"It's a pity we have no jewels for all our trouble," said the Priestess. "But at least all three are back in Aptor, and potentially within our grasp." Jordde laughed. "And Hama never seems to be able to keep hold of them for more then ten minutes before they slip from him again." "Yours is not to judge either Hama or Argo," stated the Priestess. "You are kept on by us only to do your job. Do it, report, and do not trouble either us or yourself with opinions. They are not appreciated." "Yes, mistress," returned Jordde. "Then farewell until next report." She flipped a switch and the picture on the little screen went gray. Geo turned from the big screen now, and was just about to remove the hearing apparatus when he heard the Priestess say, "Go, prepare the prisoners for the sacrifice of the rising moon. They have seen enough." The woman left the room, Geo finished removing the phones, and Iimmi looked at him. "What's the matter?" Geo turned the switch that darkened the screen. "When are they coming to get us?" Iimmi asked excitedly. "Right now, probably," Geo said. Then, as best he could, he repeated the conversation he had overheard to Iimmi, whose expression grew more and more bewildered as Geo went on. At the end the bewilderment suddenly flared into frayed indignation. "Why?" demanded Iimmi. "Why should we be sacrificed? What is it we've seen too much of, what is it we know? This is the second time it's come close to getting me killed, and I wish to hell I knew what I was supposed to know?" "We've got to find Urson and get out of here," said Geo. "Hey, what's wrong?" The indignation had turned into something else. Now Iimmi stood with his eyes shut tight and his face screwed up. Suddenly he relaxed. "I just thought out a message as loud as I could for Snake to get up here and to bring Urson if he's anywhere around." "But Snake's a spy for ..." "... for Hama," said Iimmi. "And you know something? I don't care." He closed his eyes again. After a few moments, he opened them. "Well, if he's coming, he's coming. Let's get going." "But why...?" began Geo, following Iimmi out the door. "Because I have a poet's feeling that some fancy mind reading may come in handy." They hurried down the hall, found the stairs, ducked down, and ran along the lower hall. Rounding a second corner, they emerged into the little chapel simultaneously with Urson and Snake. "I guess I got through," said Iimmi. "Which way do we go?" "Gentlemen, gentlemen," came a voice from behind them. Snake took off down one of the passages, and they followed, Urson looking particularly bewildered. The Priestess glided behind them, calling softly, "Please, my friends, come back. Return with me." "Find out from her how the hell to get out of this place!" Iimmi bawled up to Snake. The four-armed boy suddenly darted up a flight of stairs, turned a corner, and darted up another. They came out on a hall and followed Snake to the end.