VI

There was no moon in the sky, but the stars were thicker than you

would ever see them on Earth, and the patterns were mostly unfamiliar.

The amount of dust in the air wouldn't be the same as in Earth's

atmosphere, but there was enough to produce rain very much like rain on

Earth; and stars twinkled. The light was stronger than starlight on any

moonless night on Earth, but never as bright as even gibbous moonlight.

They walked over the spongy ground-covering to a grove of willow-like

trees, beneath the shade of which nightflowers grew, opening slowly

as soon as light began to fade. The leaves were outlined with

phosphorescence and the long-stemmed flowers had raised their heads

fully by now and most were completely open. They, too, glowed in the

night and swayed gently with or without a breeze. Around them droned

insects which, to Auckland's perpetual surprise did not alight upon

Earthmen. He looked at the nightflower whose wide-open calice was

speckled with moving dots. As he watched it began to close; one or two

of the insects darted away before the trap was shut, but most of them

remained.

Unlike the flytraps and carnivorous plants of Earth, the scent of the

nightflower was fragrant.

Amelia sank down upon a patch of moss-grass and Roy Auckland joined

her. "Thanks for coming," she said. "I have to talk to someone and I

can't talk to them any more.... They hate him. They all hate him."

"You think everyone here hates your husband?"

She smiled faintly as she took the cigarette he offered her. "You

don't. You don't particularly like him, Roy, but you have nothing

against him."

"Hate is a negative thing expressed in a positive way," he said, "There

are all kinds of degrees. Some hate kills, some wants to preserve its

object and will never kill, some is too afraid to strike, some doesn't

consider its object worth the involvement which murder requires."

He thought a moment, then added, "And there are those who will kill

without hatred."

She shook her head. "Never that. It may not be personal, but hate is

there just the same. And that's Calvin. He would kill any of us for

principle and pray for our souls a moment later. He thinks we're all

evil and the only reason he's here is to try to ward off the corruption

we're bringing to his precious aliens. Oh, he doesn't love the Vaec,

you can be sure of that. He loves to fight evil and he's always looking

for it."

"But why would he try to kill Howard?" Auckland persisted.

"To put an end to the expedition. He tried to stop all contact with

Carolus, you know. He couldn't fight that any more, so he joined us.

But if anything happened to Howard, the expedition would be over."

"It would be over if Burleigh killed Glamis," Auckland said, "and Ken

is the much better choice. By Burleigh's standards of evil, Glamis is

the better victim. He's the one who mocks religion and amuses himself

with theology. And he's the one who would corrupt the Vaec, to use the

expression, just out of curiosity." He looked at her. "Or is there

another reason why he might want to dispose of Howard?"

"Me? You think Calvin would imperil his soul by making love to me,

another man's wife?"

"Missionaries aren't always totally sex-proof."

She shook her head. "He's no Reverend Davidson out of 'Rain.' To

Calvin, sex is a means, not an end. It's a way to get a woman, to

convert her through love. Oh, he'd seduce me in a moment to serve

his ends and justify himself on the grounds that pleasure wasn't his

object."

"While Glamis has no such ulterior motive. Why would he want to kill

Howard?"

She was silent for a moment. "Don Juan was simple and single minded.

He wanted very little from women, really, and they didn't realize how

little he wanted. But some men want to make their women into replicas

of themselves before they go on to the next campaign. Kenneth can't

endure to have any reminder of failure around him."

"He wanted you to look at Howard the way he does--as a buffoon, as a

target for his wit? He wanted to destroy your husband in your eyes as a

human being?"

"He wants me to divorce Howard."

"And marry him?"

"Of course not," she said. "You don't think I'd believe any such

proposal how often he made it? Edholm, now, he doesn't like it here. He

doesn't trust the Vaec."

"Thinks they'll suddenly turn on us?"

"I don't know what he thinks, but he wants to leave this planet and see

to it that no one comes back here. He thinks they're dangerous but he

won't say how or why."

"Hardly sufficient motive for murder, though."

"He's like Burleigh--nothing personal, you understand. But ... no,

I can't see him killing anyone without legal justification. But it

wasn't necessary to stop the work, you know. Captain Edholm seized the

opportunity, and if he has his way he won't let it resume."

Auckland sighed. "Well, that leaves only Shirley. Why do you think she

hates Howard?"

