Page:The council of seven.djvu/105

 Saul Hartz was a little impressed. "You claim access to the fourth dimension?" he asked, rather naïvely.

"It will be more immediately profitable, I think, if, for the moment, we keep strictly within the scope of this inquiry. You are troubled by the murder of Garland. I use the word 'murder' advisedly. You would like to ask why? But let us pass on to its bearing upon your own affairs. Why, Mr. Hartz, are you troubled by this man Garland's end? I hope you'll agree that it was richly deserved."

"An arch-blackguard, certainly."

"And therefore his fate was merited?"

"Ye-es. Perhaps. But I don't hold with murder."

As Saul Hartz spoke, a pair of vivid eyes completely absorbed him. "You don't hold with murder?" The sensitive lips had a slight curl of scorn.

"No, sir, I do not." The emphasis of the Colossus amounted almost to indignation. "But why take it for granted that Garland was murdered?"

"Beyond a doubt he was murdered."

Proofs were asked for.

"He was warned by the Council of Seven," said Wygram.

Hartz gazed intently at the man on the ground. "So you know about the Council of Seven?" In spite of himself he could not keep an odd tremor out of his voice.

"Oh, yes," said Wygram. "Perhaps I know as much