"This may sound peculiar, but do you remember the old man who gave me the fish?"
"Yes, of course."
"I went with the girl into her room. She took off her clothes and stood waiting. Her expression was like that of the old man. I could not bring myself to touch her."
"That's a bit fanciful, isn't it?"
"I had a nice cup of tea, and she told me her name, which I've forgotten, and the time went easily enough."
"Expensive tea," grunted Kirdy. He turned away and picked up his magazine.
Glawen asked: "How did things go with you."
Kirdy composed his face.
"Not bad. But, well, not really good. Our plans, if any, need careful thought."
"What happened?"
"I went out to reconnoiter. The section we are interested in lies just around the harbor from the hotel. I went down to the dock and strolled along the harbor road to the breakwater, like any other innocent tourist exploring the precincts of Yipton.
"Once past the hotel a wall of bamboo poles skirts the road, about fifty yards long. A single door opens into this wall.
It seemed to be securely locked; still, to make sure, I tried to open it. The door was definitely locked and I continued along the road to the end of the wall, at the eastern se afront By craning my neck around the wall I could see a dock. I turned around to find an Oomp standing about five feet away: a large fellow in a white cap. He asked me:
"What are you looking for?"
"I said: "Nothing in particular. Just looking."
"He gave me a rather peculiar smile, then said: "You tried that door down the wall. Why?"
"I said: "Casual curiosity, I suppose. I wondered what might be on the other side. Someone told me that this was where glass was melted and blown."
"He said: "That is not so. It is all warehouse area. Do you still want to look inside?"
"I tried to act ingenuous and full of childlike innocence. I said: "If you think there's anything to interest me why not?"
"He put on a rather sinister leer, and asked: "What are you interested in?"
""I'm an anthropologist by trade," I told him.
"I'm fascinated by Yip ingenuity in creating a habitat in the empty ocean! Yip glassblowing and ceramics are especially interesting."
""There's nothing along here like that," he told me.
"The tourist attractions are elsewhere." So I came back to the hotel."
"Did he ask for your name?"
"The subject never came up."
Glawen ruminated a moment.
"It's odd that he failed to ask your name."
"I suppose it is a bit unusual, but it doesn't concern us now. I can find no safe access to that section; we have no choice but to back away."
"You've totally ruled out the roof?"
"Of course! The roof is made of fronds. A person need only put his foot down to fall through."
"Not if he keeps to the rafters and the ridge beams. I can see the roof from the window of my room, but there's a canal just below. What about your room?"
"It is no better. There's a drop of fifteen feet to the roof. The only way down would be by ladder, which we don't have."
"Or a rope."
"We have no rope either."
"I know. Maybe we can improvise."
The muscles of Kirdy's face contorted.
"I'm not going out on that roof! It gives me vertigo just to think of it!"
"Let's go look over the situation," said Glawen.
"If it seems feasible, I'll give it a try. That's what we've come to do, and here's the one opportunity."
"Very well," said Kirdy grudgingly.
"So long as it's understood that I'm not going out on that roof."
The other Bold Lions sat at a table to the side of the terrace, drinking rum punches to the light of Lorca, Sing and an array of flickering lamps. Their voices rose and fell across the night, as they allowed the other tourists to notice what fine fellows they were.
Kirdy and Glawen went quietly upstairs to the fourth floor.
Glawen asked: "Do you know which is Aries' room?"
"He's second down the hall. Why?"
"Let's look out your window."
Kirdy's room was dark except for the glimmer from a small hooded night-light. Crossing to the window, the two looked out over the roof:
a clutter of hips, jogs, gables and ridges, black and pink in the eerie light of Lorca and Sing.
Kirdy pointed.