Amelia's mouth writhed into an expression of distaste. "Shirley, in

case you haven't noticed it, is Dr. Glamis's own puppet."

There was no love pretended between the two women, he thought. If it

hadn't been for what he had noticed this afternoon.... Still, Amelia

could be right in that Shirley Mason was an unwilling ally of Glamis.

He couldn't accept anyone's judgment as final, but that was something

to look into. Whatever the tie between Mason and Glamis, he was sure it

wasn't love.

"Didn't those two attempts on your husband's life strike you as

somewhat inept?" he asked. "Both of them were caught with the greatest

of ease."

She was closer to him now as she said, "There's such a thing as two for

the price of one. Why couldn't I have been an ordinary, plain woman,

Roy. I wish I had been. I wish...."

Looking at her upturned face in the starlight, Roy Auckland didn't wish

anything of the kind.

* * * * *

Roy Auckland swallowed an antifatigue pill as he studied his notes,

sprawled out on his bunk, and tried to co-ordinate what Amelia had

told him with what he'd learned from the others and from his own

observation. She'd started to say something about Glamis working on

something he found very amusing. She knew what it was, but he couldn't

get any more out of her, except that she did not find Glamis's private

project amusing at all. What else was there? It had something to do

with the Vaec, for earlier she'd said something about his wearing a

smug look after an all-night fishing trip with Ekem-ve.

It didn't make sense that someone could be trying to murder Dr. Howard

James so inefficiently. What was the purpose in even pretending that

James' life was being threatened? "Two for the price of one," Amelia

had said. That would fit in well enough if the object were to make it

appear that someone was trying to kill James; if this were a frame-up.

But that didn't account for the childish naivete of the attempts;

someone trying to frame another would have rigged up something that

looked much more real.

How had the _dodlig_ been put into the soup? What else about Carolus

was relevant? There was something nagging at him that he couldn't put

his finger on. He'd studied the general report on Carolus--the Leitfred

report--before he came. Was there something in it? He went in to the

office and took the folder containing it out of the files.

It wasn't very long, and within half an hour he had discovered that two

sheets had been removed from the loose-leaf folder. Interesting, he

thought. Particularly since he remembered a good deal of what had been

on those missing pages. Yes; _dodlig_ could have been extracted from

some other plant on which its pollen had rested. It would take a bit of

lab work but the resultant poison would not have had the overpowering

odor associated with _dodlig_ itself.

The only trouble was why should the two pages containing this

information have been excerpted? He pictured the two sheets, recalling

that the specific paragraph relating this was broken at the bottom and

continued on to the top of the second missing page. But everyone here

was aware of this; everyone _would_ think of it had it been brought to

their attention.

As it had. Was that the reason for the pilfering of these pages?

The explanation of mysteries was usually simple when you got the right

angle, but this was too simple. Auckland turned off the light and

closed his eyes feeling that he was being misdirected for a purpose. He

wished now that he had waited to see who would draw his attention to

the missing papers.

How imbecilic can I get, he asked himself. I can still find that out.

He got out of bed and tucked the folder under his arm.

* * * * *

In the morning, Auckland's four watchers reported. Ekem-ve, Hcent,

Phrecle, and Syeltan (the last-named hadn't yet been caught by

Ekem-ve's pop-ball trick, Roy saw) trooped into his quarters, their

single hairs lying flat on their skulls. That, and the slight expansion

and contraction of their pupils, indicated interest and fascination;

although at any moment, something might cross over the thin line that

separated mirth from not-mirth in their eyes.

"Ineffective watchers offer different report, excellent Roy," began

Ekem-ve. "Hcent watches north, Phrecle watches east, Syeltan watches

south, and this unobservant one watches west. We come together when day

begins and arrange list of happenings from ace to king."

"Oh, chronological order," said Auckland. "Very good. That can make a

lot of difference. My ears wave happily." He hoped that was the idiom

he meant, and followed Ekem-ve's glance to Phrecle, whose single hair

quivered a bit then lay flat again. It could be appreciation of his

exactness or the equivalent of a snicker at his malapropism.

"After meeting in recreation room," Phrecle began, "excellent Kenneth

comes out of excellent Howard and Amelia's room walking with steadiness

to own room."

Not hurriedly or lazily, Auckland translated.

