"He's somewhere in the jungle, you know," Walsh said.
I wanted to ram my fist into the screen, right smack up against those
big white teeth. Instead, I cut off the transmission and watched the
surprised look on his face as his screen went blank millions of miles
away.
He blinked at the screen, trying to realize I'd deliberately hung up on
him.
"Polk!" he shouted, "can you hear me?"
I smiled, saw the twisted hatred on his features, and then the screen
on my end went blank, too.
_He's somewhere in the jungle, you know._
I thanked Captain Bransten for his hospitality and went back to my
quarters.
As I saw it, there were two courses for me to follow.
One: I could say the hell with Walsh and Venus. That would mean hopping
the next ship back to Earth.
It would also mean disobeying the direct order of a superior officer.
It might mean demotion, and it might mean getting bounced out of the
Service altogether.
Two: I could assume there really was a guy name Joe somewhere in that
jungle, a Joe separate and apart from the other Joes on this planet, a
trader Joe who knew the Martians well. I could always admit failure, of
course, and return empty handed. Mission not accomplished. Or, I might
really find a guy who was trader Joe.
I made my decision quickly. I wanted to stay in the Service, and
besides Walsh may have been on the level for the first time in his
life. Maybe there was a Joe here who could help us on Mars. If there
was I'd try to find him. It was still a hell of a trick though.