I went on, toured the laundry and inspected pantries large and small and caught a whiff of stables. The palace was asleep; few of its occupants noticed me, and those who did hung back, silent. It looked as if the Great Owner had given orders to let me roam freely. Somehow I didn't find that comforting. Then I came into a purple-vaulted hall and saw a squad of guards, the same six who'd kept me such close company earlier in the day. They were drawn up at parade rest, three on each side of a massive ivory door. Somebody lived in safety and splendor on the other side. Six sets of hard eyes turned my way. It was too late to duck back out of sight. I trotted up to the first of the row of guards. "Say, fella," I stage-whispered, "where's the ah--you know." "Every bed chamber is equipped," he said gruffly, raising his sword and fingering its tip lovingly. "Yeah? I never noticed." I moved off, looking chastened. If they thought I was a kewpie, so much the better. I was a mouse in cat country here and I wasn't ready to fake a _meow_--not yet. On the ground floor I found Torbu and his cohort quartered in a barrack-room off the main entry hall. "We're still in enemy territory," I reminded Torbu. "I want every man ready." "No fear, boss," said Torbu. "All my bullies got an eye on the door and a hand on a knife-hilt." "Have you seen or heard anything useful?" "Naw. These local dullards fall dumb at the first query." "Keep your ears cocked. I want at least two men awake and on the alert all night." "You bet, noble Drgon." I judged distances carefully as I went back up the two flights to my own room. Inside I dropped into a brocaded easy chair and tried to add up what I'd seen. First: Ommodurad's apartment, as nearly as I could judge, was directly over my own, two floors up. That was a break--or maybe I was where I was for easier surveillance. I'd skip that angle, I decided. It tended to discourage me and I needed all the enthusiasm I could generate. Second: I wasn't going to learn anything useful trotting around corridors. Ommodurad wasn't the kind to leave traces of skullduggery lying around where the guests would see them. And third: I should have known better than to hit this fortress with two squads and a .38 in the first place. Foster was here; Qohey had said so and the Great Owner's reaction to my mention of him confirmed it. What was it about Foster, anyway, that made him so interesting to these Top People? I'd have to ask him that one when I found him. But to do that I'd have to leave the beaten track.