The voice that issued from the stiff lips of the mask was distorted.
“Carmody, this is Fratt. I just wanted to get a good look at you before you died. I want to see if you’re suffering, although you could not possibly suffer as much as my son and I did.”
The priest forced himself to be calm. In an even voice he said, “Fratt, I don’t even know you. I can’t even remember the incident you allege took place. So, why don’t you come up to my room and talk to me? Maybe you’ll change your mind.”
There was a pause so long that Carmody decided he had shocked Fratt. Then, “You don’t think I’d be fool enough to put myself again in the power of a man like you? You must be insane!”
“All right. You name the time and place. I’ll come alone to meet you; we’ll talk this thing out.”
“Oh, you’ll meet me all right. But it’ll be when and where you’ll least expect it. At least, I’ve got you sweating. And begging.”
A glove shaped like a claw moved up before the mask, and the screen went blank. Carmody went to the door in answer to the clanging of the knocker. Gilson entered.
Angrily, he said, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to help you much, Father. I’ve just been notified that I’m restricted to the hotel.”
“That’s my fault,” the bishop said. He told Gilson what had happened, but Gilson did not seem any happier, especially after he heard Carmody’s account of the phone conversation with Fratt.
“I might as well take the next ship out,” he said.
“Let’s go down to the hotel dining room and eat,” Carmody said. “It’s on me. And I understand that the hotel has an Earth cook for those who can’t adapt themselves to a Kareenan diet. Only trouble is, he’s Mexican. If you don’t like enchiladas, tortillas, chili burros, well...”
In the dining room, they found Lieftin and Abdu sitting at the same table. Both men were picking at their food and looking very disgruntled. Carmody invited himself to sit with them, and Gilson followed his example. Gilson was introduced as a businessman.
“Has your request for an interview with Yess been denied?” Carmody asked Lieftin.
Lieftin growled and said, “They were polite but they made it clear that I couldn’t see him until after the Night.”
“You could take the Sleep,” Carmody said, then paused. “Hmm, if Yess forbids Sleep, will he make the edict apply to non-Kareenans, too?”
“Do you mean that I could Sleep and then interview Yess afterwards?” Lieftin said, his face red. “Nothing doing!”
Carmody wondered why Lieftin was so vehement. If Lieftin were the assassin, he would want to complete his job before the Night started.
“Are you going back now?” Carmody said to Abdu. “You can’t complete any business now.”
“This restriction handicaps me,” Abdu answered, “but I can conduct business over the phone.”
“I wouldn’t think you could do much during the festival. Most businesses are shut down now.”
“Kareenans are like Terrestrials. There are always a few who’ll do business no matter what, even during an earthquake.”
Lieftin jerked a thumb toward the entrance to the hotel. “See those two guys dressed in the blue and red feathers? They’re cops. They’re making sure we don’t leave this forsaken tomb.”
“It is quiet,” Carmody said. He looked around. Aside from a waiter standing ten tables away, they were the only ones in the dining room. Moreover, the lobby beyond was occupied only by several desk clerks and bellhops, all silent and glum.
“I can’t stand my room,” Lieftin said. “It’s like being in a mausoleum. All that cold stone and deathly silence. How the, uh, how do the Kareenans stand living in places like this?”
“They have certain resemblances to the ancient Egyptians,” the bishop said. “They think much of death and their short stay on this planet. They like to be reminded that this is only a stopping-off place.”
“What’s their idea of Heaven? And Hell?” Abdu said.
Carmody started to speak, then waited for Lieftin to answer. If Lieftin really were what he claimed to be, he would have to know at least the elements of Kareenan religion. His church was not likely to send an unbriefed man here on such a mission; spaceship travel cost too much.
Lieftin started to eat, his eyes on his plate. When it became evident he was not going to reply to Abdu, Carmody said, “Boontism has a two-level Heaven. The bottom level is for those who are worshipers of Yess, who strive to be ‘good’ but do not dare to test themselves by going through the Night. These live forever in a place similar to their earthly existence. That is, they must work, sleep, they have discomforts, pain, frustration, boredom, etc. But they do live forever.
“The top level is for those worshipers of Yess who successfully dare the Night. These are supposed to enjoy eternal ecstasy, a mystical ecstasy. The experience, you might say, is like that which the saved of the Christian religion have. They see God face to face, only in this case it’s the mystical face of Yess, the glory behind the fleshy mask of Yess. No one sees Boonta, not even Her son.”
“What about their Hell?” Abdu said.
“There are two Hells, also. The lower level is for the religiously indifferent, the lukewarms, the hypocrites, the self-deceived. And also for those who dared the Night but failed. You see, that’s one of the reasons why so few Yessites stay Awake. It’s true that the rewards of success are worth the ordeal. But failure casts you down into Hell. And there are always so many failures. It’s safer not to take a chance and so go to Heaven’s lower level.
“The top layer of Hell is reserved for the true Algulists. And these have their own ecstasy, analogous to that which the high-level Yessites enjoy. Only it’s a dark joy, the orgasm of evil. Inferior to that of Heaven’s, but, if you’re a genuine Algulist, you prefer it. Evil craves evil, wants nothing but evil.”
“It’s a crazy religion,” Lieftin said.
“The Kareenans say the same thing about ours.”
Carmody excused himself, leaving Gilson to his own devices, and went back to his room. He had Gilson called to the phone.
“I’m going out for a while. I want to see an old friend of mine, a Kareenan. And I also want to give Fratt a chance to strike. Maybe that way I can get hold of him, either neutralize him or talk him into some sense. Certainly I can find out then who he is and what I did that makes him so bent on revenge.”
“He might get you first.”
“I’m well aware of that. Oh, another thing. I’m going to call Tand and see if he can use his influence again. I want him to release you from restriction. Not for the Fratt case. You should watch our prime suspect, Lieftin. If he makes a break, as I strongly believe he will, I don’t want you hampered in trailing him.”
“Thanks,” Gilson said. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”
Carmody cut the operative off, and he spoke Tand’s number to the receiver. Tand’s face appeared on the screen.
“You’re lucky,” he said. “I was just leaving. What can I do for you?”
Carmody told him what he wanted. Tand replied that there would be no difficulty. He would put the order through immediately.
“Actually, we can use extra help. We don’t have anybody to shadow Lieftin if he does get loose, as he can, if he’s ingenious enough.”
“The old Lieftin could do it,” the priest said.
“I’ll tell you the truth. It’s not only Earth assassins we’re worried about. The Algulists will be making their moves before the Night begins. When I say Algulist, I’m not only talking about those who’ve gotten through the Night. I’m talking about the entire secret society, which is largely composed of those who have not chanced the Night. Our government is honeycombed with them, and I say this knowing that our conversation may be monitored.”