Tol looked at her sadly.

"Vil, it"s unbearable, do it faster," Enriki hastened him.

"Do what?" Vil"s voice shook.

"Do what Orel told you and let"s be done with it."

"But I cannot kill her, I cannot!"

"I order you," Orel said quietly and firmly.

"No," the girl said, "don"t listen to him, don"t!" She covered her ears.

"But how?" Vil whispered. "How can I kill her?"

"Any way you want," Orel answered.

"Better quickly," Tol advised, "not to make her suffer."

"Vil, Vil, don"t let me down!" Enriki moaned.

Vil clasped the handle of his knife gingerly. Tears streamed from the girl"s eyes, she looked at Vil incessantly. Vil took away his hand, not baring the knife. He didn"t move.

"No, I can"t," he whispered.

"It is my order," Orel said. "You promised to fulfill my task."

"But it is not a task!" Vil shouted. "She is innocent!"

"So what?" Orel also yelled. "It doesn"t matter! You don"t need to think if she is innocent or not, it doesn"t concern you! You must obey me unquestioningly!"

"But it is not fair," Vil shook his head. "It is not fair! She didn"t do any bad to us!"

"Who mentions "fair" here? It is my order. It is my order and nothing else."

"But it is a stupid order, stupid and cruel, I"m not an executioner. I don"t want to kill a defenseless girl on your whim!"

"Didn"t you plead with me to take you on the team? Didn"t you swear you"d do anything for me and our mutual affair?" Orel got up and walked up to Vil, shook him by his shoulders. "Who was crying to take him in? Who?"