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."
Glawen rose to his feet; Kirdy did the same, somewhat more slowly. Glawen said: "For now, that is all we need. Perhaps you will hear no more from us, but that is for my superiors to decide."
"They knew you were coming to see me?"
"Of course."
"Where are they staying?"
"They are at Araminta Station."
"Oh! So now: what are your plans?"
"As I explained, our main concern is to identify the principals of Ogmo Enterprises. You do not seem inclined to help us, so we must continue our inquiries elsewhere."
Sir Mathor pulled thoughtfully at his chin.
"Really. And where is 'elsewhere'?"
"I can't undertake to answer your questions, sir."
"I suspect that you intend to inquire of the Ideationists as to the man who brought them their tickets."
"Certainly. Why not, if it will identify this man for us?"
"For several reasons," said Sir Mathor in a voice of sweet reason.
"First of all, I do not want him identified; I would be both embarrassed and inconvenienced. Secondly, I cannot trust your discretion, with the Synod coming up so soon." He pulled himself to his feet and turned his head.
"Eh, Lonas?
Am I not right? They shouldn't do this, should they?"
"I should certainly think not."
Sir Mathor said to Glawen and Kirdy: "Gentlemen, I feared from the very first that it might come to this. Mind you, I hoped and proposed possibilities to myself; I weighed this against that even as we
sat talking. Always I reverted to the bitter facts. Lonas, where ha | your thinking taken you?" "The facts are bitter."
"See to it, quickly and quietly, so as not to disturb our friends. Gentlemen, in an instant you will be wandering the land behind the stars. If only you could send back news of these blessed regions! But, no doubt you will be dazed by the beauty of it all." Sir Mathor's voice was soft and soothing. Sir Lonas came forward, one long stride, another.
Kirdy gave a sudden hoarse yell: a sound of choked raving fury. While Sir Maihor stood aghast, Kirdy struck with his massive fist; it hit with the impact of a club. Sir Mathor's face went queerly askew,:
his eyes rolling up to show only the whites. A metal object dropped from his hand: a small gun. Glawen scooped it up as Kirdy turned on the startled Sir Lonas, who stood a foot taller than himself and outweighed him a hundred pounds.
Kirdy seized Sir Lonas' coarse black hair, pulled the great head to one side and chopped at the neck. Sir Lonas stumbled into a chair and fell heavily backward, kicking out in a frenzy as Kirdy, moaning and keening, tried to find a way to jump on the thrashing body. Sir Lonas twined his legs around Kirdy's waist; Kirdy hammered at the stern handsome face, but now Sir Lonas bore Kirdy down to the floor and began to strangle him. Glawen stepped forward and fired a pellet into the back of Sir Lonas' head.
Kirdy jumped panting to his feet. Glawen looked out across the terrace. No one had heeded the events in the parlor. ;
Kirdy peered down at Sir Mathor.
"He's dead," he said in wonderment
"I broke open his head. My hand hurts."
"Quick," said Glawen.
"We must drag them over here, into this side room."
The strength of both was needed to pull Sir Lonas across the floor, each to an ankle. Glawen straightened the rumpled rug and picked up, an overturned chair.
