_Venza the Venus Girl_
It was shortly after that mid-day meal when I encountered Venza sitting
on the starlit deck. I had been in the bow observatory; taken my routine
castings of our position and worked them out. I was, I think, of the
Planetara's officers the most expert handler of the mathematical
mechanical calculators. The locating of our position and charting the
trajectory of our course was, under ordinary circumstances, about all I
had to do. And it took only a few minutes each twelve hours.
I had a moment with Carter in the isolation of his chart-room.
"This voyage! Gregg, I'm getting like you--too fanciful. We've a normal
group of passengers, apparently; but I don't like the look of any of
them. That Ob Hahn, at your table--"
"Snaky-looking fellow," I commented. "He and the Englishman are great on
arguments. Did you have Prince's cabin searched?"
My breath hung on his answer.
"Yes. Nothing unusual among his things. We searched both his room and
his sister's."
I did not follow that up. Instead I told him about the burn on Miko's
thick gray arm.
* * * * *
He stared. "I wish to the Almighty we were at Ferrok-Shahn. Gregg,
to-night when the passengers are asleep, come here to me. Snap will be
here, and Dr. Frank. We can trust him."
"He knows about--about the Grantline treasure?"
"Yes. And so do Balch and Blackstone."
Balch and Blackstone were our first and second officers.
"We'll all meet here, Gregg--say about the zero hour. We must take some
precautions."
He suddenly felt he should say no more now. He dismissed me.
I found Venza seated alone in a secluded corner of the starlit deck. A
porthole, with the black heavens and the blazing stars, was before her.
There was an empty seat nearby.
"Hola-lo,[6] Gregg! Sit here with me. I have been wondering when you
would come after me."
I sat down beside her. "What are you doing--going to Mars, Venza? I'm
glad to see you."
"Many thanks. But I am glad to see you, Gregg. So handsome a man.... Do
you know, from Venus to the earth and I have no doubt on all of Mars, no
man will please me more."
"Glib tongue," I laughed. "Born to flatter the male--every girl of your
world." And I added seriously, "You don't answer my question? What
takes you to Mars?"
"Contract. By the stars, what else? Of course, a chance to make a voyage
with you--"
"Don't be silly, Venza."
* * * * *
I enjoyed her. I gazed at her small, slim figure gracefully reclining in
the deck chair. Her long, gray robe parted--by design, I have no
doubt--to display her shapely, satin-sheathed legs. Her black hair was
coiled in a heavy knot at the back of her neck; her carmined lips were
parted with a mocking, alluring smile. The exotic perfume of her
enveloped me.
She glanced at me sidewise from beneath her sweeping black lashes.
"Be serious," I added.
"I am serious. Sober. Intoxicated by you, but sober."
I said, "What sort of a contract?"
"A theater in Ferrok-Shahn. Good money, Gregg. I'm to be there a year."
She sat up to face me. "There's a fellow here on the Planetara, Rance
Rankin, he calls himself. At our table--a big, good-looking blond
American. He says he is a magician. Ever hear of him?"
"That's what he told me. No, I never heard of him."
"Nor did I. And I thought I had heard of everyone of any importance. He
is listed for the same theater where I'm going. Nice sort of fellow."
She paused, and added suddenly, "If he's a professional entertainer, I'm
a motor-oiler."
* * * * *
It startled me. "Why do you say that?"
Instinctively my gaze swept the deck. An Earth woman and child and a
small Venus man were in sight, but not within earshot.
"Why do you look so furtive?" she retorted. "Gregg, there's something
strange about this voyage. I'm no fool, nor you, and you know it as well
as I do."
"Rance Rankin--" I prompted.
She leaned closer toward me. "He could fool you. But not me--I've known
too many real magicians." She grinned. "I challenged him to trick me.
You should have seen him trying to evade!"
"Do you know Ob Hahn?" I interrupted.
She shook her head. "Never heard of him. But he told me plenty at
breakfast. By Satan, what a flow of words that devil-driver can muster!
He and the Englishman don't mesh very well, do they?"
She stared at me. I had not answered her grin; my mind was too busy with
queer fancies. Halsey's words: "Things are not always what they seem--"
Were these passengers masqueraders? Put here by George Prince? And then
I thought of Miko the Martian, and the burn upon his arm.
"Come back, Gregg! Don't go wandering off like that!" She dropped her
voice to a whisper. "I'll be serious. I want to know what in the hell is
going on aboard this ship. I'm a woman, and I'm curious. You tell me."
