“Avoidable,” he muttered, “nuvoidable, voidable. Fell off.”

Tyss took him by the arm. “You come with me and rest awhile. Hodgins, you better start loading up; youll have to do the delivering now.”

Rebellious refusal formed in my mind. Why should I be still further involved? He had no right to demand it of me; in self-protection I was bound to refuse. “Mr Tyss....”

“Yes?”

Two weeks would see me free of him, but nothing could wipe out the debt I owed him. “Nothing. Nothing,” I murmured and picked up one of the boxes.

8. IN VIOLENT TIMES

He gave me an address on Twenty-Sixth Street. “Sprovis is the name.”

“All right,” I said as stolidly as I could.

“Let them do the unloading. I see there’s a full feedbag in the van; that’ll be a good time to give it to the horse.”

“Yes.”