"Dank you, Misder Mulhane. Dad is a necessary evil of my--ah--profession. Dis ship has sed a course for Jupider and, dere, you will be held prisoners, pending de oudcome of our experimends wid Dwilken's formula." "And then you'll kill us!" Augie said hotly. "Perhaps. Dad is for me do decide. You cerdainly have no choice in de madder. And now," Pordo indicated three hulking Jovian brutes, waiting to pounce on us, "dese gendlemen will escord you do your cells. Id is regredable I cannod allow you de run of de ship, bud de oppordunidies dus offered might prove doo dempting do resid. I advise you do go quiedly, gendlemen." We went quietly. We were placed in adjoining cells and Twilken spent his rage in rattling the bars and cursing Mon Pordo for a bloody, ill-spawned, war-mongering idiot. The Jovians paid no attention, however, and Augie soon simmered down to a slow boil, pacing his cage like a trapped animal. We got to talking and Augie wanted to know all about me, why I had chosen such a career and did I have any immediate plans for escape? At first, I was reluctant to talk about my life-history as a free-booter of space, but Augie was persistent and I soon broke down. I hardy knew how to start, but the words came easy once I got going. Augie listened attentively, interjecting questions here and there. "I _am_ a Martian," I began. "But I was reared and educated on Earth and, consequently, I think, act and talk much as an Earthian. I suppose that's the main reason I most generally adopt the role of Tod Mulhane when hiring out my services. My real name doesn't matter--it wouldn't mean anything to you. As to why I became a soldier of fortune, perhaps it's because of an insatiable appetite for adventure I possess or maybe because I was left an orphan at an early age and just naturally drifted into it. That doesn't matter either. I've put a lot of space behind my tubes in my brief span of years and seen a lot of things that would make your blood run cold--things I've never talked of before, nor will I tell of them now. So you can sketch in the details yourself, if you care to. I've told all that's worth listening to." * * * * * We had been conversing in low whispers and Augie glanced up and down the corridor to make sure no guards were present before voicing his most imperative query. "Most interesting," he approved. "But, surely you have a method of escape planned? We can't just sit here and let these devils go through with their mad deed." I motioned for silence and Augie subsided, watching my antics with great interest. I placed my hand between two bars and pulled gently, with an even pressure. My companion stared bug-eyed as the hand came loose, exposing a pink tentacle ending in five, wire-thin appendages. Augie gasped, suddenly remembering his Martian anatomy.