"What for?"
"Once, back when we—when I went on your tour, I scolded you soundly for mistranslating the talk between one of your tourists and a Krishnan. It was beastly of me, especially since I had to do the same thing when the reporter from the Mishé Defender interviewed us."
"Really? It's been so long, I'd forgotten."
"Not so long for me! Anyway, you were right. If you'd truthfully translated Cyril's words, we'd all be weltering in our gore."
"Lish, I believe you've changed more in two years than I have in twenty! In the old days, you never admitted you were wrong about anything."
"It's not the only thing I've been wrong about." She glanced around. "We'd better get to our table, before our host serves all the best cuts to the others!"
At dinner, Ordway grumbled: "I say: Fergus, couldn't you have at least bargained him down a bit? This leaves me stony until we get to Novo. It's not fair—"
Reith brought his fist down with a bang, making the goblets jump. "You fat-headed schmuck! You two-legged prick! God damn it, I thought you'd learned your lesson in the bathhouse at Rosid, but you never learn. If you're so stupid—"
"Now see here, I won't put up with—"
"Shut up, you blithering ass I If it weren't for the contract, I'd take the carriage and go off, leaving you on your own out here in the boonies. One more whine out of you, and I'll do it anyway, and to hell with your movie!"
Ordway subsided, staring morosely at his plate. The ensuing silence was finally broken by White: "Cyril, I can lend you some money till we get back to base." He turned towards Reith. "Fergus, I must say you showed steel nerves, standing up to that mob."
Reith shrugged. "Anything else would have been riskier."
"Were we in real danger?"
"Judge for yourself. A few years ago we had a gaggle of Russian tourists. The guide, Vera Yurieva, was a good kid; but some of her geese were real oafs. You know the temple of the mother goddess Varzai in Mishé? There's a basin outside for ritual hand-washing before going in to worship. A couple of these gloops mistook it for a public urinal. A mob chased them to the corner where Vera was lecturing the others, who ran for ft. Vera stood her ground and tried to explain, but the mob beat her unconscious and left her for dead. She was moons recovering."
As Ordway and White ate in glum silence, a new group of diners entered and took a table near the doorway. Five were tough-looking Krishnans in divided kilts and uniform jackets of vaguely military appearance, which bore a cipher that Reith could not quite discern.
The sixth newcomer was a big, burly Earthman disguised as a Krishnan, with false antennae and ear points. So carefully had his makeup been applied that most Krishnans and Terrans, too, could have been deceived by it unless they scrutinized him closely. The man's garb was like the others save that his jacket was covered with glittering spangles and bore gold-braided epaulets.
Reith whispered, "Don't look now, Lish; but dip me in guano if that isn't my old pal Enrique Schlegel."
"The man Tony Fallon mentioned, the one you had a fight with?"
"The same."
"What do we do?"
"He hasn't made a hostile move yet. Let's eat quietly and hope he doesn't notice us." After they had finished and left the dining room, Reith sought out his Krishnan assistants. "Doctor Dyckman and I are going to the Temple of Bákh after dark. We want you two lads with us."
"Ohé!" said Zerré in a disappointed tone. "Timásh and I had an engagement after supper."
"How long will it take?"
"Belike an hour."
"It will still be light. Have your fun, but be sure to join us here before dark. And come armed!"
"Master Fergus!" protested Timásh. "I am no swashbuckler, but only a peaceful shaihan-herd."
"Bring those brush knives you two carry. They're as good as half-swords." Reith turned back to Alicia and muttered: "Our boys are going out whoring, but they should be back in time."
Ordway asked: "What's all this mumbling in heathen tongues?"
"Nothing," said Reith. "Alicia and I are going out this evening. When you get to your room, bolt the door; there are some bad characters about."
Reith and Alicia retired to Reith's room and locked themselves in. For the next hour, Reith occupied himself with calculating expenses, while she organized her sociological notes. Silence hung like a rain cloud. Finally Reith glanced at the window.
"It's dark outside," he said. "Our randy helpers should be back by now." He stepped to the door, opened it carefully, and satisfied himself that the two Krishnans were not in their quarters.
Another half-hour passed, and Reith became restless. At last Alicia snapped her notebook shut. "Oh, for heaven's sake, Fearless, let's go! We can leave a message for your lads to follow when they arrive."
Scowling, Reith shook his head. "If it were just me, I'd say to hell with Schlegel and take my chances. But I can't take that risk with you."
"Don't be a timorous beastie! We've been in and out of a lot of tight places together, and I've never seen a comet. I'll take this along." She dug into her traveling bag and brought out a crossbow pistol. "Besides, if we just sit here, Schlegel's men could break down the door and come in for us. And if we wait much longer, Father Vizram will decide we're not coming and lock up again. Either we go now, or we check out and take to the road tonight!"
"I hate to cut and run," growled Reith.
"Then let's go templing!" She picked up her handbag and the crossbow pistol. "Sivird sold me this little beauty."
"All right," said Reith, with an uneasy feeling that, even though Alicia had discarded her former imperious, dictatorial manner, she still managed to get her way in most things. They went quietly downstairs and left word with the innkeeper to send Timásh and Zerré to the temple when the two Krishnans appeared. They saw no sign of Schlegel and his minions.
The observation platform atop the Temple of Bákh was a rectangular terrace, about two by eight meters, paved with flagstones and protected by a waist-high guard rail. Access to the structure was by a ladder and a trapdoor. At each end of the terrace, an ornamental spire rose from the slate roof for several meters more.
From the edges of the terrace, the roof sloped away on all sides.
Reith and Alicia arrived, breathing hard from the climb, as the last glow of twilight was vanishing. Above them, the boat-shaped crescent of huge Karrin illumined the landscape with the argentic brilliance of Terra's full moon. Golnaz, the second moon, was out of sight; while little Sheb, the most distant, appeared but slightly larger than Venus seen from Earth on a clear night. High in the northern sky hung the long, pallid whisk broom of Sifad's comet, named in honor of the Gozashtando astrologer who first recorded it.
Reith and Alicia gazed silently. At last Reith said: "Karrim sets in an hour. We ought to wait, because the comet will look much brighter without the competition."
They sat on a low stone bench with their backs against the masonry of one of the spires. For a while they were content to enjoy the heavenly spectacle of two moons, a comet, and the gleaming stars. Now and then a night-flying aqebat, pursuing arthropod prey, whirred overhead.
As Karrim neared the horizon, Reith slid an arm around Alicia, who responded warmly to a kiss. He cleared his throat and spoke hesitantly: "Lish—ah—I've been thinking."
"Yes?"
"Well—uh—I'd like to know more about your plans for the fat—"
"What's that?" said Alicia, suddenly straightening up as the clatter of people climbing the ladder broke the silence.
"Maybe it's the boys," said Reith.
"And maybe not!" She sprang to her feet. "We'd better hold the lid down till we know for sure!"