momentary flash like a golden moat afloat in sunshine--and what
then?"

She laughed.

"What then? What becomes of you? Where do you go? What do you
turn into?"

"I don't know."

"You go somewhere, don't you? You change into something, don't you?
What happens to you, petite Cigale?"

"When?"

"When the sunshine is turned off and the snow comes."

"I don't know, Mr. Drene." She broke her chocolate cake into halves
and laid one on his knee.

"Thanks for further temptation," he said grimly.

"You are welcome. It's good, isn't it?"

"Excellent. Adam liked the apple, too. But it raised hell with
him."

She laughed, shot a direct glance at him, and began to nibble her
cake, with her eyes still fixed on him.