Glawen responded politely: "Proper procedure requires that I ask my questions in an orderly fashion. Still, I might ask:

what difference does it make?"

Sir Mathor's composure at last showed a crack.

"A great difference indeed! If you want information: yes, I will give it to you, so long as you do not approach these other folk.

Not just yet."

"I suggest that you tell me the facts. Start with how you became aware of the excursion."

Sir Mathor heaved a sigh.

"I'd feel happier talking to you if I knew your objectives. It seems to me now I am just musing that if you were only anxious to punish the folk on the excursion you would have immediately lodged a case with the IPCC. Extortion? Blackmail? This doesn't seem to be your game, which of course is sheer wasted effort in any case. What, then? Who are you after?"

Glawen said: "Please don't discover mysteries where none exist. We are outraged by the affair. We would like to punish everyone involved, particularly those close to home.

In all candor, you do not seem the sort of person who would want to identify himself with such a sickly episode."

"You are quite right. I have far more urgent matters on my mind." Sir Mathor paused and tapped his chin with his fingers.

"I'm not quite sure how to handle this matter." He hitched himself up in the chair.

"You may or may not be aware that here on Natrice we are fighting a quiet but desperate war with an enemy who outnumbers us twenty to one.

If it comes to violence we will suffer enormous damage. It is no exaggeration to say that our very survival is at stake--and we will use any weapon which comes to hand."

"Ah," said Glawen.

"I am beginning to understand. You refer to the Sanart Scientists?"

"I refer to one of their factions: the so-called Ideationists. These folk are fanatics who make a virtue out of severity. In the past they have attacked us financially, philosophically and verbally, none of which troubles us.

Recently gangs of anonymous raiders have come down from the Wild Counties and attacked us by night, killing and de predating

"There is our predicament. Our enemy is motivated by his "Idea," which is not inherently ignoble. Its virtues are self-evident; where is a force more violent than that which is generated by a surfeit Of virtue? How does one fight virtue? With depravity? Is depravity, after all, any better than virtue? Arguable. At the very least, depravity allows the practitioner a variety of options. Personally, I advocate neither extreme. I merely want to live my life out in placid self-indulgence. Yet here I sit, at this moment, caught up by these Sanart passions. They want me to embrace their Idea. I resist; I am forced into an uncomfortable posture of self-defense and worry. The sweetness of my soul has gone rancid; I am pushed willy-nilly into a condition of hatred.

"So then: what does one do? He sits himself in his chair to think-as I do now. He stimulates his mind with Yellow Frost--as I do now." Sir Mathor drank from his goblet.

"I

say: are you gentlemen not drinking?"

"It is neither proper nor wise to drink on duty," said Glawen.

"At best it lends a false air of good fellowship to the inquiry. At worst the drink will contain drugs or poison. This is not just a neurotic obsession;

I would be interested to watch while you or Sir Lonas drank from these goblets." i Sir Mathor laughed.

"Whatever the case, we ponder how we must deal with the Sanart Scientists. We do not want to destroy them. We will be happy if they moderate their fervor and allow us to live our shiftless, idle, ignoble, but thoroughly enjoyable lives.

"To this end we have chosen a scheme to confuse and demoralize our enemies, so that in the end they too may learn the evils of frivolity and the wicked enticements of lassitude. We hope to achieve this goal by demonstrating the hypocrisy and secret immorality of the most flagrant Ideationists.

"Knowing this much, all must now be clear to you. We selected the six most ardent Scientists: I arranged that they received passage vouchers to Cadwal, along with the notice that the Conservator wanted to merge the Idea into Conservationist ideology; would the six eminent Scientists care to attend a colloquium, all expenses paid, on Cadwal?

"Needless to say, the six Scientists accepted, and the rest you know."

"And on Thurben Island the Scientists behaved as you hoped?"

"They were superb. We dosed them well with anti-inhibitors;

all restraint was gone. They did spectacular deeds, which were carefully recorded.

"And so, in a state of confusion, the six Scientists returned to the Lanklands. There were aware that something untoward had happened and none could remember the details of the colloquium, and all were assured that the strong wines of Cadwal had made them drunk. On the return trip they could talk only about the dangers latent in the grape, and each wanted all the others to apologize. As for the record, we have arranged for its showing at next week's Synod. The impact will be tremendous." i| "The delegates may well guess the truth."

"Most will prefer to believe the scandal. Even among the skeptics, the images will linger forever and contradict a million homilies."

"He is right," declared Kirdy in a deep voice.

"The Famines will be allowed to show such material at a Synod?" asked Glawen.

Sir Mathor smiled at some private thought.

"I can tell you this: firm arrangements have been made. The record will be made abundantly public. The matter even now is out of our hands." Sir Mathor relaxed back in his chair.

"So now you know all." ;

"Not quite all. At the very start, how did you learn of the Thurben Island excursions?"

Sir Mathor frowned thoughtfully.

"I hardly know. Small talk at a party, something of the sort."

"I don't see how that is possible. Your excursion was the first. Two others followed."

"Indeed? I stand corrected. It makes no great difference now; it's all in the past."

"Not quite. The folk who organized the excursions are still at large."

"I'm afraid I can't help you there."

"Surely you remember who arranged the parties?"

"I bought the tickets from the agency. Later I spoke to a very personable young woman, and she made arrangements with me. Later still a man telephoned to say that he had delivered the invitations and the tickets and that the six Ideationists had accepted."

"What was his name? What did he look like?"

"I really can't say; I never saw him."