't run an investigative agency," he said with
a smile, "so I don't know everything that's going on. But I've heard
there've been lights on up there nearly every night. And they've had
crowds of people around the place. Not so much activity the last couple
of days, though. They're just watching."

"I see," Don nodded. "Wonder if they've found what they were looking
for?"

The other shook his head, "Doubt it," he said. "If they had, they'd
relax. Now that I know what it's all about, I can figure out what I've
heard. They'll take off the watch as soon as they find that book, I
think.

"Oh, of course, they still want you," he added. "And they'd like to get
their hands on the Waernu. But they wouldn't be frantic about it if
they weren't worried about the outcome of a conclave."

"No," agreed Don. "I guess they wouldn't, at that."

He stretched. "Well, guess I'd better get on my way. I've got to get
into that house somehow. Think I'll take a wander out there and see if
I can get some ideas."

The merchant put up a detaining hand. "Take it slow," he advised. "You
can't go up there tonight."

"Oh?"

"No. It wouldn't be wise at all. There are a bunch of young fellows
that have been hanging around there lately. It isn't safe to walk
around that neighborhood. They've beaten five or six people pretty
badly. And they've killed a couple." Korentona paused.

"Funny," he added. "The police don't seem to be so upset about that."

"They wouldn't be," Don told him.

"So you think I'd better wait till morning?"

"It'll be a lot better. I can give you a place to stay tonight. And my
house isn't too far from the Waern place, so you can get over there in
a hurry if you want to." Korentona paused.

"Say, how about that fellow, Foree? Are you sure he'll keep quiet?"

Don smiled. "Pretty certain. Of course, I don't know whether an effort
to talk would actually kill him. But he'd be pretty uncomfortable for a
while. Might even come up with shock amnesia." The smile broadened.

"He may have already done enough careless thinking by this time to make
him pretty sick." He regarded Korentona thoughtfully.

"You say there's a gang of young fellows hanging around the Waern
neighborhood?"

The merchant nodded. "Quite a few of them, I think. People living
around there don't spend any time on the street or in the park, you can
be sure of that."

"I see." Don nodded slowly. "That way, it's a lot easier to watch the
Waern place at nig