He went quickly to the opening, stared through it. Minutes passed. To the woman who watched him, he seemed to grow older with each passing moment. He turned. She was still there. He faced her. "You--you haven't asked why the militia are here?" It was a question and not a statement. "No sir." Her answer left him momentarily at a loss for words. "You don't know--what happened last night?" "No. I do not need to know. I doubt if I could understand. It would make no difference." She spoke quickly, the words blurring into each other. There was suddenly hunger in Lee Garth's eyes, the hunger that grows in lonely men. "Stella--" The flat smash of an explosion coming from outside jerked him back to the opening. A deep, angry drone sliced through the morning air. Another explosion slapped the earth. "Bombers! A squadron of planes! The fools! What are they saying about me out there, I wonder? No matter. I did what I had to do. Or tried. There is only one thing left to do." There was no anger in his voice. There was only resignation. "Stella," he said, "if you ran from the door, I think they would let you escape. They want me instead of you. You could say I had held you prisoner." Her voice was level. "But what about you?" "I will stay," Lee Garth answered. "Here?" He nodded. "No!" "I really didn't mean I will stay here," he amended. "I will go there. I am needed, I think." She did not understand. No one else would have understood. But she had no need for understanding. She knew the secret that surpasses understanding. She shook her head. "If you stay, I stay." His eyes met hers. "There are numerous things," he whispered, "that I would like to do over, if I had the chance. You understand?" The smile that lifted out of her eyes was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He choked. There was an obstruction in his throat. "Stella--" "Yes, Mr. Garth." Smash! The morning rocked with the explosion of another bomb. "Quickly!" he gasped. "Stand here beside me. This tower won't stand a direct hit. There isn't a second to lose." [Illustration: _Another explosion! Another! The tower seemed to lean forward--the steel was melting--running away in little streams_--] She moved to his side. He put his arm around her. His free hand moved among the controls on the table. Below them, in the heart of the tower of concrete and steel, a bull-throated roar started building up, started howling as energies beyond computation were set in motion. "Don't be afraid," he whispered. "I think it won't hurt very long." She was still smiling. * * * * * Goggling, Tompkins read the description.