"El Conejo Grande," he said, smiling softly, "I think you have failed again."

"No!"

"Your Magnum, amigo, por favor? And the little gun besides."

Flores handed them over, his hand shaking. The young man dropped them delicately in the water.

Now the terror was washing over him like waves in a storm. "Alejandro, we are friends too long for this...."

"We are still friends, el Conejo Grande. Have a seat."

The youth jammed the throttle forward. The boat sprang through the sea, and el Conejo Grande found himself in the stern, flat on his back.

He knew that he would be better off if he dived over the side and let Alejandro put a slug through his head while he was in the water.

But his legs had turned to liquid, and he could not get off the deck of the lurching, bucking speedboat.

***

As Hoagie pulled the nose up, the plane continued to settle. Ellen heard him curse. Again he jammed the throttle forward, and the engine belched and died. They struck the beach with a jar.

"We've hit her!" she shrieked.

In one motion he cut the ignition, hauled the wheel of the yoke back into his lap, and jammed on the brakes. Jolting and skidding, they came to a stop six feet from the bracken on Masthead Point.

He lunged across her, opened her door, and pushed her out. She landed in a heap, and as she scrambled up, she saw him sprinting back down the beach.

When she got to the castle, he had Thea in his arms. "Jumped clear," he muttered, touching the child's cheek. "There's a good girl, now. It's over, Thea, right?"

Thank God, she thought. Thank God....

Thea pointed at their castle. There were tears in her eyes. A tire had demolished the whole elaborate structure. Turret, drawbridge, the princess's conch-shell balcony, all were scattered far and wide.

Ellen took her from his arms. "We're going to build a better one. With two balconies for the princess and a portal for Prince Charming to ride through—"

Her voice caught and she could not go on.

"When?" asked Thea, squirming to get down. "Now?"

"Not now," she said, "but later."

Hoagie looked into her eyes and murmured, "You're a very cool lady, Ellen."

"And you saved our lives," she said. Then she took Thea's hand and led her to the house.

At the house she turned. Hoagie was back at his airplane, shooting foam into the engine with a fire extinguisher. Michael raced up the path from the dock. He took her into his arms.

"What happened?" he murmured. "What happened, Mom?"

She tried to smile. "I don't really know." She looked into his eyes. "It could have been worse, but just more bad luck, I guess."

***