THE STORE AT UMVELOS' I sat down on a chair and laboured to collect my thoughts.

Laputa had gone, and would return sooner or later with Henriques.

If I was to remain alive till morning, both of them must be convinced that I was harmless.

Laputa was probably of that opinion, but Henriques would recognize me, and I had no wish to have that yellow miscreant investigating my character.

There was only one way out of it--I must be incapably drunk.