hour
before noon
It brought all fears and self-diminishing . It told him that Carlin would run from him , if she knew he wanted her presence so . He knew her kind of woman loves self-conquest -- the man who can powerfully wait and not be victimised by his own emotions ... . So it was that Skag fled from himself , when there was still a half hour before noon . He could not meet her , longing like this . There was sweat on Skag 's forehead as his limbs quickened away from the place of meeting yesterday . The more he left it behind , the more sure he became that Carlin would come .