The door slid down behind us. We advanced into the small blue-lit
apartment, steel-lined like a vault.
2
Colonel Halsey sat at his desk, with a few papers before him and a
bank of instrument controls at his elbow. He pushed his audiphone and
mirror-grid to one side.
"Sit down, please." He gave us each the benefit of a welcoming smile,
and his gaze finished upon Anita.
"I came because you sent for Venza," Anita said quickly. "Please,
Colonel Halsey, let me stay. I thought, whatever you want her for, you
might need me, too."
"Quite so, Miss Prince. Perhaps I shall." It seemed that in his mind
were many of the thoughts thronging my own, for he added: "Haljan, I
recall I sent for you like this once before. I hope this may be a more
auspicious occasion."
"So do I, sir."
Snap said, "We've been afraid hardly to do more than a whisper. But
you're insulated here, and we're mighty curious."
Halsey nodded. "I can talk freely to you, and yet I cannot." His gaze
went to Venza. "It is you in whom I am most interested."
"Me? You flatter me, Colonel Halsey." She sat gracefully reclining in
the metal chair before his desk, seeming small as a child between its
big, broad arms. Her long gray skirt had parted to display her
shapely, gray-satined legs. She had thrown off the hood of her cloak.
Her thick black hair was coiled in a knot low at the back of her neck;
her carmine lips bore an alluring smile. It was all instinctive. To
this girl from Venus it came as naturally as she breathed.
Halsey's gray eyes twinkled. "Do not look at me quite like that, Miss
Venza, or I shall forget what I have to say. You would get the better
of me; I'm glad you're not a criminal."
"So am I," she declared. "What can I do for you, Colonel Halsey?"
His smile faded at once. His glance included us all. "Just this. There
is a man here in Greater New York, a Martian whom they call _Set_
Molo. He has a younger sister, _Setta_ Meka. Have any of you heard of
them?"
We had not. Halsey went on, slowly now, apparently choosing his words
with the greatest care. "There are things that I can tell you and
there are things that I cannot."
"Why not?" asked Venza.
"My dear, for one thing, if you are going to help me you can do it
best by not knowing too much. For another, I have my orders; this
thing concerns the very highest authorities, not only of the U.S.W.,
but in Ferrok-Shahn and Grebhar too."
He paused, but none of us spoke. Then Halsey said quietly, "Well, this
Martian and his sister are here now in Greater New York. They have
some secret. They are engaged in some activity, and I want to find
out what it is. I have picked up only little parts of it."
He stopped; and out of the silence Snap said, "If you don't mind,
Colonel Halsey, it seems to me you are mostly talking in code."
"I'm not, but I'm trying to tell you as little as possible. You, Miss
Venza, need only understand this: the Martian, Molo, must be induced
to give you some idea of what he is doing here."
"And I am to induce him?" Venza asked calmly.
"That is my idea." The faint shadow of a smile swept Halsey's thin,
intent face. "My dear, you are a girl of Venus. More than that, you
have far more than your normal share of wits and brains."
It did not make Venza smile. She sat tense now, with her dark-eyed
gaze fastened on Halsey's face. Anita, equally breathless, reached
over and gripped her hand.
Then Venza said slowly, "I realize, Colonel Halsey, that this is
something vital."
"As vital, my child, as it could be." He drew a long breath. "I want
you to understand I am doing my duty. Doing, what seems the best
thing, not for you, perhaps, but for the world."
I seemed to see into his mind at that moment. He might have been a
father, sending a daughter into danger.
"I need not disguise the danger. I have lost a dozen men." He lighted
a cigarette. "I don't seem to be able to frighten you?"
"No," she said. And I heard Anita murmur, "Oh, Venza!"
"But you frighten me," said Snap. "Colonel, look here; you know I'm
going to marry this girl very soon."
"Yes, I know. You'll have to consider this a sacrifice, a voluntary
descent into danger, for a great cause in a great crisis. You four
have just come out of a very considerable danger. We know of what
stuff you are made, all of you."
He smiled again. "Perhaps that prominence is unfortunate for you, but
let me settle it now. Is there any one of you who will not take my
orders and trust my judgement of what is best? And do it, if need be,
blindly? Will you offer yourselves to me?"