._

She did not, however, let go of the saurian's arm when the captain
bustled up, prepared to put a stop to this, but tactfully, if possible,
for he had begun to realize that his rude ways did not endear him to
her.

"Ah--we're making very good progress, aren't we, Pitt?" he interrupted,
trying to insinuate himself between the two.

"Excellent."

"How soon do you think we'll be at your city at this rate?"

Jrann-Pttt shrugged. "Since I have no way of telling what our rate is or
how far we have gone, how can I tell? As a matter of fact, you might as
well learn now as later--I am not a Venusian. There is no intelligent
life native to Venus."

"Oh, really!" the vine interposed indignantly. "Saying a thing like that
right in front of me! What would you call me, then, pray tell?"

Jrann-Pttt kept his actual thoughts to himself. "A mutation," he said.
"Probably you are the first intelligent life-form to appear upon this
planet. Scholarly volumes will be written about you."

"Oh?" The vine seemed to be appeased. "I accept your apology. Perhaps
I'll learn to write and do the books myself, because I'm the only one
who can understand the real me."

"But how can you show us the way to your city if you're not native to
Venus?" Bernardi demanded, whirling fretfully upon the saurian. "What is
this, anyway? Each time you come up with a different story!"

"See?" said the captain. "Didn't I tell you he was up to no good?"

"I should like to lead you to our base," Jrann-Pttt replied with quiet
dignity. "I am telling you the truth now since I feel I should have your
consent before proceeding farther."

??????? Dfar-Lll projected.

"I hesitated before, because I wasn't sure I could trust you. You
see, the spaceship in which we came to this planet is a prison ship,
with a crew consisting of malefactors--thieves, murderers,
defrauders--dispatched to the remote fastnesses of the Galaxy to fetch
back zoological specimens. Our zoo, I must say, is the finest and most
interesting in the Universe."

"Monster!" the mosquito-bat squeaked.

"Shhh," Mortland admonished. "Don't interrupt."

"I was in command of our ill-fated expedition...."

_Oh_, Dfar-Lll projected. _For a moment there, sir, you had me worried._

"When we reached Venus, I was, I must admit, careless. I gave the crew a
chance to mutiny and they did. Slew most of the officers. Dfar-Lll and I
were lucky to escape with our lives."

"But you might have told us!" Mr