Evelyn's hands knotted unconsciously. She forced her body to relax, but her mind was racing. This introduced another variable to be controlled in her plan for destruction. She _must_ make it a known quantity. "Did your father send it to you?" she asked. "The day before you arrived here. It had been en route for months, of course." "What did he say about it?" "He said, 'Your widow and son send greetings. Be of good cheer, and accept our love.' What nonsense! He knows very well I'm not married and that--well, if I have ever fathered any children, I don't know about them." "Is that all he said?" "That's all, except that he included this ring." He pulled one of the duplicate jewels from his right middle finger and tossed it to her. "It's identical to the one he had made for me when I entered on my majority. For a long time it was thought that it was the only stone of its kind on all the planets of the Tharn suns, a mineralogical freak, but I guess he found another. But why should I want two of them?" Evelyn crossed the room and returned the ring. "Existence is so full of mysteries, isn't it?" murmured Perat. "Sometimes it seems unfortunate that we must pass through a sentient phase on our way to death. This foolish, foolish war. Maybe the old count was right." "You could be courtmartialed for that." "Speaking of courtmartials, I've got to attend one tonight--an appeal from a death sentence." He arose, smoothed his hair and clothes, and poured another glass of _terif_. "Some fool inquisitor can't show proper disposition of a woman prisoner." Evelyn's heart skipped a beat. "Indeed?" "The wretch insists that he could remember if we would just let him alone. I suppose he took a bribe. You'll find one now and then who tries for a little extra profit." She must absolutely not be seen by the condemned inquisitor. The stimulus would almost certainly make him remember. "I'll wait for you," she said indifferently, thrusting her arms out in a languorous yawn. "Very well." Perat stepped to the door, then turned and looked back at her. "On the other hand, I may need a clerk. It's way after hours, and the others have gone." Beneath a gesture of wry protest, she swallowed rapidly. "Perhaps you'd better come," insisted Perat. She stood up, unloosed her waist-purse, checked its contents swiftly, and then followed him out. This might be a very close thing. From the purse she took a bottle of perfume and rubbed her ear lobes casually. "Odd smell," commented Perat, wrinkling his nose.