aid. "I ... peeked inside
his mind. He's very ill."

"Ill?" Lady Barbara asked.

"Oh, yes," the Queen said. The trace of a smile appeared on her face.
"He thinks that all the patients in the hospital can see inside his
mind."

"Oh, my," Lady Barbara said--and began to laugh. It was the nicest sound
Malone had ever heard.

"Forget Harman," Burris snapped. "What about this spy ring? How was
Logan getting his information out?"

"I've already taken care of that," Malone said. "I had Desert Edge
Sanitarium surrounded as soon as I knew what the score was." He looked
at one of the agents holding Logan.

"They ought to be in the Las Vegas jail within half an hour," the agent
said in confirmation.

"Dr. Dowson was in on it, wasn't he, Your Majesty?" Malone said.

"Certainly," the Queen said. Her eyes were suddenly very cold. "I hope
he tries to escape. I hope he tries it."

Malone knew just how she felt.

One of the psychiatrists spoke up suddenly. "I don't understand it," he
said. "Logan is completely catatonic. Even if he could read minds, how
could he tell Dowson what he'd read? It doesn't make sense."

"In the first place," the Queen said patiently, "Willie isn't catatonic.
He's just _busy_, that's all. He's only a boy, and ... well, he doesn't
much like being who he is. So he visits other people's minds, and that
way he becomes _them_ for a while. You see?"

"Vaguely," Malone said. "But how did Dowson get his information? I had
everything worked out but that."

"I know you did," the Queen said, "and I'm proud of you. I intend to
award you with the Order of the Bath for this day's work."

Unaccountably, Malone's chest swelled with pride.

"As for Dr. Dowson," the Queen said, "that traitor ... _hurt_ Willie. If
he's hurt enough, he'll come back." Her eyes weren't hard any more. "He
didn't want to be a spy, really," she said, "but he's just a boy, and it
must have sounded rather exciting. He knew that if he told Dowson
everything he'd found out, they'd let him go--go away again."

There was a long silence.

"Well," Malone said, "that about wraps it up. Any questions?"

He looked around at the men, but before any of them could speak up Her
Majesty rose.

"I'm sure there are questions," she said, "but I'm really very tired. My
lords, you are excused." She extended a hand. "Come, Lady Barbara," she
said. "I think I really may need that nap, now."

* * * * *

Malone put th