Bodwyn Wook heaved a sigh.
"I suppose we must listen to their complaints. Perhaps we will glean a morsel or two of information."
The six participants at the Thurben Island excursion, one after the other, were brought into the chamber and subjected to interrogation. Like the Yips, all told the same story.
They had learned of the excursion by way of brochures, issued by Ogmo Enterprises, which they had obtained at their travel agencies. Each described his interest as no more than casual curiosity, although each had paid the travel agent a thousand sols along with fares for passage to Araminta Station. None had met anyone connected with Ogmo Enterprises until their arrival at Yipton. At this point Sibil took them in hand. All reaffirmed their status, as persons of wealth and social position; none considered themselves sexual deviates or anything other than ordinary folk out for "a bit of a lark" or "just to candy a few apples." Another became indignant.
"Me? A sexual pervert? You must be insane!"
Each of the six attempted to conceal his identity by means of a false name, in order that scandal or ugly rumor might be avoided.
"It would not be useful to raise a great foofaraw; that is the long and short of it!" stated one, who described himself as a rancher.
"My spouse would be greatly exercised."
"She need not know," said Bodwyn Wook.
"Unless you want her present at your execution. It makes no difference to us whether we hang you under your right name or not."
"Eh? What are you saying? You cannot be serious!"
"I am not a frivolous man. Do I appear to be laughing?"
"No."
"That will be all for now, sir."
The rancher departed on hesitant feet, looking over his shoulder for some sort of reassuring signal, which was not forthcoming.
Another of the group, a self-styled "financier and banker" who gave his name as Alvary Irling, complained even more bitterly, and threatened legal action if his demands were not met. Bodwyn Wook asked: "How can you institute such charges if you are dead?"
"Dead? How should I be dead?"
"Execution for murder is acknowledged to be a cause of death, except in freak cases."
"That is nonsense!" declared Alvary Irling in a contemptuous voice.
"Nonsense, is it?" roared Bodwyn Wook.
"Do you see yonder shard ash tree? Perhaps before the day is out you will be dangling from that overhanging limb, where we can enjoy the spectacle!"
Alvary Irling said coldly: "I wish to consult my attorney."
"Your request is denied! He could only complicate a simple process, unless we hanged him as well, for conspiring to impede justice."
"If this is humor, I find it grotesque. I am an important man of many affairs, and this detention is causing me great inconvenience."
Still fulminating, Alvary Irling was taken back to the makeshift jail.
Bodwyn Wook gave his head a shake of vexation.
"I see no reason to waste any more time on this disgusting affair. The Conservator, of course, has the final word in matters of this sort."
"There can only be one judgment," said Egon Tamm.
"First, execution of these six, then identification of the organizers and similar treatment for them, no matter where they are to be found."
"You will hear no disagreement from me," said Bodwyn Wook.
He took notice of Scharde.
"Am I wrong, or do you have other ideas?"
"Allow me to link together a few facts," said Scharde.
"First: we know that sooner or later the Yips will try to swarm ashore into Marmion Province; if they succeed, it's all over for the Conservancy. At the moment we might or might not be able to turn them back;
certainly our equipment is inadequate, and we can't get what we need because we lack money. Think a moment. We have in custody six wealthy criminals. If we kill them we have six carcasses. If each of them pays over a large indemnity--say, a million sols each--we have six million sols: enough to buy us two armed flyers and a permanent gun station over the Marmion Straits."
Bodwyn Wook spoke in a sour voice: "It is neither neat nor nice nor appealing."
"But very practical," said Egon Tamm.
"Further, I do not need to consult those damnable Peefers. You won't get six million sols any other way at least, not from Throy."
"Very well; it is so decided," said Bodwyn Wook.
"I suggest that | we add a thousand-sol surcharge, to finance our investigation of Ogmo j Enterprises." He spoke into the mesh.
