king's daughter."

She did not answer and he said, "Is that the way it was?"

"Yes. That's the way it was. But how could I tell Daddy, as he lay
dying?"

"You couldn't, Lyla. But if your father could be here today and know
what you know about Narf, do you think he would want you to marry him?"

"No ... I guess not. But Lord Narf loves me in his own way, I think--and
that's more than anyone else does."

Then her tone changed and she said, "I'm so glad that you're here today,
Dale--I'm glad that there is someone who cares at least a little about
what happens to me."

On her face was a poignant longing for someone to love and comfort her.
It seemed to him, now beyond any doubt, that there could never be
anything for him in his career but loneliness. How different the warm
love of Lyla would be from the cold austerity of the military and its
endless succession of weapons and killing--

* * * * *

He moved, to sit beside her and put his arm around her shoulders.
"Lyla," he said, "I want to tell you--"

"_Dale...._" The word was a despairing sob as her composure broke and
she held tightly to him, crying, her voice coming muffled as she pressed
her face against his chest. "Help me, Dale! How can I marry that
sadistic beast when it's someone else I can't live without--and he
doesn't even know I love him!"

"But he does!" He hugged her closer, "He does know, and he loves you
even more than you love him."

"Are you sure?" She raised a tear-stained face, hope like sunshine
through clouds on it. "Are you really sure Val loves me, after all?"

"_Val?_"

The revelation was like the stunning concussion shock of a blaster beam
passing two inches overhead. His vision blurred and there was a hideous
roaring in his ears. She was still holding to him for comfort and it
seemed to him that was wrong--he should be clinging to her for
support....

"_Dale_ ... what's the matter?"

"But I thought--" He swallowed with difficulty. "I thought you meant
that I was the--"

Something struck the top of his head; this time, for certain, the
concussion shock of a blaster beam passing close above it. There was a
vicious crack as the beam split the tree beyond, then a crash and
explosion of wood fragments as a second beam followed the first.

He rolled from the log; taking Lyla with him. The arrow bushes shielded
them briefly, long enough for them to reach the temporary safety of a
small swale.

"Dale