BIRTHDAY PRESENT By Arnold Marmor Diane's husband spent most of his time on Mars, and I spent most of mine with Diane. It was a nice arrangement--much too nice to last! [Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from Imagination Stories of Science and Fantasy July 1954 Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.] "It's tonight or never," Diane said. "Yes," I said. I watched her as she walked back and forth across my bedroom floor. She had on a sheer plasto dress that clung to her round white breasts and full milky thighs. "I'm picking him up at the spaceway," she said. "We're supposed to go dining and dancing tonight." She stopped pacing. "It's my birthday. I'm thirty today." And I was twenty-four and in love. Six years between us. So what? I didn't give a damn. I wanted to marry her, to live with her. "I'm thirty," she said again. "Do you mind?" "I know your age. Why bring it up?" "Someday you'll find out you married an old woman. _If_ we ever do marry." "Stop it." I got off the bed, went to her. "Just tell me what to do and I'll do it." "Do you love me?" she looked up at me. "You know I do." "Say it." "I love you." "Never stop saying that." She put up her face and I kissed her. A long hard kiss. She broke away. "You'll be in back in the racer. Just crouch low. As soon as we're away from the spaceway you hit him with the wrench. It has to be quick and sure. Then we carry him up to the apartment and drop him out the window." I shuddered a little as she talked. She was so calm about the whole thing. "You'll have plenty of time to get out. It'll be listed as a suicide. He's been sick for a long time. His doctor will testify to that. He was so sick and worried he jumped to his death." She stared at me hard. "Is it all clear?" "Yes." I looked at her. Her long blond hair, her oval face, the slim white column that was her throat. "It's all clear. Like glass." I poured myself a drink. I needed it. I was going to need a lot more. "We won't be able to see each other for a long time," she said. She watched me drink. "We don't want to give our friends something to talk about." "I won't like not seeing you." She patted my face. I put down my drink, caged her slender hand in mine, and kissed her wrist. I saw the light blue veins criss-crossing under the delicate skin. I brought her close to me. I kissed her warm lips. "Baby," I breathed. "Diane, baby." "Paul, listen to me. We haven't much time." "All right, sweet." I kissed her again. "Come on. We can't afford to get there late." * * * * * I crouched low in the back of the racer. I heard the street noises, the gab of the night crowds, the not-so-mild cursings of the taxi-jet drivers.