Cosmo opened his eyes in the office with the glassite desk. He sat up.
Chains rattled. He realized with chagrin that he was manacled hand and
foot.
Bemmelman was on the sofa. A serf, directed by the slave girl, Llana,
was working over him. Mia and the Blue Venus were stretched out on the
floor beside him, still unconscious. Both of them were manacled. Two
Blue giants watched incuriously.
In a moment, Bemmelman stirred. He sat up, swung his feet to the floor.
His eyes lit on Cosmo. With a grunt he crossed the room, kicked the
manacled man in the ribs.
Cosmo's face hardened, but he didn't say anything.
The planter swung on his servitors, barked: "Get out!" They left the
room, all except Llana. He turned back to Cosmo, said: "I'm through
playing around with you. Yes sir. Where's the Ormoo's feeding ground?"
Cosmo said nothing.
Bemmelman's face went purple. He kicked Cosmo viciously in the ribs.
"Where's the feeding ground? Where is it? Where is it?"
Mia regained consciousness, sat up. She stared wide-eyed at the berserk
planter.
Bemmelman glanced at her, paused. He rubbed his nose, a fiendish light
shining in his pig-like eyes. He said in a sudden altered tone: "I'm
still willing to bargain, Cosmo."
"What do you mean?"
"Either you reveal the location of the feeding grounds, or I hand Miss
MacIver over to the Dawn Men. Yes sir, I'm anxious to repeat that
experiment." He pointed to the Blue Venus who was just coming out from
under the effects of the gas.
Cosmo's features were inscrutable. He asked: "What happens to Miss
MacIver if I give you that information?"
"I'll release her in Venusport with her fare back to Earth. I'm holding
personal notes on the MacIver plantation anyway."
"Notes?" echoed Mia blankly. "Father never mentioned any notes. I--I
don't believe it!"
A veil dropped before Bemmelman's eyes. "I haven't told you before.
I didn't like to so soon after your father's death. But I lent him
considerable money. Yes sir, considerable."