"The greatest this, the greatest that. And for what? Why, the ship probably won't get off the ground." Marsten chewed furiously on his cigar. "But what if it does get off the ground? What if it does get to Mars?" "All right. So what? How do you know there's life on Mars?" "There is. I hired the greatest--" "Oh, no," I groaned. "I believe you, I believe you. So now we're on Mars." "You capture a Martian and bring him back." "What if he doesn't care to be captured?" "What do I pay you for?" I thought this out, then said, "To capture Martians." "Exactly." "You wouldn't settle for a moon maiden, would you? I heard they're cute. And sexy." "A Martian." He was very adamant. "I'll have the greatest attraction in the world. Nick, I'm the kind who gets what he wants. I've spent over three million dollars on this project and I'm ready to spend another three million. Just get me my Martian and you'll be a rich man. You'll be rich enough to quit working for me and to tell me to go to hell. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" "I'd like that very much." * * * * * Two weeks later we went to Arizona. A week after that we took off. I didn't really think we would. But we did. Just me and Joe Roane. Two men in a space ship. A huge metal tube hurtling through the longest and blackest of nights. Joe Roane was a good-looking chap. Good-looking, young, and excited. He was the first to pilot a ship to Mars. He was looking ahead to the glory that awaited him. We landed on Mars. We put on helmets that Ritter and Young had made for us. We stepped down the metal ladder. They were there, waiting for us. I'd rather have faced a bushmaster or a rhino. They stood on three legs. They had globe bellies, tiny heads, and no necks. They were of a color I had never seen before. They had two arms with two hands attached to each arm. I suppose they were hands. They were more like claws. I stood frozen solid. Joe Roane screamed and turned to run back up the ladder. A beam flashed and Joe fell forward, silent and very dead. After that it was all a blank. When I came to I was strapped down by metal clasps on a long board made of some kind of marble. I was alone for some time. I don't remember how long it was before one of them appeared. He stood by my side, looking down at me. His eyes were purple. There were no whites. "You have come a long way," he said. "You--you speak English?" "We used a 64-V machine on you. We learned your language, your thoughts, your name. We know about Norbert Marsten. A very enterprising man, it seems." "What are you going to do with me?" "We haven't decided yet. So you were going to take one of us back with you for Marsten's circus. To exhibit one of us to your stupid race. My followers wanted to kill you when this information was learned. But I believe I have a better idea."