When he quietened down she asked: 'How many times did you leave the room?' The knife. Oh, no, the knife. 'Twice. No, three times. I had to get some water yesterday. But I wasn't trying to escape, Annie. I'm writing a book.' 'You didn't try the telephone. I suppose, or investigate the locks. No, you were such a good little boy.' 'Of course I did.' He was beginning to wish she would go 51 away, The drug was making him partly tell the truth, but he also badly wanted to sleep. 'How many times did you go out?' 'I told you. Three times.' 'How many times?' Her voice was rising. 'Tell the truth.' 'I am telling the truth. Three times!' 'You're treating me like a fool.' 'Annie, I swear —' 'Oh, yes, you swear. People who tell lies love to swear. Let me tell you, Mister Clever. I stretched hairs all over the place — upstairs, downstairs, out in the barn — and a lot of them have gone.' Annie, how could I have gone upstairs? How could I have gone outside to the barn? But she didn't give him time to protest; she went straight on. 'So you tell me that you left the room only three times, Mister Clever, and I'll tell you that you're the fool, not me. How many times?' 'Three.' 'Once for medicine.' 'Yes.' 'Once for food.' 'Yes.' 'And once for water.' 'Yes. Yes, I told you.' She reached into her pocket again and brought out the butcher's knife. 'I looked under your mattress just before I gave you the injection for your operation, and see what I found.' What did she mean by 'operation'? He was suddenly sure that she intended to use the knife on him. 'But you didn't get it out of the kitchen, did you? You only went for medicine, food and water. The knife must have flown here all by itself. What kind of fool do you think I am, Paul? How many times?' 'All right, all right. I got the knife when I went for water. But, Annie, what did you mean by "operation"?' 'I think you went seven times,' she said. 'Yes, if that's what you want to bear, I left the room seven times,' Paul said. He was angry now, because be was frightened. Then she started to speak softly and he began to drift, almost into sleep. 'Do you know what the British used to do to workers in their diamond mines who tried to escape, Paul?' 'They killed them, I suppose,' he said, still with his eyes closed. 'Oh, no,' she replied. 'That would be like throwing away a whole car just because some little thing went wrong. No, they still needed them for the mines, so they just made sure that they couldn't run away again. They performed a little operation, Paul, and that's what I'm going to do to you. It's for your own good. Please try to remember that.' The ice-cold wind of fear blew over Paul's body and his eyes flew open. She got up from the bed and pulled back the blankets so that his legs and feet were uncovered. 'No,' he said. 'No . . . Annie . . . whatever it is you're planning, we can talk about it, can't we? Please . . . you don't have to . . .' She bent over and picked up some things from the floor. When she straightened up she was holding an axe in one hand and a blowlamp in the other. The blade of the axe shone dully. She bent down again and picked up the box of matches and a bottle of dark liquid. 'Annie, no!' he screamed. 'Annie, I'll stay here, I promise. I won't even get out of bed. I'll do whatever you say!' 'It's all ri............