"You were followed from the palace by Jomis Dobigel, who saw you put the necklace into the baggage locker. There are several other witnesses to that." Drake leaned forward. "Let me point out, my Lord Prosecutor, that the only evidence you have that I was anywhere near the palace is the word of Jomis Dobigel. And he didn't see me _inside_ the palace. I was outside the wall." The Prosecutor shrugged. "We admit the possibility of an assistant inside the walls of the palace," he said. "We are investigating that now. But even if we never find your accomplice, we have proof that you were implicated, and that is enough." "What proof do you have?" Drake asked blandly. "Why, the necklace itself, of course!" The Prosecutor looked as though he suspected Drake of having taken leave of his senses. Drake shook his head. "That necklace is mine. I can prove it. It was made for me by a respectable jeweler on Seladon II. It's a very good imitation, but it's a phoney. They aren't diamonds; they're simply well-cut crystals of titanium dioxide. Check them if you don't believe me." The Lord Prosecutor looked dumbfounded. "But--what--why--" Drake looked sad. "I brought it to give to my good friend, the Noble Belgezad. Of course it would be a gross insult to wear them at the Shan's Coronation, but he could wear them at other functions. "And how does my good friend repay me? By having me arrested. My Lord Prosecutor, I am a wronged man." The Prosecutor swallowed heavily and stood up. "The necklace has, naturally, been impounded by the police. I shall have the stones tested." "You'll find they're phonies," Drake said. "And that means one of two things. Either they are not the ones stolen from Belgezad or else Belgezad has mortally insulted his Shan by wearing false jewels to the Coronation." "Well! We shall see about this!" said the Lord Prosecutor. * * * * * Anson Drake, free as a lark, was packing his clothes in his hotel room when the announcer chimed. He punched the TV pickup and grinned. It was the girl. When the door slid aside, she came in, smiling. "You got away with it, Drake! Wonderful! I don't know how you did it, but--" "Did what?" Drake looked innocent. "Get away with the necklace, of course! I don't know how it happened that Dobigel was there, but--" "But, but, but," Drake said, smiling. "You don't seem to know very much at all, do you?" "Wha--what do you mean?" Drake put his last article of clothing in his suitcase and snapped it shut. "I'll probably be searched pretty thoroughly when I get to the spaceport," he said coolly, "but they won't find anything on an innocent man." "Where is the necklace?" she asked in a throaty voice. Drake pretended not to hear her. "It's a funny thing," he said. "Old Belgezad would never let the necklace out of his hands except to get me. He thought he'd get it back by making sure I was followed. But he made two mistakes."