"Excellent Howard and Amelia have windows shuttered, thus depriving

watcher of wisdom," Phrecle added.

"Excellent Kenneth does not keep windows shuttered," said Syeltan, "and

is struck by haste after entering room. Seeks object which conceals

itself from him. Darkness opens like nightflower and excellent Kenneth

shutters window, then turns on light."

"Excellent Kenneth and excellent Shirley come out of office and go west

like brook," said Ekem-ve. "Excellent Shirley not filled with mirth but

play follow-leader with excellent Kenneth."

They didn't walk in a direct line, and took their time, thought

Auckland.

"Excellent Howard comes out of excellent Calvin's room when lights go

on in room," said Phrecle. "Excellent Howard walks with steadiness to

own room."

So Dr. James had some sort of conference with Burleigh, then retired to

his quarters.

"Excellent Howard carries object with care," Phrecle continued. "Object

has appearance of book found in villa." Phrecle paused for a moment,

then continued: "Excellent Roy and excellent Amelia come out of

recreation room and go east like brook. Excellent Roy not filled with

mirth, but play follow-leader with excellent Amelia." Auckland gulped.

"Now unworthy assistants remember excellent Earthman's watches as

darkness has opened and dials glow like nightflower," said Ekem-ve.

"This negligent one looks at dial when excellent Kenneth and excellent

Shirley return walking with steadiness and dial shows 11:00. They go

into excellent Shirley's room."

"Excellent Kenneth comes out of own room at 11:13 and walks with

steadiness into lab," Phrecle said. "Does not shutter window. Admires

object under microscope and writes letter to self. Excellent Roy and

excellent Amelia return walking with steadiness at 11:32. Stop for

two breaths to look at excellent Kenneth, then excellent Roy parts

from excellent Amelia at door to room and walks with steadiness to

recreation room.

"Excellent Kenneth looks up from microscope and delivers instruction to

self. Then puts microscope away and takes out camera. Puts box on table

and starts to take pictures of box. Excellent Howard unshutters window

and excellent Amelia walks like river to window.

"They look at excellent Kenneth. Excellent Kenneth sees them and

makes gentle breeze with hand. They make gentle breeze with hand but

excellent Amelia not mirthful. Excellent Howard shutters windows and

excellent Kenneth shutters window, thus depriving watcher of wisdom."

So Dr. Glamis was doing microscope work, muttering to himself now and

then taking notes. James called Amelia to the window. She came quickly,

and Glamis waved--to Amelia, no doubt--and they both waved back, but

Amelia wasn't pleased about it. But why should James call Amelia to the

window to look at Glamis?

"Was Dr. James wearing his glasses when he came to the window?" he

asked.

"No, excellent Roy. Excellent Howard wore two eyes only."

That could account for it, then. James wanted to be sure just what it

was Glamis was taking photographs of. Wanted to know if it was the Vaec

box or some other, probably (the Vaec boxes being four-inch cubes,

approximately, and James was a bit near-sighted).

Ekem-ve took up the report. "Excellent Roy comes out of recreation

room at 12:00, carrying object, walking with steadiness to own room.

At 12:33, lights go off in excellent Roy's room. At 12:37, lights go

on again, then excellent Roy comes out of room walking like river

taking object to office. At 12:38, comes out of office walking with

steadiness, and returns to own room."

"Shuttered windows in rooms of excellent Earth people deprive watchers

of wisdom, except for that already told," said Syeltan, and Auckland

realized that the Vaec considered this a peculiar practice.

"No wisdom offered to this lowly one," said Hcent. "At no time do

excellent Calvin, excellent Walter, or excellent Howard and Amelia

unshutter windows at north."

"I take it, then," said Auckland, "that Captain Edholm and Dr. Burleigh

did not step outside the building at any time after the meeting in the

recreation room last night."

"That is the way it grew, excellent Roy," said Ekem-ve. "And excellent

Shirley did not unshutter windows at any time, nor did you."

Auckland glanced at his notes. "You have helped a great deal, all of

you," he said. "We suspect that an unwise sticky trap is about to be

prepared by someone, and that is why I need to know where everyone is

at night. If the trap has been made, what you have told me may help to

uncover this unwise person."

