ut the altimeter needle was motionless. The _Planetara_ was hanging
poised.

A sudden gasp went about the room. The men stood with whitening faces,
gazing at the _Planetara's_ image. And at the altimeter's needle. It
was moving now. The _Planetara_ was descending. But not with an
orderly swoop.

The grid showed the ship clearly. The bow tilted up, then dipped down.
But then in a moment it swung up again. The ship turned partly over.
Righted itself. Then swayed again, drunkenly.

The watching men were stricken in horrified silence. The _Planetara's_
image momentarily, horribly, grew larger. Swaying. Then turning
completely over, rotating slowly end over end.

The _Planetara_, out of control, was falling!

XXI

On the _Planetara_, in the radio room, Snap and I stood with Moa's
weapon upon us. Miko held Anita. Triumphant, possessive. Then as she
struggled, a gentleness came to this strange Martian giant. Perhaps he
really loved her. Looking back on it, I sometimes think so.

"Anita, do not fear me." He held her away from him. "I would not harm
you. I want your love." Irony came to him. "And I thought I had killed
you. But it was only your brother."

He partly turned. I was aware of how alert was his attention. He
grinned. "Hold them, Moa. Don't let them do anything foolish.... So,
little Anita, you were masquerading to spy on me? That was wrong of
you."

Anita had not spoken. She held herself tensely away from Miko. She had
flashed me a look, just one. What horrible mischance to have brought
on this catastrophe!

The completion of Grantline's message had come unnoticed by us all. We
remained tense.

"Look! Grantline again!" Snap said abruptly.

But the mirrors were steadying. We had no recording mechanism; the
rest of the message was lost.

No further message came. There was an interval while Miko waited. He
held Anita in the hollow of his great arm.

"Quiet, little bird. Do not fear me. I have work to do, Anita, this is
our great adventure. We will be rich, you and I. All the luxuries
these worlds can offer--all for us when this is over. Careful, Moa!
This Haljan has no wit."

Well could he say it. I, who had been so witless as to let this come
upon us! Moa's weapon prodded me. Her voice hissed at me with all the
venom of a reptile enraged. "So that was your game, Gregg Haljan! And
I was so graceless as to admit love for you!"

Snap murmured in my ear, "Don't move, Gregg! She's reckless."