The Moon Moth and Other Stories Read Online Free PDF Page B

Surely I never—”
    Magnus Ridolph shook his head gravely. “I must admit that both See and Holpers accused me of setting off the explosions which routed the Vine Hill Tumble. Admission of guilt would have been ingenuous; naturally I maintained that I had done nothing of the sort. I claimed that I had no opportunity to do so, and further, that the Ecologic Examiner aboard the Hesperornis who checked my luggage would swear that I had no chemicals whatsoever among my effects. I believe that I made a convincing protestation.”
    Everley Clark clenched his fists in alarm, hissed through his teeth.
    Magnus Ridolph, looking thoughtfully across the room, went on. “I fear that they will ask themselves the obvious questions: ‘Who has Magnus Ridolph most intimately consorted with, since his arrival on Kokod?’ ‘Who, besides Ridolph, has expressed disapproval of Shadow Valley Inn?’”
    Everley Clark rose to his feet, paced back and forth. Ridolph continued in a dispassionate voice: “I fear that they will include these questions and whatever answers come to their minds in the complaint which they are preparing for the Chief Inspector at Methedeon.”
    Clark slumped into a chair, sat staring glassily at Magnus Ridolph. “Why did I let you talk me into this?” he asked hollowly.
    Magnus Ridolph rose to his feet in his turn, paced slowly, tugging at his beard. “Certainly, events have not taken the trend we would have chosen, but strategists, amateur or otherwise, must expect occasional setbacks.”
    “Setbacks!” bawled Clark. “I’ll be ruined! Disgraced! Drummed out of the Control!”
    “A good strategist is necessarily flexible,” mused Magnus Ridolph. “Beyond question, we now must alter our thinking; our primary objective becomes saving you from disgrace, expulsion, and possible prosecution.”
    Clark ran his hands across his face. “But—what can we do?”
    “Very little, I fear,” Magnus Ridolph said frankly. He puffed a moment on his cigarette, shook his head doubtfully. “There is one line of attack which might prove fruitful…Yes, I think I see a ray of light.”
    “How? In what way? You’re not planning to confess?”
    “No,” said Magnus Ridolph. “We gain little, if anything, by that ruse. Our only hope is to discredit Shadow Valley Inn. If we can demonstrate that they do not have the best interests of the Kokod natives at heart, I think we can go a long way toward weakening their allegations.”
    “That might well be, but—”
    “If we could obtain iron-clad proof, for instance, that Holpers and See are callously using their position to wreak physical harm upon the natives, I think you might consider yourself vindicated.”
    “I suppose so…But doesn’t the idea seem—well, impractical? See and Holpers have always fallen over backwards to avoid anything of that sort.”
    “So I would imagine. Er, what is the native term for Shadow Valley Inn?”
    “Big Square Tumble, they call it.”
    “As the idea suggests itself to me, we must arrange that a war is conducted on the premises of Shadow Valley Inn, that Holpers and See are required to take forcible measures against the warriors!”
    V
     
    Everley Clark shook his head. “Devilish hard. You don’t quite get the psychology of these tribes. They’ll fight till they fall apart to capture the rallying standard of another tumble—that’s a sapling from the sacred stele of course—but they won’t be dictated to, or led or otherwise influenced.”
    “Well, well,” said Magnus Ridolph. “In that case, your position is hopeless.” He came to a halt before Clark’s collection of shields. “Let us talk of pleasanter matters.”
    Everley Clark gave no sign that he had heard.
    Magnus Ridolph stroked one of the shields with reverent fingertips. “Remarkable technique, absolutely unique in my experience. I assume that this rusty orange is one of the ochers?”
    Everley Clark made an ambiguous sound.
    “A truly beautiful display,”