"Yes."

"And you are very unhappy because she does not respond?"

"Yes."

The old priest's face grew a little more sad. "When she landed here, the
last time, she made an awkward landing. She was thrown forward and she
hit her head. She does not remember anything that happened before that."
Rozeno's finger bit deeply into Parker's arm. "Come now, and I will
introduce you to her, as a stranger."

Bill Parker found himself being introduced to the woman he loved. "I'm
sorry about my actions of a minute ago," he said. "I thought you were
someone else."

The smile she gave him was forgiving but it was also cool and distant.
"That's all right, Mr. Parker. I understand." Her voice went into
silence as another sound came into the room. The sound of rapid gunfire.

Parker had thought he had in his pocket the only two modern weapons on
the island, but somewhere in the growth of trees far below the window
slot, someone was firing a sub-machine gun.

Parker raced to the slot. Below him the island lay quiet. He turned.
Mercedes, her face working, was staring at him.

"Beel--Beel--I have not told you everything! That Johnny Retch, he hire
you to fly him here in 'copter, to find thees island. He also have men
in boat coming. Your job, which you did not know, was to find island,
then lead men in boat to it. Johnny means to take all thees." The
gesture of her hand included all the treasure of Montezuma. "He have men
in boat to help him take it. He does not mean to let anything stop him.
Not anything!"

Parker saw what he had not seen before, that Johnny Retch was a man who
would always have two strings for his bow. Too late, he saw that the
boat lying at anchor was not an accident.

"I should have killed that dog when I had the chance!" he snarled.

Shambling feet sounded in the corridor outside. Pedro burst into the
room. He grunted words at Ulnar.

"Pedro says men come up the ledge," Rozeno said. "They must be from the
boat. We must go to meet them. It will be a great pleasure to them.
Come, Ulnar. Come, Bill." He moved toward the door.

Parker was across the room in quick strides, catching Rozeno's arm.
"You can't do it, Father Rozeno. Those men who are coming up the ledge
mean to kill."

"My son!" Hurt showed on the priest's face. "Surely you do not know what
you are talking about!"

"But I do know!" Parker almost shouted the words. Quickly, desperately
he tried to explain the situation to Rozeno. To his growin