Verkan Vall thought. The figures were moving with exaggerated
slowness, as though a very fleeting picture were being stretched out
as far as possible. Having already memorized his former wife's changed
appearance, Verkan Vall concentrated on the man beside her until the
picture faded.

"All right, Olirzon; what did you get?" he asked.

"Well, first of all, at Assassins' Hall," Olirzon said, rolling up his
left sleeve, holding his bare forearm to the light, and shaving a few
fine hairs from it to test the edge of his knife. "Of course, they
never tell one Assassin anything about the client of another Assassin;
that's standard practice. But I was in the Lodge Secretary's office,
where nobody but Assassins are ever admitted. They have a big panel in
there, with the names of all the Lodge members on it in light-letters;
that's standard in all Lodges. If an Assassin is unattached and free
to accept a client, his name's in white light. If he has a client, the
light's changed to blue, and the name of the client goes up under his.
If his whereabouts are unknown, the light's changed to amber. If he is
discarnated, his name's removed entirely, unless the circumstances of
his discarnation are such as to constitute an injury to the Society.
In that case, the name's in red light until he's been properly
avenged, or, as we say, till his blood's been mopped up. Well, the
name of Dirzed is up in blue light, with the name of Dallona of Hadron
under it. I found out that the light had been amber for two days after
the disappearance, and then had been changed back to blue. Get it,
Lord Virzal?"

Verkan Vall nodded. "I think so. I'd been considering that as a
possibility from the first. Then what?"