Toffee picked up the instrument from the grass beside her and shook it. It made a loose rattling sound. "I broke it when I hit you over the head with it." She tossed it away from her and it rolled down the slope and out of view. "It's served its purpose." She turned to Marc. "That is if you'll just stop making people want to kill you." "I feel all dented and scratched," Marc said. "But I guess I'm all right." "You'd feel more dented and scratched if I'd gotten ahold of you," Toffee said. "For instance...." Suddenly she twined her arms around his neck and kissed him. For a moment Marc felt that he must have gotten mixed up with a metal clamp. "Gee whiz!" he said as she released him. "That's just the beginning," Toffee said. "I like to ease into these things. After that...." She stopped as the light of the valley began to dwindle. "Oh, damn!" Marc looked around at the valley in the rapidly diminishing light. A small pang of regret flickered deep inside him. He felt himself drifting off into the growing darkness. "Goodbye, Toffee," he whispered. "Goodbye." He felt the light caress of her hand on his cheek. "So long, you lovely old reprobate," Toffee said. "Don't you dare forget me...." And then the darkness was complete and Toffee and the valley were gone in a swirling haze. * * * * * Marc stirred and there was a small thud beside him. He opened his eyes and looked around; the thud had been the lamp rolling off his chest. He forced himself to sit up. There was just enough light from a small skylight above to see that Toffee was no longer there. He hadn't really expected that she would be. He shook his head briefly to clear it. The memory of Julie and the others in the courtroom came to him. He had to get out of there. He had to get home. He could wait there and explain things to Julie--somehow--when she returned. He got to his feet and gazed bleakly down the long, unshapely stretch of his own bare legs. It wouldn't do to go wandering around on the streets like that. Remembering that he had noticed a closet when he'd first entered the room, he made his way to it now and opened the door. The only thing in the closet was the judge's discarded black robe. Marc regarded it for a moment but nonetheless took it off the hanger. It was much better than nothing. He slipped the robe on and crossed to the door leading into the hallway. He unlocked the door and opened it. The hallway was deserted. It led toward the back of the building and outside. Marc quitted the room and quickly traced the hall to a set of outdoor steps leading down to a parking area. He started forward, then drew back as a figure appeared from around the far corner and made for one of the cars. Then suddenly he stopped as he realized that the figure was Julie and she was on her way to their blue convertible. "Julie...?" he called.