"That is all for now."
Glawen rose to his feet, bowed stiffly and departed the office.
On Milden afternoon, three wagons driven by Kirdy, Uther and Glawen conveyed all the Bold Lions save Jardine Laverty north along the beach road to Sarmenter Cove. Jardine would arrive shortly with a cask of wine, which he hoped to obtain by illicit means from the Laverty warehouse.
Jardine, however, was late. The others gathered fuel for a fire, then went off to dig in the sand for the clam like molluscs indigenous to Sarmenter Beach.
The clams were dug; the fire was ready, and at last Jardine arrived, in a most disconsolate state of mind.
The story he had to tell was not a cheerful one. Instead of a cask of the fine Yermolino he had hoped to purvey, he had brought only a few jugs of ordinary white Tissop.
"I walked into a trap," said Jardine bitterly.
"Old Volmer was lying in wait and caught me dead to rights. I'm sure that he was tipped off; there's no other explanation! Anyway, I've had no end of trouble; I'm in hot water with the Housemaster, and no telling what they'll do to me. When I finally got away, I picked up some Tissop at the Arbor, but it's on our account and we'll have to pay."
"What a sordid situation!" said Shugart.
"Did Volmer hint as to the source of his information?"
"Not Volmer! He's a tight old goat."
"It sounds suspiciously as if there's an informer somewhere," said Aries. His gaze rested a thoughtful moment on Glawen.
Uther Offaw said: "We'll work something out tomorrow, but for now we've got clams on the fire and wine in the jug!
Let's rejoice as best we may."
"Easy for you to say," grumbled Jardine.
"I don't know what the charges will be against me. They're not taking the matter lightly. I'm lucky not to be in the Carcery."
Cloyd Diffin said: "It's a wicked situation, and no two ways about it."
Jardine gave a dour nod.
"I'd like to lay hands on the sneak who shopped me. I'd make him sing some high notes, I assure you!"
Aries said in a pompous voice: "I don't like to make accusations, but logic is logic and facts are facts. Need I point out that Glawen is a real bark-scratcher in Bureau B?"
"Nonsense," said Kirdy.
"I'm in Bureau B too. I keep business out of my social life, and no doubt Glawen does the same."
"That's just a pious hope," said Aries.
"If you recall, I advised against his membership in the first place, and now our troubles have started."
Jardine said in a troubled voice: "Glawen wouldn't nail me over a cask of wine! At least, I don't think he would!"
"Ask him," said Aries.
Jardine turned to Glawen.
"Well: would you? More to the point:
did you?"
Glawen said: "It's beneath my dignity to answer you. Think what you like."
"Come, now!" cried Aries.
"That's not good enough! We want an answer, and we want it straight and for the record!
Because I know very well you tell old Bodwyn Wook everything that goes on."
Glawen gave a stony shrug and turned away. Aries took his shoulder and whirled him around.
"Answer, if you don't mind!
We want to know whether you are a spy or not!"
"I am an officer in Bureau B," said Glawen.
"What, if anything, I report to my superiors is official business, which I am not free to discuss."
Aries gave Glawen's shoulder a shake.
"That is not what I asked you!"
