Barnevelt's own wound had begun to throb painfully, and blood was still flowing since it had not had a chance to dry. Examination, however, showed that the point of the Krishnan sword had slid along a rib instead of going between the ribs into the vitals.
Tearing his shirt into strips for a bandage, Barnevelt said: "Next time maybe you'll bring a sword. You can't buckle a swash with your bare hands."
"Maybe. But if we had worn those mail-shirts, we should have drowned. I wonder what those blokes will do now? They can't go back to Novorecife, knowing we shall be along to accuse them."
Barnevelt shrugged. "Unless they've cooked up some fancy dish, to the effect that we're janru smugglers, or… Matter of fact, d'you suppose this is what happened to Igor?"
"It might be."
"Let's think about it. Meanwhile there sinks that nebulous star we call the sun, and we'd better shove before the dragon wing of night o'erspreads the earth."
"That damned energy of yours, battler," groaned Tangaloa, heaving his bulk to his feet. "Always rush, rush, rush. We Polynesians are the only people who know how to live."
The guard said: "Wait till I call the River Gate to confirm your story."
The River Gate did indeed confirm the fact that Messrs. Barnevelt and Tangaloa, alias Snyol of Pleshch and Tagde of Vyutr, had gone out through the gate the morning past, on their way to a picnic with Miss Foley of the Security Office and Mr. Vizqash of the Outfitting Store. What did these gentlemen look like?…
"Pass on in," said the guard at last. "Anybody can see you're Earthmen."
"Is it as obvious as that?" said Tangaloa to Barnevelt. "Come to think of it, one of your feelers is coming loose. Better give the barber hell."
Barnevelt replied: "I'm more interested in giving Vizqash and the fair Eileen the wholesome boon of gyve and gag."
"Oh, them? I've forgiven them already. It is rather amusing to look back upon."
"As amusing as a funeral on Christmas Eve! I'm going to Castanhoso's office."
Barnevelt marched through the settlement, ignoring stares at his half-naked state, until he came to the compound next to the spaceport where the Security Force had its offices.
He strode in the front entrance and down the hall to Castanhoso's office. The door was ajar, and he was about to stalk in when the sound of voices from within stopped him. He held up a hand to halt Tangaloa, lumbering behind.
"… we warned them," said the voice of Vizqash, "but no, they said they had not swum since leaving Earth. So they threw off their clothes and jumped in, and the next we knew one of them screamed and disappeared, and then the other did likewise."
"It was awful," said Eileen Foley's voice, quivering with pathos and sincerity.
Castanhoso could be heard clucking. "This will cause no end of trouble. These Earthmen were important people, and I liked them personally. And the forms we shall have to fill out! It is odd, though, that both should be taken—one at a time is all an awal usually seizes."
"Unless there is a pair in the Pichide," said the Krishnan.
"True, but that does not bring back those splendid…"
Barnevelt stepped into the room, saying: "I'm glad our loss isn't permanent, Senhor Herculeu. The picnic was called because of a rain—of arrows. Actually…"
Eileen Foley jumped up with a shriek like that of a Vishnuvan siren-squirrel. Vizqash leaped to his feet also with a resounding oath and ripped out his sword.
"It shall be permanent this time!" he yelled, rushing upon the two Earthmen in the doorway.
Barnevelt had a flash of panic. His dagger would be of little use against the sword; the nearest chair was out of reach; if he stepped back he would merely bump into George. He could neither run nor fight, and after preserving his life with such effort he was now liable to lose it through a trivial lack of precautions…
The point of the rapier was a bare meter away, and Barnevelt was drawing his knife as a last resort, when a pistol shot crashed deafeningly. The Krishnan's sword spun out of his hand and clattered across the room. Vizqash was left standing weaponless, wringing his hand and looking foolish.
Castanhoso rose with the pistol he had snatched from his desk drawer in his hand.
"Do not move, amigo," he said.
The hall outside was suddenly full of people, male and female, human and Krishnan, uniformed and in civilian clothing, all jabbering. Vizqash assumed the air of an insulted grandee.
"My good Castanhoso," he said, "instruct your men to treat me with due respect. After all, I am who I am."
"Precisely," snapped Castanhoso. "Lock him up."
The long Krishnan day had ended when Barnevelt and Tangaloa were finally dismissed. Castanhoso said: "Get dressed, senhores, and have dinner. I must grill the prisoners. Shall we meet in the Nova Iorque afterwards?"
"Fine," said Tangaloa, "I could utilize a bit of tucker. We never did consume that lunch."
Two and a half hours later the explorers, back in Earthly -garb and improved by a much-needed meal, were sitting in the bar. Barnevelt had suffered a delayed fright reaction from his experience, and had been on the verge of throwing up the expedition and his job. But Tangaloa had garruled cheerfully throughout dinner without giving him an opening, and now the feeling had gone. They saw Gastanhoso enter, look around, and come to their bo'oth.
"She has broken down," the Brazilian chortled.
"I hope you weren't brutal with the poor little squid," said Tangaloa.
"No, no, merely some sharp questioning under the meta-polygraph. She does not really know who this Vizqash is—if that is his real name, which I doubt—but she thinks he is one of the janru ring. Everybody suspects everybody of smuggling janru nowadays."
Barnevelt grunted assent while lighting a Krishnan cigar. Though he had always smoked cigarettes and pipes, he would have to learn to like cigars here.
"Why was Miss Foley involved?" asked Tangaloa. "Such a bonzer little sheila…"
"That is a strange story," said Castanhoso, looking at his fingernails with an expression of embarrassment. "It seems that she was—ah—in love with—uh—me, of all people, though she had plenty of admirers and knew perfectly well I was married."
"And you loathed the bright dishonor of her love?" said Barnevelt with a grin.
"It is not funny, my dear sir. This Vizqash had promised her a bottle of perfume doped with janru to use on me. All she had to do was come along on this picnic, and after you two had been disposed of, go back to Novorecife and confirm his story about the awal."
"What's that?" asked Barnevelt.
"A great snaky thing that lives in water. You can call it a giant armored eel or a legless crocodile. There has been one in the Pichide for some time. Only last week it carried off a woman of Qou."
"Guk! You mean we went swimming with that?"
"Yes. I should have warned you. After Vizqash had sent his men in pursuit of you—I suppose he did not tell them about the awal—you swam so far out you could no longer be clearly seen from shore. Then they came back, saying that two of their number and both of you had perished. I imagine they lied because they feared that if they told Vizqash the truth he would be angry and withhold their pay. But if they had told him the truth he and Miss Foley would not have rowed back to Novorecife with that story about the awal."
"What will they do with the poor little thing?" said Tangaloa.
Barnevelt said: "George, I find your sentimental solicitude for this young Lady Macbeth tiresome."
"You are merely maladjusted, Dirk. What will they do?"
Castanhoso shrugged. "That is up to Judge Keshavachan-dra. Meanwhile you had better replace your lost equipment and find another language-teacher."