e at the
Coronation to protect all that jewelry." She cocked her pretty head to
one side and looked at him. "What's between you and Belgezad, anyway?"

"I stole his toys when he was a child," said Drake, "and he hasn't
trusted me since. How do you propose to get the Necklace of Algol if I
can't?"

She smiled and shook her head slowly. "That would be telling. You let me
take care of my part, and I'll let you take care of yours."

Drake shook his head--not so slowly. "Absolutely not. We either work
together or we don't work at all."

* * * * *

The girl frowned in thought for a moment, and then reached into the belt
pouch at her side and pulled out a square of electro-engraved plastic.
She handed it to Drake.

Underneath all the flowery verbiage, it boiled down to an invitation to
attend the post-Coronation reception. It was addressed to "Miss
Caroline Smith" and was signed and sealed by the Shan of Thizar
himself.

"I'm 'Caroline Smith'," she said. "I've managed to get in good with the
family of Belgezad, and he wangled the invitation.

"Now, the plan is this: Right after the Invocation, while the new Shan
is being prepared in his special Coronation Robes, the Nobles have to
change their uniforms from red to green. Belgezad will go into his suite
in the Palace to change. He'll be accompanied by two guards. One will
stay on the outside, the other will help Belgezad dress. I've got the
room next to his, and I've managed to get the key that unlocks the door
between them. I'll use this--" She pulled a small globe of metal from
her belt pouch. "It's a sleep-gas bomb. It'll knock them out for at
least twenty minutes. No one will come in during that time, and I'll be
able to get the necklace and get out of the palace before they wake up."

"They'll know you did it," Drake pointed out. "If you're still missing
when they come to, the thief's identity will be obvious."

She nodded. "That's where you come in. I'll simply go out into the
garden and throw it over the wall to you. We'll meet here afterwards."

Drake thought it over and smiled devilishly. "It sounds fine. Now let's
co-ordinate everything."

They went over the whole plot again, this time with a chart of the
palace to mark everything out and a time schedule was arranged. Then
they toasted to success and the girl left.

When she was gone, Anson Drake smiled ruefully to himself and opened a
secret compartment in his suitcase.