brainless fool of a girl will pay whatever you ask!”
Lefaun said to Wayness: “Write the information you have discovered on a piece of paper. We shall have a test, to determine whether or not Tadiew is tricking us. It is now twenty-two sols, Tadiew “
“Twenty-two sols!” cried Tadiew. 'The final figure was twenty-four!”
“Now then, Tadiew you have noted your expensive information in writing?”
“So I have.”
“Please place it face down on the table. Now then, have you communicated this information to anyone?”
“Of course not. This is the first I have seen you since noon!”
“Correct.”
Wayness watched with curled lip. “I wonder what you are trying to prove.”
“Tadiew and I are admitted scoundrels; we admit to bribery and corruption of dignified officials. I want him to break down and admit that he is more vile and more scurrilous than I am.”
“I see. But the comparison is of no interest to me. ”Now, if you will excuse me.“
“One moment. I also want to place a fragment of information upon the table; an intuition I gained from looking into the cases. There it is done! Three pieces of paper lie before us. Now then, we need an expert arbitrator who is unaware of our discussion, and I see just the person yonder. Her name is Natalinya Harmin, and she is a senior curator at the museum.” He indicated a tall woman of imposing physique, keen of eye and massive of jaw, her blonde hair braided and tied in a rope around her head: not a person to trifle with, thought Wayness. Lefaun called out: “Madame Harmin! Be good enough to step over here for a moment.'
Natalinya Harmin turned her head; observing Lefaun’s signal, she crossed the room to stand looking down at him. “I am here, Lefaun. Why, may I ask, are you glowering at me in that fashion?”
Lefaun spoke in surprise: “I was wearing what I intended for an agreeable expression.”
“Very well have seen it and you may relax. What do you want?”
“This is Wayness Tamm, a handsome little creature down from space, who is anxious to explore the marvels of Old Kiev. I must mention that she is headstrong, extremely naive, and suspects everyone of turpitude.'
'Ha! That is not naivete, but sound common sense. Above all, young lady, do not go running out on the steppe with Lefaun Zadoury. At the very least, you will suffer sore feet.'
“Thank you,” said Wayness. “That is good advice.'
'Is that all?” asked Natalinya Harmin. “If so —“
'Not quite,' said Lefaun. “Tadiew and I are at odds and we want you to arbitrate the point at issue. Am I right, Tadiew?'
“Exactly! Madame Harmin is famous for her forthright candor.'
“Candor, is it? Asking me for candor is like opening Pandora’s Box. You may learn more than you want to know.”
'We must take the chance. Are you ready?'
'I am ready. Speak.”
'We want you to identify these words fully and exactly.'
He took the paper from in front of Wayness and handed it to Natalinya Harmin. She read it aloud: ‘Aeolus Benefice, at Croy’. Hmf.'
'Are you acquainted with this institution?'
'Naturally, though it is an aspect of Museum policy that we normally do not publicize.”
Lefaun told Wayness: 'Madame Harmin is telling us that when an anonymous bequest arrives at the museum we state its provenance to be ‘Aeolus Benefice of Croy’ in order to forestall inconvenience to ourselves. Am I right, Madame Harmin?'
Natalinya Harmin gave a crisp nod. “In essence, this is correct.'
'So that when one looks in the files and finds that a bequest is attributed to Aeolus Benefices,” he will understand that the entry is totally meaningless?'
“Exactly. It is our way of writing ‘Anonymous Bequest',” said Natalinya Harmin. 'What else do you want to know, Lefaun? You are not getting a raise in pay this quarter if that is the question you are preparing to ask.”
Wayness had slumped back into her chair, almost weak with joy. Julian Bohost, whatever the reason for his presence at Fair Winds, had been baited along a false trail, and in a most convincing manner.
“One more question,” said Lefaun. “For the sake of argument, if someone wanted to find the source of an anonymous bequest, how would he go about it?”
'He would be turned away, politely but briskly and no one would listen to his complaints. That information is considered a sacred trust, and is inaccessible even to me. Is there anything else?'
“No, thank you,” said Lefaun. “You have provided us full and exact information.”
Natalinya Harmin returned to her own party. “Now then,” said Lefaun. “To the next step. I have noted several words upon my paper. There is no mystery about these words. They were formed in my mind by simple processes. This morning, when I first looked into the three cases, I noted that the genealogical studies in the second case traced the lineage of the Counts de Flamanges, with emphasis upon those associated with the Naturalist Society. Among the biographies in the first case the only volume showing signs of use was that concerning the Count de Flamanges. The third case included much material regarding the Count de Flamanges and his offer of three hundred acres to the Naturalist Society. In short, the cases apparently had been donated by someone connected with the de Flamanges.” Lefaun turned over his paper. “Therefore ‘Count de Flamanges, of Castle Mirky Porod near Draczeny, in the Moholc.’ There are the words you will read here.”
Lefaun tilted his beer mug finding it empty he set it down with a thud. “I seem to be empty. Tadiew, lend me five tickets.'
'Never. You already owe me eleven.”
Wayness hastily pushed a number of tickets toward Lefaun. “Take these; I won’t need so many.”
'Thank you.” Lefaun rose to his feet. Tadiew called out: “In that case, bring me another quart!”
Lefaun went to the dispenser and returned with two large mugs brimming with foam. “I take no pride in my deduction; the facts seem to cry out for attention. Now then, Tadiew, what more can you tell us?'
“First, that I am out of pocket fourteen sols and that I have used every trick in my repertory to penetrate the inner files.”
Lefaun told Wayness: “It helps a great deal when one has a warm relationship with the secretary to one of our high bashaws.'
'Do not deprecate my efforts!' snapped Tadiew. “I went on tenterhooks, I can assure you, and for a time hid behind a desk.'
'In the main, it was well done, Tadiew! I personally lack your subtle skills. You may now produce the lightning bolts of surprising information that your work has achieved.'
“Don’t crow!' With a fretful motion Tadiew turned over his paper, to reveal a name: “‘Countess Ottilie de Flamanges’. The bequest was made about twenty years ago, upon the death of the Count. She still lives in her castle, alone except for servants and dogs. She is said to be somewhat eccentric.'
Wayness brought out money. “Here are thirty sols. I understand nothing of your financial arrangements, nor who paid what to whom. You must straighten such matters out between yourselves. And now — ” Wayness rose to her feet ” — I, must return to the hotel.”
“What?” cried Lefaun. “We have not yet visited Mopo's nor the Black Eagle!”
Wayness smiled. “Still, I must go.”
'Nor have you seen my dinosaur's tooth, nor tasted my spiced saffronella, nor even listened to the chirping of my pet cricket!'
“I regret these omissions but they are unavoidable.'
Lefaun gave a dismal groan and rose to his feet. 'Tadiew guard my chair; I will be back shortly.'
All the way back to the Mazeppa Hotel Wayness was kept busy negating Lefaun’s proposals and refuting his arguments, which were both urgent and inventive:
“… only a few yards to my flat: the stroll of a quarter-hour through the most picturesque part of Kiev!'
And: 'We should never reject what Life decides to offer us! Existence is like a plum pie; the more plums one
