ed 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 the cufflinks in his shirt with great care. They were great
stones, and Malone thought that they gave his costume that necessary
Elizabethan flair.

Not that he was wearing the costumes of the Queen's Court now.
Instead, he was dressed in a tailor-proud suit of dark blue, a white-
on-white shirt and no tie. He selected one of a gorgeous peacock
pattern from his closet rack.

Boyd yawned at him from the bed in the room they were sharing.
"Stepping out?" he said.

"I am," Malone said with restraint. He whipped the tie round his neck
and drew it under the collar.

"Anybody I know?"

"I am meeting Lady Barbara, if you wish to know," Malone said.

"My God," Boyd said. "Come down. Relax. Anyhow, I've got a question
for you. There was one little thing Her Everlovin' Majesty didn't
explain."

"Yes?" said Malone.

"Well, about those hoods who tried to gun us down," Boyd said. "Who
hired 'em? And why?"

"Dowson," Malone said. "He wanted to kill us off, and then kidnap
Logan from the hotel room. But we foiled his plan--by killing his
hoods. By the time he could work up something else, we were on our way
to Yucca Flats."

"Great," Boyd said. "And how did you find out this startling piece of
information? There haven't been any reports in from Las Vegas, have
there?"

"No," Malone said.

"Okay," Boyd said. "I give up, Mastermind."

Malone wished Boyd would stop using that nickname. The fact was--as
he, and apparently nobody else, was willing to recognize--