"Of course."
I figured that my very boldness in bargaining so prematurely would
convince him. I insisted, "Miss Prince will have her brother's share?"
Clever Anita! She put in swiftly, "Oh, I give no information until you
promise! We know the location of the Grantline camp, its weapons, its
defences, the amount and location of the treasure. I warn you, if you
do not play us fair...."
He laughed heartily. He seemed to like us. He spread his huge legs as
he lounged in his settle, and drank of the bowl which one of his men
set before him.
"Little tigress! Fear me not--I play fair!" He pushed two of the bowls
across the table. "Drink, Haljan. All is well with us and I am glad to
know it. Miss Prince, drink my health as your leader."
I waved it away from Anita. "We need all our wits; your strong Martian
drinks are dangerous. Look here, I'll tell you just how the situation
stands--"
I plunged into a glib account of our supposed wanderings to find the
Grantline camp: its location off the Mare Imbrium--hidden in a
cavern there. Potan, with the drink, and under the gaze of Anita's
eyes, was in high good humor. He laughed when I told him that we had
dared to invade the Grantline camp, had smashed its exit ports, had
even gotten up to have a look where the treasure was piled.
"Well done, Haljan. You're a fellow to my liking!" But his gaze was on
Anita. "You dress like a man or a charming boy."
She still wore the dark clothes of her brother. She said, "I am used
to action. Man's garb pleases me. You shall treat me like a man and
give me my share of gold leaf."
He had already demanded the reason for the signal from the Mare
Imbrium. Miko's signal! It had not come again, though any moment I
feared it. I told him that Grantline doubtless had repaired his
damaged ports and sallied out to assail me in reprisal. And, seeing
the brigand ship landing on Archimedes, had tried to lure him into a
trap.
I wondered if my explanation was convincing: it did not sound so. But
he was flushed now with drink, and Anita added:
"Grantline knows the territory near his camp very well. But he is
equipped only for short range fighting."
I took it up. "It's like this, Potan: if he could get you to land
unsuspectingly near his cavern--"
I pictured how Grantline might have figured on a sudden surprise
attack upon the ship. It was his only chance to catch it unprepared.
We were all three in friendly, intimate mood now. Potan said, "We'll
land down there right enough! But I need a few hours for my
assembling."
"He will not dare advance," I said.
Anita put in, smiling, "He knows by now that we have unmasked his
lure. Haljan and I, joining you--that silenced him. His light went out
very promptly, didn't it?"
She flashed me a side gaze. Were we acting convincingly? But if Miko
started up his signals again, they might so quickly betray us!
Anita's thoughts were upon that, for she added:
"Grantline will not dare show his light! If he does, _Set_ Potan, we
can blast him from here with a ray. Can't we?"
"Yes," Potan agreed. "If he comes within ten miles, I have one
powerful enough. We are assembling it now."
"And we have thirty men?" Anita persisted. "When we sail down to
attack him, it should not be difficult to kill all the Grantline
party."
"By heaven, Haljan, this girl of yours is small, but very
bloodthirsty!"
"And I'm glad Miko is dead," Anita added.