"This is Yipton, as you can see. This is Arkady Inn;

here the harbor and the flight strip." Bodwyn Wook tapped the chart with a long white forefinger.

"This would seem to be the location of the Caglioro, with the women's dormitories out around here." Bodwyn Wook darted a glance toward Namour.

"Where is the palace of the Oomphaw? Point it out to me, if you will."

Namour shook his head.

"I know no more than you."

"You have never treated with him in his private offices?"

"We conduct our business, such as it is, in a room off the hotel lobby. I speak to him through a bamboo screen. Whether these are his private offices I can't say. I suspect that he sits at a place from where he can overlook the lobby. Why are you interested?"

"I could list a dozen reasons," said Bodwyn Wook airily.

"To start with: sheer curiosity." He looked again at the clock.

"We can expect news at any time now."

The minutes went by, while Bodwyn Wook discussed first one topic, then another, with Namour. At last a voice spoke from the mesh:

"Scharde Clattuc here. We have picked up Kirdy. He is alive, but in very bad shape."

Bodwyn Wook's voice rang sharp as a bell.

"How so?"

"He is in a state of shock. His eyes are open and he seems to be conscious but he does not recognize me, and will not respond to my voice. He has suffered a number of lacerations and small wounds. The Oomps who turned him over to us claim that yesterday afternoon he broke loose and tried to escape their custody. They say that he jumped into a canal and took refuge under the structures, a place infested with 'yoots," as they call them." When they found Kirdy, he was lying in the slime and the yoots were chewing on him. That is their story."

"Do you believe them?"

"More or less. They look at him with awe and can't understand how he survived. What they did to him before he escaped is anybody's guess."

"How bad is Kirdy? Will he survive?"

"Not good. He is apathetic."

"Very well. Proceed with the rest of the program."

"It is already under way. So far there has been no reaction from below."

"Keep me advised."

Bodwyn Wook swiveled around in his chair and stared out the window. Namour sat silently, now showing no disposition to depart.

Ten minutes passed. Scharde's voice again came from the mesh.

"We are departing the Lutwen Islands."

Bodwyn Wook called sharply: "What occurred?"

"With two craft in protective mode, the third and fourth descended and pulled away the roof with grappling hooks, and the floor below was exposed. There was no flyer visible nor any sign of metalworking machinery. In short, there seemed nothing to destroy. But we immediately noticed that the floor was new bamboo, to hide the real floor below. We broke open this floor, and saw the flyer, along with machinery. We lowered a demolition device which destroyed the flyer and everything else in the room. We then departed, and are now on our way home."

"Well-done," said Bodwyn Wook.

"You have achieved everything practically possible at this time."

' Yoot: a two-legged mandoril-rat hybrid, four feet tall, with a rudimentary intelligence. The creatures are peculiar to the Lutwen Islands, and are intensely vicious.

The operation against Titus Pompo's machine shop was officially described as a routine mission to expedite Kirdy Wook's return to Araminta Station, after a sudden illness. A rumor or two leaked from Bureau B, or perhaps from Namour, but the scope of the raid and its presumably devastating effect upon the Oomphaw's capabilities were never generally made known.

Kirdy spent two weeks in the hospital while his wounds healed, each leaving an ugly little scar, then further time in the infirmary. He remained in a state of deep apathy, apparently aware of his surroundings, feeding himself and obeying instructions, but taking no heed of visitors and speaking no words. At times he gave evidence of internal distress, screwing up his big pink face until he achieved the likeness of a baby. Tears streamed from his eyes and he made high-pitched whimpering sounds, but uttered no words.

Such fits gradually became less frequent; coincidentally, Kirdy took somewhat more interest in his environment, watching comings and goings, looking at pictures in magazines, but still he remained silent and ignored visitors.

The school term came to an end. After prodigies of toil and special tutoring, Aries passed his examinations and was duly accorded a certificate of completion. Glawen, along with Wayness, Milo and a few others, was graduated with honors.

Each year the savants currently resident at Vagabond House were feted at a banquet to which were also invited the graduating class at the lyceum, the Conservator and his family, the Bureau Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors, the six Housemasters and the lyceum faculty and five Special Dignitaries, selected by the Lyceum Faculty Council.

This was the most exclusive and stately occasion of the year, at which the gentlemen of the Houses wore dress uniforms and the ladies appeared in the most splendid confections their dressmakers could contrive. Those who were not invited consoled each other with assurances that the affair was both tedious and dull as ditchwater, and that personally they would never waste the time attending, even had they been invited. Nonetheless there was always avid competition for one of the five "special" invitations.

At the conclusion of the banquet, before the speeches began, Glawen sought out Wayness and took her up to the balcony, where they sat close together, looking down on the notables below.

Wayness wore a long skirt, tight at the waist, flaring at the hem, striped black, green and wine red, a black jacket of some heavy lusterless stuff and a black ribbon in her hair. Glawen's continued

half-covert inspection made her edgy and at last she exclaimed: || "Glawen, you must stop that! I sit here cringing with nervousness, as-^j if I'm buttoned up crooked, or a big bug is sitting in my hair."

"I've never seen you so elegant before."

"Oh. Is that all? Do you approve?"

"Certainly. Although you seem strange and unfamiliar."

Wayness made a flippant response: "I've never been anything but strange! As for familiarity, I don't dare with Mother so close."

Glawen smiled sadly, and Wayness looked at him sidelong.

"Why are you so glum?"

"You know why."

"I don't want to think about it tonight."

"I can't help it. I wonder if you'll ever return."

"Of course I'll return! And if not " "If not?"