ce! Traitors even in the palace guards!"

"Lady, is that guy nuts?" the cabbie demanded.

"Mad or sane, I am Nicholas Martin," Martin announced, with an abrupt
volte face. He tried to stand up commandingly, bumped his head, screamed
"_Assassins!_" and burrowed into a corner of the seat, panting horribly.

Erika gave him a thoughtful, worried look.

"Nick," she said, "How much have you had to drink? What's wrong?"

Martin shut his eyes and lay back against the cushions.

"Let me have a few minutes, Erika," he pleaded. "I'll be all right as
soon as I recover from stress. It's only when I'm under stress that
Ivan--"

"You can accept your contract release from Watt, can't you? Surely
you'll be able to manage that."

"Of course," Martin said with feeble bravery. He thought it over and
reconsidered. "If I can hold your hand," he suggested, taking no
chances.

This disgusted Erika so much that for two miles there was no more
conversation within the cab.

Erika had been thinking her own thoughts.

"You've certainly changed since this morning," she observed.
"Threatening to make love to me, of all things. As if I'd stand for it.
I'd like to see you try." There was a pause. Erika slid her eyes
sidewise toward Martin. "I said I'd like to see you try," she repeated.

"Oh, you would, would you?" Martin said with hollow valor. He paused.
Oddly enough his tongue, hitherto frozen stiff on one particular subject
in Erika's presence, was now thoroughly loosened. Martin wasted no time
on theory. Seizing his chance before a new stress might unexpectedly
arise, he instantly poured out his heart to Erika, who visibly softened.

"But why didn't you ever say so before?" she asked.

"I can't imagine," Martin said. "Then you'll marry me?"

"But why were you acting so--"

"Will you marry me?"

"Yes," Erika said, and there was a pause. Martin moistened his lips,
discovering that somehow he and Erika had moved close together. He was
about to seal the bargain in the customary manner when a sudden thought
struck him and made him draw back with a little start.

Erika opened her eyes.

"Ah--" said Martin. "Um. I just happened to remember. There's a bad flu
epidemic in Chicago. Epidemics spread like wildfire, you know. Why, it
could be in Hollywood by now--especially with the prevailing westerly
winds."

"I'm damned if I'm going to be proposed to and not kissed," Erika said
in a somewhat irritated tone. "You kiss me!"

"But I