Trapped!

           Allatonceithadseemedinevitable.Itwastherawestdramaticirony.HehadenteredTimeonelasttime,tweakedFinge’snoseonelasttime,broughtthepitchertothewellonelasttime.Ithadtobethenthathewascaught.

           WasitFingewholaughed?

           Whoelsewouldtrackhimdown,lieinwait,stayaroomaway,andburstintomirth?

           Well,then,wasalllost?AndbecauseinthatsickeningmomenthewassureallwaslostitdidnotoccurtohimtorunagainortoattemptflightintoEternityoncemore.HewouldfaceFinge.

           Hewouldkillhim,ifnecessary.

           Harlansteppedtothedoorfrombehindwhichthelaughhadsounded,steppedtoitwiththesoft,firmstepofthepremeditatedmurderer.Heflickedloosetheautomaticdoorsignalandopeneditbyhand.Twoinches.Three.Itmovedwithoutsound.

           Themaninthenextroomhadhisbackturned.ThefigureseemedtootalltobeFingeandthatfactpenetratedHarlan’ssimmeringmindandkepthimfromadvancingfurther.

           Then,asthoughtheparalysisthatseemedtoholdbothmeninrigorwasslowlylifting,theotherturned,inchbyinch.

           Harlanneverwitnessedthecompletionofthatturn.Theother’sprofilehadnotyetcomeintoviewwhenHarlan,holdingbackasuddengustofterrorwithalastfragmentofmoralstrength,flunghimselfbackoutthedoor.Itsmechanism,notHarlan,closeditsoundlessly.

           Harlanfellbackblindly.