"I don't like it. It makes me feel a prisoner."
"It is for your convenience, and safety."
"I will take the chance."
Lilo turned and went off down the hall. Glawen watched as she disappeared down the purportedly dangerous staircase.
For an instant he was prompted to follow, but decided against precipitating a confrontation. Let Plock from the IPCC deal with these extraordinary folk.
On the other hand, no harm could come of taking precautions.
He looked up and down the hall, and saw no one. He ran to the wardroom
where Mutis had cut his hair. From a shelf he took six clean bed sheets and returned to the door. Once again he looked out into the hall. It was still empty. He returned to his chamber as quickly as he had come. Standing on the chair he lay the sheets on top of the tall wardrobe where they could not be seen. After a moment's thought he also concealed the bundle he had made of his clothes.
Half an hour passed. Mutis opened the door and looked into the room.
"Come with me."
Glawen spoke in a cold voice: "Have you no manners? Knock at the door before you enter!"
Mutis gave him a dull uncomprehending stare and signaled with a sweep of his heavy hand.
"Come."
"Come where?"
Muds scowled and stepped forward.
"Need I make myself any more clear? The word was "Come'!"
Glawen slowly rose to his feet. Mutis seemed to be in an ugly mood.
"Hurry!" growled Mutis.
"Do not keep me waiting.
So far you have come off easily."
Glawen sauntered from the chamber. Mutis pressed close behind him.
"Have I not said: "Hurry'?" He drove his fist into the small of Glawen's back; Glawen jerked his left elbow into Mutis' neck; he turned to see the flat small-featured face contorting, so that the mouth was a small pink circle. Muds lurched forward; Glawen tried to strike out and jump back, but too late; Muds overpowered him and bore him to the floor. Glawen rolled and kicked, to catch Mutis in the ear. He jumped to his feet and stood panting, but now the hall was full of confusion and hooded figures in flapping gray gowns. Anonymous hands seized Glawen and pulled the hood down over his eyes so that he could not see. He heard Muds speaking in a furious babble, and a shuffling rustle, as if Muds were trying to push toward him.
Glawen was half led, half pushed down two flights of stairs.
Here there was further confusion: exclamations and ques dons
Muds at last gave sullen instructions: "To die old place;
diose were die orders."
Glawen heard murmurs of doubt and soft comments which he could not comprehend. He tried to dirow off die hands which gripped him so that he could raise the hood, but without success.
Muds spoke: "I will now take him in charge. He is docile; I need no more help."
"He is quick and strong," said a voice hard by Glawen's ear.
"We will come too, and prevent violence."
"Ah, bah!" grunted Muds.
Glawen was taken along a corridor which smelled of wet stone, ammonia and an aromatic odor as of fungus crushed underfoot. He heard a creak and a scrape, and he was thrust forward.
Hands released their grip; he was free. Once more he heard the creak and scrape, and the thud of a closing door, then silence.
Glawen pulled the hood from his face. He could see nothing.
He stood in absolute darkness.
After a moment Glawen moved back toward the door and found the wall. Echoes, or perhaps another subtle perception, informed him that he stood to the side of a large room: a subterranean place, to judge by the odor of wet rock. The only sound was a soft tinkle of running water.
Glawen stood motionless for five minutes, trying to gather into coherent form what remained of his composure.
"I seem to have made a number of mistakes," said Glawen to himself.
"Conditions are truly going from bad to worse."
He felt the wall behind him, encountering natural stone:
