“Siri?” said Civilai, very generously considering this was his project.

“Very well,” I said. “It’s all very simple really. If we asked for an appointment to see the prefect on the week he was about to leave the country, the appointments secretary would have laughed at us. So, we had to find some subterfuge that would guarantee us instant access.”

“What?” said Blazer. “You destroyed a museum exhibition in order to get an audience with me? That is indeed insanity.”

“I don’t know,” said Civilai. “It worked, didn’t it?”

“If I were armed I would shoot them both here and now,” said the curator.

“Blood is a terrible stain to get out of a carpet,” said Civilai.

“See?” said the curator. “They’re making fun of you, Sir.”

“In fact, we’re only ridiculing you, Monsieur le Conservateur,” I said. “We have the utmost respect for the prefect.”

“Monsieur Blazer, surely you can’t—” the curator began.

“Monsieur, could you stop talking?” said the prefect. “You’re making my headache worse. All I need to know is what our maniacs here considered so important to say that they would cause mindless vandalism in order to say it.”

“Perhaps we could sit with you over a glass?” said Civilai.

“Don’t push your luck,” said Blazer.

“After we’ve told you our story, you’ll wish you’d made us comfortable,” I said.

“Perhaps a spot of lunch,” said Civilai.

The prefect laughed. “Of all the audacity,” he said. “You’ll stand, you’ll remain in irons, and you’ll have less than a minute to come up with a story.”

“A firing squad is all they deserve,” said the curator.

The prefect called to the sergeant at arms. “Escort Monsieur Marchant out of the room, Sergeant.”

Two guards approached the sweaty man.

“In fact, it might be circumspect for the curator to stay,” I said.

“Is this some sort of ruse?” said Blazer. “Is this the commander-in-chief playing a practical joke on me? A jolly deception as a farewell souvenir of Indochina?”

“I hear the commander-in-chief has no sense of humor,” said Civilai.

“That’s true,” said the prefect. “Well then, for heaven’s sake tell me what it is you have to say. Be brief. My lunch is waiting for me.”

“Then, simply, the method we used to attract your attention and the reason for wanting to do so, are one and the same,” I said.

“I don’t understand,” said Blazer.

“On the black market in Europe, the Ly Dynasty ceramic and watercolor collection would be worth well over a hundred million francs to a collector,” I said.

I reached under my shirt and every gun in the room was raised in my direction. I put up my hands.

“With your permission, Sir,” I said.

The prefect nodded and I reached beneath my belt and pulled out a shard of pottery that had not been discovered when we were frisked.