I insisted, "And Miss Prince? She will have her
brother's share?"

Clever Anita! She put in swiftly, "I give no information until you
promise! We know the location of the Grantline camp, its weapons, its
defense, the amount and location of the ore. I warn you, if you do not
play us fair...."

He laughed heartily. He seemed to like us. He spread his huge legs as
he lounged in his settle, and drank of the bowl which one of his men
set before him.

"Little tigress! Fear me not--I play fair!" He pushed two of the bowls
across the table. "Drink, Haljan. All is well with us, and I am glad
to hear it. Miss Prince, drink my health as your leader."

I waved it away from Anita. "We need all our wits; your strong Martian
drinks are dangerous. Look here, I'll tell you just how the situation
stands--"

I plunged into a glib account of our supposed wanderings to find the
Grantline camp; its location off in the Mare Imbrium--hidden in a
cavern there. Potan, with the drink, and under the gaze of Anita's
eyes, was in a high good humor. He laughed when I told him that we had
dared to invade the Grantline camp, had smashed its exit portes, had
even gotten up to have a look at where the ore was piled.

"Well done, Haljan! You're a fellow to my liking!" But his gaze was on
Anita. "You dress like a man, or a charming boy."

She still wore the dark clothes of her brother. She said, "I am used
to action--man's garb pleases me. You shall treat me like a man, give
me my share of the gold-leaf."

* * * * *

He had already demanded of us the meaning of that signal from the Mare
Imbrium. Miko's signal! It had not come again, though any moment I
feared it. I told him that Grantline had doubtless repaired his
damaged portes and sallied out to assail me in reprisal. And seeing
the brigand ship landing on Archimedes, had tried to lure it.

I wondered if my explanation were very convincing. It did not sound
so. But he was flushed now with the drink. And Anita added:

"Grantline knows the territory near his camp very well. He is equipped
only for short-range fighting."

I took it up. "It's like this, Potan: if he could get you to land
unsuspectingly near the mouth of his cavern...."

I pictured how Grantline might have figured on a sudden surprise
attack upon the ship. It was his only chance to catch it unprepared.

We were all three in friendly, intimate mood now. Potan said, "We'll
land down there right