wind up triumphant."

"That's what I thought," he said. "She stays under cover."

"Think it over," I suggested. "I'm going to bed, but I'm leaving my
door unlocked--at my apartment. Dig her up, if you start making any
sense, and both of you beat it over here. Before dawn. Do you hear
me?"

[Illustration]

"Oh, I hear you," he said sourly. "I just don't know whether to trust
you."

"We all have the same trouble," I said, cutting the image.

* * * * *

They showed up about three o'clock. I hadn't been able to go back to
sleep--feeling almost sure Keys would bring her there--and had spent
the time with the weights. I was back to strength. The surprise was
that Elmer came with them. Well, perhaps it was a help.

Nobody wanted a drink. Mary looked around the apartment a little--it
is a nice place, restful and homey, if you can ever achieve that in an
apartment fifty floors up.

"A Psi decorated this place," she said. Well, she was right, and I
admitted it to her with a nod. "What couldn't wait until morning,
Maragon?" she asked me.

"First, Mary, I want you to know that while you fooled Lindstrom, you
didn't fool me. You have the Stigma. Wait," I said, raising my hand as
she started to protest. "Lies won't do any longer. The chips are down.
You wouldn't even be here if the Council of the Lodge hadn't decided
it was time to protect you."

Keys took it away from her. "Lodge? What Lodge?"

"We'll come to that," I promised. "First, let's cut away the
underbrush. Yes or no. Does she have the Stigma?"

He sought out her eyes, and the way they dropped to my rug I knew that
the subterfuge was over. "Yes," he said in a strained, thin voice.
"Mary has the Stigma."

"And it is HC?"

All three of them nodded, and Mary's head came up with an odd sort of
pride. Well, she should have been proud--for all I could find out, she
was unique.

"All right," I said. "And now you can get out of my easy-chair, Elmer.
I'd like to sit there." He was obviously surprised by my bad manners.
"Get out!" I growled. "It's time you pups got used to taking orders.
You'll get your bellies full of it from now on."

"From you?" Elmer scoffed. "Ah reckon not, suh!" But he got out of the
chair, and I sat in it.

"Oh, yes you will," I said. "The Lodge will see to that."

"The Lodge again," Keys protested.

"Never heard of it, did you?" I taunted him. "Proof positive that
you're small potatoes in Stigma circl