"No one said I killed him."
Case did not laugh, but his voice said that if he had not been Case he would have laughed.
"Nevertheless, you must have killed him. For I happen to know that is the only way anyone could get this asteroid. Benton loved it and this side of life he'd never give it up."
"Since you insist, then, I did kill Benton."
Case shook his head, bewildered. "Remarkable," he said. "Remarkable."
"Good night, Mr. Case," said Eva, and then she spoke to Pringle. "No need to trouble you. We will find our way."
"No trouble," Pringle rumbled back. "No trouble at all." And, once again, he was laughing at them.
He jogged lightly up the stairs.
XX
Pringle and Case were wrong. There was something wrong about them. The very fact that they were here, at the lodge, was sinister.