“Ev, you know I’ve been around here a long time,” he said.

“A long time?” at that, she turned to face him with a slight look of startlement. “Four months? It seems like hours, only.”

“Perhaps,” he said, doggedly. “But it has been a long time. So perhaps it’s just as well I’m leaving.”

“Leaving?” Her eyes shot wide; hazel eyes, staring at him. “Who said you were leaving?”

“I have to, of course,” he said. “But I thought I ought to clear something up before I go. I’ve liked you a great deal, Ev—”

But she was too quick for him.

“Liked me?” she cried. “I should think you should! Why, I haven’t hardly had a minute to myself for entertaining you. I swear I hardly know what it looks like any more outside of this place! Liked me! You certainly ought to like me after the way I’ve put myself out for you!”

He gazed at her furious features for a long moment and then he smiled ruefully.

“You’re quite right,” he said. “I’ve put you to a great deal of trouble. Pardon me for being so dense as not to notice it.” He bent his head to her. “I’ll be going now.”

He turned and walked away. But he had hardly taken a dozen steps across the sunlit library before she called his name.

“Donal!”

He turned and saw her staring after him, her face stiff, her fists clenched at her side.

“Donal, you . . . you can’t go,” she said, tightly.

“I beg your pardon?” He stared at her.

“You can’t go,” she repeated. “Your duty is here. You’re assigned here.”

“No.” He shook his head. “You don’t understand, Ev. This business of Oriente’s come up. I’m going to ask the marshal to assign me to one of the ships.”

“You can’t.” Her voice was brittle. “He isn’t here. He’s gone down to the Spaceyard.”

“Well, then, I’ll go there and ask him.”

“You can’t. I’ve already asked him to leave you here. He promised.”

“You what?” The words exploded from his lips in a tone more suited to the field than to this quiet mansion.

“I asked him to leave you here.”

He turned and stalked away from her.

“Donal!” He heard her voice crying despairingly after him, but there was nothing she, or anyone in that house could have done, to stop him then.

He found Galt examining the new experimental model of a two-man anti-personnel craft. The older man looked up in surprise as Donal came up.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Could I see you alone for a minute, sir?” said Donal. “A private and urgent matter.”

Galt shot him a keen glance, but motioned aside with his head and they stepped over into the privacy of a tool control booth.

“What is it?” asked Galt.