On the _Planetara_, in the radio room, Snap and I stood with Moa's weapon upon us. Miko held Anita. Triumphant, possessive. Then as she struggled, a gentleness came to this strange Martian giant. Perhaps he really loved her. Looking back on it, I sometimes think so. "Anita, do not fear me." He held her away from him. "I would not harm you. I want your love." Irony came to him. "And I thought I had killed you. But it was only your brother." He partly turned. I was aware of how alert was his attention. He grinned. "Hold them, Moa. Don't let them do anything foolish.... So, little Anita, you were masquerading to spy on me? That was wrong of you." Anita had not spoken. She held herself tensely away from Miko. She had flashed me a look, just one. What horrible mischance to have brought on this catastrophe! The completion of Grantline's message had come unnoticed by us all. We remained tense. "Look! Grantline again!" Snap said abruptly. But the mirrors were steadying. We had no recording mechanism; the rest of the message was lost. No further message came. There was an interval while Miko waited. He held Anita in the hollow of his great arm. "Quiet, little bird. Do not fear me. I have work to do, Anita, this is our great adventure. We will be rich, you and I. All the luxuries these worlds can offer--all for us when this is over. Careful, Moa! This Haljan has no wit." Well could he say it. I, who had been so witless as to let this come upon us! Moa's weapon prodded me. Her voice hissed at me with all the venom of a reptile enraged. "So that was your game, Gregg Haljan! And I was so graceless as to admit love for you!" Snap murmured in my ear, "Don't move, Gregg! She's reckless." She heard it. She whirled on him. "We have lost George Prince, it seems. Well, we will survive without his scientific knowledge. And you, Dean--and this Haljan, mark me--I will kill you both if you cause trouble!" Miko was gloating. "Don't kill them yet, Moa. What was it Grantline said? Near the crater of Archimedes. Ring us down, Haljan. We'll land." He signaled the turret, gave Coniston the Grantline message, and audiphoned it below to Hahn. The news spread about the ship. The bandits were jubilant. "We'll land now, Haljan. Come, Anita and I will go with you to the turret." I found my voice. "To what destination?" "Near Archimedes. The Apennine side. Keep well away from the Grantline camp. We will probably sight it as we descend." There was no trajectory needed. We were almost over Archimedes now. I could drop us with a visible, instrumental course. My mind was whirling with a confusion of thoughts. What could we do? I met Snap's gaze. "Ring us down, Gregg," he said quietly. I nodded. I pushed Moa's weapon away. "You don't need that--" We went to the turret. Moa watched me and Snap, a grim, cold Amazon. She avoided looking at Anita, whom Miko helped down the ladders with a strange mixture of courtierlike grace and amused irony. Coniston stared at Anita.