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.""Message?" Ironwood said."What are you thinking?""I am trying to think of a way out of our predicament.A predicament, I might add, to which your unconsidered actions brought us.""You needn't remind me.What's your scheme?""A moment.Inspiration comes from the gods, and they are sometimes slow." The others waited patiently while the ex-assassin cogitated, then said, "It strikes me that we may be the answer to the very problem that so vexes the Lord of Tarsis.Suppose he were to learn that, repining in his own dungeon, were two men whose specialty is the detection and apprehension of malefactors? Might he not wish to secure the services of such men?""He might," said Ironwood, looking around him, "but where are they?""I know you are only pretending to be dense," said Nistur."I rejoice to learn that you actually possess a sense of humor.We must devise for ourselves a sufficiently illustrious and successful past, in some land safely distant from Tarsis.""It might work," Ironwood allowed."If he gets word, he'll have us hauled out for an interview.Do you think he'll believe us?""You overlook a crucial factor.He will want to believe us.By now he must be desperate for a solution to his problem.This should cause him to overlook questions that at another time would be more than obvious.""It's worth a try," Ironwood said."At least it would get us out of this place, and we could work out a plan of escape once we're free.""I don't know." Shellring said."Getting word to the palace won't be all that hard.But getting it from there to the lord's ear may be.""Even in the loftiest places," Nistur said, "there are certain servants who have the ear of the highest persons: the aged nurse, the indispensable valet, the steward or majordomo.""The cupbearer!" Ironwood said."Kings and great lords go in constant fear of poison.The cupbearer would have to be a trusted man.""Excellent!" Nistur commended."You see, my friend, you are getting good at this detection business already."Shellring looked from one to the other suspiciously."This is all well enough for you two, but what about me? What do I get out of this?""Rest assured," said Nistur, "that when we have our freedom, we will secure yours.Now, my young companion, this is what you must transmit through the prison grapevine." And so they conferred for the better part of an hour.Then Shellring rose, went to the gate, and began to rattle the bars.* * * * *The Lord of Tarsis realized, with a start, that he was biting his nails, something he had not done in years.Thesands were trickling inexorably through the great glass, and he was no closer to a solution for his vexing problem.All through the night he had interviewed petty officials and found none who combined the traits of intelligence and trustworthiness.Also, the brighter ones seemed scatterbrained.The combination of intelligence with a shrewd, analytical mind was rarer than he had expected."My lord?"He looked up to see his cupbearer standing by his side."What is it?""You need something to sustain you, my lord.You've not slept or eaten since the barbarian chief arrived.You must not neglect yourself so, my lord.I've had the cook make something for you, and I put together something for you to drink." The old man held a tray of sausages and cakes dusted with seeds surrounding a large cup of heated wine from which came herb-scented steam."You are probably right." He took the cup and a seedcake and began to alternate bites with sips."You know, my lord, I've just heard the most remarkable thing.It's something that may help you to deal with the savages.""Eh?" said the lord hopefully."You've heard something? Is there a witness? Someone who saw the crime and wants to speak?""No, my lord, not that.But you have, in the jail beneath the Hall of Justice, two men, foreigners, who are famed in several lands for ferreting out murderers and plotters, and criminals of all sorts.""Ridiculous! I was down there just yesterday morning, questioning the people who found the nomad's body.I saw no such foreigners then.""I hear that these two were arrested only yesterday afternoon, for disturbing the peace.""Then send for Constable Weite at once."The cupbearer bowed his way out, and the Lord of Tarsis turned over the possibilities in his mind.This, if true, might be just the solution he needed: trained and experienced investigators, from a foreign land and therefore not the hirelings of his rivals.Yes, this could be just what he was seeking.He did not spare a thought for how his cupbearer came by such remarkable information.He demanded that his servants be competent at their work and loyal to him.Beyond that, he had not the slightest interest in how they thought or what they did.At most times, he was scarcely aware of their presence.Minutes later, Constable Weite appeared."My lord?""There are two foreigners in the Hall of Justice lockup.They were arrested yesterday afternoon for disturbing the peace and are said to be able investigators of crime.Bring them to me."Weite blinked."My lord? I have heard of no such men.""A Lord of Tarsis has sources of information unavailable to a mere constable.Go and do my bidding.""Yes, my lord!" He saluted, snapped his heels together, and was off.An hour later, Constable Weite returned.He had in tow, flanked by guards and draped in chains, a pair of raffish-looking prisoners.One was a big, tough-appearing specimen dressed in remarkable armor.The other looked as if he might have been a merchant or a scholar, except that he had managed to maintain through incarceration a fastidiousness, almost a fussiness, about his clothing and general appearance.In the rear of the little procession was a guard who carried an armload of weapons and personal effects, doubtless confiscated from the felons upon arrest."Here are the foreigners, my lord," Constable Weite reported unnecessarily"Detective Nistur, my lord, at your service," said the shorter man, doffing his feathered hat and contriving a graceful bow despite the cuffs, manacles, and leg irons he wore."Detective Ironwood, my lord," said the other, knuckling his brow in a perfunctory salute."Constable Weite," said the lord, "you and the others may withdraw.And all this ironmongery will not be necessary.""These are dangerous criminals, my lord!" Weite protested."Just unchain them and carry their weapons outside the chamber.I should be safe enough with you in close call.""As you wish, my lord," the constable replied doubtfully.Then, to the others, he said, "Unshackle them.And you two, don't try anything.I'll be just outside, mind you
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