a tangent. Speeding. Falling free in the dome of the
heavens. A rotating black oblong. But in a moment distance dwindled it
to a speck. A dull silver dot with the sunlight on it. A speck of human
Earth-dust, falling free....

It vanished. Anita--gone. In my heart was an echo of the prayer that the
Almighty might watch over her and guard her always....

CHAPTER XI

_The Electrical Eavesdropper_

I turned from the deck. Miko was near me! So he had dared to show
himself here among us! But I realized that he could not be aware we knew
he was the murderer. George Prince had been asleep, had not seen Miko
with Anita. Miko, with impulsive rage, had shot the girl and escaped. No
doubt now he was cursing himself for having done it. And he could very
well assume that Anita had died without regaining consciousness to tell
who had killed her.

He gazed at me now, here on the deck. I thought for an instant he was
coming over to talk to me. Though he probably considered he was not
suspected of the murder of Anita, he realized, of course, that his
attack on me was known; he must have wondered what action Captain Carter
would take.

But he did not approach me; he moved away, and went inside. Moa had been
near him; and as though by pre-arrangement with him she now accosted
me.

"I want to speak to you, Set Haljan."

"Go ahead."

I felt an instinctive aversion for this Martian girl. Yet she was not
unattractive. Over six feet tall, straight and slim. Sleek blond hair.
Rather a handsome face. Not gray, like the burly Miko, but pink and
white. Stern-lipped, yet feminine, too. She was smiling gravely now. Her
blue eyes regarded me keenly. She said gently:

"A sad occurrence, Gregg Haljan. And mysterious. I would not question
you--"

"Is that all you have to say?" I demanded, when she paused.

"No. You are a handsome man, Gregg--attractive to women--to any Martian
woman."

* * * * *

She said it impulsively. Admiration for me was on her face, in her
eyes--a man cannot miss it.

"Thank you."

"I mean, I would be your friend. My brother Miko is so sorry about what
happened between you and him this morning. He only wanted to talk to
you, and he came to your cubby door--"

"With a torch to break its seal," I interjected.

She waved that away. "He was afraid you would not admit him. He told you
he would not hurt you."

"And so he struck me with one of your cursed Martian paralyzing rays!