half a pound of eight-inch
leaves--a neat little stack. A crooked game, of course. Those fellows
are more nimble-fingered than Rance Rankin ever dared to be!"

* * * * *

I sat staring at her. She was a mine of information, this girl.

"And Gregg, I tried my charms on Shac and Dud. Nice men, but dumb.
Whatever's going on, they're not in it. They wanted to know what kind of
a ship this was. Why? Because Shac has a cute little eavesdropping
microphone of his own. He had it working in the night last night. He
overheard George Prince and that big giant Miko arguing about the
moon!"

I gasped. "Venza, softer!"

Against all propriety of this public deck she pretended to drape herself
upon me. Her hair smothered my face as her lips almost touched my ear.

"Something about treasure on the moon--Shac couldn't understand what.
And they mentioned you. He didn't hear what they said because the purser
joined them." Her whispered words tumbled over one another. "A hundred
pounds of gold leaf--that's the purser's price. He's with them, whatever
it is. He promised to do something for them."

She stopped. "Well?" I prompted.

"That's all. Shac's current was interrupted."

"Tell him to try it again, Venza! I'll talk with him. No! I'd better let
him alone. Can you get him to keep his mouth shut?"

"I think he might do anything I told him. He's a man."

"Find out what you can."

She sat away from me suddenly. "There's Anita and George Prince."

* * * * *

They came to the corner of the deck, but turned back. Venza caught my
look. And understood it.

"So you love Anita Prince so much as that, Gregg?" Venza was smiling. "I
wish you--I wish some man handsome as you would gaze after me like
that."

She turned solemn. "You may be interested to know that she loves you. I
could see it. I knew it when I mentioned you to her this morning."

"Me? Why, we've hardly spoken!"

"Is it necessary? I never heard that it was."

I could not see Venza's face; she stood up suddenly. And when I rose
beside her, she whispered,

"We should not be seen talking so long. I'll find out what I can."

I stared after her slight robed figure as she turned into the lounge
archway and vanished.

CHAPTER VI

_A Traitor, and a Passing Asteroid_

Captain Carter was grim. "So they've bought him off, have they? Go bring
him in here, Gregg. We'll have it out with him now."

Snap, Dr