r eyes as
bleakly empty as it.

"Hello, Lyla," he said.

"Hello, Dale. I was just thinking; this is the day that I, as a woman,
should always have dreamed about"--she tried to smile, and failed, and
the brass came into her voice--"my wedding day!"

"Alonzo told me about it."

It seemed to him he should add something, such as to wish her
happiness--but such words would be meaningless and farcical and they
would both know it.

But there was no reason why he should endanger her by obeying Rockford's
insane order. He would not do it--

"Ah ... good morning, Lyla!" Rockford loomed in the doorway, jovial as a
Santa Claus. "Did you know Dale wants to go for a walk in the woods
with you this bright spring morning--and he's no doubt too bashful to
tell you so? Do you good to get away from camp"--there was the
suggestion of a pause--"while you're still free."

He turned a beaming smile on Hunter. "Don't stand there like a dummy,
boy--take her by the arm and let her have a last walk with someone who
cares what happens to her."

There was one thing about Rockford not compatible with his air of fond
fatherliness: his eyes were hard, gray slate as they looked into
Hunter's and there was no mistaking their expression. Rockford had not
made a fatherly suggestion for his own amusement. He had given an order
that he intended to be obeyed.

* * * * *
* * * *

Hunter and Lyla walked on through the thickets of ghost trees and arrow
brush, each with little to say, Hunter feeling more and more like a
ridiculous fool. They had no destination, no purpose in their walk,
other than to abide by Rockford's desire that a total of ten assassins
get a chance to slaughter a certain expendable second lieutenant.

He did not put his arm around Lyla as they walked. If they killed him,
it would have to be without their having the satisfaction of the
pictures they wanted with which to blackmail her.

They came to a tiny clearing, where a cloud tree log made an inviting
seat in the shade, and Lyla said:

"No matter how far we walk, I'll have to go back to face it. Let's stop
here, and rest a while."

He saw that the clearing was fairly well screened, but certainly not
completely so. It would have to do.

[Illustration]

He sat down on the log several feet away from her, not wanting to take
the chance of her getting hit by accident.

_Not that I'm enthusiastic about getting hi