And suddenly he shivered all over. His hands clutched at his heart.

«My God!» he shouted.

Too late, he was realizing he had let me step into his mind and life. Now he was on his feet between me and the periscope, staring at it and me, as if we were both terrors.

«You saw nothing in that! Nothing at all!»

«I did!»

«You lie! How could you be such a liar? Do you know what would happen if this got out, if you ran around making accusations-?

«My God,» he raved on, «If the world knew, if someone said' '-His words gummed shut in his mouth as if he were tasting the truth of what he said, as if he saw me for the first time and I was a gun fired full in his face. «I would be… laughed out of the city. Such a goddamn ridiculous . . . hey, wait a minute. You!»

It was as if he had slipped a devil mask over his face. His eyes grew wide. His mouth gaped.

I examined his face and saw murder. I sidled toward the door.

«You wouldn't say anything to anyone?» he said.

«No»

«How come you suddenly know everything about me?»

«You told me!»

«Yes,» he admitted, dazed, looking around for a weapon. «Wait.»

«if you don't mind,» I said, «I'd rather not.» And I was out the door and down the hall, my knees jumping to knock my jaw.

«Come back!» cried Von Seyfertitz, behind me. «I must kill you!»

«I was afraid of that!»

I reached the elevator first and by a miracle it flung wide its doors when I banged the Down button. I jumped in.

«Say good-bye!» cried Von Seyfertitz, raising his fist as if it held a bomb.