Part 40 (1/2)

Her mind clung to that as the most important thing. But not so myself.

To me there was only the realization that Anita was caught out here, almost at the mercy of Miko's ray. Grantline's men could not get out to help us, nor could I get Anita into the camp.

She added, ”Where do you suppose the s.h.i.+p is?”

”Twenty or thirty thousand miles up, probably.”

The stars and the Earth were visible over us. Somewhere up there, disclosed by Grantline's instruments but not yet discernible to the naked eye, Miko's reinforcements were hovering.

We lay for a moment in silence. It was horribly nerve straining. Miko could be creeping up on us. Would he dare chance my sudden fire?

Creeping--or would he make a swift, unexpected rush?

The feeling that he was upon us abruptly swept me. I jumped to my feet, against Anita's effort to hold me. Where was he now? Was my imagination playing me tricks?...

I sank back. ”That s.h.i.+p should be here in a few hours.”

I told her what Grantline's signal had suggested; the s.h.i.+p was hovering overhead. It must be fairly close; for Grantline's telescope had revealed its ident.i.ty as an outlaw flyer, unmarked by any of the standard code identification lights. It was doubtless too far away as yet to have located the whereabouts of Grantline's camp. The Martian brigands knew that we were in the vicinity of Archimedes, but no more than that. Searching this glowing Moon surface, our tiny local semaph.o.r.e beams would certainly pa.s.s unnoticed.

But as the brigand s.h.i.+p approached now--dropping close to Archimedes as it probably would--our danger was that Miko and his men would then signal it, join it, and reveal the camp's location. And the brigand attack would be upon us!

I told this now to Anita. ”The signal from Grantline said, '_Unless you can stop them._'”

It was an appeal to me. But how could I stop them? What could I do, alone out here with Anita, to cope with this enemy?

Anita made no comment.

I added, ”That s.h.i.+p will land near Archimedes, within an hour or two.

If Grantline can repair the ports, and I can get you inside....”

Again she made no comment. Then suddenly she gripped me. ”Gregg, look there!”

Out through the gully break in our bowl the figure of Miko showed! He was running. But not at us. Circling the summit, leaping to keep himself behind the upstanding crags. He pa.s.sed the head of the staircase; he did not descend it, but headed off along the summit of the crater rim.

I stood up to watch him. ”Where's he going!”

I let Anita stand up beside me, cautiously at first, for it occurred to me it might be a ruse to cover some other of Miko's men who might be lurking near.

But the summit seemed clear. The figure of Miko was a thousand feet away now. We could see the tiny blob of it bobbing over the rocks.

Then it plunged down--not into the crater valley, but out toward the open Moon surface.

Miko had abandoned his attack on us. The reason seemed plain. He had come here from his encampment with Coniston ahead to lure and kill Wilks. When this was done, Coniston had flashed his signal to Miko, who was hiding nearby.

It was not like the brigand leader to remain in the background. Miko was no coward. But Coniston could impersonate Wilks, whereas Miko's giant stature at once would reveal his ident.i.ty. Miko had been engaged in smas.h.i.+ng the ports. He had looked up and seen me kill Coniston. He had come to a.s.sail me. And then he had read Grantline's message to me.

It was his first knowledge that his s.h.i.+p was at hand. With the camp exits inoperative, Grantline and his men were imprisoned. Miko had made an effort to kill me. He did not know my companion was Anita. But the effort was taking too long; with his s.h.i.+p at hand, it was Miko's best move to return to his own camp, rejoin his men, and await their opportunity to signal the s.h.i.+p.

At least, so I reasoned it. Anita and I stood alone. What could we do?

We went to the brink of the cliff. The unlighted Grantline buildings showed vaguely in the Earthlight.