Part 43 (1/2)

An amused smile played on his thin gray lips. But he nodded. The fear which had leaped at me was allayed by his next words.

”True enough, Haljan. He was a domineering fellow, Miko. A third of it all was for him alone. But now....”

The third would go to this sub-leader, Potan! The implication was obvious.

I said, ”Before we go any further, I can trust you for my share?”

”Of course.”

I figured that my very boldness in bargaining so prematurely would convince him. I insisted, ”Miss Prince will have her brother's share?”

Clever Anita! She put in swiftly, ”Oh, I give no information until you promise! We know the location of the Grantline camp, its weapons, its defences, the amount and location of the treasure. I warn you, if you do not play us fair....”

He laughed heartily. He seemed to like us. He spread his huge legs as he lounged in his settle, and drank of the bowl which one of his men set before him.

”Little tigress! Fear me not--I play fair!” He pushed two of the bowls across the table. ”Drink, Haljan. All is well with us and I am glad to know it. Miss Prince, drink my health as your leader.”

I waved it away from Anita. ”We need all our wits; your strong Martian drinks are dangerous. Look here, I'll tell you just how the situation stands--”

I plunged into a glib account of our supposed wanderings to find the Grantline camp: its location off the Mare Imbrium--hidden in a cavern there. Potan, with the drink, and under the gaze of Anita's eyes, was in high good humor. He laughed when I told him that we had dared to invade the Grantline camp, had smashed its exit ports, had even gotten up to have a look where the treasure was piled.

”Well done, Haljan. You're a fellow to my liking!” But his gaze was on Anita. ”You dress like a man or a charming boy.”

She still wore the dark clothes of her brother. She said, ”I am used to action. Man's garb pleases me. You shall treat me like a man and give me my share of gold leaf.”

He had already demanded the reason for the signal from the Mare Imbrium. Miko's signal! It had not come again, though any moment I feared it. I told him that Grantline doubtless had repaired his damaged ports and sallied out to a.s.sail me in reprisal. And, seeing the brigand s.h.i.+p landing on Archimedes, had tried to lure him into a trap.

I wondered if my explanation was convincing: it did not sound so. But he was flushed now with drink, and Anita added:

”Grantline knows the territory near his camp very well. But he is equipped only for short range fighting.”

I took it up. ”It's like this, Potan: if he could get you to land unsuspectingly near his cavern--”

I pictured how Grantline might have figured on a sudden surprise attack upon the s.h.i.+p. It was his only chance to catch it unprepared.

We were all three in friendly, intimate mood now. Potan said, ”We'll land down there right enough! But I need a few hours for my a.s.sembling.”

”He will not dare advance,” I said.

Anita put in, smiling, ”He knows by now that we have unmasked his lure. Haljan and I, joining you--that silenced him. His light went out very promptly, didn't it?”

She flashed me a side gaze. Were we acting convincingly? But if Miko started up his signals again, they might so quickly betray us!

Anita's thoughts were upon that, for she added:

”Grantline will not dare show his light! If he does, _Set_ Potan, we can blast him from here with a ray. Can't we?”

”Yes,” Potan agreed. ”If he comes within ten miles, I have one powerful enough. We are a.s.sembling it now.”

”And we have thirty men?” Anita persisted. ”When we sail down to attack him, it should not be difficult to kill all the Grantline party.”