ngth of Nerado's neck."

"But look what he did to us!" she protested. "And they weren't trying to
recapture us back there; they were trying to kill us."

"That was perfectly all right, what he did and what they did--what else
could they have done?" he wanted to know. "And while you're looking,
look at what we did to them--plenty, I'd say. But we all had it to do,
and neither side will blame the other for doing it. He's a square
shooter, I tell you."

"Well, maybe, but I don't like him a bit, and let's not talk about him
any more. Let's talk about us. Remember what you said once, when you
advised me to 'let you lay,' or whatever it was?" Woman-like, she wished
to dip again lightly into the waters of pure emotion, even though she
had such a short time before led the man out of their profoundest
depths. But Costigan, into whose hard life love of woman had never
before entered, had not yet recovered sufficiently from his soul-shaking
plunge to follow her lead. Inarticulate, distrusting his newly found
supreme happiness, he must needs stay out of those enchanted waters or
plunge again. And he was afraid to plunge--diffident, still deeming
himself unworthy of the miracle of this wonder-girl's love--even though
every fiber of his being shrieked its demand to feel again that slender
body in his arms. He did not consciously think those thoughts. He acted
them without thinking; they were prime basics in that which made Conway
Costigan what he was.

"I do remember, and I still think it's a sound idea, even though I am
too far gone now to let you put it into effect," he assured her, half
seriously. He kissed her, tenderly and reverently, then studied her
carefully. "But you look as though you'd been on a Martian picnic. When
did you eat last?"

"I don't remember, exactly. This morning, I think."

"Or maybe last night, or yesterday morning? I thought so! Bradley and I
can eat anything that's chewable, and drink anything that will pour, but
you can't. I'll scout around and see if I can't fix up something that
you'll be able to eat."

He rummaged through the store-rooms, emerging with sundry viands from
which he prepared a highly satisfactory meal.

"Think you can sleep now, sweetheart?" After supper, once more within
the circle of Costigan's arms, Clio nodded her head against his
shoulder.

"Of course I can, dear. Now that you are with me, out here alone, I'm
not a bit afraid any more. You will get us back to Earth some wa