dy! Is it a conference? You look so solemn."

He dashed across the room, kissed Venza, pretended that he was about
to kiss Anita, and winked at me. He was a dynamic little fellow,
small, wiry, red-headed and freckle-faced, and had been the
radio-helio operator of the ill-fated _Planetara_. He was a perfect
match for Venza, for all the millions of miles that separated their
native lands. Venza, too was small and slim, her manner as readily
jocular as his.

"And where have you been?" Venza demanded.

"Me? My private life is my own, so far. We're not married yet, since
you insist on us going to Grebhar for the ceremony."

"Do stop it," protested Anita. "We've been talking of...."

"I know very well what you've been talking about. Everybody is. I've
got news for you, Gregg." He went abruptly solemn and lowered his
voice. "Halsey wants to see us, right away."

I regarded him blankly and my mind swept back. No more than a few
short weeks ago Detective-Colonel Halsey of Divisional Headquarters
here in Greater New York had sent for us, and we had been precipitated
into the Grantline affair. "Halsey!" I burst out.

"Easy, Gregg." Snap cast a vague look around Anita's draped apartment.
An open window was beside us, leading to a tiny catwalk balcony. It
was moonlit now, and two hundred feet above the pedestrian viaduct.

But Snap continued to frown. "Easy, I tell you. Why shout about
Halsey? The air can have ears."

Venza moved and closed and sealed the window.

"What is it?" I asked, more softly.

But Snap was not satisfied. "Anita, do you have a complete isolation
barrage for this room?"

"Of course I haven't, Snap."

"Well, Gregg do you have a detector with you?"

I had none. Snap produced his little coil and indicator dial. "It's
out of order, but let's see now. Shove over that chair, Gregg."

He disconnected one of the room's tube-lights and contacted with the
cathode. It was a makeshift method, but as he dropped to the floor,
uncoiling a little length of his wire for an external pick-up, we saw
that the thing worked. The pointer on the dial-face was swaying.

"Gregg!" he muttered. "Look at that. Didn't I tell you?"

The pointer quivered in positive reaction. An eavesdropping ray was
upon us.

Anita gasped, "I had no idea!"

"No, but I did." Snap added softly. "No one very close."

He and I carried the detector to the length of the hall. The indicator
went nearer normal. "It must be the other way," I