"I demand to be present at the interview," cried Arvardan, nearly incoherent with fury, "and I further demand the reason for your allowing me to rot under guard here for hours while you closet yourself with a native traitor. I tell you that I am not ignorant that you interviewed him before speaking with me."
"Are you making any accusations, sir?" demanded the colonel, his own voice ascending the scale. "If so, make them plainly."
"I make no accusations. But I will remind you that you will be accountable for your actions hereafter, and that you may well be known in the future, if you have a future, as the destroyer, by your stubbornness, of your people."
"Silence! I am not accountable to you, at any rate. We will conduct affairs, henceforward, as I choose. Do you understand?"
20. The Deadline That Was Reached
The Secretary passed through the door held open by a soldier. On his purpling, swollen lips there was a brief, cold smile. He bowed to the colonel and remained completely unaware, to all appearances, of the presence of Arvardan.
"Sir," said the colonel to the Earthman, "I have communicated to the High Minister the details of your presence here and the manner in which it came about. Your detention here is, of course, entirely-uh-unorthodox, and it is my purpose to set you free as soon as I can. However, I have here a gentleman who, as you probably know, has lodged against you a very serious accusation; one which, under the circumstances, we must investigate-"
"I understand, Colonel," said the Secretary calmly. "However, as I have already explained to you, this man has been on Earth, I believe, only a matter of two months or so, so that his knowledge of our internal politics is nonexistent. This is a flimsy basis, indeed, for any accusation."
Arvardan retorted in anger, "I am an archaeologist by profession, and one who has specialized of late on Earth and its customs. My knowledge of its politics is far from nonexistent. And in any case, I am not the only one who makes the accusation."
The Secretary did not look at the archaeologist either now or later. He spoke exclusively to the colonel. He said, "One of our local scientists is involved in this; one who, approaching the end of his normal sixty years, is suffering from delusions of persecution. Then, in addition, there is another man, one of unknown antecedents and a history of idiocy. All three could not raise a respectable accusation among them."
Arvardan jumped to his feet. "I demand to be heard-"
"Sit down," said the colonel coldly and unsympathetically. "You have refused to discuss the matter with me. Let the refusal stand. Bring in the man with the flag of truce."
It was another member of the Society of Ancients. Scarcely a flicker of the eyelid betrayed any emotion on his part at the sight of the Secretary. The colonel rose from his chair and said, "Do you speak for the men outside?"
"I do, sir."
"I assume, then, that this riotous and illegal assembly is based upon a demand for the return of your fellow countryman here?"
"Yes, sir. He must be immediately freed."
"Indeed! Nevertheless, the interest of law and order and the respect due His Imperial Majesty's representatives on this world require that the matter cannot possibly be discussed while men are gathered in armed rebellion against us. You must have your men disperse."
The Secretary spoke up pleasantly. "The colonel is perfectly correct, Brother Cori. Please calm the situation. I am perfectly safe here, and there is no danger-for anybody. Do you understand? For anybody. It is my word as an Ancient."
"Very well, Brother. I am thankful you are safe."
He was ushered out.
The colonel said curtly, "We will see that you leave here safely as soon as matters in the city have returned to normal. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter just concluded."
Arvardan was again on his feet. "I forbid it. You will let loose this would-be murderer of the human race while forbidding me an interview with the Procurator when that would be simply in accord with my rights as a Galactic citizen." Then, in a paroxysm of frustration, "Will you show more consideration to an Barthman dog than you will to me?"
The Secretary's voice sounded over that last near-incoherent rage. "Colonel, I will gladly remain until such time as my case is heard by the Procurator, if that is what this man wants. An accusation of treason is serious, and the suspicion of it-however farfetched-may be sufficient to ruin my usefulness to my people. I would really appreciate the opportunity to prove to the Procurator that none is more loyal to the Empire than myself."
The colonel said stiffly, "I admire your feelings, sir, and freely admit that were I in your place my attitude would be quite different. You are a credit to your race, sir. I will attempt contact with the Procurator."
Arvardan said nothing more until led back to his cell.
He avoided the glance of the others. For a long time he sat motionless, with a knuckle pinched between gnawing teeth.
Until Shekt said, "Well?"
Arvardan shook his head. "I just about ruined everything."
"What did you do?"
"Lost my temper; offended the colonel; got nowhere-I'm no diplomat, Shekt."
He felt riven with the sudden urge for self-defense. "What could I do?" he cried. "Balkis had already been to the colonel, so that I couldn't trust him. What if he'd been offered his life? What if he's been in on the plot all along? I know it's a wild thought, but I couldn't take the chance. It was too suspicious. I wanted to see Ennius himself."
The physicist was on his feet, withered hands clasped behind his back. "Well, then-is Ennius coming?"