of the room. "Major--"

"No." Hendricks shook his head. "Let's stop it right now. One is
enough. We're afraid, the way he was. If we kill him we'll be doing
what he did to Rudi."

Klaus looked gratefully up at him. "Thanks. I was afraid. You
understand, don't you? Now she's afraid, the way I was. She wants to
kill me."

"No more killing." Hendricks moved toward the end of the ladder. "I'm
going above and try the transmitter once more. If I can't get them
we're moving back toward my lines tomorrow morning."

Klaus rose quickly. "I'll come up with you and give you a hand."

* * * * *

The night air was cold. The earth was cooling off. Klaus took a deep
breath, filling his lungs. He and Hendricks stepped onto the ground,
out of the tunnel. Klaus planted his feet wide apart, the rifle up,
watching and listening. Hendricks crouched by the tunnel mouth, tuning
the small transmitter.

"Any luck?" Klaus asked presently.

"Not yet."

"Keep trying. Tell them what happened."

Hendricks