there
are ten Masters, and that is correct. But they have a visitor who
arrived by copter several days ago. A visitor and a prisoner."

"A prisoner?"

"Yes, a prisoner who wasn't sent down to the vats, but is kept on the
upper floor. This prisoner is a black-haired, black-eyed woman."

"Maya!"

"Yes, I think the visitor is Nuwell Eli and the prisoner is your friend,
Maya."

16

Nuwell Eli sat with Placer Viceroy, director of the Canfell Hydroponic
Farm, in its large underground dining room, eating lunch. This meal was
not the tasteless, gelatin-like food that was fed to the Jellies and
Toughs and sold on the Martian market. It was a meal of thick, juicy
steaks from the dome farms around Hesperidum and vegetables from the
gardens inside the Mars City dome.

"We've been here better than a week, and she's still stubborn," Nuwell
said morosely. "Surely she has the intelligence to realize how
ridiculous and impractical is her sudden conversion to a lost rebel
cause. I'm half convinced that this Kensington fellow put her under some
sort of a hypnotic spell."

"You've been very gentle in your methods of conversion," said Placer.
"It isn't like you, Nuwell. If you want quick results, we could turn her
over to the Toughs for a while."

"No, I don't want her hurt. I love the woman and intend to marry her.
The whippings and humiliations are as far as I'm willing to go."

"A peculiar sort of love, if you don't mind my saying so," remarked
Placer.

Nuwell stared at him coldly.

"I do mind your saying so," he said. "My personal emotions are not
subject to your interpretation. But Martian wives are expected to obey
their husbands with deference and, by Saturn, I'm going to break her of
that liberal terrestrial training!"

"You'd have the legal right to take the steps necessary for that, if she
were married to you," Placer pointed out.

"But the little fool refuses to marry me now!" exclaimed Nuwell in
exasperation. "If she hadn't refused, do you think I'd have brought her
here? But I couldn't take her to one of the cities, except as a prisoner
to be tried for sedition and treason, as long as she expresses this
violent and open support of the rebel cause. Whether you consider it
love or not, I want the woman for myself. I don't want her imprisoned or
executed."

"Perhaps if she were presented with that alternative, she'd be more
reasonable about it," murmured Placer.

"Don't you think I've threatened her