He'd told Hank Maguire and Luis Hernandez about his wife's refusal to come with him and about what he now intended to do. They were considering it gravely, neither seeming to like what he planned.

Finally Hernandez said, ``I could offer you advice, Tomas, but you wouldn't heed it.''

``Let's hear it, anyway.''

``Wait a little while. Let Senora Brannon live in her father's house for a time. Give her time to miss you. Maybe she will then come to you. After all, you want the senora as much as you want the boy. You need her even more than you need him.''

``She wonn't change her mind,'' Brannon said. ``John Clayton will see to that.''

``But after a time away from you & & &.''

``A year, Luis? Five? Ten? How long should I wait?'' ``Maybe in a year, Tomas & & &.''

``In a year she'll like living in Clayton's house too much to come back to me,'' Brannon said flatly. ``And the boy will be too much under his influence by then. I've got to take Danny away from Clayton before I lose him altogether. Hell, in a year or five or ten, the boy will have forgotten me -- his own father!''

``But to take him and leave his mother behind is not good.''

``In my place, you'd follow such advice as you give me?''

Hernandez looked suddenly uncertain. ``That I cann't answer, for I cann't imagine something like this happening to me. Maybe I should withdraw my advice -- no?''