she said. "You told me nothing was the matter.
Well, we can get through to the emplacement, Kit."

"No." And again he stopped her. At least he had lived in freedom all
his life and although he was still young and did not want to die,
Sophia had never known freedom until now and it wouldn't be right if
she perished without savoring its fruits. He had a love, dust fifty
centuries, he had his past and his memories. Sophia had only the
future. Clearly, if someone had to yield life, Temple would do it.

"It's worse than it looks," he told her quietly, drawing her back from
the door again. He explained what had happened, told her the
radioactivity had not quite reached critical point--which was a lie.
"So," he concluded, "we're wasting time. If I rush in there, fire, and
rush right out everything will be fine."

"Then let me. I'm quicker than you."

"No. I--I'm more familiar with the gun." Dying would not be too bad,
if he went with reasonable certainty he had saved the Earth. No man
ever died so importantly, Temple thought briefly, then felt cold fear
when he realized it would be dying just the same. He fought it down,
said: "I'll be right back."

Sophia looked at him, smiling vaguely. "Then you insist on doing it?"

When he nodded she told him, "Then,--kiss me. Kiss me now, Kit--in
case something...."

Fiercely, he swept her to him, bruising her lips with his. "Sophia,
Sophia...."

At last, she drew back. "Kit," she said, smiling demurely. She took
his right hand in her left, held it, squeezed it. Her own right hand
she suddenly brought up from her waist, fist clenched, driving it
against his jaw.

Temple fell, half stunned by the blow, at her feet. For the space of
a single heartbeat he watched her move slowly toward the round
doorway, then he had clambered to his feet, running after her. He got
his arms on her shoulders, yanked at her.

When she turned he saw she was crying. "I--I'm sorry, Kit. You
couldn't fool me about.... Stephanie. You can't fool me about this."
She had more leverage this time. She stepped back, bringing her small,
hard fist up from her knees. It struck Temple squarely at the point of
the jaw, with the strength of Jovian-trained muscle behind it.
Temple's feet left the floor and he landed with a thud on his back.
His last thought of Sophia--or of anything, for a while--made him
smile faintly as he lost consciousness. For a kiss she had promised
him another dislocated jaw, and she had kep