Nion blinked.
"Now as I think on it, some sky-larking fool had jockeyed it about, and finished off his prank by nosing it in against the dock. I would have taught him tricks if I had caught him at it."
Scharde smiled once again.
"Did you find any indication as to who might have played the trick? Any oddment or piece of property in the truck?"
"Nothing."
"Have you used the truck since that night?"
"Indeed I have! Every day I deliver a module that's four casks in a shipping case, mind you down to the spaceport.
Sometimes more when there's a ship to be laden. Now, then, is there more you want to know?"
"We'll have a look at the truck."
"As you like."
Scharde and Glawen returned outside and went to the truck.
Scharde glanced briefly into the control compartment, which was discouragingly stark and clean.
"We'll find nothing here."
Glawen had pulled aside the canvas curtain at the back, allowing light to play into the empty cargo space. An inch-thick carpet of elastic sponge covered the bed, with a pair of planks four feet apart running the length of the bed, apparently to accommodate the wheels of a loading dolly.
Scharde jumped up into the cargo space and looked about.
Almost immediately he noticed stains at the center of the bed, halfway between the two lengthwise planks. Scharde bent his head and examined the stains. They were dark red in color and might be blood. Without comment he went to the forward end of the bed; dropping to his hands and knees, he examined the floor area inch by inch. Glawen also noticed the stains, but held his tongue. With nothing better to do, he looked about the control cab but found nothing of interest, and returned around to the rear, just in time to see Scharde pluck some son of object from where it had caught on the splintered inner edge of the left-hand plank.
He asked: "What have you found?"
"Hair," said Scharde laconically, and continued his search.
Glawen could no longer tolerate inactivity. He climbed up into the cargo space, and began his own search in an area Scharde so far had neglected: the crack, or seam, where the elastic sponge met the side :
panel. Before long he made a discovery of his own and gave a sad exclamation. ;
Scharde looked around.
"What did you find?"
Glawen held up a black and orange fragment.
"A bit of butterfly wing."
Scharde took the bright wisp and placed it into an envelope.
"There's no longer much doubt about the time and place."
"Just the' who
The two searched half an hour or so longer and Scharde found another tuft of matted fiber but nothing else of obvious significance. Descending to the ground, they examined their findings: the wing fragment and the tufts of coarse brown hair.
"Not much," said Scharde.
"But still better than nothing. Perhaps we'd better have another word with Nion."
Glawen looked dubiously toward the winery.
"He doesn't seem too interested in helping us."
"We'll still give him a try. The trail must lead somewhere."
The two returned to the winery. Nion, standing in the doorway, observed their approach without display of emotion.
He asked as they drew near: "What have you found, if anything?"
Scharde displayed the articles taken from the truck bed.
"Do these mean anything to you?"
"The colored bit would seem to be part of the girl's costume. The other stuff: I don't recognize it, offhand."
"You don't use a rug, or sacking, or any such material?"
"I do not."
