For barely an instant he hesitated in the operation of lighting his cigar as he saw Aldous.

Then he nodded.
"Hello, John Aldous," he said.
"Good evening, Culver Rann," replied Aldous.
For a moment his nerves had tingled--the next they were like steel.

Culver Rann's teeth gleamed.

Aldous smiled back.

They were cold, hard, rapierlike glances.