e U.S.W.,
but in Ferrok-Shahn and Grebhar too."

He paused, but none of us spoke. Then Halsey said quietly, "Well, this
Martian and his sister are here now in Greater New York. They have
some secret. They are engaged in some activity, and I want to find
out what it is. I have picked up only little parts of it."

He stopped; and out of the silence Snap said, "If you don't mind,
Colonel Halsey, it seems to me you are mostly talking in code."

"I'm not, but I'm trying to tell you as little as possible. You, Miss
Venza, need only understand this: the Martian, Molo, must be induced
to give you some idea of what he is doing here."

"And I am to induce him?" Venza asked calmly.

"That is my idea." The faint shadow of a smile swept Halsey's thin,
intent face. "My dear, you are a girl of Venus. More than that, you
have far more than your normal share of wits and brains."

It did not make Venza smile. She sat tense now, with her dark-eyed
gaze fastened on Halsey's face. Anita, equally breathless, reached
over and gripped her hand.

Then Venza said slowly, "I realize, Colonel Halsey, that this is
something vital."

"As vital, my child, as it could be." He drew a long breath. "I want
you to understand I am doing my duty. Doing, what seems the best
thing, not for you, perhaps, but for the world."

I seemed to see into his mind at that moment. He might have been a
father, sending a daughter into danger.

"I need not disguise the danger. I have lost a dozen men." He lighted
a cigarette. "I don't seem to be able to frighten you?"

"No," she said. And I heard Anita murmur, "Oh, Venza!"

"But you frighten me," said Snap. "Colonel, look here; you know I'm
going to marry this girl very soon."

"Yes, I know. You'll have to consider this a sacrifice, a voluntary
descent into danger, for a great cause in a great crisis. You four
have just come out of a very considerable danger. We know of what
stuff you are made, all of you."

He smiled again. "Perhaps that prominence is unfortunate for you, but
let me settle it now. Is there any one of you who will not take my
orders and trust my judgement of what is best? And do it, if need be,
blindly? Will you offer yourselves to me?"

We gazed at each other. Both the girls instantly murmured, "Yes."

"Yes," I said at last. It was not too hard for me, for I thought I was
yielding him Venza, not Anita.

Snap was very pale. He stared from one to the other of us.

"Yes," he said finall