I was certain of that, and more than half convinced her heart was already mine.

Should I run from the fight like a coward, sneak away in the night, leaving her to be sacrificed?
The very thought sickened me.

Better to meet the issue squarely--and I believed I knew how it could be done.

I grasped the curtain, drew it down twice in signal, and stepped into the room.
"I am going to take command here now, Billie," I said with new sternness.

"All you need to do is obey orders.".