“But an ingenious person could flood the little worlds by ordering the liquid supply to pour into it until it was completely filled or its inhabitants had been drowned.”
“That may be true,” Alice said, “but how could the Snark shut the doors to the worlds? And how could he see what was going on in the worlds when the flooding began? The Computer had commands to open the door only to authorized codewords, and it would not transmit pictures or any communications except as ordered by the tenants. No one could override those.”
“But they could be bypassed by various means. The Snark made cameras in the worlds he had gotten into via the recording-spheres, flew the cameras to the ceilings, probably at night, and attached them there. You see, the Computer had orders not to transmit wave frequencies through the-circuits of the walls except through certain channels, but the Computer interpreted those orders literally. It did have orders to transmit the frequencies through the wall circuits to the converters and the computer auxiliary and communication devices. It did not distinguish between those computers installed and authorized by the Ethicals and any installed later. It would assume that the additions were authorized.”
“But the doors?” Alice said.
“The Snark sealed the exterior of the door with a substance that hardened and so resisted the operating mechanisms of the doors, which open outward.”
That meant that the Snark had sealed the doors while Alice’s party was going on. The Snark had killed himself or herself, had been resurrected in an apartment, and then had flown in a chair to the central area and applied the substance to the exit doors of two of the worlds. Then the Snark had ordered the liquid supply to convert to bourbon and gin and started the deluging. After which, the Snark had committed suicide, been resurrected in an apartment, and returned to Alice’s place as a guest. There the Snark had waited until the androids had started their predetermined attack. During the battle, the Snark had made sure that he was not harmed by the androids. His or her plans had not been completely successful, but the Snark was not dismayed. There would be other opportunities.
Li Po said, “Ah! Only those at the party could be suspects! So … Gull or Star Spoon!”
“Not necessarily,” Frigate said. “The Snark could be someone else, if that someone had had an opportunity to get into the worlds. It would have to be one of those raised, someone we know or ought to know. It could be many people. After all, we haven’t seen all the bodies in Turpin’s or Netley’s … my … world. We should find out if anyone is missing from there.”
“First, we put Gull and Star Spoon through the grinder,” Burton said.
If one of them was so infernally clever, he thought, wouldn’t he or she have anticipated that one of the others might be Sherlock Holmes enough to narrow the suspects to two?
If that was so, the Snark would know that his or her identity would soon be revealed.
Li Po, as if he had been reading Burton’s thoughts said, “That accounts for the beamer on the table? You’ll be ready for the Snark?”
“Yes. If one of them walks through the doorway with a weapon in hand, I won’t be caught surprised.”
“It seems to me,” Alice said, “that they … one of them … could kill himself … or herself … and be resurrected elsewhere. What’s to keep the Snark from coming through there?” She pointed at the open door to the corridor.
“Ah, that,” Burton said. “Well, you see, I copied the killer’s modus operandi. Very early this morning, I sealed Gull’s and Star Spoon’s doors.”
Burton did not have to tell them what would happen. The guilty one would be unable to get out, and it would not be long before he or she knew why. The only escape was the route the Snark had often taken. Commit suicide and be resurrected elsewhere.
“What if the Snark pretends innocence and asks us to let him out?” Frigate said.
“We won’t let either out. Sooner or later, the Snark will leave.”