ss Tyler," Perfidion said.

When she returned with it, he set it on his desk and inserted the
stereophoto. Instantly, a huge cube materialized in the center of the
room. Inside the cube there was a realistic image of a resplendent
silver table, and upon the image of the table stood an equally
realistic image of a resplendent golden bowl. Perfidion gasped again.

"Unusual workmanship, wouldn't you say?" Mallory said.

Perfidion turned toward the blonde. "You may go, Miss Tyler."

She was staring at the contents of the cube and apparently did not
hear him. "I said," he repeated, "that you may go, Miss Tyler."

"Oh. Yes ... yes sir."

* * * * *

When the lift-tube door closed behind her, Perfidion turned to
Mallory. For a fraction of a second the predator was visible behind
the smoky windowpanes of his eyes; then, quickly, it ducked out of
sight. "Where was this taken, Tom?"

"It's a distance-shot," Mallory said. "I took it through one of the
windows of the church Joseph of Arimathea built in Glastonbury."

"But how did you know--"

"That it was there? Because it _had_ to be there. Some time ago, while
escorting a group of tourists around ancient Britain, I happened to
witness Joseph of Arimathea's landing--and happened to catch a glimpse
of what he brought with him. I used to think that the Grail was a pipe
dream, too, but when I saw it with my own eyes, I knew that it
couldn't have been. However, I knew I'd need evidence to convince you,
so I jumped back to a later place-time and got a shot of it."

"But why a shot, Tom? Why didn't you lift it then and there?"

"You concede that it is the Grail then?"

"Of course it's the Grail--there's not the slightest question about
it. Why didn't you lift it?"

"Well, for one thing, I wanted to make sure that lifting it would be
worth my while, and for another, Glastonbury wasn't the logical
place-time from which to lift it, because, assuming that the rest of
the legend is also true, it was seen after that place-time. No
time-thief ever bucked destiny yet and came out the winner, Jason; I
play my percentages."

"I know you do, Tom. You're one of the best time-lift men in the
business, and the Past Police would be the first to admit it.... I
daresay you've already pinpointed the key place-time?"

Mallory grinned, showing his white teeth. "I certainly have, but if
you think I'm going to divulge it, you're sadly mistaken, Jason. And
sto