Assassin began. "I and my
colleagues, in the employ of the family of Starpha, have received
orders from our clients to withdraw our protection from you, and to
discarnate you, and all with you who undertake to protect or support
you." That much sounded like a recitation of some established formula;
then his voice became more conversational. "I and my colleagues,
Erarno and Kirzol and Harnif, offer our apologies for the barbarity of
the servants of the family of Starpha, in attacking without
declaration of cessation of friendship. Was anybody hurt or
discarnated?"

"None of us," Olirzon said. "How about Marnik?"

"He was warned before hostilities were begun against him," Sarnax
replied. "We will allow five minutes until--"

Olirzon, who had been looking up the well, suddenly sprang at Dalla,
knocking her flat, and at the same time jerking out his pistol. Before
he could raise it, a shot banged from above and he fell on his face.
Dirzed, Verkan Vall, and Sarnax, all drew their pistols, but whoever
had fired the shot had vanished. There was an outburst of shouting
above.

"Get to cover," Sarnax told the others. "We'll let you know when we're
ready to attack; we'll have to deal with whoever fired that shot,
first." He looked at the dead body on the floor, exclaimed angrily,
and hurried to the ascent tube, springing upward.

Verkan Vall replaced the small pistol in his shoulder holster and took
Olirzon's belt, with his knife and heavier pistol.

"Well, there you see," Dirzed said, as they went back to the gun room.
"So much for political expediency."

"I think I understand why your picture and the Lady Dallona's were
exhibited so widely," Verkan Vall said. "Now, anybody would recognize
your bodies, and blame the Statisticalists for discarnating you."

"That thought had occurred to me, Lord Virzal," Dirzed said. "I
suppose our bodies will be atrociously but not unidentifiably
mutilated, to further enrage the public," he added placidly. "If I get
out of this carnate, I'm going to pay somebody off for it."

After a few minutes, there was more shouting of: "Assassins' Truce!"
from the descent tube. The two Assassins, Erarno and Kirzol, emerged,
dragging the gamekeeper, Tarnod, between them. The upper-servant's
face was bloody, and his jaw seemed to be broken. Sarnax followed,
carrying a long hunting pistol in his hand.

"Here he is!" he announced. "He fired during Assassins' Truce; he's
subject to Assassins' Justice