“I see.” Duke Harald let his voice go heavy with sarcasm. “You suspect me, then, of engineering this curious, this pointless business? But why? I am at a loss to know what mysteries are hidden here—here, in a center of learning—that the tenuous connection of a broken spy instrument and a vanished and half-mythical Arkadian should lead to such a fanciful conclusion!”
“Your grace,” said Master Elwyn with a reminiscent smile, “in my youth I studied the history of the semantic dark ages of Terra. Your little speech recalls those studies to my mind.”
“Very well,” said Duke Harald. “I have already denied knowledge of this Sonotec. But you, it seems, suspect me in some fashion. Will you, then, enlarge upon your suspicions? I,” pointedly, “am not a telepath.”
“Nor, in this connection,” Master Elwyn said with some asperity, “need I be. If, that is, you are implying that I might have broken the Prime Rule. Let me, then, remind you that there is, at least on Terra, such a thing as a rigorous psychologic science. My suspicion, as you call it, is not based on guesswork—nor on illegal use of esper skills—but on psychomathematical analysis.
“But,” as Duke Harald moved in his chair as though to protest, “let that pass. Without intending any derogation, I’ll not puzzle you with details—save that the P-matrix now includes such matters as the present situation in the galaxy, the interacting roles of Arkady and Terra, and the part that you can play. I note that you are cognizant of some of this. You would not otherwise be wearing uni-form.” And the old adept pointed to Duke Harald’s court tunic.
With an effort the Arkadian kept his face expressionless; he did not trust himself to speak. How, he wondered, could he have thus forgotten that the Terrans were the galaxy’s first masters of psychology? But he had forgotten—and black failure loomed before him like the fall of night. Unless… but Master Elwyn was speaking still.
“This Sonotec—and the vanishing man from Arkady—were but the latest factors to be added to the matrix. It is not complete as yet; more data are required; still, a partial solution could be found.”
“And that concerns me—how?” Duke Harald’s face was rigidly impassive. Knowing the old man’s passion for meticulous detail, he wondered tensely just how “partial” the solution would turn out to be. Probably a fully outlined plan of action, to any other eyes.
Master Elwyn’s bright old eyes seemed to film over briefly; for a moment his gaze focused on the empty air beyond Duke Harald’s shoulder. Then:
“How does it concern you? Why, in this way—at least for the immediate present. You are invited—urged—to enjoy the hospitality of the Institute. To that end, a suite of rooms has been prepared for you in Alpha Residence. Your personal belongings are on their way there now.”