"She--there she is...."
Another figure was here! On the grid floor by the door oval. A figure
partly shrouded in a broken invisible cloak and hook. An invisible
cloak! I saw a white face with opened eyes regarding me.
"Venza!" I bent down. "You!"
Venza here? Why ... how ... my thoughts swept on. Venza here--dying?
Her eyes closed. But she murmured to Anita, "Where is he? I want him."
I murmured impulsively, "Here I am, Venza dear." Gently, as one would
speak with gentle sympathy to humor the dying. "Here I am, Venza."
But it was only the confusion of the shock upon her. And it was upon
us all. She pushed at Anita. "I want him." She saw me; this whimsical
Venus girl! Even here as we gathered, all of us blurred by shock,
confused in the dim, wrecked ship with the chill of death coming--even
here she could jest. Her pale lips smiled.
"You, Gregg. I'm not hurt--I don't think I'm hurt." She managed to get
herself up on one elbow. "Did you think I wanted you with my dying
breath? What conceit! Not you, Handsome Haljan! I was calling Snap."
He was down to her. "We're all right, Venza. It's over. We must get
out of the ship. The air is escaping."
We gathered in the oval doorway. We fought the confusion of panic.
"The exit port is this way."