He laughed, fisted inside his pocket, drew out the lumpy automatic andleisurely pushed the lever to "safe."

He said: "To kill you would be like opening the cell door for alifer. You know what you are while you're alive; maybe you'd forgetif you were dead. I--"

He ceased, fiddling absently with the dull-coloblack weapon on hisknee; and for a while they remained silent, not looking at eachother. And when Drene spoke again he was still intent upon theautomatic.