Days went past, then weeks. Autumn settled into winter and the rhythm of the seasons, broken by tinkling spangling many-colored Parilia, resumed. The disappearance of Sessily Veder receded into the past; public outrage lost its edge, even though everyone knew that somewhere among them walked a man with a dreadful secret behind his face.

The urgency of Glawen's emotions likewise dwindled, although often at night he lay staring into the dark, trying to look into the face of the murderer. At times he felt himself standing on the loading dock with the event occurring before his eyes. There! The truck and there in the cargo space! a silent dark shape. And here came Sessily: running as fast as butterfly wings allowed: out upon the dock, stopping short and innocently approaching the truck at a call from someone she knew, while Glawen strained to drive his vision into the face which Sessily saw as she approached the truck. At times Glawen glimpsed the features of Aries, but often the face remained no more than a pallid blur.

By all tenets of logic--so Glawen told himself--the guilty person was Aries. Drusilla had proved an extremely weak reed when asked to verify Aries' account of the evening. Her manner was careless and flippant; the alibi she provided Aries was almost worse than none at all.

The interview with Drusilla had been conducted on the seaside terrace of the Hotel Araminta, where Drusilla had just finished her breakfast. Now she sat sidewise on a bench, arms clasping her knees, a breeze rippling her pale pinkish-blond hair, her lavish buttocks stretching taut the fabric of her white knee-length trousers. As she thought back to the fateful night of the Grand Masque, a coy smile brought dimples to her cheeks.

"Do you want the plain truth? You do? Then here it is! I was drunk, far beyond the call of duty." She shook her head in rueful pride for

the magnitude of her achievement.

"No question about it, and I no remorse whatever. I had just decided that everyone I knew either a sour fish, a yahoo or a stink en scoundrel. I was furious Florrie"-here she referred to Floreste-- "and my fiance just laug when I told him about it. That's Namour, as you probably kn charming and debonair, but something of a cad. I really don't ki how I put up with him! Spanchetta, strange to say, can twist ] around her finger. My word, how she hates me! Foof!" The soi was intended to convey the intensity of Spanchetta's dislike.

"Any I thought I'd just show them all; I went tinkety-tanko and ha famous time all to myself, and I still don't care!"

"What of Aries?"

"Yes, true. Aries was there, for a while--I remember watching ] of the Phantasmagoria with him; we couldn't miss that since w both Mummers. But I haven't a clue as to what happened next- least after he tried to take me off down the riverbank--I rernem that well enough--but I wouldn't go, down there among all tt frogs and brambles and pinch bugs and he marched off in a huff. A that it's all a great glorious whirl. I think I went to sleep on the her at least that's where I woke up, and it was already long after midnij with the dismasking already done. Aries came back and I made ] take me home, as I wasn't feeling my best."

Drusilla's testimony brought only gloom to Bureau B. Aries considered probably guilty, but no one could formulate a deci case against him, since another person, using the second prim or costume, could easily have done the deed.

The uncertainty was reinforced by a peculiar circumstance, wl cost Sergeant Kirdy Wook dear. He was ordered to go to the Mumm wardrobe and take the two primordial costumes into custody. time was late in the day; Kirdy's schoolwork urgently needed attenti he postponed the task until the next day. At that time, when he v to take up the costumes, they were gone, and the wardrobe attenc could only say that they had been there the day previously.

Kirdy's negligence on this occasion, compounded by his failur report Aries' absence from patrol, earned him a demotion an reprimand from Bodwyn Wook.

Kirdy listened to the admonitions with a wooden half-smiling o posure which only irritated Bodwyn Wook the more. He snapi "Well, then, sir, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Kirdy said: "I was prepared for the reprimand and I accepted it I'm sure you noticed, with good grace. The demotion how eve excessive, and truly not fair!"

"Indeed!" said Bodwyn Wook.

"How so?"

Kirdy frowningly considered the matter and expressed himself as delicately as he could.

"Sometimes, sir, a person must be guided by his principles."

The statement jerked Bodwyn Wook bolt upright in his chair.

He responded in a voice ominously gentle: "You feel then that the orders of your superiors must run in concert with your personal convictions before you feel obliged to obey them?"

Kirdy hesitated, then said: "I suppose that, to be honest, I would have to answer yes."

"Amazing. Where and how did you develop this inconvenient idea?"

Kirdy shrugged.

"Last summer with the Mummers I did a great deal of thinking, and also exchanged views with Floreste."

Bodwyn Wook eased back into the depths of his chair. He placed the tips of his fingers together and studied the ceiling. At last he said:

"Ha-hah! Let us review your case."

"That was what I hoped you'd say, sir."

Bodwyn Wook paid him no heed.

"First, you are a Wook. Few Wooks indeed have become prancing, dancing, gallivanting performers. We do not consider histrionics to be a dignified profession. Therefore I make the following analysis with extreme reluctance."

Kirdy's large earnest features sagged.

"And how is that, sir?"

Bodwyn Wook slowly brought his gaze down from the ceiling.

"On the basis of what you have told me, you apparently have two options for a career: the Mummers or Bureau B. Much can be said for the Mummers. You can indulge your fantasies to the utmost, and your temperament is allowed full sway. If you are chanting a popular ditty and Floreste requires that you make an ogling grimace to the right while thrusting your pelvis to the left, you can claim that your 'principles' stand in the way. Floreste will perhaps blink at you nonplussed, but because of his insights, he will concede your right to thrust your pelvis in whatever direction you choose. So much for the Mummers. At Bureau B conditions are different. Oh my word but they are different! Here 'principles' mean the same as orders from high-ranking officers. The philosophy which guides your professional life is not your own, not Floreste's, but mine. Is all this absolutely clear?"

"Certainly, but surely there are--" "None whatever."

"What if I am ordered to perform tasks contrary to my conscience?"

"If you have even a twinge of apprehension, as of this instant I will accept your resignation from Bureau B."

Kirdy said mulishly: "I could with as much justice ask you resign."

Bodwyn Wook could not restrain a chuckle.

"So you could. In fi seconds, which of us do you think would be ejected from the office Kirdy stood silent, his large pink features disconsolate.

Bodwyn Wook asked briskly: "Well, then: which is it to be?"

"It is obviously in my best interests to make a career with Bure B."

"That is not the point, and you have not answered my question."

"I choose Bureau B. I have no choice."

"And what of the 'principles'?"

Kirdy's round blue eyes were limpid with hurt and resentment. suppose that I must compromise them."

"Very well." Bodwyn Wook jerked his thumb toward the dw "That is all."

Kirdy made a final bitter complaint: "I still do not consider t demotion justified!"

"That sort of reaction is not unusual," said Bodwyn Wook. "0 with you, before I stop laughing and start thinking."

Kirdy swung about and departed.