Gwann seemed on the point of making a sharp retort, and instead turned away toward the exit lock. "Since things seem suspicious, I'd best go first." "Sir," said Volval, laying a hand upon his leader's arm. "Yes?" queried Gwann, pausing. "Good luck, sir," Volval faltered, drawing his hand back. "Thanks," said Gwann, not unkindly. "For Venus," he added. "For Venus," the others echoed. Gwann released the safety lock on the circular metal door and turned the valve handle. Slowly, the door recessed itself in the metal pocket in the ship's wall, and Gwann went out into the yellow glow of the sunlight glittering in Times Square. * * * * * The sun was glowing crimson on the horizon when the five Venusians met once more at the door of their ship. "Nothing--no clue, no people," said Jorik, his face wrinkled with puzzlement. "I can't understand it." "Perhaps some holocaust...?" Volval began weakly. "Or a war?" Drog hinted gravely. "Impossible!" said Gwann, leaning against one of the legs of the gigantic ship. "There is a conspicuous absence of anything that might be construed as a weapon of war. There are no bodies in the buildings or in the streets. No wreckage anywhere." "Perhaps they have been frightened by our appearance and have gone into hiding?" asked Klendro, fingering the edge of his now futile scroll where it protruded from his belt-sack. "Nonsense," said their leader. "From all we've learned of the Earthmen, fright would only make them aggressive. They would not have hidden from us; they'd have tried to shoot us down when we emerged from the ship." "There was _one_ thing...." said Jorik slowly. "I almost did not see it, but its shadow passed close by me on the side of one of the buildings, and I looked up barely in time to get a glimpse of it before it vanished." "What was it like?" asked Gwann quickly. "Some sort of animal, probably carnivorous," said Jorik. "I cannot be _certain_, of course, but I saw a mouth with teeth bespeaking flesh-eating. Quite a--" he repressed a shudder--"quite a large mouth." "Strange," said Gwann. "Exceedingly strange. You saw only the one?" Jorik nodded. "Well," said Gwann, "one carnivore cannot have accounted for a population that runs into the millions. Besides, the Earthmen would be able to deal with mere animal life." * * * * * Klendro remembered the "slug in the guts" and blanched. "What should we do, sir?" asked Volval. "Our orders were to make peaceful contact with the Earthmen. If there _are_ no Earthmen--?" "Calm yourself, Volval." Gwann smiled, patting the younger man upon the shoulder. "If there are Earthmen to contact, we'll make that contact. I have an idea." "What, sir?" asked Drog. "We shall each take one of the skimmers and investigate the surface of the planet. Now, while our maps are incomplete, I feel that Drog can draw us up competent enough maps to guide us over the surface of Earth."