Merrill was thinking of Chino’s love of electronics. What would be the latest? Heat and motion sensors? Infrared television? There was nothing Merrill could do about them. He didn’t even have a plan for getting into the place. What was he doing now was a reconnoitre that might give him a clue.

“Commander Merrill?”

“What?”

“Are you going away on me?”

“No, I don’t think so.” He was staying parallel to the wall, about a hundred yards out, in uncleared land, new woods, mostly saplings that would block television cameras and where small animal life might keep him safe from heat and motion detectors.

“You didn’t respond to my last comment.”

“I didn’t think a response was required.”

“We’re waiting, Commander Merrill.”

“I still don’t see your light.”

“You are going away on me.”

“What does that mean?”

“Deliberately heading in the wrong direction. Stalling for time.”

“Why would I do a thing like that?”

“Perhaps you’re not able to face the truth about your wife.”

“As long as you’re on the subject, why all the talk about her?”

“Come in and see yourself.”

“I told you, that’s what I’m trying to do. But I still can’t see your light.” He had reached the back end of the wall. He had not seen any sign of Chino’s electronic countermeasures.

Gregory said, “If you cannot see the light — and you can take that any way you want — than perhaps you will heed Rosario’s voice.” Away from the telephone, he said something in Spanish. Merrill could hear Rosario crying, begging. The crying grew louder and then became a scream that Merrill could hear distantly on the plain air. Merrill held the telephone away as the screaming turned more intense and urgent and finally desperate.

Then it stopped.

“Merrill! Merrill, you stupid man! Did you hear that?”

Merrill didn’t answer. He disconnected and put the telephone in the bag. He was moving closer to the wall, toward a position approximately opposite the pile of construction debris. If there was going to be a door through the wall, it would be near the debris. But there was something else back here inside the wall, something too new for the map, something big and bright — white, even, judging by change in color of the moths fluttering over it. Whatever it was, it was quiet now: all he could hear were his footsteps and his breathing.

“Commander Merrill?”

Merrill jumped in the air. If he had not been on his guard, he might have whooped like a schoolgirl. The voice seemed no more than three feet away, perfectly clear, even conversational. Merrill looked around. Of course no one was there. Just the darkness, the young woods in the steely moonlight, and that bright thing he couldn’t see on the other side of the wall.

“Chino?”