"That's just it, Mr. President," Scarf said, his normally ruddy face gray with fear. "I haven't received a 'sitrep' from my agent-in-charge. I did get an interim report from the back-up observer I assigned to track them from the Charnel Pit. According to him, the Ambassador was taken into custody immediately upon leaving the bar. Along the way he resisted and had to be — uh — restrained. Everything looked to be under control, so the observer left to report."
"Tell me precisely what you ordered your agent to do."
"Identify himself as coming from Drummer. Take the Ambassador into custody under the pretext of escorting him to a private meeting with you. While in custody, and without witnesses, Xindral was to be terminated and his body buried in a tunnel. The site was to be returned to its original appearance, and Xindral's possessions brought to me."
"Where is this site located?"
"My agent was to give me the exact location when he delivered the Ambassador's personal effects."
"You mean you don't even know where to start looking? Is that what you're saying?"
"I know the location where they took him down. Well, I got a problem there too; the subsurface junction branches off in several directions."
"Is it possible Xindral overcame his restraints and neutralized your team?"
"Not likely, sir. The observer said he saw sufficient force used against Xindral when he resisted to render him unconscious."
Narval sank back into his chair, head lowered, staring into his lap. Raising his head, he fixed burning eyes on Scarf.