blamed
the disorders on their opponents. The Volitionalists spoke of the
Statisticalists as "insane criminals" and "underminers of social
stability," and the Statisticalists called the Volitionalists
"reactionary criminals" and "enemies of social progress." Politicians,
he had observed, differed little in their vocabularies from one
time-line to another.

This kept up all the while the ship was passing over the Caspian Sea;
as they were turning up the Volga valley, one of the ship's officers
came down from the control deck, above.

"We're coming into Darsh, now," he said, and as Verkan Vall turned
from the visiplate to the forward windows, he could see the white and
pastel-tinted towers of the city rising above the hardwood forests
that covered the whole Volga basin on this sector. "Your luggage has
been put into the airboat, Lord Virzal and Honorable Assassins, and
it's ready for launching whenever you are." The officer glanced at his
watch. "We dock at Commercial Center in twenty minutes; we'll be
passing the Solar Hotel in ten."

They all rose, and Verkan Vall hooked fingers and clapped shoulders
with Zortan Brend.

"Good luck, Lord Virzal," the latter said. "I hope you find the Lady
Dallona safe and carnate. If you need help, I'll be at Mercantile
House for the next day or so; if you get back to Ghamma before I do,
you know who to ask for there."

* * * * *

A number of assassins loitered in the hallways and offices of the
Independent Institute of Reincarnation Research when Verkan Vall,
accompanied by Marnik, called there that afternoon. Some of them
carried submachine-guns or sleep-gas projectors, and they were
stopping people and questioning them. Marnik needed only to give them
a quick gesture and the words, "Assassins' Truce," and he and his
client were allowed to pass. They entered a lifter tube and floated up
to the office of Dr. Harnosh of Hosh, with whom Verkan Vall had made
an appointment.

"I'm sorry, Lord Virzal," the director of the Institute told him, "but
I have no idea what has befallen the Lady Dallona, or even if she is
still carnate. I am quite worried; I admired her extremely, both as an
individual and as a scientist. I do hope she hasn't been discarnated;
that would be a serious blow to science. It is fortunate that she
accomplished as much as she did, while she was with us."

"You think she is no longer carnate, then?"

"I'm afraid so. The political e