Tell him to come here and start digging. You—get out!”

Bud and Buck looked at each other, shifted their feet, and stood still again.

“Go on,” said the Doctor.

“I don’t know,” said Bud.

“It’s not as if he didn’t have the provocation,” Buck said.

“God knows,” Bud said.

“God knows,” Buck said. “You know. I know. The whole town knows. But try telling it to a jury.”

The Doctor put his hand to his head. “What’s that?” he said. “What is it? Now what are you saying? What do you mean?”

“If this ain’t being on the spot!” said Buck. “Doc, you can see how it is. It takes some thinking. We’ve been friends right from the start. Damn good friends.”

“But we’ve got to think,” said Bud. “It’s serious. Provocation or not, there’s a law in the land. There’s such a thing as being an accomplice.”

“You were talking provocation,” said the Doctor.

“You’re right,” said Buck. “And you’re our friend. And if ever it could be called justified—”

“We’ve got to fix this somehow,” said Bud.

“Justified?” said the Doctor.

“You were bound to get wised up sooner or later,” said Buck.

“We could have told you,” said Bud. “Only—what the hell?”

“We could,” said Buck. “And we nearly did. Five years ago. Before ever you married her. You hadn’t been here six months, but we sort of cottoned to you. Thought of giving you a hint. Spoke about it. Remember, Bud?”

Bud nodded. “Funny,” he said. “I came right out in the open about that Jessop property. I wouldn’t let you buy that, Doc. But getting married, that’s something else again. We could have told you.”

“We’re that much responsible,” Buck said.

“I’m fifty,” said the Doctor. “I suppose it’s pretty old for Irene.”

“If you was Johnny Weissmuller at the age of twenty-one, it wouldn’t make any difference,” said Buck.

“I know a lot of people think she’s not exactly a perfect wife,” said the Doctor. “Maybe she’s not. She’s young. She’s full of life.”

“Oh, skip it!” said Buck sharply, looking at the raw cement. “Skip it, Doc, for God’s sake,”

The Doctor brushed his hand across his face. “Not everybody wants the same thing,” he said.