* * * * *
"What do you mean?" I parried.
"I mean a lot of things. What we've just been talking about. And what
was the excitement you were in just before breakfast this morning?"
"Excitement?"
"Gregg, you may trust me." For the first time she was wholly serious.
Her gaze made sure no one was within hearing. She put her hand on my
arm. I could barely hear her whisper: "I know they might have a ray upon
us--I'll be careful."
"They?"
"Anyone. Something's going on. You know it--you are in it. I saw you
this morning, Gregg. Wild-eyed, chasing a phantom--"
"You?"
"And I heard the phantom! A man's footsteps. A magnetic reflecting
invisible cloak. You couldn't fool an audience with that--it's too
commonplace. If Rance Rankin tried--"
I gripped her. "Don't ramble, Venza! You saw me?"
"Yes. My stateroom door was open. I was sitting with a cigarillo. I saw
the purser in the smoking room. He was visible from--"
"Wait! Venza, that prowler went through the smoking room!"
"I know he did. I could hear him."
"Did the purser hear him?"
"Of course. The purser looked up, followed the sound with his gaze. I
thought that was queer. He never made a move. And then you came along
and he acted innocent. Why? What's going on, that's what I want to
know!"
* * * * *
I held my breath. "Venza, where did the prowler run to? Can you--"
She whispered calmly, "Into A 20. I saw the door open and close--I even
think I could see the blurred outline of him. Those magnetic cloaks!"
She added, "Why should George Prince be sneaking around with you after
him? And the purser acting innocent? And who is this George Prince,
anyway?"
The huge Martian, Miko, with his sister Moa came strolling along the
deck. They nodded as they passed us.
I whispered, "I can't explain anything now. But you're right, Venza:
there is something going on. Listen! Whatever you learn--anything you
encounter which looks unusual--will you tell me? I--well, I do trust
you--really I do!--but the thing isn't mine to tell."
The somber pools of her eyes were shining. "You are very lovable, Gregg.
I won't question you." She was trembling with excitement. "Whatever it
is, I want to be in it. Here's something I can tell you now. We've two
high-class gold-leaf gamblers aboard. Did you know that?"
"No. Who are--"
"Shac and Dud Ardley. Let me state every detective in Great-New York
knows them. They had a wonderful game with that Englishman, Sir Arthur
Coniston, this morning. Stripped him of half a pound of eight-inch
leaves--a neat little stack. A crooked game, of course. Those fellows
are more nimble-fingered than Rance Rankin ever dared to be!"
* * * * *
I sat staring at her. She was a mine of information, this girl.
"And Gregg, I tried my charms on Shac and Dud. Nice men, but dumb.
Whatever's going on, they're not in it. They wanted to know what kind of
a ship this was. Why? Because Shac has a cute little eavesdropping
microphone of his own. He had it working in the night last night. He
overheard George Prince and that big giant Miko arguing about the
moon!"
I gasped. "Venza, softer!"
Against all propriety of this public deck she pretended to drape herself
upon me. Her hair smothered my face as her lips almost touched my ear.
"Something about treasure on the moon--Shac couldn't understand what.
And they mentioned you. He didn't hear what they said because the purser
joined them." Her whispered words tumbled over one another. "A hundred
pounds of gold leaf--that's the purser's price. He's with them, whatever
it is. He promised to do something for them."
She stopped. "Well?" I prompted.
"That's all. Shac's current was interrupted."
"Tell him to try it again, Venza! I'll talk with him. No! I'd better let
him alone. Can you get him to keep his mouth shut?"
"I think he might do anything I told him. He's a man."
"Find out what you can."
She sat away from me suddenly. "There's Anita and George Prince."
* * * * *
They came to the corner of the deck, but turned back. Venza caught my
look. And understood it.
"So you love Anita Prince so much as that, Gregg?" Venza was smiling. "I
wish you--I wish some man handsome as you would gaze after me like
that."
She turned solemn. "You may be interested to know that she loves you. I
could see it. I knew it when I mentioned you to her this morning."
"Me? Why, we've hardly spoken!"
"Is it necessary? I never heard that it was."
I could not see Venza's face; she stood up suddenly. And when I rose
beside her, she whispered,
"We should not be seen talking so long. I'll find out what I can."
I stared after her slight robed figure as she turned into the lounge
archway and vanished.