He swallowed. "But it would help me more if you take note of the time

even in daylight. For example, Mrs. James and I actually started out

before it was very dark. Dr. Glamis was in the recreation room when we

left, and your timetable would seem to indicate that he and Miss Mason

went out a little before we did.

"But that cannot be the case. Dr. Glamis was talking with Dr. James

in his quarters at that time. Phrecle saw Dr. Glamis come out of

Dr. James' room and walk to his own room, where he was looking for

something--and it was getting dark enough to turn on the lights. About

how long would you say he was looking before he turned the lights on?"

"Only very short time after he enter room," said Phrecle.

"And it was dark enough so that the watches would glow well around

8:30--after Dr. James left Dr. Burleigh's quarters and returned to his

own. When did the light go off in Dr. Glamis's room?"

"Excellent Kenneth discover object soon after lights are turned on,"

Syeltan said. "Then turn off lights."

"But he did not go outside right away. He must have gone to the office

and met Miss Mason there, or walked with her to the office. But, you

see, we cannot be sure that Dr. Glamis actually found what he was

looking for, because no one saw whether he was carrying anything when

he came out of his room. He might have just given up the search."

"We hear wise words, excellent Roy," said Ekem-ve.

"So it is important to report only what you actually saw and not make

inferences as if they were something you had seen. Of course," he added

hastily, "inferences can be helpful so long as we know that they are

not something you really saw. But what the evidence really implies is

only that Dr. Glamis and Miss Mason went out later than Mrs. James and

I."

Auckland scratched his head. "And, that, somehow, does not seem right.

Are you sure, Phrecle, that it was Dr. Glamis who came out of Dr.

James's quarters, went into his own room, and started looking for

something?"

"He was wearing the special suit, excellent Roy."

Auckland grinned wryly. "But he wasn't wearing it later when he went

out with Miss Mason, was he?"

"No, excellent Roy," said Ekem-ve. "Excellent Kenneth heard to say at

one time that protective suit protect from mirth, as well as sorrow of

sunburn."

Auckland arose and put his notebook away. "You have done very well

and I am grateful. Can you continue the watch and keep track of all

movements with the time they took place?"

The four Vaec indicated their fascinated assent.

* * * * *

There was no answer to Auckland's knock, but the door to Kenneth

Glamis's room swung open. Nothing unusual about that, he thought; the

single men's doors were rarely locked here. He stepped inside, just to

be sure that Glamis wasn't still asleep.

The room was unoccupied, and the condition of the bed indicated that

Glamis had not slept here. That was one thing about Ken: he insisted

on a neatly-made bunk, although he never got to making it up before

noon, if he was around headquarters, or after returning from the field.

Otherwise, Glamis was not very tidy, and last night's search hadn't

helped any.

The desk was usually a litter of papers and knick-knacks. Glamis was

continually bringing back stones and bits of wood from the surrounding

territory. Now the desk was a spread of confusion. There were the

usual empty and partially-filled containers of coffee standing around,

being used for ashtrays as Glamis preferred to use the latter for

wastebaskets. One container had been overturned, and cigarette butts

scattered. Another had coffee remains, and had splashed some papers

with sketches and doodles on them. Photographs, usually piled under an

ashtray, were scattered.

A small stack of paper had been knocked off the typewriter stand. The

tape-maker was underneath it. Auckland sighed. If someone other than

Glamis had been searching the room, you couldn't tell the difference,

he thought. Glamis himself had done the same thing in the past, looking

for something which he had left somewhere else.

The only thing definitely implied by the condition of the room was that

a small object had been the object of the search--one which might have

been lying under papers, or mixed in with a pile of photographs. It

might have been in the file box, which was likely to contain everything

except papers. Auckland still wondered if Glamis had been deliberately

overdoing it the last time he'd talked with the man in his room. That

pulling a sandwich out of the file under _U_ for _unfinished business_

sounded like a gag, yet it was in character.

There was little point in trying to decide whether anything that he

had seen before was missing, because, with Glamis, hardly anything

important was likely to be where you would normally expect it to

be--except for a few hours after he'd straightened everything out.

"Auckland!" came a voice, and he looked up, to realize that it had come

through the intercom. "Dr. Auckland!" It was James's voice; nothing

had happened to him during the night, as Roy was sure nothing would.

"Please come to the lab. There has been an accident to Dr. Glamis.

Please come to the lab right away. Dr. Glamis is dead!"