"What is it?"
"That damn thing is sure screaming its head off. I don't think I can wait. I think we ought to take care of it now."
"But how can we?" his wife said. "It would look suspicious, wouldn't it?"
"What if it does? We can move out of here tomorrow, see another part of the world."
"But Lotha warned us to be careful—"
"Lotha!" Dan Bryan said, his lips curled. "Why should we listen to anything he says? We take our orders directly from Jeheera, not from a dirty Nahrlan traitor. I say tonight."
"Whatever you say, dear," his wife answered.
Mr. Gertz looked at the bedside clock, moaned, and punched his pillow angrily.
"That lousy brat!" he said. "Why doesn't somebody shut him up?"
His request was answered. With abrupt suddenness, the baby's pitiful cry ended.