te opened. Within the tunnellike passage through the
wall, two sentries grounded their pikes.

Gerda nodded to his clerk, accepted the account tablet, and followed his
serfs, who still bore the money chest, into the castle.

Inside the main counting room, his bearers set the chest on a large
table. The castle steward came toward them.

"And how were collections?"

"Reasonably good, sir. Seven barges came through during the night, with
good cargoes." Gerda held out the tablet.

The steward looked at it, checking off the entries. "Meron, of
Vandor--Yes, he would have about that. And Borowa? A thousand?" He
nodded thoughtfully. "That seems about right for him." He tapped the
tablet a few times, squinting at the last name on the list. "But who is
this Teron? I never heard of him. Must have had a rich cargo, too."

Gerda laughed shortly. "He's a new one to me. He tried to get away with
a tenth, then protested the valuation. I fined him an extra five
hundred."

"Oho!" The steward smiled thinly. "What then?"

Gerda shook his head. "Oh, he was suddenly so anxious to pay the right
amount, he gave me forty-eight teloa overweight. I'll know him next time
I see him, I'm sure. I marked him well for receipt."

He inspected his knuckles reflectively, then took the key from his belt
and opened the chest.

"You'll want to verify my count, of course?"

"Oh, yes. Yes, to be sure. Have to be certain, you know. And there's
your share of the fine and overpayment to be taken care of." The steward
reached into the chest, removing bags which clinked as they were dropped
to the table. He stopped, to look into the chest with a puzzled
expression on his face.

"And what are these?" He reached in, to withdraw three obviously empty
bags. He looked curiously at the thongs which tied their mouths, then
shook them and looked questioningly at Gerda.

"Why, I ... I don't know." Gerda looked incredulously at the bags.
"Certainly, I had no extra money bags."

"I should think not." The steward frowned, then beckoned behind him. Two
heavily armed guards approached.

"We'll have to examine into this."

As the guards came close to Gerda, the steward looked closely at the
bags on the table, then picked one up, opening it.

"Borowa," he muttered after looking inside and comparing the tally chip
with the count tablet. He weighed the bag in his hand. "Yes, it seems to
be about right. Certainly not overweight." He picked up another, then
still