Thus they proceeded up the long and narrow
courtyard through another entrance, and into an inner courtyard which
preceded the entrance hall proper to the castle.

Things happened at a greater pace from then on. At her signal men came
forward, took Jenkins with them and, from then until his return to the
woman, he was bathed, shaved, and dressed in a wondrously brocaded gown.
When he returned, it was to find her in the immense banquet hall.

She motioned him forward and bade him sit at her right. His eyes went
wide when he saw who was at her left--Griffin. And dressed in a gown
similar to his own.

"Hi, chum," Griffin said. "Nice layout, huh?"

"I like him," Lucretia said, as she signalled for the food to be brought
in. "He has such ill manners and such a boorish way of expressing
himself."

Jenkins swallowed in haste as his eyes took in the rest of the company
around the table. Never in all his days of police work had he seen such
a collection of cutthroats. Yet they, as he, were dressed in finery that
was worth a fortune. They saw his stare and answered him with wide
grins, which somehow had the power to make his blood run cold.

"Aah!" she continued. "They like you, I see. Ah, well. It's company fit
for a Borgia."

Borgia--Lucretia Borgia--the infamous poisoner--the most hated woman of
her time. He turned for another quick look and wondered how a woman with
such beauty could.... He shook his head violently. And again she seemed
to read his mind.

"My beauty is something I had nothing to do with. Perhaps you may come
to hate it."

* * * * *

Suddenly a vast anger filled Jenkins' breast. His nostrils dilated in
passion, and when he spoke his voice was hoarse with it: "Look! I don't
know what's going on. But whatever it is, I don't like it. Now get this!
I'm a cop, and the character sitting alongside of you is my prisoner.
And I'm going to take him come hell or high water!"

A ripple of laughter began which swelled to a roar as he finished. And
the one who laughed the loudest was Lucretia.

"Now tell me, my valorous warder," she said in dulcet tones, "how will
you do this?"

"I don't know," Jenkins answered darkly and somewhat foolishly. "But
I'll manage. And another thing," he went on after a few seconds, "what's
with this rigmarole you're playing?"

"Rigmarole?" Her voice broke into tinkling laughter. "Oh, come now! We
don't play games here. I'm really Borgia. So let us