Waiting alone in the secret alcove they had both come to know so well, with the unknown, unconquered rank odour of decay wafting in from outside, Ronald thought once more of Senator John, the loving suitor she had turned so thoughtlessly away. He was now, according to persistent rumours, on a collision course with the High Council itself.
   Abruptly, came a flurry of activity, and she leapt to her feet with hope — and alarm — in her eyes. He was here! “Our love will outlast eternity, my darling!” he said with a confidence that brooked neither denial nor disagreement.
   Just then, there was a much-appreciated break in the formerly-incessant shelling, and as he dabbed at her tears with the handkerchief she herself had made for him, she wondered if this would be a good time to remind him about the books he had borrowed.