“Oh, goodness, no!” said the old woman, obviously amused by the suggestion. ‘I’m just going home to take my medication, and perhaps a little nap, and then we’ll be coming back”

“We haven’t seen you before, have we?” asked the old man.

“No,” answered Virtue. “I heard Father William was touching down for a couple of days, so I thought I’d come by to hear him. I’m from Salinas Four.”

“Really?” said the old man. “I hear it’s a lovely world.”

“It is.”

“We’re from Seabright originally,” said the old woman. “But we came out to the Frontier to make our fortunes.”

“That was close to forty years ago,” chuckled the old man. “Can’t say we’re any richer, but Goldenrod is a pretty nice place to retire to. And of course, it’s on Father William’s regular circuit.”

“By the way, can I offer you a sandwich?” asked the woman, holding up her basket.

“No, thank you,” said Virtue.

“I wish you would,” persisted the woman. “I hate to see it go to waste, and we’ll just throw it out once we get home. We’re having dinner with friends.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m really not hungry.”

“Here,” said the woman, fussing with the lid of the basket. “Just take a look at it, and maybe you’ll change your mind. There are sandwiches, and tea biscuits, and—”

Suddenly Virtue saw a movement out of the corner of her eye and hurled herself to the ground.

The old man dropped the cane he had swung at her and began fumbling with his pocket. Virtue flung herself at his legs, heard something crack inside one of them, and leaped to her feet, her pistol in her hand. The old woman had withdrawn a gun from the inside of the basket—Virtue couldn’t tell if it was laser, sonic, or projectile—and was pointing it at her.

“You have very good reflexes, my dear,” said the old woman with a smile.

“What happens now?” asked Virtue, ignoring the old man as he moaned and writhed on the ground. “Do we kill each other or call a truce while you move the wounded warrior off the battlefield?”

“Well, I could wait for reinforcements,” said the old woman. “I do have them, you know.”

“Yes, I’d heard there were three of you.”

The old man groaned again.

“But my dear husband is in a bad way,” added the old woman. “He had trouble walking even before you so callously broke his leg. So I suppose I’ll either have to dispatch you immediately, or else agree to your truce.”

“If you shoot, so will I,” said Virtue.

“Ah, but will a properly placed head shot allow you the opportunity to retaliate?” asked the woman, raising her aim from Virtue’s chest to a point between her eyes.