Maia

"Go on," said Elleroth, grimly.

"She was-well, sir, she was very pressing, sir, sort of; she'd got her robe open and her deldas bare and-well, the long and short of it was, sir, I'm afraid it was too much for me, and I agreed with her for thirty meld, which was all I'd got."

"Even though you were supposed to be on guard?" asked Mollo.

"Yes, sir, I'm afraid so, sir. So I took her into my shelter, which was empty and just close by, as I've explained. And we were-we were there together, sir, for some time, like."

"And did you give her thirty meld?" asked Mollo.

"Yes, sir."

"Did you find that money on her, tryzatt?" asked Elleroth.

"In her clothes, sir, yes: that and a little more, actually."

"Go on, Dectaron."

"Well, sir, after a while I said, 'You realize I'm supposed to be on guard duty?' Naturally I was afraid of being missed, sir, you see. And she said that was nothing to her, so I says, 'Well, it is to me,' I says, 'and I'll have to be getting back quick.' So then she asked could she stay where she was, and I told her I thought it would be best if she did, right up until the morning, rather than start running about the camp again and getting into more trouble-"

"But she hadn't been in any trouble up till then, had she, soldier?" said Mollo. "And who's to blame for that, eh?"

"I am, sir." Neither Elleroth nor Mollo said more and after a short silence the wretched man, who was clearly very much afraid, went on.

"Well, so I left her there, sir, in my bed, and went back on guard duty: I hadn't been missed and I spent the rest of the night on and off sentry-go in the usual way."

"Excuse me, sir," broke in Lortil, "but I'm just as much to blame, sir, and if it's in order, I reckon I ought to go on now."

"Very well," replied Elleroth.

"Well, sir, I was one of those detailed to go across the river with the women and children. Some stayed over there all night, but the lot I was with were ordered back to camp very late, and then we were dismissed. And I was coming

back to my shelter, sir, next to Dectaron's, when this girl came out. She was naked, sir, and she came up to me and began-well, sir, she began making up to me and asking me to come into Dectaron's shelter with her."

"For money?"

"Yes, sir. I only had twelve meld and so I told her, but she said that would be all right. Like Dectaron told you, sir, she was very pressing, like."

"And you weren't, I suppose?" asked Mollo. "Is that it?"

"No, sir: I can't deny as I was willing enough. I spent the rest of the night with her and early this morning we were both asleep when Dectaron came back off guard."

"And what happened then?" said Mollo sardonically to Dectaron. "You were delighted, I suppose?"

"Well; sir, as soon as I come in I realized what must have happened-that's to say, that she'd taken on another man to make herself some more money. But I wasn't angry, like I might have been if it had been some man as I didn't know. Only you see, sir, Lortil and me, we've been together all through the campaign, ever since we joined up-"

"I know," said Mollo. "Share and share alike, eh? You seem to have stuck to that very thoroughly. Well, go on."

"Well, sir, I woke the both of 'em up, and told the girl it was highjime for her to be going before the tryzatt come round. I didn't want anyone finding her in my shelter, you see."

"Didn't you really? Well, so what did she say to that?"

"Well, sir, this was when all the trouble began, and I'm sure I'm very sorry for it-we both are-but we didn't go to start it, sir, and that's as true as I'm here. First of all the girl set out to try and make us jealous of each other. Anyone could see she hoped we were going to get angry- start fighting an' that. Only of course that didn't work, for the reasons as I've explained. So when she saw that was no good, sir, she got up off the bed, just as she was-with nothing on, I mean-and she says, 'Oh,' she says, 'I want another hundred meld before I'm going out of here.' So I told her I hadn't got any more money to give her even if I'd a mind to, which I hadn't, and Lortil told her the same. So then she said, 'Well, you'd better go out and get some, then-borrow it or something o' that, because I'm not going else, and if you try to make me I'll kick up such

a shine as'U bring your tryzatt and officers here as fast as hounds,' she says.