"Just so," said Ildefonse. "Peculiarly, my recollection of the passage accorded with Rhialto's torn copy, rather than that at Fader's Waft."

"The mind plays peculiar tricks," said Hache-Moncour. "Now then, Ildefonse, in order to accelerate a possibly tedious—"

"In a moment," said Ildefonse. "First, let me add that I referred to my personal copy of the Blue, and discovered that the text duplicated that placed in evidence by Rhialto."

The room became silent, with the stillness of bewilderment. Then Hurtiancz made a vehement gesture. "Bah! Why ensnare ourselves in subtleties? Rhialto irrefutably committed the crime, as defined by the Perciplex. What more is there to be said?"

"Only this! As our esteemed colleague Hache-Moncour has pointed out, the mind plays strange tricks. Is it possible that the other night we were all victims of mass hallucination? If you recall, we found the projection unaccountably turned upside-down, which had a very confusing effect, certainly upon me."

Once more the figure in black stepped forward from the shadows. "Most especially when the Perciplex will not allow itself to be altered from the upright position, for fear of just such a consequence."

The dark shape returned to the shadows, and as before both he and his words were ignored as if non-existent.

Hache-Moncour said weightily: "Could this entire group, all keen observers, have witnessed the same hallucination? I tend to scout such a possibility."

"I also!" cried Hurtiancz. "I have never hallucinated!"

Ildefonse said: "Nevertheless, in my capacity as Preceptor, I hereby rule that we now transfer ourselves into my whirl-away, which is also enwebbed to protect us from nuisance, and visit Fader's Waft, so that we may settle the matter once and for all."

"As you like," said Dulce-Lolo peevishly. "But why this elaborate system of webs and screens? If no one can molest us, neither can any of us go off about his business should, for instance, a sudden emergency develop at his manse."

"True," said Ildefonse. "Precisely so. This way then, if you please."

Only the man in black who sat in the shadows remained behind.

17

The whirlaway flew high through the red light of afternoon: south across Ascolais to a set of soft swelling hills and at last settled upon Fader's Waft.

From the whirlaway to the six-sided fane extended an arch of web: "—lest archveults seize upon this opportunity to expunge all of us together!" So Ildefonse explained the precaution.

Into the enclosure filed the group, with Ildefonse bringing up the rear. As always, the Perciplex rested upon its cushion of black satin. In a chair to the side sat a man-shaped creature white of skin and white of eye, with a soft fluff of pink feathers for hair.

"Ah Sarsem," said Ildefonse in a hearty voice. "How goes the vigil?"

"All is well," said Sarsem in a glum voice.

"No difficulties? Neither incursions nor excursions since I saw you last? All is in order?"

"The vigil proceeds unmarred by incident."

"Good!" declared Ildefonse. "Now let us examine the projection. Possibly it confused us before, and this time we will all look closely and make no mistakes. Sarsem, the projection!"