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."Alicia, wake up.Alicia, it's UncleTobias come to take you home-was"Alicia?" Judson repeated."Her name'sAlice."The portly man directed another hateful glanceat him.Judson realized he must have been followedfor some length of time.Days; perhaps weeks.The nakedgirl just opening her sky-blue eyes and pushing backa strand of dirty hair was-as he'dsuspected-someone other than whom she pretendedto be.All at once Alice's eyes focused.Shesat upright as if she'd been slapped.Her voicewas a mixture of terror and fury:"What are you doing here, Tobias? Getaway-get out!"The portly man paled."Alicia, cover yourPage 113 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlnakedness!What am I doing here-?" A gesture to the servant with one ringed hand.Thetall man watched Alice with quick alternatingglances at Judson."We have searchedPhiladelphia for months to locate you! What Iam doing here is taking you back to Arch Street.To your aunt, who's been devastated-driven to herbed!-ever since you disappeared last fall.To find youworking in a wharf den and consorting with a man who woulddestroy these colonies-to "The sentence sputtered out.Tory politics and the morality of the well-entrenchedmade Mr.Tobias Trumbull speechless withoutrage.But he managed to seize Alice's wrist again."I'm where I want to be!" She jerked her handaway."Leave me alone.""She's ailing," Trumbull gasped to hisservant."Robbed of her senses by grief-was"Or by drink, andthis lecher," the tall man said, pointing the pistolat Judson."Alicia, you must come home.We'll find the bestdoctors-restore you to health-was"Get out of here!"Alice screamed in her best riverfront bellow.Then she began to curse Trumbull with oaths thatbleached his reddened cheeks.Even the tall servantlooked surprised-and in that moment, Judson movedwith long, swift strides.The servant swore, leveled his pistol.For onedreadful moment Judson stared down the muzzle.He grabbed the servant's wrist, cracked it overhis leg, caught the pistol and drove his bare kneeinto the tall man's groin.Judson jumped back as the tall man stumbledagainst the wall, teeth clenching.The servantrecovered, lunged-Only to halt as Judson took another long stepback and aimed the pistol at his forehead.Theservant glared.Judson felt harrowingly sober, somewhatridiculous-nude with a pistol in one hand-and not a littleconfused:"Now before this charade continues, I wantan explanation." To the portly man: "You claimto be her relative-was"My wife is her aunt! She is Mrs.AliciaAmberly, widow of an officer in His Majesty's serviceand daughter of the Earl of Parkhurst.""Earl?"Judson exploded, slack-jawed from this latestsurprise.Alice had covered her breasts and waswatching the scene like a trapped animal.She toowas sober now, he judged.But still irrational.Hehad seen those sky-blue eyes glaze like that before-Page 114 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlHe could hardly believe what he'd just learned.Still,iftrue, it would explain much about the girl's strange,contradictory personality-Trumbull swung to Alice but pointed atJudson:"Do you realize what sort of man you've fallen inwith? One of those political cheapjacks who-was"Now I understand why you know so much about me,"Judson interrupted."I've been spied upon.""She has been hunted," the servantcorrected, still furious."For the most humane of reasons!" Trumbullexclaimed."Sorrow over the death of her husband,Lieutenant Colonel Amberly, caused herto run away.Sickness of the mind made her seekrefuge in-squalor, in-wasSuddenly Alice screamed out, "I ran because mylover deserted me, you stupid old fool! MyAmericanlover.He turned his back on me-that'swhy I ran-wasJudson was horrified by the wild brightness in thegirl's eyes.He remembered Alice standing atthe pier glass.WasPhilipthe American she'd loved-hisAgain Trumbull could barely speak:"Alicia-what you're saying-it's against allpropriety, it's- obscenity-a symptom of yourderangement-wasHe lurched for her."You will come home for care, forprotection-wasShe spat in the fat Tory's face.Trumbull wiped the saliva from his jowl.For the first time, he turned pleading eyes to Judson:"In God's name, sir-help me!"Judson shook his head."Why? The decision isAlice's.""Her name is Alicia, you arrogant bastard!""The decision is still hers.You have no right to force herout of here."The servant licked his lips."He has debauchedher, Mr.Trumbull.That's obvious now.""I am hereby choicerAlice screamed again."Oh, God-child, please-was Trumbull was almostweeping.Judson lifted the pistol, gestured toward thedoor open on the mellow June night:"I think you'd better leave.At once.There isno law of which I'm aware that can compel her to go with you.I'm not holding her prisoner.So if she choosesto stay with me, there's not a damn thing you can do about it."Livid, Tobias Trumbull said, "You'll donothing to assist me when she obviously needsmedical attention?"Page 115 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Nothing," Judson repeated."Unless sheagrees to it.""No," Alice whispered, fingers like claws on thecoverlet."I-was Trumbull swallowed.Then a bit moredetermination seemed to infuse his bloated face."Ido have one recourse in the face of behavior such asyours, Mr.Fletcher.Gentleman to gentleman-wasThe last word seethed with contempt."I can demandsatisfaction."Judson's eyes raked the wheezing, overweightman."Don't be an idiot.You're not up to aduel.""Please-wasAlice was moaning now; moaning and swaying backand forth.Judson knew Trumbull was right about onething: something in the girl's past had damaged hermind.Abruptly, she burst into tears:"No more quarreling!" She covered her ears
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