lameless. The Little People
declared themselves neutral. But they gave prompt official recognition
to the Tarrano government of Venus. And everywhere throughout Mars the
public was stirred by the thought of everlasting life.

"Fools!" muttered Georg. "That Little People government--they'll have a
revolution of their own to fight at this rate. Can't you see what
Tarrano is doing? Working everywhere with propaganda--working on the
public--the gullible public ready always to swallow anything----"

On Earth, lay the crisis. Our own governments only had taken a firm
stand. What could Tarrano do with this ultimatum? Either he must yield
himself and the Brende secret, or a war in which he would be immediately
overwhelmed here in Venia would follow.

It was nearly ten o'clock that first night. Elza had gone to the
balcony. We heard her call us softly, but with obvious tenseness. Out
there we found her pointing excitedly. A few hundred feet away and
somewhat below us was a tower similar to our own. In one of its oblong
casements a glow of rose-light showed. And within the glow was the
full-length figure of a girl. We could see her plainly, though a small
image at that distance with the naked eye, and our personal vision
instruments had been taken from us. A slender, imperial figure--a young
girl seemingly about Elza's age. Dressed in a shimmering blue kirtle,
short after the Venus fashion, with long grey stockings beneath. A girl
with flowing waves of pure white hair to her waist--a girl of the Venus
Central State. She seemed, like ourselves, a prisoner. An aura or
barrage was around her tower. She stood there, back in the tower room,
full in the rose-light as though surreptitiously trying to attract our
attention.

As we gathered on our balcony, behind the glow of our own barrage, she
gestured to us vehemently. And then, with one white arm, she began to
semaphore. One arm, and then with both. Georg and I recognized it--the
Secondary Code of the Anglo-Saxon Army. We murmured the letters aloud as
she gave them:

"_I am----_" Abruptly she stopped. A violent gesture, and she
disappeared; her rose-glow went out; her tower casement was dark. On a
lower spider bridge Tarrano had appeared. He was crossing it on foot
toward our tower, his small erect form advancing hastelessly, with the
figure of Argo behind him.

He reached our lower entrance, cut off the barrage there, and entered.
Argo replaced the barrage, lingered an instant