course. But already, she was as good as his wife.
And if he played up the shock angle just enough, this could be a
wonderful evening again....

Shirley was unusually lovely when she met him at the door. Her soft
golden hair made a halo for her face--a face that said she'd already
anticipated his ideas, and had decided he was a man who needed
sympathy and understanding for what had happened.

There was even time for the idea that he was free to be brought up,
tentatively at first, and then eventually as a matter of course. And
the plans expanded as he considered them. There was no need to worry
about things now. The quiet marriage became a trip around the world as
he confessed to having money that no one knew about. They could close
the shop. He could leave town almost at once, and she could follow
later. Nobody would know, and they wouldn't have to wait to avoid any
scandal. They could be married in two weeks!

Henry was just realizing the values of a friendly demon. With proper
handling, a lot of purely friendly summoning, and a reasonable
attitude, there was no reason why Alfear couldn't provide him with
every worldly comfort to share with Shirley.

He caught her to him again. "My own little wife! That's what you are,
lambkins! What's a mere piece of paper? I already think of you as my
wife. I feel you're my wife. That's what counts, isn't it?"

"That's all that counts," she agreed with a warmth that set fire to
his blood. Then she gasped. "Henry, darling, it's getting light
already! You'll have to get back. What will the neighbors say if they
see you coming from here now?"

He tore away reluctantly, swearing at the neighbors. But she was
right, of course. He had to go back and take the sleeping medicine to
be ready for the arrival of the mortician in the morning.

"It's still early," he protested, automatically trying to squeeze out
a few more minutes. "Nobody's up yet."

"I'll heat up the coffee, and then you'll have to go," Shirley said
firmly, heading for the kitchen. "Plenty of people get up early around
here. And besides, you need some sleep. Early to bed and early to
rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and--"

From the kitchen came the beginning of a shriek. It changed to a
horrible gasp, and died away in a failing moan. There was the sound of
a body hitting the floor.

Alfear stood over Shirley's body, rubbing one finger tenderly. His
ears twitched uncertainly as he studied Henry's horror-frozen fac