Part 12 (1/2)

XI

I turned from the deck. Miko was near me! So he had dared show himself here among us! But I realized 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 a.s.sume that Anita had died without regaining consciousness to tell who had killed her.

He gazed at me now. I thought for an instant he was coming over to talk with 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 would be taken.

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

”I want to speak to you, _Set_ Haljan.”

”Go ahead.”

I felt an instinctive aversion to 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, but 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.

”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 harm you.”

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

”He is sorry....”

She seemed gauging me, trying, no doubt, to find out what reprisal would be taken against her brother. I felt sure that Moa was as active as a man in any plan that was under way to capture the Grantline treasure. Miko, with his ungovernable temper, was doing things that put their plans in jeopardy.

I demanded, ”What did your brother want to talk to me about?”

”Me,” she said surprisingly. ”I sent him. A Martian girl goes after what she wants. Did you know that?”

She swung on her heel and left me. I puzzled over it. Was that why Miko struck me down and was carrying me off? I did not think so. I could not believe that all these incidents were so unrelated to what I knew was the main undercurrent They wanted me, had tried to capture me for something else.

Dr. Frank found me mooning alone. ”Go to bed, Gregg. You look awful.”

”I don't want to go to bed.”