Free The Dogtown Tourist Agency by Jack Vance

Estevan shook his head. “It is not the nature of the Gomaz to assassinate. He kills for his own private reasons—‘lusts’ might be the applicable word; otherwise, he is neither violent nor murderous, unless he is molested.”
    “You have apparently made a close study of the Gomaz.”
    “Naturally; why else am I here?”
    “The Liss and the Olefract share your interest?”
    Sir Estevan shrugged. “We have little communication between us. Certainly no informal contacts. The Liss are suspicious and hostile; the Olefract are contemptuous and hostile. But still no reason to kill their Triarchs.”
    “And how will they react?”
    “Reasonably enough, or so I imagine. If Dirby is deranged, they’ll accept the killing as an aberrated act.”
    “Assuming that Dirby is indeed the killer.”
    “There’s no other possibility.”
    “Captain Baw was in the chamber.”
    “Ridiculous. Why should he perform such an act?”
    “Why should Gidion Dirby?”
    “Insanity.”
    “Perhaps Baw is insane.”
    “Rubbish.”
    Hetzel indicated a door. “This leads into the Triarchic chamber?”
    “It does.”
    “Your receptionist at all times had the door under observation?”
    “She certainly would have noticed someone standing here shooting at me.”
    “Perhaps someone was hidden in the chamber?”
    “Impossible. I was fifteen minutes early into the chamber. No one was hidden there.”
    “Well, then…what about yourself?”
    Sir Estevan showed his cold smile. “I’d prefer to fix the guilt on Gidion Dirby, or the Gomaz, or even Baw, for that matter.”
    “And the Gomaz—why were they here?”
    “They had no opportunity to explain themselves.”
    “Won’t this assassination cause problems? Raids? Demonstrations?”
    “Probably not. The Gomaz are linked telepathically to the unitary consciousness of their sept, and they are not disturbed by death. This is an element of their ferocity.” Sir Estevan tossed a pamphlet across his desk. “Read this, if you’re interested in the Gomaz.”
    “Thank you.” The pamphlet was entitled
The Gomaz Warriors of SJZ-BEA-1545 (Maz), Prepared by the Hannenborg Institute for Xenological Research
. He inspected the diagram on the cover. “Two hundred and twenty-nine septs. The Gomaz who visited you this morning—what was their sept?”
    “Ubaikh.” Sir Estevan gave his fingers an impatient twitch. “Surely you did not come here to discuss the Gomaz?”
    Hetzel opened his mouth to mention Istagam, then had second thoughts. It might be wise to secure an air-car use permit for reasons other than investigating Istagam. “At the moment, I am preoccupied with Gidion Dirby and his extraordinary plight.”
    “What is so extraordinary about it?”
    “I would like you to hear Gidion Dirby’s story from his own mouth. Could you step over to the Beyranion for a few minutes?”
    “I’d prefer that you give me the gist of it here.”
    “Gidion Dirby declares that he was held captive and subjected to a number of fantastic tricks; you were the chief trickmaster, and terminated the proceedings by turning a chamber pot over his head.”
    Sir Estevan grinned. “I deny this.”
    “You have never seen Gidion Dirby previous to today?”
    “Never, to my knowledge.”
    “Are you familiar with a long corridor with blue-and-white-tile walls and an arched white ceiling?”
    “Certainly. Such a corridor connects the loggia of my residence to the morning room. Why do you ask?”
    “This hall figures in Gidion Dirby’s account, and it tends to authenticate his story.”
    Sir Estevan considered. “If Dirby is innocent, then either I or Captain Baw must be guilty of murder. Or conceivably my secretary, Zaressa, if your imagination can cope with the image of her standing in that doorway and gunning down a Liss, an Olefract, and two Gomaz.”
    “If Dirby is innocent, then you, Captain Baw, Zaressa, or the Gomaz must be guilty. I agree to this.”
    “It would be most tiresome,” said Sir Estevan,