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appears
that you work daily with these exercises, during your instruction of
the apprentices. In short, you have practiced these exercises
intensively, and the contest thereby is not a fair one.”
    “You selected
the exercises yourself.”
    “Possibly
true. It was nevertheless` your duty to inform us of your familiarity
with the matter.”
    “In sheer
point of fact,” said Sklar Hast, “I am not familiar with
the exercises and had not winked them since I was an apprentice
myself.”
    Semm Voiderveg
shook his head. “I find this impossible to believe. I, for one,
refuse to validate the results of this so-called contest, and I
believe that Arbiter Myrex feels much the same disgust and
indignation as I do myself.”
    Zander Rohan had
the grace to croak a protest. “Let the results stand. I cannot
explain away the score.”
    “By no means!”
exclaimed Semm Voiderveg. “A Master Hoodwink must be a man of
utter probity. Do we wish in this august position one who—“
    Sklar Hast said in
a gentle voice, “Be careful of your words, Intercessor. The
penalties for slander are strict, as Arbiter Myrex can inform you.”
    “Slander
exists if truth is absent or malice is the motivation. I am concerned
only for the well-being of Tranque Float, and the conservation of
traditional morality. Is it slander; then, if I denounce you as a
near-approach to a common cheat?”
    Sklar Hast took a
slow step forward, but Rubal Gallager, took his arm. Sklar Hast
turned to Arbiter Myrex. “And what do you say to all this, you
who are Arbiter?”
    Ixon Myrex’s
forehead was damp. “Perhaps we should have used other texts for
the test. Even though you had no hand in the selection?”
    To the side stood
two or three members of the Belrod clan, deep-divers for stalk and
withe, of the Advertiserman caste, generally prone to a rude and
surly vulgarity.
    Now Poe Belrod, the
Caste Elder, a squat, large-featured man, slapped his hand to his
thigh in indignation.
    “Surely,
Arbiter Myrex, you cannot subscribe to, a position so obviously
arbitrary and contrived? Remember, you are elected to decide issues
on the basis of justice and not orthodoxy!”
    Ixon Myrex Hew into
a rage. “Do you question my integrity? An abuse was brought to
my attention by the Intercessor; it seems a real if unfortunate
objection, and I declare the test invalid. Zander Rohan remains
Master Hoodwink.”
    Sklar Hast started
to speak, but now there was a cry from outside the shed: “The
kragen has returned! The kragen swims in the lagoon!”

Chapter 3
    Sklar Hast pushed
outside, went at a run to the lagoon, followed by all those who had
witnessed the test.
    Floating in the
center of the lagoon was the black hulk of the kragen, vanes
restlessly swirling the water. For a moment the forward looking eyes
surveyed the crowd on the main float; then it surged slowly forward,
mandibles clicking with a significant emphasis. Whether or not it
recognized Sklar Hast was uncertain; nevertheless it swam toward
where he stood, then suddenly gave a great thrust of the vanes,
plunged full speed ahead to throw a wave up over the edge of the pad.
As it struck the edge, it flung out a vane, and the flat end splashed
past Sklar Hast’s chest. He staggered back in surprise and shock, to
trip on a shrub and fall.
    From nearby came
Semm Voiderveg’s chuckle. “Is this the kragen you spoke so
confidently of killing?”
    Sklar Hast regained
his feet and stood looking silently at the kragen. Starlight glinted
from the oily black back as if it were covered with satin. It swung
to the side and began plucking with great energy at a set of
convenient sponge arbors, which, as luck would have it, were the
property of the Belrods, and Poe Belrod called out a series of bitter
curses.
    Sklar Hast looked
about him. At least a hundred folk of Tranque Float stood nearby.
Sklar Hast pointed. “The vile beast of the sea plunders us. I
say we should kill it, and all other kragen who seek to devour