many of them.

* * * * *

Gunnar seated himself comfortably and swung the nearly empty bag to and
fro. "Ah, I told you that I carried great magic in the bag. With Piper's
help, Maya will be ours before midnight."

Odin's lethargy was gone now. "Gunnar, old friend! What magic was in that
bag of yours?"

"The oldest magic in the world. Pieces of gold, diamonds, and rubies. When
we left the Nebula I said to myself that if Grim Hagen owned everything
here, it was quite possible that many would be eating very little. Knowing
Grim Hagen, I said to myself, there will be a mad scramble for money and
position. It would be the only kind of a world that Grim Hagen could
fashion."

Odin slapped him on the back. "Gunnar, you are a genius, a sheer genius."

"Not at all. When I was a young man I learned such strategy from studying
the world above me."

Odin winced.

Gunnar continued. "Well, it has turned out even as I figured. Only more
so. When traveling in far countries you should try to learn how the people
live, Odin. It is enlightening. I had an old uncle who always said that
travel broadens one. It must have, for he weighed nearly two-hundred when
he died."

"Please, Gunnar. When will we see Maya--"

"So, I have been working ever since we arrived. A jewel here. A bit of gold
there. It is amazing how a diamond can make a man see just what you tell
him to see. Much better than ordinary glasses. Then I found Piper here. And
Piper is ambitious. Do you know what it costs to become head-man and chief
tax-gatherer of a town of five-thousand, Odin?"

"Gunnar, I know nothing of these matters. Tell me about Maya--"

"Well, Piper has been paid. The town will be his if our plan works out
tonight. Otherwise, I will twist his neck." And Gunnar paused to scowl at
the young man in the white uniform until poor Piper began sweating.

"Many others have been paid. They are to stay away from their posts. They
will see nothing and hear nothing at certain times tonight. Here, hand me
your book."

* * * * *

Odin obliged and Gunnar produced a ragged bit of pencil and started drawing
a map upon the fly-leaf. "Here," he said, "is the city. And here is the
river. Now, if you remember, there is a deep bend in the river, and this
tomb that Grim Hagen has built is within the bend of the river. There is
a good road that goes from the city to the tomb, but it is guarded. The
Neb