Jaro returned to his room, stripped off his pajamas, climbed back into
his suit. He tested the slug gun. It was a flat, ugly weapon which
hurled a slug the size of a quarter. He preferred it because, though he
seldom shot to kill, it stopped a man like a well placed mule's hoof.
He adjusted the gun lightly in its holster in order that it wouldn't
stick if he were called upon to use it in a hurry. Then he went out
into the hall.
At the desk he inquired if any messages had come for him. There were
none, but the clerk had seen Mr. Peet with a young fellow take the
incline to the underground. Above the clerk's head a newsograph was
reeling off the current events almost as soon as they happened. Jaro
read:
"_Earth Congress suspends negotiations on Mercurian freedom pending
investigation of rumored rebellion. Terrestrials advised to return to
Earth. Karfial Hodes, Mercurian patriot, being sought._"
Jaro descended the incline to the network of burrows which served
as streets during the flaming days. Here in the basements and
sub-basements were located the shops and dram houses where the
Mercurians sat around little tables drinking silently of the pale green
Latonka. The burrows were but poorly lit, the natives preferring the
cool gloom, and Jaro had to feel his way, rubbing shoulders with the
strange, silent populace. But when he reached the Terrestrial quarter
of the city, bright radoxide lights took the place of the green globes,
and there was a sprinkling of Colonial guards among the throng.
Jaro halted before a door bearing a placard which read:
"LATONKA TRUST"
He pushed through the door into a rich carpeted reception room. At the
far end was a second door beside which sat a desk, door and desk being
railed off from the rest of the office. The door into Albert Peet's
inner sanctum was ajar. Jaro could distinguish voices; then quite
clearly he heard Albert Peet say in a high girlish tone:
"Stanley, I thought I left you in the native quarter. Why did you
follow me? How many times have I told you never to come here?"
The reply was unintelligible. Then the pale-faced young man came
through the door shutting it after himself. At the sight of Jaro
Moynahan he froze.
"What're you sneaking around here for?"
Jaro settled himself warily, his light blue eyes flicking over the
youth.
"Let's get this straight," he said mildly. "I've known your kind
before. Frankly, ever since I saw you I've had to repress a desire to
step on you as I might a spider."
The youth's black eyes were hot as coals, his fingers twitching. His
hands began to creep upward.
"You dirty ..." he began, but he got no further. Jaro Moynahan shot him
in the shoulder.
The compressed air slug gun had seemed to leap into Jaro's hand. The
big slug, smacked the gunman's shoulder with a resounding thwack,
hurled him against the wall. Jaro vaulted the rail, deftly relieved him
of two poisoned needle guns.
"I'll get you for this," said Stanley, his mouth twisted in pain.
"You've broken my shoulder. I'll kill you."
The door to the inner sanctum swung open.
"What's happened?" cried Albert Peet in distress. "What's wrong with
you, Stanley?"
"This dirty slob shot me in the shoulder."
"But how badly?" Peet was wringing his hands.
"Nothing serious," said Jaro. "He'll have his arm in a sling for a
while. That's all."
"Stanley," said Mr. Peet. "You're bleeding all over my carpet. Why
can't you go in the washroom. There's a tile floor in there. If you
hadn't disobeyed this wouldn't have happened. You and your fights. Has
anyone called a doctor? Where's Miss Webb? Miss Webb! Oh, Miss Webb!
That girl. Miss Webb!"
* * * * *
Stanley climbed to his feet, swayed a moment drunkenly, then wobbled
out a door on the left just as a tall brunette hurried in from the
right. She had straight black hair which hung not quite to her
shoulders, and dark brown eyes, and enough of everything else to absorb
Jaro's attention.
"Oh!" exclaimed Miss Webb as she caught sight of the blood staining the
carpet.
[Illustration: _Joan Webb_]
"There's been an--ah--accident," said Mr. Peet, and he licked his lips.
"Call a doctor, Miss Webb."
Miss Webb raised an eyebrow, went to the visoscreen. In a moment she
had tuned in the prim starched figure of a nurse seated at a desk.
"Could Dr. Baer rush right over here? There's been an accident."
"Rush over where?" said the girl in the visoscreen. "These gadgets
aren't telepathic, honey."
"Oh," said Miss Webb, "the offices of the Latonka Trust."
The girl in the visoscreen thawed like ice cream in the sun. "I'm sure
Dr. Baer can come. He'll be there in a moment."
"Thank you," said Miss Webb. She flicked the machine off, then added:
"You trollop."
Mr. Peet regarded Jaro Moynahan with distress.
"Really, Mr. Moynahan, was it necessary to shoot Stanley? Isn't
that--ah--a little extreme? I'm afraid it might incapacitate him, and I
had a job for him."
"Oh," cried Miss Webb, her brown eyes crackling. "Did you shoot that
poor boy? Aren't you the big brave man?"
"Poor boy?" said Jaro mildly. "Venomous little rattlesnake. I took
these toys away from him." He held out the poisoned dart guns. "You
take them, Mr. Peet. Frankly, they give me the creeps. They might go
off. A scratch from one of those needles would be enough."
Mr. Peet accepted the guns gingerly. He held them as if they might
explode any minute. He started to put them in his pocket, thought
better of it, glanced around helplessly.
"Here, Miss Webb," he said, "do something with these. Put them in my
desk."
Miss Webb's eyes grew round as marbles. "I wouldn't touch one of those
nasty little contraptions for all the Latonka on Mercury."
"Here, I'll take them," said Stanley coming back into the room. He had
staunched the flow of blood. His face was even whiter, if possible.
Jaro eyed him coldly as with his good hand the youth dropped the dart
guns back into their holsters.
"Act like you want to use those and I'll put a slug in your head next
time."
"Now, Mr. Moynahan." Mr. Peet licked his lips nervously. "Stanley, go
into my office. The doctor will be here in a moment. Miss Webb, you may
go home. I'll have no more work for you today."
* * * * *
Albert Peet led Stanley through the door. Jaro and Miss Webb were
alone. With his eye on the door, Jaro said:
"When you go out, turn left toward the native quarter. Wait for me in
the first grog shop you come to."