"I would suppose so."

"And one of those casks might well have contained a body?"

Nion started to speak, then stopped short. He looked toward the blending tank and seemed to slammer under his breath.

When he looked back at Scharde, his ruddy color had gone ashen.

"I can assert almost definitely that this is what happened."

"Hm. How so?"

"On Ort morning I filled casks from what remained in the vat, and when I was finished I discovered an overage of almost thirteen gallons."

Glawen turned and departed the winery. Nion and Scharde looked after him. Nion heaved a deep sigh and turned back to the blending tank.

"At the time, I wondered at the error;

how could it be, when my meters are accurate to a small fraction of this amount? How much did the girl weigh?"

"Glawen could tell us, but he is not present. I would guess about a hundred pounds, or a hundred and five."

"She would thereby displace something less than thirteen gallons of wine, and I would find the overage, and puzzle as to its source. Now all is clear."

"Who would know how to fill and seal a cask?"

Nion made a harsh wild gesture.

"It could be anyone: the oenology students, those who work the six House wineries, anyone who has ever watched me at work. I will go on to say this! With these two hands I would strangle the man who so despoiled the wine! It is a sickly perversion beyond all ordinary calculation!"

Scharde inclined his head in profound agreement.

"It is a crime doubly vicious; that is true. I join you in your disgust."

"Will we ever capture this person?"

"I can say only that we are making progress in our investigation. One other matter, in regard to the cask itself: can we trace it? What would be the label on the cask?"

"It would be the Graciosa, and I have shipped fifty or sixty such casks since Parilia to a large number of destinations.

It would be virtually impossible to locate the spoiled cask."

"The casks carry no serial number? No coding of any kind?"

"None. Such a task would swamp me in paperwork, and serves no purpose."

"Not until now."

"It shall not happen again, not while I am alive." Nion struck his chest with his fist.

"I have been mild and guileless! I have trusted persons with suppuration and gangrene for brains. They have looked at me and breathed this air; I have displayed my secrets and given my best;

still they do this to me! Never again."

"It is a bad situation," said Scharde.

"Still, we must not throw the good out with the bad. The innocent should not suffer for the crimes of the guilty."

"We shall see."

"A final word, and here your advice will be most important.

I personally see no reason to cause a great public outcry over this matter. I will recommend absolute discretion in our announcements; otherwise we will sell little of your. good Graeiosa for long years to come, if your winery is to become the subject of vulgar jokes."

Nion's ruddy face had gone gray.

"Still--sooner or later someone will make a terrible discovery."

"We can only hope that it will be later rather than sooner.

When the time comes, we can adjust the matter in the field, and hope that no one takes any great notice. If they do, we will blame it on warehouse bandits."

"Yes; that is correct," said Nion.

"Ah, me! What an affair!"

By order of Supervisor Bodwyn Wook, the full Bureau B roster, including captains, sergeants, junior sergeants, collateral ordinaries, and cadets gathered in the New Agency auditorium. Promptly upon the stipulated moment Bodwyn Wook marched into the room, seated himself on the rostrum and addressed his subordinates.

"Tonight I will report a late development in the Sessily Veder case, which puts to rest a certain amount of speculation. Because of the continuing inquiry I will take no questions; the information contained in my statement must and will suffice for the moment.

"As everyone knows, Sessily Veder's disappearance has puzzled us all. Now new information from certain sources has clarified the mystery. In brief outline, Sessily, after changing costume, was lured by a false message to a rendezvous, where she met a Pierrot, who escorted her to the beach, using guiles and pretexts we cannot imagine.

"The two set off along the beach to the south. Two hours later the Pierrot returned alone. His manner, according to information, was bewildered and distrait.

"We must accept the conclusion that someone probably known to Sessily had taken her down the beach, murdered her, and set her body adrift in the longshore currents.

"This completes my statement. I now instruct everyone to avoid discussing the case with persons not employed by the Bureau, inasmuch as speculation, gossip and scandal will interfere with the continuing investigation. You may succinctly report what I have told you but no more. Am I clear? Persons found in violation of this order will be quite sorry.

"Tomorrow certain reassignments will be made. That is all."

As Scharde and Glawen were leaving, Kirdy Wook came after them.

"You're wanted in the supervisor's office; don't ask me why; I just carry messages."

Scharde and Glawen climbed the stairs to Bodwyn Wook's office on the second floor. He greeted them with a wave of the hand.

"Be seated, wherever you like. This is an informal meeting. Kirdy, make us a nice pot of tea, if you will; then you may go."

With a single gelid glance toward Glawen, whom he outranked, Kirdy went to the sideboard and busied himself with pot and hot water, then turned and started to leave. Bodwyn Wook, noticing Kirdy's stiff demeanor, called out: "On second thought, you might as well stay and add your wisdom, such as it is, to ours. We have some deep thinking to do, and we'll need all the convolutions available."