"I don't want to kill anybody," I told her patiently. "I feel dirty just hearing how far some people can go for revenge. I just want them to let me alone. Why don't they kill me and get it over with?" "They haven't a license to kill. Not yet. There's legislation going on." "Listen," I said, listening to the idea coming into my head, "_listen_. These descendants of your mother's relatives--they _did_ inherit money because your father died. Maybe they feel grateful to me. Maybe they would help me. Would you help me try to talk to them?" "Yes," Miss Tompkins said, and she used a dial on the machine. It was as simple as putting through a phone call. "We really understand your situation," Mr. Grimes-Tompkins said. "But it would take quite a bit to buy off the Hexers. However, we certainly appreciate the killing you made for us." "Couldn't you buy off the Hexers, then, with some of the money I brought to your side of the family?" I asked. "We don't appreciate it _that_ much." "What? You aren't going to pay him back for killing my father?" Miss Tompkins cried, outraged. "Look," I said, "if you had some money of mine, would you pay off the Hexers for me? You do still use money up there, don't you?" "We certainly do, young man. Just what did you have in mind?" "If I gave you authorization now to use any assets I have in your time, would it be legal?" "Declarations by temporal transmission? Yes, of course. Routine transaction." "Take any money I have and use it to pay off the Hexers. Will you do it?" "I don't see why not, since our ancestor seems to approve." Miss Tompkins regarded me solemnly. "What do you intend to do, William?" "Banks are out," I said, thinking hard. "They don't let inactive accounts go on drawing interest more than twenty years, or something like that. But government bonds don't have to be converted when they mature. One bond can pile up a fantastic amount of interest for them to collect." "You have government bonds, William?" "Not yet." Miss Tompkins stood close to me. "I have plenty of money, William. I'll give it to you. You can buy bonds in my name." "No. I'll get my own money." "Shall I destroy the machine, William? Of course they'll only open another Focus--" "No, you would just get yourself hexed too." "What can I do, William?" she asked. "All along, ever since I was a little girl, I've known I've been helping to torture somebody. I didn't even know your name, William, but I helped torture you--" "Because I killed your father." "--and I've got to make it up to you. I'll give you everything, William, everything." "Sure," I said, "to take me off your conscience. And if I take your offer and you get hexed, what happens to my conscience? Do we go around again--me working my tail off to raise the dough to get you unhexed, and you buying the Hexers off me? Where would it stop? We're even right now. Let's let it go at that." "But, William, if we've taken, now we can give to each other."