Another cried out: "I am a Third Degree Acolyte at the Bogdar Kadesh; your imputations are outrageous. Our task is to promulgate the Right, not exemplify it in every trifling detail of our life. I strenuously reject your sly hints, and I must insist upon the respect due my cloth!"

"Just so," said Scharde.

At Araminta Station the castaways, despite a tumult of protests, were locked in an old stone warehouse, then, one after the other, brought to Bodwyn Wook's office for questioning.

Present at the inquiry were Scharde, Egon Tamm the Conservator and Glawen.

The four Yips were first to be questioned; one at a time they were brought into Bodwyn Wook's office. Each told in effect the same story. All were Oomp cadets, specially selected to assist at the Thurben Island excursions. This last event had been the third in a series which had started about a month previously. They knew the dead woman only as "Sibil." She had participated in the second outing but not in the first. The four Yips disliked and feared Sibil: her demands were exacting and she tolerated none of the languid negligence which was their ordinary habit. Smartness and punctilio were Sibil's incessant concern: so reported the Yips, and each had a wincing tale to tell of blows and buffets.

The last Yip to be questioned was Saffin Dolderman Nivels:

so he identified himself, and answered questions as if participating in a friendly and casual conversation.

"I am truly happy to know that Sibil is dead," said Saffin.

"She unnerved everyone, and did not make for happy times at the outings."

"Not even the girls enjoyed themselves," suggested Scharde.

"Ah well, it was not expected that they should," said Saffin.

"Still, all in all, the excursions will go better with Sibil under the dock instead of on the beach. It will be instructive to look down at her bones."

Bodwyn Wook smiled thinly.

"Saffin, you live in a strange and wonderful world."

Saffin nodded politely.

"So it seems to me, as well. Of course, I know no other, which is a pity. I am the sort of man who dresses his fish not only with dragon-fire sauce but also sweet persimmon chutney."

Egon Tamm said: "The excursions occurred at two-week intervals. Was this the intended schedule for the future?"

"I don't know, sir. No one troubled to notify me." Saffin looked from face to face, smiling a vague smile. He rose tentatively to his feet.

"Now, sirs, if your questions are finished, I and my comrades will go our ways. It is nice to talk with you, but duty calls with an iron voice, and we must not shirk the summons."

Bodwyn Wook chuckled.

"Porlock the sociologist claimed that the Yips lacked all sense of humor. He should have heard your mordant jokes. You are a murderer and worse. You will be going nowhere except back to jail."

Saffin's face sagged in dejection.

"Sir, I feared that you would take that line! But you have made a misjudgment! Such tasks as you

mention are not to our liking, but what of that? For a good cadet,i obedience rules the day!" | Bodwyn Wook nodded sagely.

"You had no choice but to commit^ these ghastly crimes?"

"None whatever! I will vouch for it!" ^ Scharde suggested: "You might have resigned from the Oomps."

Saffin shook his head.

"That would not have been a good plan."

"Not so," said Bodwyn Wook.

"You will find that it would have been a very good plan indeed: in fact, the wisest plan of your entire lifetime."

Saffin spoke glumly: "In all justice, you should consider our need. When the rich woskers come with gleaming teeth, must we spurn their money?"

Bodwyn Wook ignored the question.

"Did the rich woskers give their money to Sibil?"

"Never to Sibil, never to me! Not so much as a dink et for a job well done!"

"Did Sibil talk with the woskers? Perhaps they asked about her tattoo? Or might she have mentioned something to you?"

Saffin disdainfully flicked out his fingers.

"To me Sibil spoke only commands which I must obey on the run. The second group were her friends and she talked with them, but only in regard to their conduct."

"How so?"

"They were peculiar people, in many ways, and would not touch the girls, but Sibil made threats and insisted that they fornicate, and they did their best to obey, for fear that she would carry out her threat."

"And what was the threat?"

"She said that they must fornicate either with the girls or with Sibil herself; they could choose at will. All made haste to use the girls."

"No doubt the wiser alternative," said Bodwyn Wook.

"I might well have made the same choice. How else were these folk peculiar?"

Saffin could impart only vague impressions.

"They were quite odd, but it was all the same to Sibil, and now that I think of it, there was talk of another excursion: a party of four female ladies and four men. I wondered what activities Sibil had in mind."

"Perhaps she meant to employ your own expert services."

Saffin blinked.

"That is not considered my line of work."

"We shall never know, and speculation lacks all utility.

What more can you tell us?"