_Stark terror ruled the Inner-Flight ship on that last Mars-Terra
run. For the black-clad Leiters were on the prowl ... and the grim
red planet was not far behind._
"Attention, Inner-Flight ship! Attention! You are ordered to land at the
Control Station on Deimos for inspection. Attention! You are to land at
once!"
The metallic rasp of the speaker echoed through the corridors of the
great ship. The passengers glanced at each other uneasily, murmuring and
peering out the port windows at the small speck below, the dot of rock
that was the Martian checkpoint, Deimos.
"What's up?" an anxious passenger asked one of the pilots, hurrying
through the ship to check the escape lock.
"We have to land. Keep seated." The pilot went on.
"Land? But why?" They all looked at each other. Hovering above the
bulging Inner-Flight ship were three slender Martian pursuit craft,
poised and alert for any emergency. As the Inner-Flight ship prepared to
land the pursuit ships dropped lower, carefully maintaining themselves a
short distance away.
"There's something going on," a woman passenger said nervously. "Lord, I
thought we were finally through with those Martians. Now what?"
"I don't blame them for giving us one last going over," a heavy-set
business man said to his companion. "After all, we're the last ship
leaving Mars for Terra. We're damn lucky they let us go at all."
"You think there really will be war?" A young man said to the girl
sitting in the seat next to him. "Those Martians won't dare fight, not
with our weapons and ability to produce. We could take care of Mars in a
month. It's all talk."
The girl glanced at him. "Don't be so sure. Mars is desperate. They'll
fight tooth and nail. I've been on Mars three years." She shuddered.
"Thank goodness I'm getting away. If--"
"Prepare to land!" the pilot's voice came. The ship began to settle
slowly, dropping down toward the tiny emergency field on the seldom
visited moon. Down, down the ship dropped. There was a grinding sound, a
sickening jolt. Then silence.
"We've landed," the heavy-set business man said. "They better not do
anything to us! Terra will rip them apart if they violate one Space
Article."
"Please keep your seats," the pilot's voice came. "No one is to leave
the ship, according to the Martian authorities. We are to remain here."
A restless stir filled the ship. Some of the passengers began to read
uneasily, others stared out at the deserted field, nervous and on edge,
watching the three Martian pursuit ships land and disgorge groups of
armed men.
The Martian soldiers were crossing the field quickly, moving toward
them, running double time.
This Inner-Flight spaceship was the last passenger vessel to leave Mars
for Terra. All other ships had long since left, returning to safety
before the outbreak of hostilities. The passengers were the very last to
go, the final group of Terrans to leave the grim red planet, business
men, expatriates, tourists, any and all Terrans who had not already gone
home.
"What do you suppose they want?" the young man said to the girl. "It's
hard to figure Martians out, isn't it? First they give the ship
clearance, let us take off, and now they radio us to set down again. By
the way, my name's Thacher, Bob Thacher. Since we're going to be here
awhile--"
[Illustration]
* * * * *
The port lock opened. Talking ceased abruptly, as everyone turned. A
black-clad Martian official, a Province Leiter, stood framed against the
bleak sunlight, staring around the ship. Behind him a handful of Martian
soldiers stood waiting, their guns ready.
"This will not take long," the Leiter said, stepping into the ship, the
soldiers following him. "You will be allowed to continue your trip
shortly."
An audible sigh of relief went through the passengers.
"Look at him," the girl whispered to Thacher. "How I hate those black
uniforms!"
"He's just a Provincial Leiter," Thacher said. "Don't worry."
The Leiter stood for a moment, his hands on his hips, looking around at
them without expression. "I have ordered your ship grounded so that an
inspection can be made of all persons aboard," he said. "You Terrans are
the last to leave our planet. Most of you are ordinary and harmless-- I
am not interested in you. I am interested in finding three saboteurs,
three Terrans, two men and a woman, who have committed an incredible act
of destruction and violence. They are said to have fled to this ship."
Murmurs of surprise and indignation broke out on all sides. The Leiter
motioned the soldiers to follow him up the aisle.
"Two hours ago a Martian city was destroyed. Nothing remains, only a
depression in the sand where the city was. The city and all its people
have completely vanished. An entire city destroyed in a second! Mars
will never rest until the saboteurs are captured. And we know they are
aboard this ship."
"It's impossible," the heavy-set business man said. "There aren't any
saboteurs here."
"We'll begin with you," the Leiter said to him, stepping up beside the
man's seat. One of the soldiers passed the Leiter a square metal box.
"This will soon tell us if you're speaking the truth. Stand up. Get on
your feet."