I USED TO KNOW HIM

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

      She stood there for a moment and stared at the two of them, and he could

see from her face that she was not sure which one was her husband. Lors

came to his feet and looked at her, not quite sure what to say or do.

"Margret..."

"Don't explain, Lors," she told him. Her voice was as calm and as

unruffled as though she found men from outer space in the cabin every

afternoon.

     "I brought him back," Lors began and felt silly. He wondered vaguely how

she had known about him and his being a spaceman.

     She came into the room and up to where he stood, her eyes boring into

his. "Why did you bring him back? You could have come back by yourself

and continued the whole thing."

The realization of her words dawned upon him slowly and he blinked. "You

_know_ about me? How..."

"I'll tell you later. Why did you bring him back?"

"You want him, don't you? It couldn't work out. Any fool can see that."

      He reached out and gripped her shoulders firmly. "It wasn't supposed to

happen this way, Margret. It was all supposed to go like clockwork; we

never figured on the scout ship being wrecked, and I never figured on

falling in love with you..."

"That's why you brought him back? Because you love me?"

       He nodded, trying vainly to brush aside the trembling emotion that

lifted within him at the touch of her flesh. It was a weird feeling.

"I thought about taking his place, Margret. I thought about it - but I knew

it wouldn't work. It was a half-crazy thing in the beginning. I ... I'm

sorry."

     A faint smile tugged at her lips. "Don't be. I'm not the least bit

sorry, but I'm glad I know the truth. Now it doesn't seem so ridiculous

- Brice disappearing into thin air." She looked about the room. "Where

is he?"

"Dead."

"Dead?" Her eyes widened.

      Lors nodded. "I brought your husband back against my Commander's orders.

When I tried to get Brice out of the hospital, he went berserk and began

shooting things up. One of the spacers killed him."

      "Poor Callum," she whispered and he could see the tears welling in her

eyes. Then she looked at him sharply. "You acted against orders?"

He nodded again.

"What will happen to you?"

"Nothing. It'll all come out all right. But, Margret, how did you know? Who

told you about this?"

"I did."

       Lors whirled about, his eyes swinging against those of the husky blond