suitable apparatus, Gregg. But we were not foolish enough to leave
Greater New York on this voyage without our own apparatus. My brother
and Coniston and Prince--all of us snipped crates of freight consigned
to Ferrok-Shahn; and Rankin had special baggage marked 'theatrical
apparatus.'"

I understood it now. These brigands had boarded the _Planetara_ with
their own Moon equipment, disguised as freight and personal baggage.
Shipped in bond, to be inspected by the tax officials of Mars.

"It is on board now. We will open it when we leave the asteroid,
Gregg. We are well equipped."

She bent toward me. And suddenly her long, lean fingers were gripping
my shoulders.

"Gregg, look at me!"

I gazed into her eyes. There was passion there; and her voice was
intense.

"Gregg, I told you once a Martian girl goes after what she wants. It
is you I want--"

Not for me to play upon a woman's emotions! "Moa, you flatter me."

"I love you." She held me off, gazing at me. "Gregg--"

I must have smiled. Abruptly she released me.

"So you think it amusing?"

"No. But on Earth--"

"We are not on Earth. Nor am I of the Earth!" She was gauging me
keenly. No note of pleading was in her voice: a stern authority, and
the passion was swinging to anger.

"I am like my brother: I do not understand you, Gregg Haljan. Perhaps
you think you are clever?"

"Perhaps."

There was a moment of silence. "Gregg, I said I loved you. Have you no
answer?"

"No." In truth, I did not know what sort of answer it would be best to
make. Whatever she must have read in my eyes, it stirred her to fury.
Her fingers with the strength of a man in them, dug into my shoulders.
Her gaze searched me.

"You think you love someone else? Is that it?"

That was horribly startling; but she did not mean it just that way.
She amended, with caustic venom: "That little Anita Prince! You
thought you loved her! Was that it?"

"No!"

But I hardly deceived her. "Sacred to her memory! Her ratlike little
face, soft voice like a purring, sniveling cat! Is that what you're
remembering, Gregg Haljan?"

I tried to laugh. "What nonsense!"

"Is it? Then why are you cold under my touch? Am I, a girl descended
from the Martian flame-workers, impotent to awaken a man?"

A woman scorned! In all the universe there could be no more dangerous
an enemy. An incredible venom shot from her eyes.

"That miserable mouselike creature! Well for her that my brother
killed her."