Free Down in The Bottomlands by L. Sprague de Camp, Harry Turtledove Page B

don't. This I'll tell you: the Morgaffos seem to think it would work."
    Peggol vez Menk cleared his throat. "The Hereditary Tyrant discourages research in this area, lest any positive answers fall into the wrong hands. Thus our studies have been limited. I gather, however, that such a result might be obtained."
    "The freeman's colleagues radiophoned a geologist known to be reliable," Liem amplified. "They put to him some of what was on the microprint reader, as a theoretical exercise. When they were through, he sounded ready to wet his robes."
    "I don't blame him." Radnal looked toward the Barrier Mountains, too. What had Moblay said? A wave as high as the Lion God's mane . If the mountains fell at once, the wave might reach Krepalga before it halted. The deaths, the devastation, would be incalculable. His voice shook as he asked, "What do we do about it?"
    "Good question," Peggol said, astringent as usual. "We don't know whether it's really there, who planted it if it is, where it is, or if it's ready. Other than that, we're fine."
    * * *
    Liem's voice turned savage: "I wish all the tourists were Tarteshans. Then we could question them as thoroughly as we needed, until we got truth from them."
    Thoroughly , Radnal knew, was a euphemism for harshly . Tarteshan justice was more pragmatic than merciful, so much so that applying it to foreigners would strain diplomatic relations and might provoke war. The tour guide said, "We couldn't even be properly thorough with our own people, not when one of them is Toglo zev Pamdal."
    "I'd forgotten." Liem made a face. "But you can't suspect her . Why would the Hereditary Tyrant's relative want to destroy the country he's Hereditary Tyrant of? It makes no sense."
    "I don't suspect her," Radnal said. "I meant we'll have to use our heads here; we can't rely on brute force."
    "I suspect everyone," Peggol vez Menk said, matter-of-factly as if he'd said, It's hot tonight . "For that matter, I also suspect the information we found among Dokhnor's effects. It might have been planted there to provoke us to question several foreign tourists thoroughly and embroil us with their governments. Morgaffo duplicity knows no bounds."
    "As may be, freeman, but dare we take the chance that this is duplicity, not real danger?" Liem said.
    "If you mean, dare we ignore the danger? —of course not," Peggol said. "But it might be duplicity."
    "Would the Morgaffos kill one of their own agents to mislead us?" Radnal asked. "If Dokhnor were alive, we'd have no idea this plot was afoot."
    "They might, precisely because they'd expect us to doubt they were so coldhearted," Peggol answered. Radnal thought the Eye and Ear would suspect someone of stealing the sun if a morning dawned cloudy. That was what Eyes and Ears were for, but it made Peggol an uncomfortable companion.
    "Since we can't question the tourists thoroughly, what shall we do tomorrow?" Radnal said.
    "Go on as we have been," Peggol replied unhappily. "If any of them makes the slightest slip, that will justify our using appropriate persuasive measures." Not even a man who sometimes used torture in his work was easy saying the word out loud.
    "I can see one problem coming soon, freeman vez Menk—" Radnal said.
    "Call me Peggol vez," the Eye and Ear interrupted. "We're in this mess together; we might as well treat each other as friends. I'm sorry—go ahead."
    "Sooner or later, Peggol vez, the tour group will want to go west, toward the Barrier Mountains—and toward the fault line where this starbomb may be. If it requires some finishing touches, that will give whoever is supposed to handle them his best chance. If it is someone in the tour group, of course."
    "When were you thinking of doing this?" If he'd sounded unhappy before, he was lugubrious now.
    Radnal didn't cheer him up: "The western swing was on the itinerary for tomorrow. I could change it, but—"
    "But that would warn the culprit—if there is a culprit—we know what's going on. Yes." Peggol