"This, Excellency, is an unusual problem. A sizable tribute payment has disappeared without trace. The empty bags were left, and the culprit has----" "Enough!" The Baron waved a hand impatiently, then adjusted his golden coronet to a more comfortable angle. For an instant, his fingers played with the ornamental bosses. "Yes, yes, I see," he snapped. "You can spare me your mumbled details. This man is the officer of the guard?" "Yes, Excellency." The steward motioned Gerda forward. Bel Menstal looked sternly at his officer. "Where did you hide your loot?" he demanded. Gerda looked incredulously at his master. He had stolen nothing. As far as he knew, he had done nothing wrong. But he seemed to be condemned in advance. Something was insistently pressing on his brain, demanding a confession. He had nothing to confess, but the demanding pressure remained. He struggled against it, and it grew. _Admit it. How did you do it? Where is the money?_ The pressure became a tearing force. Gerda swayed weakly. "I don't know what happened," he insisted. "I told----" The words stopped as the force became almost unbearably intense. A sudden, sharp pain tore at Gerda's throat, and blinding light seemed to strike back of his eyes. Through the glare, he dimly saw the Baron raise a hand threateningly. "You claim to have no idea at all how the money was taken, or which of your men may have been the thief? This is not a sensible attitude." _You know something. You must know something. Tell it!_ Gerda shook his head miserably, entirely unable to speak. Somehow, nothing was clear. He remembered that something had gone wrong. Somehow, he had failed his duty. But how? The room was hazy. Snatches of his last tour of duty rose to his consciousness, then were abruptly blotted out--gone. The faces of his clerk and of the men-at-arms came out of the haze for an instant. Then, they, too, were gone. The room seemed to spin and an irresistible force bore him to the floor. As he slowly was pressed downward, he wondered who he was--why he was here--what had happened. Then, the floor came at him with blinding speed and he ceased to wonder. The haze about him scintillated and became impenetrable darkness. The Baron looked down at the crumpled form. "Take this man away, Weron," he ordered. "He knew nothing." He stroked his hair. "When he recovers, assign him to some unimportant duty in the castle. Something, of course, that will demand little thought or spirit." "And the others, Excellency?" "Oh, bring them in, one at a time. One of them managed to make a complete fool of his officer, of course. But I'll find him." Bel Menstal waved his hand in dismissal, then leaned back in his chair, watching as his steward directed a pair of men-at-arms. They carried the limp form from the room. * * * * * "There. That'll pick up any power radiation from the castle." Konar straightened, looking at the small panel.