riding considerations to your
childish devotion to duty."

I shook my head. "This is too small a room for us. Even if I trusted
you, I couldn't allow you at this naive young world."

Voices suddenly approached. "The GG?" Harry questioned.

"Didn't know they were coming." Desperately, I looked about, found an
eroded mass. "Hide there; I'll get rid of them."

"You'd better--we have business." Possibly it was the only time I've
agreed with him. Mel and Dex came in. I called, "Over here!"

* * * * *

Dex snapped his fingers. "_Knew_ it was Venus."

Mel wrinkled his nose. "Sulfur dioxide, too, like we figured. Soda pop,
when I broke into that tender scene between you and Frank--that gave you
necessary carbon dioxide, right, am I not?"

"Yes ... Why don't you guys leave me alone?" Beginning to falter in the
heat, they dripped perspiration. "You could die in this chilly
climate."

Dex said, "Listen for a second. We don't have to break up. Let's form a
service organization, 'Problems, Inc.' or some equally stupid title.
Very soon we could afford a private bedroom, like this, for you to stay
in all the time--"

"Need only two or three nights in ten." Harry was moving restlessly. He
wouldn't wait much longer. "Combination of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and
sulfur under relatively high temperature is how I eat. Pills can
substitute, but not for protracted periods. That's why I had to build
this room. Couple of weeks, and I'll be in the pink; as pink as you,
anyway."

Abruptly, I lay down, ignoring them. I had to make my friends go. Harry
could literally have shredded them. Footsteps: the door closed; relief
and loneliness joined me, but only for a moment.

His voice sliced the darkness: "I'm a man of honor, and must warn you.
If we fight, you'll lose. I escaped with far more pills than you; you're
weaker."

I said sardonically, "With you stealing parts of my supply, that's
probably the only truthful thing you've said!"

"I've been in here three nights, adjusting my metabolism ..."

He came at me then, not breaking his flow of speech. At home, I'd have
been surprised at the dishonor. Instead, I was expecting it. He ran into
my balled fist.

If we'd been home ... if, if, if, if, if. At full strength, I could have
broken his neck with the blow. Now, he simply rolled back and fell.
Laughing, he attacked again. We were weak as babes, and fought like it.
Clumsily, slowly, we went through t