"I didn't mean overseas, dear," Her Majesty said. "Sir Kenneth, please explain to these people." The Palace, Malone knew, was more properly known as the Golden Palace. It was right in Las Vegas--convenient to all sources of money. As a matter of fact, it was one of the biggest gambling houses along the Las Vegas strip, a veritable chaos of wheels, cards, dice, chips and other such devices. Malone explained all this to the others, wondering meanwhile why Miss Thompson wanted to go there. "Not Miss Thompson, _please_, Sir Kenneth," Her Majesty said. "Not Miss Thompson what?" Boyd said. "What's going on anyhow?" "She's reading my mind," Malone said. "Well, then," Boyd snapped, "tell her to keep it to herself." The car started up again with a roar and Malone and the others were thrown around again, this time toward the back. There was a chorus of groans and squeals, and they were on their way once more. "To reply to your question, Sir Kenneth," the Queen said. Lady Barbara said, with some composure: "What question--Your Majesty?" The Queen nodded regally at her. "Sir Kenneth was wondering why I wished to go to the Golden Palace," she said. "And my reply is this: it is none of your business why I want to go there. After all, is my word law, or isn't it?" There didn't seem to be a good enough answer to that, Malone thought sadly. He kept quiet and was relieved to note that the others did the same. However, after a second he thought of something else. "Your Majesty," he began carefully, "we've got to go to Yucca Flats tomorrow. Remember?" "Certainly," the Queen said. "My memory is quite good, thank you. But that is tomorrow morning. We have the rest of the night left. It's only a little after nine, you know." "Heavens," Barbara said. "Is it that late?" "It's even later," Boyd said sourly. "It's much later than you think." "And it's getting later all the time," Malone added. "Pretty soon the sun will go out and all life on earth will end. Won't that be nice and peaceful?" "I'm looking forward to it," Boyd said. "I'm not," Barbara said. "But I've got to get some sleep tonight, if I'm going to be any good at all tomorrow." _You're pretty good right now_, Malone thought, but he didn't say a word. He felt the Queen's eye on him but didn't turn around. After all, she was on his side--wasn't she? At any rate, she didn't say anything. "Perhaps it would be best," Barbara said, "if you and I--Your Majesty--just went home and rested up. Some other time, then, when there's nothing vital to do, we could--" "No," the Queen said. "We couldn't. Really, Lady Barbara, how often will I have to remind you of the duties you owe your sovereign--not the least of which is obedience, as dear old Ben used to say." "Ben?" Malone said, and immediately wished he hadn't.