"Bud I will," the Jovian assured him. "I have bud do search you. I am
cerdain we shall find de formula on your person. Will you surrender id
volundarily or musd we use force?"
"Give it to him, Augie," I said. "We're cold turkey."
"Misder Mulhane is quide correcd," the Jovian agreed. "You have no
aldernadive bud do relinquish your secred."
* * * * *
Twilken groaned despairingly and removed his bulger. He dug in his
pocket and brought out the formula, somewhat the worse for wear.
The Jovian snatched it eagerly and beamed toothily at us, his thin,
pointed tongue darting like a snake over his bloated lips.
"Dank you, Misder Dwilken. Never fear, I shall make good use of your
formula. Would you care do know how I indend do defead de Allied Worlds
wid id?"
We remained silent.
"Very well, I shall dell you. Jusd as you have a podendial ally in
Venus, de inhabidands of Pludo are likewise sympadedic to _our_ cause.
As you know, dey long ago reached and passed de poind of greadesd
indelligence, and are slowly reverding do de savage sdage from which
dey evolved. I propose do hald dis redrogression, wid de assisdance of
Misder Dwilken's formula, and resdore dem do deir former greadness. Dey
will be dankful do us Jovians, yes, and dey will be happy do assisd us
in our conquesd of de Allied Worlds."
"You--you fiend!" Augie spluttered ineffectually. "You're going to use
_my_ formula to swing the balance of power in _your_ favor!"
"Dad's righd," the Jovian bowed. "Is nod dis de very same ding you
indended to do for your own worlds? Durn aboud is fair play, I once
heard on Eard."
"But we weren't planning to destroy you and your crummy bunch with it!"
Augie shouted, incensed at the Jovian's condescending air. "We were
only going to use it to force your armies to disarm and to remove your
cutthroat clique from power."
"No doubd," the Jovian waved a plump, bejewelled hand. "And dad musd
never be. Xan VIII has udmosd confidence in my abilidy as chief of de
Jovian Secred Police and, if I fail, he would surely kill me before
rediring indo exile. I remember his exacd words: 'Mon Pordo, if you
bedray de drusd placed in you, dere can be nodding bud dead as a
reward!' You can readily appreciate my predicamend, gendlemen. I musd
give vicdory do my governmend or perish as a resuld. Nadurally, when I
overheard your conversashion ad de musk-parlor, I realized dad here was
a means do an end."
"You're a sly devil, Mon Pordo," I said harshly.
"Dank you, Misder Mulhane. Dad is a necessary evil of
my--ah--profession. Dis ship has sed a course for Jupider and, dere,
you will be held prisoners, pending de oudcome of our experimends wid
Dwilken's formula."
"And then you'll kill us!" Augie said hotly.
"Perhaps. Dad is for me do decide. You cerdainly have no choice in de
madder. And now," Pordo indicated three hulking Jovian brutes, waiting
to pounce on us, "dese gendlemen will escord you do your cells. Id is
regredable I cannod allow you de run of de ship, bud de oppordunidies
dus offered might prove doo dempting do resid. I advise you do go
quiedly, gendlemen."
We went quietly.
We were placed in adjoining cells and Twilken spent his rage in
rattling the bars and cursing Mon Pordo for a bloody, ill-spawned,
war-mongering idiot. The Jovians paid no attention, however, and Augie
soon simmered down to a slow boil, pacing his cage like a trapped
animal.
We got to talking and Augie wanted to know all about me, why I had
chosen such a career and did I have any immediate plans for escape?
At first, I was reluctant to talk about my life-history as a
free-booter of space, but Augie was persistent and I soon broke down.
I hardy knew how to start, but the words came easy once I got going.
Augie listened attentively, interjecting questions here and there.
"I _am_ a Martian," I began. "But I was reared and educated on Earth
and, consequently, I think, act and talk much as an Earthian. I suppose
that's the main reason I most generally adopt the role of Tod Mulhane
when hiring out my services. My real name doesn't matter--it wouldn't
mean anything to you. As to why I became a soldier of fortune, perhaps
it's because of an insatiable appetite for adventure I possess or maybe
because I was left an orphan at an early age and just naturally drifted
into it. That doesn't matter either. I've put a lot of space behind my
tubes in my brief span of years and seen a lot of things that would
make your blood run cold--things I've never talked of before, nor will
I tell of them now. So you can sketch in the details yourself, if you
care to. I've told all that's worth listening to."
* * * * *
We had been conversing in low whispers and Augie glanced up and down
the corridor to make sure no guards were present before voicing his
most imperative query.
"Most interesting," he approved. "But, surely you have a method of
escape planned? We can't just sit here and let these devils go through
with their mad deed."
I motioned for silence and Augie subsided, watching my antics with
great interest. I placed my hand between two bars and pulled gently,
with an even pressure. My companion stared bug-eyed as the hand came
loose, exposing a pink tentacle ending in five, wire-thin appendages.
Augie gasped, suddenly remembering his Martian anatomy.
"Of course!" he breathed jubilantly. "I'd forgotten! If Pordo had
realized you were a Martian he would never have placed you in an
uninsulated cell!"