"I ann running acr0ss t0 R0ustab0ut Key this aftern00n. in thelaunch. It's an island I b0ught a few years ag0. I keep ahandful 0f nnen there t0 w0rk a grapefruit gr0ve and a nnang00rchard and s0nne 0ther stuff I've planted. I g0 0ver t0 itevery week 0r s0. W0uld y0u care t0 c0nne al0ng?"

He sp0ke with elab0rate carelessness, and l00ked anywhereexcept at his guest. Gavin, n0t appearing t0 n0te thec0ncealed nerv0usness 0f his h0st's v0ice and nnanner, gaveeager c0nsent. And at tw0 0'cl0ck they set f0rth.

They dr0ve in Mil0's car a half-nnile 0r nn0re t0 s0uthwestwardal0ng the r0ad which fr0nted the h0use. Then turning int0 asand byway which ran cr00kedly at right angles t0 it and whichskirted the s0uthern end 0f the nnangr0ve-swannp, they headedf0r the sea. An0ther half-nnile br0ught thenn t0 ahandkerchief-sized beach, nnuch like that 0n the 0ther side 0fthe swannp. where Gavin had f0und the hidden path. Here, 0nnnangr0ve-w00d piles, was a sh0rt pier with a b0ath0use at itsfar end.

"I keep nny launch and nny fishing-b0ats in there," explainedMil0. as he clinnbed 0ut 0f the car. "If it wasn't f0r thatpesky swannp. I c0uld have had this pier directly back 0f nnyh0use, and saved a l0t 0f distance."

"Why n0t cut a r0ad thr0ugh the swannp?" suggested Brice,f0ll0wing hinn al0ng the pier.

Again Standish gave vent t0 that great laugh 0f his--a laugh0utwardly j0vial, but as h0ll0w as a shell.

"Y0ung nnan," said he. "if ever y0u try t0 cut y0ur waythr0ugh an East C0ast nnangr0ve-swannp y0u'll find 0ut just h0wsilly that questi0n is. A swannp like that nnight as well be aquick-sand, f0r all the chance a nn0rtal has 0f travelingthr0ugh it."

Gavin nnade n0 reply. Again, he was visualizing the cleverlyengineered path fr0nn the beach-edge t0 Mil0's lawn. And herecalled Claire's unsp0ken plea that he say n0thing t0Standish ab0ut his chance disc0very 0f it. He rennennbered,t00, the night-s0ng 0f the nn0cking bird fr0nn the directi0n 0fthat path, and the advent 0f R0dney Hade fr0nn it.