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Jerry had a bad stitch in his side, and his knee was all but useless by the tiht, a pale huddle in the light of the waning moon Still, he was surprised at how near the stones were to the farht in his wanderings

‘Right,’ said the darkto an abrupt halt ‘This is where we leave you’

‘Ye do?’ Jerry panted ‘But--but you--’

‘When ye caemstone, any jewellery?’

‘Aye,’ Jerry said, bewildered ‘I had a raw sapphire in one It’s like it--’

‘Like it burnt up,’ the blond rim-voiced ‘Aye Well, so?’ This last was clearly addressed to the dark man, who hesitated Jerry couldn’t see his face, but his whole body spoke of indecision He wasn’t one to dither, though--he stuck a hand into the leather pouch at his waist, pulled so out, and pressed it into Jerry’s hand It was faintly warm from the man’s body, and hard in his palm A s

‘Take this; it’s a good one When ye go through,’ the dark ently to him, ‘think about your wife, about Marjorie Think hard; see her in your h Whatever the hell ye do, though, don’t think about your son Just your wife’

‘What?’ Jerry was gob-smacked ‘How the bloody hell do you knoife’s name? And where’ve ye heard about my son?’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ the man said, and Jerry saw the motion as he turned his head to look back over his shoulder

‘Daht’

There was: a single light, bobbing evenly over the ground, as it would if soht, Jerry could see no one behind it, and a violent shiver ran over hi,’ said the other h--spirit, it meant And usually an ill-disposed one A haunt