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 identity. Miko had been engaged in smashing the ports. He had looked up and seen me kill Coniston. He had come to assail me. And then he had read Grantline's message to me. It was his first knowledge that his ship 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 ship at hand, it was Miko's best move to return to his own camp, rejoin his men, and await their opportunity to signal the ship. 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. I said, "We'll go down. I'll leave you there. You can wait at the port. They'll repair it soon." "And what will you do, Gregg?" I did not intend to tell her. "Hurry, Anita!" "Gregg, let me go with you." She jerked away from me and bounded back up the stairs. I caught her on the summit. "Anita!" "I'm going with you." "You're going to stay here." "I'm not!" This exasperating controversy! "Anita, please." "I'll be safer with you than waiting here, Gregg." And she added, "Besides, I won't stay and you can't make me." We ran along the crater top. At its distant edge the lower plain spread before us. Far down, and far away on the distant broken surface, the leaping figure of Miko showed. He plunged down the broken outer slope, reached the level. Soon, as we ran, the little Grantline crater faded behind us. Anita ran more skillfully than I. Ten minutes or so passed. We had seen Miko and the direction he was taking, but down here on the plain we could no longer see him. It struck me that our chase was purposeless and dangerous. Suppose Miko were to see us following him? Suppose he stopped and lay in ambush to fire at us as we came leaping heedlessly by? "Anita, wait!" I drew her down amid a group of tumbled boulders. And then abruptly she clung to me. "Gregg, I know what we can do! Gregg, don't tell me you won't let me try it!" I listened to her plan. Incredible! Incredibly dangerous. Yet, as I pondered it, the very daring of the scheme seemed the measure of its possible success. The brigands would never imagine we could be so rash! "But Anita--" "Gregg, you're stupid!" It was her turn to be exasperated. But I was in no mood for daring. My mind was obsessed with Anita's safety. I had been planning that we might see the glow of Miko's encampment and decide on some course of action.