Captain Marks moved up a chair for Stella. "Jim," she said. Her voice broke.

"I'll tell him," the Captain said. "It seems that Miss Emerson has a sister living in Boston. She didn't know anything about our problem, and she came down this evening for a visit. She had a key to Miss Emerson's apartment, and she walked in just at the right time to play a leading role in Cronus's drama."

"Was she—"

"No. Thankfully, no. Her condition is serious but she'll be all right again. The knife missed a vital spot by a fraction."

I relaxed. "What happened to Gregory?"

"He tried to go out the way he came in. There wasn't any tree to break his fall. And one other thing. I have an urgent message for you from Walker."

I glanced at the slip of paper. "Jim—for God's sake, stay out of aircars!"

"Cronus showed us your fall half an hour before it happened. From our angle, it looked as if you fell out of the aircab that was hovering over the building. Some time in the next twenty-four hours, Walker calculated, but we couldn't reach you."

"It wouldn't have made any difference," I said. "You know yourself...."

"Yes," he said. "I know."

His voice rambled on, while my eyes met Stella's. "So Cronus can show us the future," I heard him say, "but he can't change it, and neither can we."

"Cronus changed mine," I said, still looking at Stella.

The Captain took the hint, and left.

Five minutes later the phone rang, and I reached around Stella to answer it. It was Walker, and Stella held her face close to mine and listened.

"Just called to offer my congratulations," Walker said.

"Congratulations for what?"

"For your wedding. Cronus just spotted it."

I swore, but I kept it under my breath. "I haven't even asked the girl," I said, "and don't tell me I'm wearing that stupid arm band at my wedding, because I'm not."

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